December 22nd, 2011 Administrator
A learner driver who crashed and killed a nine-year-old girl while on her first driving lesson has been jailed for two years.
Beatrice Mawamba, 34, panicked and careered down a narrow alleyway into a grassed courtyard while taking a lesson with her husband, Leeds Crown Court heard.
The court was told Mawamba, a mother of three who had not driven a car before, crushed to death nine-year-old Shamirah Grant and injured two other girls, one seriously.
Prosecuting, Michael Smith said: “The children describe playing in the early evening and saw a man and woman in a green Vauxhall car.
“The man was giving some sort of instruction to the woman. The children heard the engine revving and saw it stutter and come flying down towards them fast.”
The vehicle was earlier described as “bunny hopping” before Mawamba lost control and veered dangerously out of control, down the steps of a narrow alleyway and on to the grassed children’s play area near Leopold Grove in the Chapeltown area of Leeds.
“The defendant described the car going very fast and her husband telling her to brake but she did not know how to. Her husband also tried to stop the car but couldn’t.
“When challenged by the police she was unable to say which pedal was the brake,” Mr Smith added.
Sentencing, Mr Justice Openshaw said Mawamba was “profoundly ignorant” of the most basic driving skills, adding that setting off to drive when “so lacking the most basic driving skills” amounted to a “thoughtless disregard for the safety of others”.
“In my judgment a prison sentence is necessary to impress upon others that driving a car without having any idea how to control it is seriously anti-social and presents a substantial risk to the public and such behaviour must strongly be discouraged.”
Graham Parkin, for Mawamba who admitted causing death by dangerous driving in May this year, said his client was remorseful and remained “extremely distressed” by the tragedy.
“She wishes, of course, she could turn back the clock and that it never happened,” he added.
The victim’s parents, Gary and Jennifer Grant, issued a statement following today’s sentencing.
It said: “As the parents of Shamirah Grant, we have forgiven those present in the vehicle which veered dangerously out of control… unfortunately killing our daughter and injuring two of her friends.
“We appreciate that such a terrible event was not intentional… Nevertheless, Shamirah’s death has left a heart-rending gap within our family’s lives.”
Txt-Drive Driving School uses FULLY QUALIFIED driving instructors (approved by the DSA) & the driving instructors use the BMW MINI which is fitted with He-Man Dual Controls. The dual controls are for the safety of the learner driver, the driving instructor & any other road users. Should the learner driving get into any difficulty when driving the driving instructor can use the dual controls to apply the footbrake & bring the car safely under control.
Driving instructors are aware of typical errors which learner drivers may make & can tailor driving lessons to suit each learner driver.
Txt-Drive Driving School in Bedford offer cheap driving lessons in Bedford & special introductory prices of just £12 per hour. If you would like to book driving lessons with a fully qualified driving instructor in Bedford & learn in a dual controlled BMW MINI then call 0800 8600 983 (FREEEPHONE) or visit www.txt-drive.co.uk for more information.
Posted in BMW Mini, Bedford, Driving, Driving Instructors, Road Safety, Special Offers, Txt-Drive | No Comments »
November 16th, 2011 Administrator
YOUNG Premier League stars are learning how to tackle the roads with help from a former Hyndburn policeman.
Adrian Shurmer, of Great Harwood, has this week taken on the job of teaching Manchester City academy players how to drive, having already spent seven years at rivals Manchester United.
Adrian, 69, who served in Accrington’s crime squad before a decade teaching officers how to drive, said: “There’s a huge problem teaching young footballers because they have a lot of aggression and lots of money.
“They’re young lads who want to go fast and the clubs are telling them to get stuck in on the field.
“My job is to give them psychological training on how to deal with situations.
“They might be rich, but they have only got one life and they’re not above the law.”
Although for contract reasons Adrian cannot name the players he has taught, he said several of Manchester United’s first team players have been through his course.
Adrian said he would love to teach high-profile Premier League stars his way of driving.
He said: “These young men are role models and if they are driving well and calmly, then it’s a good example to all their fans.
“It’s very difficult for clubs when someone like Cristiano Ronaldo crashes his Ferrari, then goes home and gets in his Bentley.”
Adrian, who runs Driver Awareness Ltd – which visits schools and workplaces across the country, was approached to start working for Manchester United after club bosses watched one of his demonstrations.
