Campaigners are to step up their bid for a lower alcohol limit for motorists after tighter drink-driving legislation was announced in Ireland.
From the end of this year, the Irish level of 80mg alcohol per 100ml blood will be cut to 50mg, with a lower limit of 20mg for learner drivers and people who drive for work.
The move leaves Britain and Malta as the last two European countries with drink-drive limits of 80mg, saiys Brake, the road safety charity.
The new rules in Ireland could see a driver over the limit after just one pint of beer while the lower limit is effectively a ban on any alcoholic drink.
'Once Ireland's new drink-drive limit comes into effect, all other European countries will have limits of 50mg or lower and in the wake of this announcement, Brake calls on the UK Government to follow the example of our Irish neighbours by lowering the drink-drive limit and stepping up enforcement of the law," said a Brake spokesman..
'During November, our Road Safety Week will highlight the risks of drink and drug driving to challenge the behaviour of drivers who think it is acceptable and put a stop to the carnage they cause on our roads.'
According to Brake, research shows drivers are two to 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash between 50mg and 80mg and that driving is impaired by even a very small amount of alcohol in the blood stream.
'Last year, 430 people were killed by drink-drivers, an increase of 20 fatalities compared to 2007. In addition, 1630 were seriously injured and 10,970 suffered lesser injuries from crashes involving drivers over the 80mg limit," added the spokesman.
'Experts have estimated that reducing the drink-drive limit in Britain to 50mg/100ml blood could save about 65 lives and 230 serious injuries per year but the Government is still dragging its heels on cutting the UK limit.'
Source: Maurice Glover - www.ayrshirepost.net
Thursday 29 October 2009
L-Plate Law Breakers
More than 300,000 learner drivers are thought to be breaking the law by driving without insurance
cover.
In most cases, this is as a result of the 'extortionate costs' involved in adding the names of learner drivers to insurance policies held by their parents, claims insurance firm Young Marmalade.
'Traditional car insurance policy holders have to pay a surcharge of between £2,000 and £50,000 per year to add a 17 year learner driver to an existing policy," says a spokesman.
'Rather than pay, thousands of people are risking their own and other people's lives by driving uninsured,'
The firm claims to have revolutionised car insurance for 17 year old learner drivers with a new cover called Provisional Marmalade. Purchased over the internet, it is in the name of the learner so as not to risk parents' no-claims bonus arrangements and is paid monthly in advance.
Source: www.ayrshirepost.net
cover.
In most cases, this is as a result of the 'extortionate costs' involved in adding the names of learner drivers to insurance policies held by their parents, claims insurance firm Young Marmalade.
'Traditional car insurance policy holders have to pay a surcharge of between £2,000 and £50,000 per year to add a 17 year learner driver to an existing policy," says a spokesman.
'Rather than pay, thousands of people are risking their own and other people's lives by driving uninsured,'
The firm claims to have revolutionised car insurance for 17 year old learner drivers with a new cover called Provisional Marmalade. Purchased over the internet, it is in the name of the learner so as not to risk parents' no-claims bonus arrangements and is paid monthly in advance.
Source: www.ayrshirepost.net
Friday 16 October 2009
Young Drive More Dangerously With Friends In Car
Young drivers are dangerously influenced by peer pressure when carrying friends as passengers, a leading car insurance provider showed.
A third of motorists aged 17-21 admitted driving differently when friends were in the car, the poll by a leading car insurance provider revealed.
More than 20% paid less attention to the road, a quarter took their hands off the wheel and 15% performed illegal manoeuvres, according to the survey.
Also, 11% of male drivers aged 17-21 and 6% of women motorists of the same age group did not wear seatbelts when in the car with friends.
Yet nearly all (97%) of the young drivers followed rules of the road more strictly when their parents or grandparents were in the car, while 44% drove more slowly.
The poll also showed that 39% of women motorists aged 17-21 were not confident of driving on motorways, while 29% were unsure about driving on their own.
Just 27% of young drivers had paid to have driving lessons and of these, 50% took more than four attempts to pass the test.
