52 per cent cannot see a red stop light coming when signals at junctions and pedestrian crossings are on amber. A survey of 1,000 motorists reveals that 39 per cent incorrectly expect a green light to be next in sequence after amber. A further seven per cent think that green and amber lights will appear simultaneously – a combination that never occurs – and six per cent suppose it will be the red and amber signal. Road safety experts are concerned that only 48 per cent of the UK’s 36 million drivers know the answer to a question routinely asked in driving theory tests and suggest that this could explain high accident rates at pedestrian crossings. Government statistics indicate that 19 per cent of pedestrians knocked down whilst crossing the road were on a crossing and a further 12 per cent were within 50 metres of one. The Department for Transport figures for 2008 – the latest available – say drivers failing to look properly were to blame for 21 per cent of all pedestrian accidents and seven per cent were caused by careless or reckless motorists or those in a hurry. Living Streets – formerly the Pedestrian Association – called for a clampdown on drivers running red lights along with a Government campaign on pedestrian road safety. It is also demanding a guarantee that the time allowed for pedestrians to cross will not be reduced by up to six seconds as proposed last year in London to improve traffic flow and cut congestion. “We are concerned at the poor level of knowledge of drivers,” said chief executive Tony Armstrong. More
(AD Suggests ~ An area where all road users need to be clear, so that traffic lights can be safe for all. Perhaps a simple change, so that the green light flashes 5 seconds before it goes out, would alert motorists earlier to changing lights!)
One minute she was practising her mirror, signal, manoeuvre drill. The next, she was upside down in a driveway wondering what went wrong. Fortunately, Krisztina Jaksa and instructor Glen Berley escaped the crash unscathed – which is more than can be said for their black Fiat 500. Student Miss Jaksa, 24, was crossing a junction in the village of Headington, near Oxford, when the steering wheel locked. Panicking, she put her foot on the accelerator instead of the brake, sending the car crashing into a gatepost before it flipped over. She said she could not remember much about the accident, but added stoically: ‘It has not put me off driving – why would it?’ Witness Russ Dunne, 33, who lives on the quiet street, spoke to the instructor after helping to rescue him and the stricken pupil. He said: ‘I was standing at my door talking to someone from the Labour party who had come around canvassing. ‘I heard the engine revving really heavily and then this almighty smack. ‘I stuck my head out of the door and saw the car on its roof. I was in shock because at first I thought it was joyriders. ‘Talking to the instructor, he said she basically kept turning the steering wheel so it must have been almost on full lock. ‘Then something happened and she must have planted her foot on the accelerator.’ Mr Dunne helped pull the driver out of the passenger side of the car, while the instructor freed himself. More
(AD Thoughts ~ Amazingly no one was hurt, in this strange manoeuvre.)
Removable wrap is the easy way to change your car’s colour.It’s the perfect gift for the indecisive motorist ; a special ‘wrap’ that almost instantly changes the colour of their car. London-based Creative FX charges from £1,400 to transform a car’s appearance by applying a removeable, high-tech, vinyl wrap. It takes less than two days to apply and is claimed to give a flawless finish, even on close inspection. The covering is guaranteed for five years and can be removed whenever the owner tires of their new colour scheme. Already the firm has transformed a Ferrari F430 Spider belonging to supercar club Ecurie 25 from red to matt black, a transformation that came in at less than £2,000. Other projects have included special commissions for events and charities including Arsenal FC (Teenage Cancer Trust), Audi (a special sculpture at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed) and Nissan (163 Union Jack-wrapped Micras to highlight the scrappage scheme). “Even at close quarters, it looks as if the car has been re-sprayed and there are no visible joins,” says a spokesman for Creative FX. “The wrap is applied by specially trained staff, using a specialist self-adhesive vinyl, which is gently heated and stretched over the car’s bodywork using a laser thermometer to maintain a constant and precise temperature.” More
(AD Remarks ~ Sounds like a lot of money, for someones vanity with the colour of their car)
Commuters waste more than two days every year stuck in traffic, according to a new survey. Kia Motors’ Cleaner Driving Report looked at the driving habits of Britain’s commuters and found that 49 and a half hours were spent in stand-still traffic each year, which amounts to 91 days of their working life. Queues and jams affect 71 per cent of British commuters on their way to work, with the average commute taking 47 minutes. The survey found that 12 minutes of each commute was spent below 5 mph or totally stationary. More
(AD Suggests ~ Some roads are over congested due to high volumes of traffic at peek times, but others are not well enough laid out, to ease traffic flow.)
A safety barrier put up to protect schoolchildren from passing motorists has been moved because it keeps getting hit by cars. The 4ft high metal railing was installed to shield youngsters from cars negotiating a bend on a road outside Pensford Primary School near Bristol. But council officials decided it was dangerous after it was struck four times in two years – and moved it 18 inches back into the middle of the pavement. Parents and the local MP have criticised the decision and accused the council of putting the protection of the barrier ahead of children’s safety. More
(AD Notes ~ Council has gone mad, perhaps more could be done on this road to calm traffic!)
A wannabee motorist has been driven to despair after passing her driving exam, only to be told four hours later she had failed because examiners didn’t test her properly. Cara Griffiths, 28, from Romford, cruised through her test first time with only five minor faults, observed by two examiners from the Hornchurch Test Centre in Station Lane. She was presented with her driving certificate and was so pleased she phoned family and friends to tell them the happy news. But her celebrations hit the skids when examiners contacted the mum-of-one four hours later to tell her her certificate was invalid because they had made a mistake during a vital part of the test. More
(AD Thoughts ~ Bad mistake to make, especially when there is two examiners present as well!)
A simple eBay auction turned into an epic bidding frenzy when a car thought to be scrap turned out to be one of the world’s rarest vehicles. The rusty car – which has no engine or transmission – was initially put up for sale in the U.S. with a starting bid of $500 (£300). But after one eBay user realised the battered 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest was in fact one of six specially-made Super Duty versions, it eventually sold for nearly $227,000 (£140,000). More
(AD Thoughts ~ Will take a bit of work and money to get going again! But shows how much history/scareness boost prices!)
A seven-year-old joyrider was stopped by police officers after a car chase in Utah.The pursuit began because the boy was reportedly attempting to avoid going to church. Telephone operators received reports of a child driving recklessly on Sunday morning. Weber County Sheriff’s Capt. Klint Anderson says one witness said the boy drove through a stop sign. Anderson says two deputies caught up with the boy and tried unsuccessfully to stop the Dodge Intrepid in an area about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Salt Lake City. The car reached 40 mph (64 kph) before the boy stopped in a driveway and ran inside a home. Anderson says when the boy’s father later confronted him, the boy said he didn’t want to go to church. The boy is too young to prosecute and no citations were issued, although police did urge the father to make his car keys more inaccessible to children. More
(AD Notes ~ Thats some way to get out of church!)
Bloggers Comments