July 31st, 2008 Administrator
Txt-Drive asked a former pupil to give us some information regarding his car insurance as a ‘real life’ case study.
Dan learnt to drive in Bedford with the driving school Txt-Drive. He recently passed his driving test in Bedford (passed his driving test at the Bedford Test Centre on his first attempt, gaining only got 2 minor faults).
Before Dan passed his driving test, he started to look for car insurance. After numerous phone calls and hours online searching for the best quote, Dan found Direct Line was cheapest at £1450.
Shortly after passing his driving test in Bedford, Dan booked the Pass Plus course with Txt-Drive. Having completed the Pass Plus course, Dan’s insurance was discounted by 28% to just £1050, giving him a saving of £400!!!
The Pass Plus course is a driver training scheme for new drivers. It has been specially designed by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), with the help of insurers and the driving instruction industry. Only registered driving instructors, such as Txt-Drive, can offer the Pass Plus course.
Posted in Driving, Pass Plus | No Comments »
July 31st, 2008 Administrator
Spain will lower its speed limit outside major cities as part of a string of measures unveiled by the government Tuesday aimed at slashing its oil imports by 10 percent per year.
“Every time we lift our feet off the accelerator, we are improving GDP and employment,” Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian told parliament as he outlined the 31 measures. “The era of cheap energy has passed.” The speed limit will be reduced by 20 percent in line with rules already in place in Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city, where it is set at 80 kilometres (50 miles) an hour.
Greater use of energy-saving light bulbs, reduced lighting on roads and restrictions on the use of air-conditioning in summer and heating systems in winter in public buildings are among the other government measures. The plan for 2008-14 has a budget of 245 million euros (385 million dollars) and the government hopes it will reduce annual oil consumption by 44 million barrels. The government will distribute 49 million energy-saving light bulbs — two for each household — to encourage their use and will require all government vehicles to meet at least 20 percent of their energy needs through biofuels. It will also launch a pilot project for the manufacture of one million electric or hybrid vehicles.
Fossil fuels currently meet 84 percent of Spain’s energy needs and the rising price of oil has led to inflationary pressures and caused the country’s trade deficit to balloon.
From : Yahoo
Could this be the future for Bedford or the entire country? With a new Eco-Safe driving section on the driving test from September 2008, who knows?
Posted in Driving | No Comments »
July 30th, 2008 Administrator
A sportscar that folds in half to allow drivers to park on cramped city streets has been invented by a British designer.
The BRB Evolution jacks up on its nose with its back wheels sliding underneath on two rollers, allowing it to use 50 per cent less parking space. Motorists would have to step out of the car before it morphs into its “upright” parking pose, which has been compared to that of a Dyson vacuum cleaner.
The car will run on electricity or hydrogen fuel, but 22-year-old designer Daniel Bailey hopes it will be more “sexy, sleek and mean” than other eco-cars. It is inspired by the Lamborghini Murcielago and Peugeot 908. “I figured two of the main problems of future cities would be pollution and over population,” he said. “With more vehicles needing more places to be stored, I came up with the concept of a folding car. The car folds up to 50% of its original size, and uses the negative vertical space, usually disregarded. This potentially doubles the amount of parking spaces.”
Mr Bailey has submitted his concept to Peugeot as part of a design competition.
From : Telegraph website
This seems like the perfect answer for people who finding parallel parking rather tricky – especially in cities where spaces are very limited. Unfortunately Txt-Drive doesn’t use the ‘BRB Evolution’ – we only use a BMW Mini for driving lessons……they’re small and easy to parallel park!!
Parallel parking is covered in your Txt-Drive driving lessons and you may be required to parallel park on your driving test.
Posted in Driving | No Comments »
July 29th, 2008 Administrator
The rising cost of fuel has led to police officers in Devon and Cornwall being taught how to drive more economically in a bid to save money.
The force said its “green agenda” would help to save fuel for front-line operational duties. Car-share schemes, the use of bikes and video conferencing technology are also being encouraged. The overall number of vehicles is being reduced, with more fuel-efficient diesel models replacing old cars.
Sgt Chris Crebo, who runs the driver training unit, said: “As a force we cover 21 million miles a year, so the cost of fuel is a big issue. “We are emphasising to officers how best to economically run the cars such as efficient gear changes, regular services etcetera. “A lot of it is common sense but the cost of fuel is a real issue and we need to make savings where we can.” Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in Plymouth are being taken to their beats by a single driver and the use of bicycles has also increased.
£2m fuel bill
Martin Davis, head of transport with the Devon and Cornwall force said: “Fuel costs are obviously rising dramatically so we are having to absorb that increase because we only have limited funding. “The last thing we can afford to do is affect front-line policing.” Last year the force spent £2m on fuel and the cost is expected to rise to £2.5m this year.
From : BBC website
Posted in Driving | Comments Off
July 25th, 2008 Administrator
The new editions of The Official DSA Theory Test books and software titles for car drivers and motorcyclists are out now!
The new editions have been updated to reflect the new question bank that will be used for theory tests taken from 1st September this year and come at a time when many young learner drivers are using their holidays and long evenings to take their first driving lessons.
The new edition of the best-selling theory test book includes all the questions that learner drivers could be asked in the test, as well as telling them what happens at the test centre so they can relax and concentrate on getting a pass. Questions, answers and explanations are on one page to make learning easier and it also includes The Official Highway Code.
The Official DSA Theory Test for Car Drivers and The Official Highway Code book (ISBN 9780115529276) is priced at £12.50.
On the PC. . .
The new version of The Official DSA Theory Test for Car Drivers and The Official Highway Code CD-ROM provides the closest experience to the multiple-choice part of the theory test. It allows learners to test themselves on all of the 2008/09 car theory test questions they could be asked and features a voice-over option to help those with dyslexia and reading difficulties. This new edition also contains a digital version of The Official Highway Code.
The Official DSA Theory Test for Car Drivers CD-ROM (ISBN 9780115529283) is priced at £12.99. It is also available as part of The Official DSA Theory Test Kit (ISBN 9780115529313) RRP £19.99 (this also includes The Official Guide to Hazard Perception DVD) and The Official DSA Complete Learner Driver Pack (ISBN 9780115529320) RRP £29.99 (this also includes The Official Guide to Hazard Perception DVD and Prepare for your Practical Driving Test DVD).
From : DSA website
If you require any of these materials then they can be purchased from Txt-Drive on your driving lessons at the Recommended Retail Price. These books & DVDs are extremely useful - they will help alongside your driving lessons. Txt-Drive, a driving school based in Bedford, have found them to be especially good in between driving lessons to remind your self of what you covered in the previous driving lesson/s.
Posted in Driving | No Comments »
