You’re most likely to get a ‘flat’ in the capital, while it’s relatively rare in the East Midlands. Nearly one third of motorists have suffered a puncture or flat tyre in the past year, according to a new survey. It’s resulted in motorists spending an estimated £300 million on repairs and replacements, over the same period. Research from Kwik-Fit shows that London is the worst-affected region, with four out of 10 motorists saying they have suffered a “flat” in the past year, more than twice the rate of incidence in the East Midlands, which registered the lowest number of punctures. In 40 per cent of cases, the punctures were repaired – at a cost of about £15 each – sparing 3.5 million drivers the cost of a new tyre. David White, customer services director at Kwik-Fit says: “Our research shows just how many drivers are inconvenienced by punctures or tyre damage every year. Fortunately, in many instances these don’t require a new tyre but can be simply and quickly repaired. More
(AD Comment ~ London has massive traffic volumes, so likely to be more motoring problems. Or does the condition of our roads vary from region to region?)
It must have seemed like an expensive gift that would make his wife the flashiest thing on the road. But it has ended up becoming rather a burden. Ian Grice paid £30,000 for a chrome-plated Mini Cooper as a Valentine’s gift for his wife Toni. But to the couple’s dismay, they cannot even get the new car off their drive to show it off. Mr Grice, 42, cannot get anyone to insure the pricey vehicle. ‘I’ve been left with the world’s most expensive mirror,’ he complained. ‘No one will touch it with a barge pole.’ The builder bought the super-shiny car from a London showroom as a Valentine’s Day gift for his wife, 41. He was given a week’s free insurance so he could drive it back to their home in Greasley, Notts. But now insurance firms are refusing to give the couple cover. More
(AD Comment ~ Certainly a striking car. Surprising that insurance companies wouldn`t see this as an opportunity to charge a massive premium, with plently of exclusions!)
A driver crashed into a school when he was over-the-limit… on his first driving lesson. Learner George Howarth lost control of his instructor’s Nissan Micra going round a bend and embedded it into railings. The instructor tried to brake using his controls, but Howarth continued to accelerate onto the pavement. Howarth was one-and-a-half times the limit and blamed it on drinking the night before – even though the accident, in Gorton, Manchester, was at 4.30pm the following the afternoon. Mohammed Zahid from the Z-Plus driving school, said the instructor had been unaware Howarth, of Bickerdike Court, Longsight, had been drinking. He said: ‘He wasn’t aware. He’s a very good instructor and he doesn’t drink himself. We didn’t know.’ Jobless Howarth, 53, has since passed his test. But Manchester magistrates promptly banned him from driving for 16 months after he admitted drink-driving. More
(AD Comment ~ Shows that anyone supervising a learner, not just instructors, must be sure that they are fit and capable to drive.)
Young drivers in East Yorkshire are to experience a car crash in a driving simulator in a bid to reduce the number of fatalities on the county’s roads. Volunteers are invited to sit in a modified Vauxhall Astra, dubbed the iCar, to watch a film in which a driver and four passengers crash into a tree. The car is rigged with hydraulics to move in sync with the video. The project is the work of Safer Roads Humber, a partnership between police, councils and the Highways Agency. More
(AD Comment ~ Education in young driver attitudes and awarernesses are key to future road safety, lets hope that many will learn from this and other schemes.)
A survey of new street names shows they are increasingly being chosen to reflect councils’ interests in the environment, health and safety, and diversity. Goodbye Acacia Avenue – welcome to Eco Way, Euro Close and Sustainability Way. “New age” ideas are also influencing the naming of roads such as Karma Way or Yoga Way. Other streets are being given names which reflect Britain’s increasingly multicultural society. Experts said that local authorities were doing the same thing the Romans did 2,000 years: using names which reflected the nature of society around them. Dr David Green, a geographer from King’s College London, said: “Street names reflect modern culture and society and preoccupations. They now also show a worldwide influence.” Among the new streets with an environmental theme are Eco Way, in Doncaster, and Sustainability Way, in Leyland, Lancashire. There are also a Kyoto Walk and Kyoto Terrace, in Havant, Hampshire, which feature environmentally friendly homes and were named after the Japanese city where an international treaty on climate change was agreed. Reflecting an interest in health and safety, council officials in Poole renamed Salamander Road as Safety Drive, after a new fire station was built on it. Samsara Road, in Bromsgrove, and Karma Way, in Harrow, north London, both use phrases from Indian religions, dealing with concepts of reincarnation and cause and effect, respectively, which have become popular elements of “new age” western thinking. Then there is Yoga Way, in Sutton, south London. In Brent, however, councillors chose the financial over the spiritual, calling one street Euro Close. More
(AD Comment ~ About time some of the coucils moved with the times. How long will it be before supermarkets/businesses pay to have roads including their names?)