A spokesperson said: “Young drivers remain the age group with the highest proportion of insurance claims, accidents and fatalities on our roads.
“According to claims data, injuries increase exponentially in relation to the number of passengers being carried.”
He went on: “In order to reduce these statistics young drivers and passengers alike need to take personal responsibility for their own actions. This means wearing a seatbelt at all times regardless of who is in the car, driving with fewer passengers and not conforming to peer pressure while behind the wheel.”
Source : Tom Scott - www.news-insurances.com
A third of motorists aged 17-21 admitted driving differently when friends were in the car, the poll by a leading car insurance provider revealed.
More than 20% paid less attention to the road, a quarter took their hands off the wheel and 15% performed illegal manoeuvres, according to the survey.
Also, 11% of male drivers aged 17-21 and 6% of women motorists of the same age group did not wear seatbelts when in the car with friends.
Yet nearly all (97%) of the young drivers followed rules of the road more strictly when their parents or grandparents were in the car, while 44% drove more slowly.
The poll also showed that 39% of women motorists aged 17-21 were not confident of driving on motorways, while 29% were unsure about driving on their own.
Just 27% of young drivers had paid to have driving lessons and of these, 50% took more than four attempts to pass the test.
A spokesperson said: “Young drivers remain the age group with the highest proportion of insurance claims, accidents and fatalities on our roads.
“According to claims data, injuries increase exponentially in relation to the number of passengers being carried.”
He went on: “In order to reduce these statistics young drivers and passengers alike need to take personal responsibility for their own actions. This means wearing a seatbelt at all times regardless of who is in the car, driving with fewer passengers and not conforming to peer pressure while behind the wheel.”
Source : Tom Scott - www.news-insurances.com
Thursday 15 October 2009
Government Drops Plans To Force Driving Instructors To Sit In On Their Pupils L-Tests
Radical plans to force driving instructors - whether parents or paid-for professionals - to sit in on
their pupils' L-tests have been 'put into reverse' by the Government.
Ministers announced last May that a revamp of the driving test would 'require' candidates to take with them during their practical driving test an observer who could be their instructor, a parent or a friend.
The idea was that this 'observer' could give valuable feed back to candidates who fail the test.
But that mandatory requirement has now been dropped, though candidates are free to have their instructor on-board if they wish, the Daily Mail can reveal today.
As a result, new driving test regulations being drawn up by the Government's Driving Standards Agency and which were planned originally to be introduced in October 2010 could now be accelerated and introduced sooner.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis denies the reversal is a road safety u-turn - insisting that the decision had been taken to 'avoid unnecessary regulation' and arguing that the measure was too bureaucratic, would slow up introduction of the new test, and that 'education not regulation' was needed to improve standards.
The original Driving Test revamp consultation unveiled by former Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly in May 2008 said: 'We propose that the person presenting the candidate should have to sit in the car with their student when the candidate takes the practical test, and to stay as the examiner gives their pupil feedback.'
Last night Transport Secretary Lord Adonis told the Daily Mail that the plan to insist that driving test candidates are accompanied by an observer 'have been reversed to avoid unnecessary regulation.'
The Department for Transport has now ruled that 'Candidates will be encouraged to take an observer – who could be their instructor or a parent or friend – in the car for the test to help them understand feedback from examiners and tailor further learning. But after a review of the proposals the Government will not regulate to make this mandatory.'
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said: 'We want all learner drivers, from the start of the process, to consider the benefits of having an observer with them on their test.
'Having someone sitting in will enhance their learning experience and, in turn, improve road safety. An observer who has witnessed the test can give far better advice to the learner on how they performed and what areas of their driving they need to work on - whether they pass or fail.
'But after reviewing plans we have decided that encouraging candidates to take an observer is much more appropriate than introducing regulations to make it compulsory. It also means we can take this forward much sooner than previously planned – delivering the road safety benefits without the delay and costs of new regulation.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1219711/Government-drops-plans-force-driving-instructors-sit-pupils-L-tests.html#ixzz0ThzwvbUS
their pupils' L-tests have been 'put into reverse' by the Government.