Word then spread about his talks, which he says leave the stars high-fiving him.
He focuses on teaching young players theory before getting behind the wheel.
He said: “It’s all about how you communicate with a driver. If you start talking to footballers about stopping distances and the like, you’ve lost them automatically. So instead I use concepts they are familar with.
“I talk in terms of control and not mouthing off on the pitch or to the ref.
“As a protection driver you don’t trust anyone, you’re always expecting to be attacked. That’s especially relevant for the footballers who drive big 4×4s and wear Rolex watches.”
Adrian’s tips are now contained in his new book Mind How You Go.
David Bushell, of Manchester United Football Club, said: “Adrian stimulates the boys to think that, as in football, the physical and technical are important, but without good habits and awareness, the opportunities for success are less.”
Txt-Drive Driving School in Bedford does not teach any Manchester United or Manchester City players…..yet….. But Txt-Drive do teach many pupils from schools in Bedford such as Mark Rutherford, Biddenham, Bedford School, Bedford Modern, St. Thomas More, Wootton etc. You may not have a Bentley or a Ferrari to drive once you’ve passed your driving test but you can learn in a BMW MINI. Txt-Drive driving lessons in Bedford, with a fully qualified driving instructor, allow you to learn to drive in a new BMW MINI. The BMW MINI has loads of quality features to help you when learning to drive & to give yourself a little bit of luxury whilst learning. Features in the BMW MINI include alloy wheels, fully adjustable seat & steering wheel, colour changing mood lighting inside the MINI, air con, auto start-stop, gear change indicator, easy to read dials & displays etc. Why bother learning in another car when you can learn to drive in a BMW MINI.
If you are a Premiership footballer (or NOT!) & would like to learn to drive in a BMW MINI with a Txt-Drive driving instructor in Bedford then call 0800 8600 983 (FREEPHONE) or text DRIVE to 80039 or visit www.txt-drive.co.uk or www.txt-drive-bedord.co.uk.
Posted in BMW Mini, Bedford, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Tests, Pass Plus, Road Safety, Txt-Drive | No Comments »
October 28th, 2011 Administrator
Newly qualified drivers should be encouraged to continue learning after they have passed their test, one driving body has suggested.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the UK’s leading road safety charity dedicated to raising driving standards, has warned that skills learned in the driving test are not enough to deal with real-life driving situations.
According to the institute, all drivers start as new drivers and need to build up their confidence on the road and driving alone gradually. Some drivers may like to continue to learn throughout their driving careers, as new advances and road rules are introduced.
A spokesperson for the IAM said: “We believe that there should be greater encouragement for [drivers] to engage in additional learning beyond their driving test.”
She added that this would in turn give responsible drivers a chance to prove their skills and in so doing lower their insurance premiums.
Furthermore, higher costs of car insurance for young drivers could lead to negative effects on road safety, the IAM also warned.
Visit ChoiceQuote – for the #1 car insurance.
The Pass Plus course is ideal for new drivers in Bedford. A fully qualified driving instructor will take the new driver out on a variety of roads to develop existing driving skills, learnt on driving lessons, & also gain new driving skills. The course covers rural driving, dual carridgeway driving, all weather driving, night driving, town driving & motorway driving. All essential skills for drivers in Bedford. Txt-Drive Driving School in Bedford offers the Pass Plus course to all new drivers & prices start at £120 for those drivers that took driving lessons in Bedford with Txt-Drive. For drivers that did not take driving lessons with Txt-Drive in Bedford the price is just £150. On completion of the Pass Plus course you can get discounts on your car insurance & save £££s.
Posted in Bedford, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Tests, Pass Plus, Road Safety, Txt-Drive, car insurance | No Comments »
February 12th, 2011 Administrator
An electrical store which had a car smash through its shop window was the scene of an almost identical crash – 76 years ago.
A green Volkswagen Passat caused thousands of pounds of damage after crashing through the window of Tavistock Sound and Vision in Bedford on Sunday.
Now it has been discovered that a car also crashed into the shop when it was the small electrical store Gollings and Ayres back in 1935.
‘The son of the man who owned the shop in the Thirties brought an old black and white photo of the crash into show us when he heard about the latest accident,’ said shop manager Peter Dimmick, 51.
‘We had no idea an almost identical crash had happened here before. His dad took the picture when a car crashed into the shop in 1935 and passed it onto him when he died.