You are most at risk just 60 minutes into your first car journey on holiday abroad. Know the local road rules, and be aware of your own fitness to drive. Foreign and Commonwealth Office research shows that driving abroad is at its most dangerous just 60 minutes into the first journey whilst on holiday. Professor Geoff Beattie, of Manchester University, has pinpointed the most dangerous point when driving abroad. The key factors that contribute to dangerous driving abroad including driver fatigue, motoring on the other side of the road, anticipating oncoming traffic and grappling with unfamiliar rented vehicles. More
(AD Comment ~ You can`t argue with the advice, as there are so many unfamilar factors for drivers to overcome. For those not as confident with their driving, the time to settle on foreign roads may well be much longer.)
A fifth (20 per cent) of motorists have been a victim of a ‘crash and dash’ accident over the past five years as a result of a careless driver not owning up to damaging their car after a prang, reveals a new report by car insurer Direct Line. The average crash and dash victim is left with a £539 bill to repair the damage after the culprit left the scene of the accident without leaving their details, totalling £3.5billion nationwide since 2005. An unfortunate one in ten (9 per cent) victims of unscrupulous motorists has been left with damage costing in excess of £1000 to repair. Supermarket and shopping centre car parks are the scene of the majority of crash and dash incidents (42 per cent), as shoppers try to squeeze their cars into too-tight spaces and battle it out to be first to the next free spot. One in five (19 per cent) careless crash and dash motorists damaged another car while it was parked on the street outside the owner’s home, suggesting they are likely to have damaged a neighbour’s car. More
(AD Comment ~ Many of us have been victims, though no fault of our own. This is way premiums are much higher accross the board for everyone, and many no-claims bonuses been adversely effected as well.)
OK, it’s not quite as foldable as the space vehicle that cartoon figure George Jetson pops into his briefcase as he heads into the office. But the EN-V concept car, GM’s ‘automobile solution’ for the future, just might fit into an apartment foyer. The space age electric car has been designed to avoid accidents by automatically swerving around other cars by communicating with them. General Motors and its Chinese partner SAIC showcased the ‘Electric Networked-Vehicle’ yesterday in their joint pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, which opens May 1 and runs for six months. The EN-V, pronounced ‘envy’ is GM’s latest effort to burnish its credentials as a future-focused, environmentally friendly company and shed its image as the bastion of the gas guzzling Hummer. The automaker is in the process of winding down Hummer after a deal collapsed to sell it to a Chinese heavy equipment maker. The Detroit car manufacturer is hoping the helmet-shaped vehicle will help establish it as a significant player in fuel-efficient vehicles after emerging from bankruptcy last July. GM is not alone in viewing China as the ultimate landscape for tiny urban vehicles. Daimler introduced its Smart ultracompact here in 2008, though few of them can be seen yet on Shanghai streets. The concept behind the car has already been seen in Hollywood blockbuster films including Minority Report and I-Robot, starring Will Smith. The two-wheel, two-seater EN-V, which looks something like an oversized vacuum cleaner, is not just about making vehicles small, lightweight and emission-free, the company says. More
(AD Comment ~ A strange looking thing, can`t see much demand as yet!)
Well done on passing your driving test today, in Bedford, after taking your driving lessons in Bedford with ALPHA DRIVE.
Congratulations and best wishes from everyone at the driving school, as your look forward to many years of enjoyable and safe motoring.
For more information about the taking Driving Lessons contact ALPHA DRIVE on 0800 2118871. We also cover Sandy, St Neots and the local area for driving lessons.
One of the highest ever car insurance payouts in UK history is set to be made after a £528,000 supercar crashed during a test drive in Scotland. One of the highest ever car insurance payouts in UK history is set to be made after a £528,000 supercar crashed during a test drive in Scotland. The Pagani Zonda S, which can reach speeds of 220mph, spun out of control on a narrow country road and hit a telephone pole before smashing through a fence. The car has now been sent for repairs in Modena, Italy, where the vehicles are made. The final bill could be over £300,000, according to a spokesman from Aviva insurance. “This is the biggest insurance payout we have had for repairs to a private car in the UK. This is out of the ordinary for an insurer,” the spokesman said. More
(AD Comment ~ Oops!)
Children’s health is at risk, says report from Royal College of Physicians. Smoking should be banned in cars and parks to protect children, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) says today. Millions of children are exposed to second-hand smoke at home, which is a major hazard to their health, and reducing the level of exposure should be a priority. Although most cars are occupied by adults, it would be impractical to apply the ban only to cars carrying children, the college says. In a major new report on the impact of passive smoking on children, the RCP says it is time to capitalise on the gains achieved by the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces, imposed in England in July 2007. Experience from other countries shows extending the ban to a wide range of public spaces, including playgrounds and beaches, can be “popular and successful”, it says. Passive smoking is responsible for a huge burden of disease on children, including one in five of all cot deaths, 200 cases of meningitis, 22,000 cases of asthma, and 120,000 middle-ear infections a year. An estimated two million children are exposed to tobacco smoke at home. A ban on smoking in cars is necessary because the confined space increases the level of exposure and the harm caused. Smoking should also be banned in places such as parks, stricter penalties should be imposed on shops that sell cigarettes to children, and the price of tobacco should be increased, the report says. More
(AD Comment ~ Opinion will be split on this issue, between the smokers and non-smokers alike. Perhaps the first likely change will be to band the driver from smoking.)