Ministers announced last May that a revamp of the driving test would 'require' candidates to take with them during their practical driving test an observer who could be their instructor, a parent or a friend.
The idea was that this 'observer' could give valuable feed back to candidates who fail the test.
But that mandatory requirement has now been dropped, though candidates are free to have their instructor on-board if they wish, the Daily Mail can reveal today.
As a result, new driving test regulations being drawn up by the Government's Driving Standards Agency and which were planned originally to be introduced in October 2010 could now be accelerated and introduced sooner.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis denies the reversal is a road safety u-turn - insisting that the decision had been taken to 'avoid unnecessary regulation' and arguing that the measure was too bureaucratic, would slow up introduction of the new test, and that 'education not regulation' was needed to improve standards.
The original Driving Test revamp consultation unveiled by former Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly in May 2008 said: 'We propose that the person presenting the candidate should have to sit in the car with their student when the candidate takes the practical test, and to stay as the examiner gives their pupil feedback.'
Last night Transport Secretary Lord Adonis told the Daily Mail that the plan to insist that driving test candidates are accompanied by an observer 'have been reversed to avoid unnecessary regulation.'
The Department for Transport has now ruled that 'Candidates will be encouraged to take an observer – who could be their instructor or a parent or friend – in the car for the test to help them understand feedback from examiners and tailor further learning. But after a review of the proposals the Government will not regulate to make this mandatory.'
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said: 'We want all learner drivers, from the start of the process, to consider the benefits of having an observer with them on their test.
'Having someone sitting in will enhance their learning experience and, in turn, improve road safety. An observer who has witnessed the test can give far better advice to the learner on how they performed and what areas of their driving they need to work on - whether they pass or fail.
'But after reviewing plans we have decided that encouraging candidates to take an observer is much more appropriate than introducing regulations to make it compulsory. It also means we can take this forward much sooner than previously planned – delivering the road safety benefits without the delay and costs of new regulation.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1219711/Government-drops-plans-force-driving-instructors-sit-pupils-L-tests.html#ixzz0ThzwvbUS
Monday 21 September 2009
Driving on International Licence in UK
Some learner drivers seem to be unclear about the law regarding using an international licence to drive in the UK and how it affects their provisional licence if they have one.
If you are only visiting the UK for a short time, or are temporarily resident in Britain for less than 12 months, then you can legally drive a car here as long as it is insured and fully roadworthy. You therefore don't need to apply for a provisional licence and take the UK driving test. If on the other hand you are going to be resident in the UK for longer than 12 months or have permanently moved to the UK, then your international driving permit is only valid for 1 year after which you will need to obtain a UK provisional licence and only drive while being supervised by a Full British licence holder of 3 years or more and must display "L" plates.
This means that you can't be legally insured to drive a car on your international driving permit 12 months after your initial arrival in the UK, even if you have been back to your country of origin. You will also not be able to drive a car in the UK on a provisional licence even if that car is insured for you to drive with your international licence.
Your insurance policy can only cover you either as an international foreign licence holder or a provisional learner, not as both, so while your local licence is still valid, you don't need L plates and can practice for the UK driving test using that, but once you apply for your provisional licence, you will need to inform your insurance company and only drive while being supervised. If in doubt, always speak to the insurance company, and get things covered in writing, as in the event of an accident you want to be covered.
If you are only visiting the UK for a short time, or are temporarily resident in Britain for less than 12 months, then you can legally drive a car here as long as it is insured and fully roadworthy. You therefore don't need to apply for a provisional licence and take the UK driving test. If on the other hand you are going to be resident in the UK for longer than 12 months or have permanently moved to the UK, then your international driving permit is only valid for 1 year after which you will need to obtain a UK provisional licence and only drive while being supervised by a Full British licence holder of 3 years or more and must display "L" plates.
This means that you can't be legally insured to drive a car on your international driving permit 12 months after your initial arrival in the UK, even if you have been back to your country of origin. You will also not be able to drive a car in the UK on a provisional licence even if that car is insured for you to drive with your international licence.
