January 18th, 2009 Administrator
Cold snap and the long holiday led to record demand for AA.
The big freeze has led to a record number of breakdown callouts.
Rescue service the AA reports it had nearly 18,000 UK calls on 5 January, the day most people returned to work after the Christmas/New Year break.
It was the highest figure for six years, and there were nearly 3,500 more than on the same day in 2008.
Temperatures had dropped as low as -10°C on the night of 4 January. “Icy conditions and cars sitting idle for longer due to the extended holidays caused it,” a spokesman explained. “We found plenty of frozen locks and washer bottles, as well as dead batteries.”
From : Auto Express
Posted in Driving, Road Safety | No Comments »
January 16th, 2009 Administrator
Novice drivers could face an automatic ban after a single speeding offence, and would have to retake their tests, under proposals for a tightening of road safety laws.
Thousands of experienced motorists could also face automatic six-month disqualifications after two offences if the maximum number of points issued with a fixed penalty is doubled to six.
Ministers have dropped plans to balance the harsher penalties outlined yesterday with a reduction in the number of points imposed for minor breaches of a speed limit.
The consultation paper on road safety compliance issued by the Department for Transport suggested that police should no longer have to take careless drivers to court. Instead, it said, they should have the power to issue a £60 fixed penalty and three points. Offences that would become punishable by a fixed penalty include driving too close to the vehicle in front, failing to signal before turning, swerving, sudden braking, passing too close to a cyclist and failing to display lights at night.
Drivers who have held their licences for less than two years are already liable for a ban if they accumulate six points. Other drivers are banned after getting 12 points within three years. Under the proposals, novice drivers could be disqualified on their first offence as ministers want to increase to six points the penalty for exceeding the limit by more than 15 or 20mph.
In 2006, 26,400 drivers were disqualified for “totting up” 12 points within three years. More than a million are driving with six points on their licences and could, therefore, be only one flash of a speed camera from a ban. There are 1.8 million people on the roads who have passed their tests within the past two years.
The department has retreated on plans to reduce to two points the penalty for those who drive at only just over the speed limit. The paper says that such a move could be dangerous because of the potentially deadly effects of small increases in speed. However, the DfT admits in an appendix to the document that introducing a two-point penalty alongside the new six-point penalty “may improve perceptions of the fairness of speed enforcement, improving respect for speed limits”.
The appendix dismissed suggestions that a two-point penalty would result in more speeding. It said: “This impact is not thought to be significant.”
Ministers are considering two speed thresholds for the new six-point penalty: under the harsher option, drivers would get six points for driving 15mph above the limit in 20mph and 30mph zones; the other option is a 20mph margin, meaning that drivers would not get six points unless doing 40mph in a 20mph limit or 50mph in a 30mph limit. On motorways and dual carriageways, where the limit is 70mph, the two options for the six-point threshold are 90mph and 95mph.
The fine for speeding fixed penalties will remain £60 regardless of the speed. Ministers had previously suggested it could be raised to £100 for higher breaches and lowered to £40 for minor breaches.
The document states that the proposals could result in more drivers being disqualified but that the impact “has not been quantified”.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “There is a risk that thousands more drivers will lose their licences and therefore possibly lose their jobs. We hope there will be some flexibility in the enforcement of the new system because a warning can be as effective as a ticket.”
A study by Churchill Insurance found that disqualified drivers spent more than £1,600 extra over six months on alternative forms of transport and an additional 90 hours of travel time.
On careless driving, the document says that police are reluctant to prosecute drivers because of the large volume of paperwork each case involves. The number of prosecutions has fallen by two thirds in the past two decades to 30,000 a year. Drivers are very unlikely to be prosecuted unless they cause a crash.
The DfT says that making careless driving a fixed-penalty offence “will enable the police to enforce with a minimum of bureaucracy against careless drivers who admit their fault.”
The document also advocates much greater use of cameras that detect average speed over several miles. At present they tend to be used to enforce temporary limits at roadworks but they are now likely to be introduced widely on rural roads, where almost two thirds of road deaths occur.
The DfT says: “Average speed cameras have a clear potential to reduce casualties and may be especially suitable for use on rural roads.”
Jim Fitzpatrick, the Road Safety Minister, said: “The consultation will send a very clear message to the dangerous minority that if they ignore the rules of the road, they will be caught, and they will be punished in a way that fits the crime.”
Adrian Tink, the RAC’s road safety analyst, said: “For the majority of Britain’s law-abiding motorists, these proposals should in principle be welcomed.
“The one worry for most motorists will be how the sliding scale of penalties would work in practice. Limits and penalties have to be clear and fair, otherwise it will just be seen as another tax on motorists.”
Mary Williams, chief executive of Brake, the road safety charity, said: “Any attempt to change the speeding laws so more drivers will be punished is a positive move. Speeding kills, maims and devastates families and communities, and only a few miles over a limit can be the difference between life and death.”
Worst-case scenarios
Two strikes
A motorist crossing Tower Bridge late at night on empty roads fails to spot the small 20mph signs and is caught by average speed cameras doing 35mph. He repeats his mistake the next night, as average speed cameras do not flash
Result He receives two six-point penalties and an automatic six-month ban
New driver
A woman who passed her test nearly two years ago and has driven almost daily since is caught doing 45mph in a 30mph zone.