The number of tyre related deaths and accidents on the UK’s roads could be set to rise after new research has revealed that more than one in ten drivers is more likely to buy part worn tyres compared with 12 months ago. The worrying findings have been issued by TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety group, who has warned that not only could part worn tyres be a false economy, but they could pose a significant safety hazard to drivers and other road users. In 2008, illegal, under-inflated or defective tyres contributed to the deaths of 34 drivers and the injuries of more than 900 other motorists. “Tyres play a critical role in vehicle safety and consequently, some very strict requirements exist regarding the sale of part worn tyres,” warns Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “If part worn tyres are bought from an unreliable source or do not meet the required standards, drivers could be placing themselves and other road users in significant danger. We understand the financial pressures being faced by many motorists but the risks associated with fitting part worn tyres are too high and we would always recommend fitting brand new tyres.” One of TyreSafe’s primary concerns with part worn tyres relates to the internal structure of the tyre. Regulations require that part worns must be free from large cuts, bulges and lumps and must not have any of their plies or cords exposed. However, without a thorough examination of the internal components of the tyre using an x-ray machine, TyreSafe claims it is impossible to tell what unseen damage may have occurred. “There are many internal components of a tyre which are essential for safe motoring,” explains Jackson. “These can be damaged by a number of things such as punctures, driving over kerbs or pot holes or running at too low pressures. All of these can make the tyre dangerous and unsafe. The visual inspections required to sell part worn tyres may not identify these internal structural problems and consequently divers may be sold a product which is essentially not fit for purpose.” More
(AD Comment ~ Tyres often get over looked by motorists. We all need to make frequent checks for any damage, especially with the current state of many of our roads.)
Well done on passing your driving test today, in Bedford, after taking your driving lessons in Bedford with ALPHA DRIVE.
Congratulations and best wishes from everyone at the driving school, as your look forward to many years of enjoyable and safe motoring.
For more information about the taking Driving Lessons contact ALPHA DRIVE on 0800 2118871. We also cover Sandy, St Neots and the local area for driving lessons.
Trundling along at 10mph, he could hardly be described as a boy racer. But as he just five years old, there was no telling what damage the driver of the 4×4 would do. The boy, named locally as Thomas Chatfield, took his father’s Mitsubishi Shogun automatic and drove it for four miles including a section of dual carriageway through the morning rush hour yesterday Motorists and pedestrians who phoned police could only see the top of his head as he bashed into two parked cars and dealt a passing vehicle a glancing blow. After 20 minutes the tearful child’s journey came to an end as he crashed the high-powered car into a brick wall. Fortunately no one was injured and after being taken to hospital as a precaution, Thomas was reunited with his father. He had dialled 999 after waking to find his car and son missing from his home near Chichester, West Sussex. It is not clear exactly how Thomas managed to drive the car, but most modern Shogun models can be started simply by pressing the ‘start’ button. It is thought that Thomas would not even have needed to touch the pedal, as the automatic would have moved at low speed just by being in the drive mode. More
(AD Comment ~ Shows the dangers of leaving car keys, with young kids around. Perhaps more safety features could be installed on many of the newer vehicles, that can be driven with very little human use of the controls.)
The 50 year-old, who has more than 110 driving offences on his record, was jailed for five months by magistrates who said it was the worst driving record they had ever seen. Feely, from Leeds regularly flouted driving bans, despite living just yards from a police station. He was stopped by police for driving whilst disqualified and without a licence just three days before he was due to be sentenced for an earlier similar offence. He has told the courts in the past that he needed to drive because he was a mobile DJ. Magistrates heard this week that he had been banned from driving 59 times in the past 28 years. He broke the law again in November last year just three days before he was due to be sentenced for another crime, Leeds Magistrates Court heard. He was caught driving a van while disqualified and without insurance on Kirkstall Road, Leeds, on November 13. Dianne Rawnsley, prosecuting said that when Feely was stopped in Kirkstall Road, Leeds Last November, he was due in court three days later to face a similar charge for which he eventually received a 24-month suspended prison sentence. Jailing Feely magistrates chairman John Pickering said: “This is undoubtedly the worst driving record any of us on the bench have ever seen. From 1982 onwards you have been convicted of 89 offences. More
(AD Comment ~ Perhaps we need tougher punishments for driving crimes, to stop people breaking the law time after time.)
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