Your insurance policy can only cover you either as an international foreign licence holder or a provisional learner, not as both, so while your local licence is still valid, you don't need L plates and can practice for the UK driving test using that, but once you apply for your provisional licence, you will need to inform your insurance company and only drive while being supervised. If in doubt, always speak to the insurance company, and get things covered in writing, as in the event of an accident you want to be covered.
Quality Tuition V Cheap Prices in the Current Financial Climate
Can you have quality tuition and still retain value for money in todays financial climate??
Usually the two don't go hand in hand, why would a Driving Instructor want to charge less if they are busy with plenty of recommendations referring new work continually. On the other side of the coin why are Instructors charging sometimes half of their busier counterparts in an effort to attract new customers??
From a Driving Schools point of view we see this price scenario raised virtually every day and unfortunately the criteria for selecting an Instructor should be far more broad that just "how much are your lessons", usually followed by "I can get them much cheaper than that"............
Quite possibly, however you need to ask yourself WHY they are cheaper, is it because they don't want to make more money???, do they drive an older vehicle which may make lessons more unpleasant or unreliable - there are many reasons for price fluctuation in this Industry but perhaps before selecting a driving school you should consider a few other thoughts, have I seen their cars around, do they have a website where I can find out more about them, do I know anyone who's passed with them, are their Instructors reliable and professional, the cars clean and tidy and what is their Instructor grading.
Our prices here at Select are competitive and represent good value for money, if you are lucky enough you may stumble across one of our adverts offering you a few lessons at a reduced price, these are sometimes in local press, leaflet campaigns or on local radio.
Remember it's not all just about "how much are your lessons?"
Usually the two don't go hand in hand, why would a Driving Instructor want to charge less if they are busy with plenty of recommendations referring new work continually. On the other side of the coin why are Instructors charging sometimes half of their busier counterparts in an effort to attract new customers??
From a Driving Schools point of view we see this price scenario raised virtually every day and unfortunately the criteria for selecting an Instructor should be far more broad that just "how much are your lessons", usually followed by "I can get them much cheaper than that"............
Quite possibly, however you need to ask yourself WHY they are cheaper, is it because they don't want to make more money???, do they drive an older vehicle which may make lessons more unpleasant or unreliable - there are many reasons for price fluctuation in this Industry but perhaps before selecting a driving school you should consider a few other thoughts, have I seen their cars around, do they have a website where I can find out more about them, do I know anyone who's passed with them, are their Instructors reliable and professional, the cars clean and tidy and what is their Instructor grading.
Our prices here at Select are competitive and represent good value for money, if you are lucky enough you may stumble across one of our adverts offering you a few lessons at a reduced price, these are sometimes in local press, leaflet campaigns or on local radio.
Remember it's not all just about "how much are your lessons?"
Theory Test Changes – September 2009
Later this month will see extra questions introduced into the driving theory test, it has been announced.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) revealed that the changes would come into force on September 28th in a bid to test potential drivers on both understanding and knowledge.
Candidates will be confronted with one case study example during the test, which will involve 5 questions based on a scenario or short story.
"Over time, we plan to introduce more case studies into the theory test to assess candidates' understanding of what they have learned," revealed DSA Director of Driver Education and Learning Jill Lewis.
However, just one case study will be used for the time being in order to allow the DSA to monitor the impact on the theory test, she added.
At present. candidates are expected to answer 50 questions in 57 minutes, with the pass rate standing at 43 out of 50.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) revealed that the changes would come into force on September 28th in a bid to test potential drivers on both understanding and knowledge.
Candidates will be confronted with one case study example during the test, which will involve 5 questions based on a scenario or short story.
"Over time, we plan to introduce more case studies into the theory test to assess candidates' understanding of what they have learned," revealed DSA Director of Driver Education and Learning Jill Lewis.
However, just one case study will be used for the time being in order to allow the DSA to monitor the impact on the theory test, she added.
At present. candidates are expected to answer 50 questions in 57 minutes, with the pass rate standing at 43 out of 50.
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