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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Student James Hayes, who turns 17 next week, saved for months to buy his modest one-litre car but has been astonished at the sky-high quotes for insurance.

He will have to work flat out over the summer to pay the premiums.

His case highlights how insurers are increasingly using prohibitive premiums as a weapon against young male drivers.

The failure of insurers to offer reasonably priced insurance is being blamed on an explosion in uninsured drivers, which drives up the cost of cover for others and leads middle-class parents to commit a crime by putting themselves as the main driver on their children’s cars.

This reluctance to insure young men is based on accident statistics. 

Men aged 17 to 20 are almost ten times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the roads than older drivers, while one in five new drivers has a crash within six months of passing their test, according to road safety charity Brake.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) says the average claim of a younger driver is also three times more than older drivers.

But their refusal to cover male teenagers for affordable premiums has led to almost a quarter driving uninsured, according to Brake.

And this ends up costing all motorists as they foot the £500million annual bill for accidents caused by uninsured drivers. Fines for driving without insurance can be as small as £200 plus six points on the licence.

James Daley, editor of Which? Money, says: ‘Uninsured driving is just a knock-on effect of insurers charging high premiums. If insurers really want to combat this then they need to come up with innovative solutions to help young drivers reduce their costs.

‘It’s in everybody’s interests to encourage young people to be better drivers and those who are responsible and maybe need to drive for their job should not be made to feel as if they’re being discriminated against.’

Car insurance premiums have rocketed 11 per cent in the past three months, according to the AA. The average premium for drivers who shop around is £704, but most young drivers can expect to pay at least £1,500 more than this.

Mr Hayes says: ‘I used six comparison websites and the cheapest comprehensive quote I found as a learner driver was £2,257 with ibuyeco. This rises to £3,555 with Admiral when I pass my test. It’s ridiculous when my car is only worth £2,000.’

The most expensive comprehensive quote he received was from The Green Insurance Company at £17,000 per year.

Mr Hayes, who is studying for his A-levels, earns £5.60 per hour working at a supermarket during the holidays and weekends. As well as his insurance, road tax and MoT, he will also have to pay for driving lessons at £13 per hour.

Many youngsters get their parents to insure their car and go on the policy as a named driver – an illegal process known as ‘fronting’.

Mr Daley says: ‘This really is a middle-class crime. Families think: “Well, everybody else is doing it so why shouldn’t we?” ‘

Mr Hayes, who hopes to work in the film industry after he finishes his studies, does not want third party-only insurance and does not want to invalidate his insurance by fronting.

Direct line told him that it keeps all quotes generated by customers – so if someone initially got a quote for themselves, decided it was too expensive and got a new quote with their parent as the main driver instead, the insurer would not pay out on this policy because it has obviously been fronted.

A spokeswoman for Direct line says: ‘Fronting is fraud and the consequences could be grave – ranging from an additional premium being required, to the cancelling of a policy (and therefore non-payment of the claim) as well as the policyholder being added to the financial industry’s fraud database.’

Malcolm Tarling of the ABI says: ‘It is not uncommon for premiums for young drivers to exceed the value of their car.

‘The main risk is not loss or damage to the car itself, but the potential cost of personal injury awards made against the driver if they cause an accident. This can easily run into tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.’

The best way for young drivers to minimise the cost of insurance is to shop around using comparison sites, such as Moneysupermarket.com, GoCompare.com, ComparetheMarket.com, Compare.dailymail.co.uk and Tiger.co.uk.

You could also find a local specialist broker on the British Insurance Brokers’ Association website www. biba.org.uk or by calling 0870 950 1790. For the cheapest cars to insure, visit www.thisismoney.co.uk/cheap

Will Thomas of Confused.com says: ‘When you’ve passed your test, take the Pass Plus course. Only 6 per cent of 17 to 25-year-old males do, but it saves them £1,037 on average before they reach 25.

‘Start with a small-engine runaround in order to build driving experience.’