Result Her licence is revoked and she has to retake her test under the rule that new drivers revert to learner status if they get six points in the first two years
Drug driver
A man smokes a cannabis joint one day when he is not planning to drive. A few days later he is randomly stopped and tested for illegal drugs. A trace of cannabis is found in his system.
Result He is banned from driving for a year and fined heavily.
Txt-Drive wonders if all people learning to drive & currently taking driving lessons are happy about this idea. Would this mean having to take the theory test and driving test again? Would you be required to take futher driving lessons before your driving test? On the other hand fixed penalties for failing to signal before turning seems like it has potential – as all learner drivers know how frustrating this can be!
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January 14th, 2009 Administrator
Pedal to the metal and the silence is deafening, but the acceleration is nevertheless shocking. Ever so quietly, another race towards the age of electric motoring begins.
This time, the leader of the pack turns out to be the new all-electric Mini, which is certainly no “Noddy-car”, its acceleration easily on a par with that of its sporty sister, the Cooper S.
But although the car is impressive, it is still hard to shake the recollection of previous industry visions of the electric future.
Promises have been voiced time and again over the last couple of decades.
During the 1990s, they came from mainstream carmakers such as Renault or Ford – more recently, from oft-admired but still unproven manufacturers, such as Californian upstart Tesla or Italian design house Pininfarina.
The folks at Mini acknowledge that there have been a few flops in the past, but insist that this time it is for real.
“This is the first small, serious car in the world with lithium-ion batteries,” says Friederich Eichiner, chief finance officer of Mini’s parent firm BMW.
“Most of the mobility of the future will take place in big cities, in commuting to get in and out. We need new solutions for those needs.”
Long range
The Mini E’s power is derived from a huge 250kg battery that replaces the back seats.
As such, it may be impractical, though it has little bearing on the car’s driving characteristics.
The E handles like an ordinary Mini, only smoother, as the electric motor delivers consistent torque that creates a steady pull all the way from standstill to its top speed of 95mph (152km/h).
Except, that is, when slowing down. Take the foot off the pedal and the car slows sharply. The energy built up during acceleration is captured as the car decelerates, only to be injected back into the battery.
But the main point about this car is its range. After two hours plugged in to a special 48-amp charging point, the lithium-ion battery is ready to deliver up to 150 miles of motoring.
From : BBC website
Bedford driving school Txt-Drive offers driving lessons in a BMW Mini. To book driving lessons with a fully qualified DSA Driving Instructor (Car) in a BMW Mini, call Txt-Drive : FREEPHONE 0800 8600 983.
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January 14th, 2009 Administrator
Motorists have been warned to adapt their driving for winter conditions after dozens of crashes in Sussex.
Four people were killed and 23 were seriously injured on Sussex roads in the first 10 days of December.
Sussex Police said they recorded 63 collisions last weekend and would increase enforcement against those most at risk of causing accidents.
A spokesman for the force said many were caused by drivers not adapting to winter’s first genuinely cold period.
Sussex Police said the number of road policing officers will be increased during high-risk times to reduce the four major causes of road death – speeding, drink driving, use of mobile phones and not wearing seatbelts.
Drink and drug driving checks in the county had already shown a “disappointingly high level” of positive breath tests, the spokesperson added.
Ch Ins Mark Trimmer, from the road policing unit, said: “Our aim is to try to prevent any further loss of life or serious injury, but we need all road users to play their part.
“One of the most difficult roles for any police officer is to tell a family that a loved one has been killed or seriously injured in a collision.”
Motorists should check that tyres and lights meet legal requirements and allow extra time for their journey in the cold weather.
Cyclists should wear reflective clothing and use lights while pedestrians should be aware that drivers may take longer to stop due to road conditions.
From : BBC website
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January 14th, 2009 Administrator
Boy racers in Northern Ireland are being targeted in a new government road safety campaign on the internet.
The virtual advertisement is aimed at online gamers who use Xbox Live.
Road safety messages are played throughout the games which were tested by Environment Minister Sammy Wilson on Friday.
Mr Wilson said the Department of the Environment’s Xbox campaign was aimed at reducing road deaths in the 17-24 age group.
“My department is always looking for innovative ways of getting the road safety message across to all sections of society and this initiative will enable us to target the group most at risk on Northern Ireland roads,” Mr Wilson said.
“Young men, especially those who love playing these games, need to be aware there is a big difference between the virtual world and real life where there is no restart button.
“There are no second chances in real life. Unlike the virtual world, if you crash a speeding car or take risks on the road it really will be game over.”
The DoE’s online adverts will run over Christmas and throughout January on a number of Xbox Live games including ‘Project Gotham Racing’, the ‘Need for Speed’ series, and ‘MX vs ATV Untamed’.
The advertisements will only be viewed by gamers in Northern Ireland.
From : BBC website
Txt-Drive offers the Pass Plus course to drivers who have just passed their driving test. It is designed for new drivers & aims to improve your skills to make you a safer driver.
- 20% of drivers are involved in a crash in their FIRST YEAR of driving!!
- TWO young people (under 25 years old) die on Britain’s roads EVERYDAY!!
If you are a Txt-Drive pupil or have recently passed your driving test in the Bedford area and would like more information about the Pass Plus course then please contact Txt-Drive on :
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