‘It’s quite strange as both crashes happened in the middle of the night.’
The latest crash at the shop, which is on a busy junction in the centre of Bedford, happened at about 1.15am on Sunday.
The car remained stuck in the shop window until later in the day when structural engineers said it was safe to be removed.
The crash damaged all the stock in the window and destroyed the front of the shop, but the family-owned business still opened for trading as normal the following day.
They even put up a huge poster across the damaged window saying it was ‘Britain’s first drive-thru electrical store’ with ’smashing bargains’.
‘All the staff came in and helped clear up but it will be three or four weeks before the damage is repaired,’ Mr Dimmick said.
‘When we were cleaning up, someone quipped we must be Britain’s first drive-thru electrical store so we put up the poster. We can hear people laughing outside.
‘I suppose 76 years is a long time between accidents, but we hope there are no more similar instances.’
A police spokesman said the driver of the crashed car attended Bedford police station on Monday and a report was being sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.
As a driving school in Bedford, Txt-Drive driving instructor Chris passes the Tavistock Sound & Vision store in Bedford on a daily basis. Many Txt-Drive pupils in Bedford who are learning to drive in a Txt-Drive MINI have seen the damage this accident has caused.
Posted in Bedford, Driving, Road Safety | No Comments »
August 4th, 2010 Administrator
Drivers are risking fines, disqualification or jail because they do not know the rules on supervising learners, according to the AA.
The motoring group’s survey of 19,000 members suggested nearly a quarter did not know it was illegal to use a mobile phone while out with a learner driver.
Nearly one in 10 respondents was unaware falling asleep was not allowed.
The law states that somebody supervising a learner driver is effectively in control of the car.
The AA said that in one case a supervisor was jailed after the learner was involved in a crash that killed two people.
It said many learners benefited from time spent with more experienced drivers, but suggested short driving courses for supervisors might be needed.
The AA/Populus survey suggested drivers were also breaking the law by drinking, sending text messages, or failing to wear their glasses while on practice runs with learners.
Some 23% of respondents did not know they would be breaking the law by using a mobile phone while supervising a learner.
And 13% were unaware of the need to wear glasses if they used them when driving themselves, while 9% did not realise that falling asleep in the passenger seat was illegal.
A total of 4% of respondents who had supervised learners admitted breaking at least one of these laws. The figure rose to 22% among supervisors aged 21 to 24.
The president of the AA, Edmund King, said the issue was highlighted by a case in which a person who was supposed to be supervising was over the drink-drive limit.
“This is where the legal point is quite serious because you are actually deemed to be in control of the car, even when you’re supervising. And in fact there has been a case where tragically the learner driver actually had a crash, two people died and the supervisor was actually deemed responsible and actually went to jail.”
Reducing risk
AA Driving School director Simon Douglas said: “Learners who build on skills they gain in formal lessons by practising with family or friends have a better chance of passing their test and are likely to be safer behind the wheel.
“Yet drivers often lack confidence or don’t know their responsibilities when supervising learners
“Many are passing on bad driving habits or even risking a run-in with the law.”
Road safety charity Brake said it wanted to see the minimum age for accompanying drivers raised to at least 25.
Katie Shephard from the charity said: “It is vital that learner drivers gain suitable supervised experience behind the wheel, to ensure their safety and the safety of other road users. Accompanying drivers should also be registered as ‘approved accompanying drivers’ by completing a questionnaire to prove their suitability, which could be checked by their insurer.”
Duncan Vernon, road safety manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said there was “no doubt” those who supervised learner drivers would benefit from being given more information about how best to teach.
“All-round good practice should involve better co-ordination with approved driving instructors, as well-planned private practice can be invaluable,” he said.
“It gives the novice more experience in all kinds of conditions, thereby reducing the risk of them being involved in a crash once they have passed their test.”
From : BBC website
If you want to learn to drive in Bedford with a FULLY QUALIFIED, LOCAL, FRIENDLY driving instructor, in an insured BMW MINI then call Txt-Drive driving school in Bedford on 0800 8600 983 (FREEPHONE) or text DRIVE to 80039 (standard text rate) or visit www.txt-drive.co.uk to book driving lessons.
Posted in BMW Mini, Bedford, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Tests, Road Safety, Txt-Drive | No Comments »