From : Dailymail.co.uk

Txt-Drive driving school in Bedford has FULLY QUALIFIED driving instructors that can deliver the PASS PLUS course to you. The PASS PLUS course costs just £150.00 for 6 hours of driving lessons. The PASS PLUS course is designed for new drivers that have recently passed their driving test as it helps to develop their existing skills & it also provides more experience for the new driver. The PASS PLUS course covers motorway driving, night driving, all weather driving & much more. To book driving lessons in Bedford with Bedford driving school Txt-Drive, please call : 0800 8600 983 (FREEPHONE). To book yourself on the PASS PLUS course after your driving test call a Txt-Drive driving instructor in Bedford on the above FREEPHONE number or visit www.txt-drive.co.uk.

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SWEEPING changes on how young motorists are taught to drive will be introduced before the end of the summer in an attempt to cut the carnage on our roads.

Tough new rules will force learner drivers to undertake compulsory training before applying to sit their driving test.

The new process could cost them up to €700, the Irish Independent has learned.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) last night said details of a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system would be announced within weeks. It will include a requirement that all learners take a set number of lessons from a qualified driving instructor.

The changes will also oblige a learner to keep a logbook detailing the hours spent practising. Only motorists who pass an approved syllabus will be allowed to sit a test.

The move comes after last week’s horrific road accident in Co Donegal in which eight people died — the worst single collision in the history of the State.

Eight young men were travelling in a Volkswagen Passat when it collided with a Toyota Corolla. Seven passengers were killed and the driver remains in hospital. The driver of the Corolla, a 66-year-old man, also died. Gardai are still probing the cause of the crash.

But statistics show that inexperienced drivers, particularly men aged 17 to 24, are most at risk of dying on the roads.

Despite the number of road deaths falling to a record low, Ireland is one of the only countries in the EU that does not have a formal programme on how people are taught to drive.

The current system allows anyone who has held a learner permit for six months to apply for a test. During that period they must be accompanied by a qualified driver, but once they pass they are free to drive alone.

The changes will only affect new learner permit holders. Anyone who holds a licence now will not be affected.

“This system is in place in the UK, Germany, Northern Ireland and France. There’s very few places that don’t have it. It’s very similar to getting a pilot’s licence, you have to do your hours,” RSA chief executive Noel Brett said last night.

“We have done the syllabus and are working on the regulations needed. It will include a number of hours of training, and the syllabus will also cover the responsibilities of drivers.

“The first step will be to get the permit, then engage with an approved instructor and cover the syllabus. Drivers will clock up practice hours and have a logbook signed by the accompanying driver.”

Curfew

However, some aspects of GDL systems used in other countries will not be introduced. A curfew on learner drivers and a ban on carrying passengers were “not needed” here, he said.

Last year, the RSA issued a public consultation document setting out a range of options for a GDL system.

It said: “There is evidence that the best approach to learning to drive is a mix of compulsory lessons and supervised practice. Compulsory lessons would involve learners taking structured lessons set out in a programme specially designed to meet the needs of learners.

“The number of lessons would depend on the ability of the learner working through the programme but would be of the order of 20 hours.”

Driving lessons cost €35 per hour — meaning the total for 20 hours would be about €700.

The RSA would not confirm how many hours of training would be required when the plan was formally rolled out.

The changes are awaiting final sign-off from the Department of Transport and will be announced before the end of the summer.

- Paul Melia

Irish Independent

From : Independent.ie

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This video from the DSA YouTube Channel gives an insight into what the new independent driving part of the driving test involves. The independent driving part of the test will be used in practical driving tests from October 2010.

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The four-door Porsche hasn’t been on sale for long, but according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the seatbelts may not operate correctly if the front seat is put in an ‘extreme position’.

That extreme position is said to be when the front seats are moved as far forward as they can be, the possible result being inaction of the seatbelt’s locking mechanism.

The fault was discovered by Porsche, with the German company notifying the NHTSA and stating that it is undertaking a recall to rectify the problem by adding a locking mechanism to the seatbelt.

Porsche will fit the additional part to Panameras free of charge when customers visit their dealerships.

To date there are no reports of any incidents related to the seatbelt fault.

From : Yahoo!

Txt-Drive driving lessons in Bedford are in the new BMW Mini cars so rest assured you are learning in a safe car. Some other driving schools & driving instructors in Bedford use Toyota cars which have been recalled in their thousands. As far as we know there are no driving schools or driving instructors in Bedford which give driving lessons in a Porsche Panamera!!!

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