October 31st, 2008 Administrator
It may be the ultimate labour-saving device – an incar navigation system that lets back-seat drivers… er, take a back seat.
The gadget – already dubbed ’sat nag’ – will chastise drivers who take corners too quickly or drive erratically, and tell you when to change gear to maximise fuel economy.
Motorway lane-hoggers could be instructed to make way for faster vehicles. And once you’ve negotiated the traffic, it will even recommend good restaurants.
Experts believe the enhanced system, which plots a car’s position using a satellite, could one day lead to the creation of a ‘crash-proof’ car.
Known as an Advanced Driver Assistance System, it is being developed by leading satnav company TomTom and Navteq, a mapping company owned by phone giant Nokia.
The device, expected to be in shops within three years, will also give users a 3D view of the road, showing gradients, obstacles and road width. It is hoped this could put an end to lorries being guided down narrow country lanes.
Fleets of vans with video cameras, global positioning systems and gyroscopes are now close to completing their filming of all Britain’s major roads and have started on smaller routes. This will enable the new sat navs to display buildings, bridges, traffic lights and road signs.
The ADAS sets could also emit a warning if there is imminent danger of a collision.
Rik Temmink, vice-president for global product management at Tele Atlas, the mapping division of TomTom, said: ‘The 3D mapping taking place now will allow us to bring huge advances in the information that satnavs can provide for drivers.’
From : Daily Mail website
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October 28th, 2008 Administrator
Txt-Drive of Bedford is pleased to announce that it will be listed in DrivingSchoolsFinder.co.uk very shortly. Driving school Txt-Drive provides learner drivers with driving instructors that are licensed to give paid tuition/driving lessons.
Listed in Driving Schools Finder
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October 24th, 2008 Administrator
Several more local authorities are expected to ban speed cameras over the next year, following the lead of Swindon council, which announced it was scrapping them last night.
To the alarm of road safety campaigners, Swindon became the first council in the UK to scrap fixed speed cameras over concerns that the government is using them to raise money.
The nine-member cabinet of the Tory council voted unanimously in favour of withdrawing from the partnership that operates local safety cameras.
The AA motorists’ group predicted other councils would use a recent relaxation in transport funding rules to ditch speed cameras in favour of other traffic calming measures. Councils in Portsmouth and North Somerset are known to be considering it.
Andrew Howard, the AA’s head of road safety, said: “Other councils will now know they won’t be the first, which will make life easier for them if they are thinking about it.”
Asked how many others would follow, he said: “It’s horribly difficult to say, but I would say six or seven.”
Howard welcomed Swindon’s decision. “We are very glad to see there’s flexibility in the system and that road safety grant is not only camera money. Cameras are not the only way to skin the road safety problem.”
Brake, the national road safety charity, said it was “appalled” at what it called a “reckless decision”.
Its spokeswoman, Jane Whitham, said: “Swindon Borough Council is entering into a very dangerous experiment with people’s lives. Staying well within speed limits is essential for everyone’s safety and speed cameras are an important tool in catching drivers who insist on breaking the law and putting lives in danger.”
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said today they would be “monitoring the results” in Swindon.
“Speed cameras have been shown to reduce casualties,” said a royal society spokesman.
Ditching cameras was championed by Peter Greenhalgh, Swindon’s highways councillor, as a way of improving road safety.
“I have never said that speed cameras don’t work — of course they do,” he told the Swindon Advertiser. “They are effective in stopping people speeding in a particular spot but they are not effective in stopping people being killed or seriously injured on our roads.”
Greenhalgh’s initiative was praised by the Top Gear presenter and pro-motorist columnist Jeremy Clarkson.
But Greenhalgh said: “I did not become a councillor to be hailed as a hero on Top Gear.”
He said police would still use handheld speed cameras in the town and alternative speed-reducing measures were being considered by the council, including education and training for motorists and reduced speed limits in problem areas.
David Ainsworth, Wiltshire’s deputy chief constable, said police were urging the council to consult them before they “physically remove any camera”.
Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove said: “I am on the side of Wiltshire police in this debate — they know more about road safety than Swindon’s Conservative councillors.”
Swindon council leader Rod Bluh said: “Politics is about making policies and it is also about challenging policies if you do not believe they are working. If you think the status quo isn’t working then you need to challenge that, however difficult that challenge is.”
Bluh admitted once being banned from driving for speeding. “I was caught three or four years ago. But I’m a reformed character. I have not speeded since.”
The Department for Transport denied the government was using cameras to raise funds. “Safety cameras are there to save lives, not make money. To ensure that local partnerships have no incentive to try to raise money from cameras, fines are paid into a central fund rather than directly to those partnerships,” a spokesman said.
From : Guardian website
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October 24th, 2008 Administrator
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is offering lighting tips in preparation for the last few short and dark days.
Regularly check that all lights work, the IAM advises. While someone observes, switch each one on in turn. If alone, park by a reflective surface such as a garage door, illuminate all lights in sequence and look for the reflections.
Look for approaching lights when driving around corners, adjust the position of the vehicle accordingly and dip your headlights to avoid dazzling other motorists.
If oncoming drivers forget to dip their lights, slow down and give your eyes time to adjust. Never stay on full-beam to retaliate.
It is difficult to judge speed in the dark, so take extra care when making a manoeuvre and always allow traffic to pass when waiting to pull out at a junction.
The weather will also dictate when to use headlights and fog lights. Use fog lights sparingly; switch them on only when visibility is below 100 metres. Leaving them on after fog has disappeared is an offence and a danger to other motorists.
Copyright © PA Business 2008
From : RAC website
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October 24th, 2008 Administrator
RoSPA is running a project designed to get a better understanding of the risks faced, and created, by young (17-24 years) drivers at work, including:
- the views of employers on how well the present system of driver training and testing prepares young people for the sort of driving they do for work
- whether employers would recognise and make use of a ‘driving for work qualification’ when recruiting or managing young staff who drive as part of their job, and
- if so, what should be included in such a qualification or training programme.
How you can help
We need the views of organisations that employ young drivers. Whether you have just a few young drivers who make occasional deliveries, or many young staff who spend much of their time driving as part of their job, we’re looking to hear your views and experiences.
Please complete the questionnaire for employers. It will take around 10 minutes and you shouldn’t need to search for information to answer the questions. None of the responses will be attributed to you or your organisation.
The results will be published in a report in March 2009. This will be freely available and will help employers and road safety professionals to better understand the risks for young at-work drivers, give guidance on how those risks can be reduced and on what help employers want.
The work will also help to inform the DSA’s strategy towards post-test learning for young at-work drivers and Lifelong Driver Development in general.
For more information or a printed copy of the questionnaire contact Duncan Vernon.
From : ROSPA website
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