More than two million drivers forget or cannot be bothered to wear a seatbelt a quarter of a century after the requirement to belt up became law.

Today is the 25th anniversary of the first laws requiring seatbelts to be worn in cars. However, a survey has found that nearly four in ten passengers do not wear them for every journey. Excuses given by motorists included the defence that they were travelling only a short distance, did not think about it or that the belt was uncomfortable. The worst culprits were people aged 35 to 44.

Martin Milliner, head of technical claims at LV=, the insurance company that commissioned the survey, said: “It’s particularly worrying that people in their thirties and forties are apathetic about using a seatbelt, especially as they are more likely to be travelling with children than younger drivers. We would really urge drivers and passengers to think again about their safety and ensure that everyone in the car is buckled up on every journey.”

Latest figures show that there are 37,000 fatal or serious injuries on Britain’s roads every year, many of which could be prevented by belts. Motorists who break the law face fines of up to �500 and possible court appearances.

Keith Kelly, spokesman for Brake, the road safety charity, said that a “pitifully small” amount of money was spent on raising people’s awareness of road safety.

Source: The Times Online website, Helen Nugent, 31/01/08

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THE most expensive number plate in the UK has been sold to a car designer - for �375,000.

The F1 plate, which belonged to Essex County Council, was sold by them to automotive designer and businessman Afzal Kahn from Kahn Design Ltd.

The money raised from the sale will go to the education and training of young drivers. Hundreds of young and recently passed drivers will be given help to take the Pass Plus test, which gives advanced training in driving techniques.
Essex County Council Leader, Lord Hanningfield, and an Essex advanced trained young driver will hand over the plate to its new owner on January 28th at the motoring venue, North Weald Airfield in Essex, where a demonstration of advanced young driver training will take place.

The “F1” marque was sold three years after being put up for private sale. The amount it sold for breaks the previous record sale by �44,000; that was for the “M1” plate, sold for �331,000.

The money raised from the sale will go to the education and training of young drivers. Hundreds of young and recently passed drivers will be given help to take the Pass Plus test, which gives advanced training in driving techniques. The test, designed by the Driver Standards Agency, gives youngsters knowledge of how to drive on motorways and in poor weather conditions. The test is recognised by many car insurance companies, lowering insurance premiums and also by many employers.

“F1” was first registered in the Essex County Register of Motors in 1904 as belonging to the County Surveyor of Essex County Council. It was displayed on the first official car of the first Chairman of Essex County Council and has remained in the county council’s possession ever since, having had pride of place on the Chairman’s car until recently when it was replaced with the plate, “ECC1”.

Leader of Essex County Council, Lord Hanningfield said: “It will be with some sadness that we will be losing this little piece of Essex history but we have sold it at a time when such numberplates are reaching very high sale prices on the market and we have reached a deal which breaks all previous records.

“Registration plates were originally intended as a way of improving road safety through a system of licensing vehicles and I am pleased that more than a hundred years on that is exactly what this money will be doing, improving safety on our roads by helping with the training of young drivers”

Afzal Kahn, owner of Kahn Design, said: “I am privileged to have acquired such a prestigious plate. I am extremely happy the money raised from the sale will help improve road safety and through the training of young drivers. . The training of young drivers is a very important issue and I am privileged to have contributed to such a worthy cause.

“I look forward to The F1 number plate being placed on the groundbreaking Range Rover Cosworth that we will be launching in the coming weeks.”

Essex County Council has a record of bringing down road accidents with a 12% fall in accidents in 2007. However, 325 young people were killed or seriously injured on the roads last year and Essex County Council together with the Essex Casualty Reduction Board are set to launch a range of activities to reduce the level of accidents throughout 2008.

Source: Sussex and Essex Online and Essex County Council websites 31/01/08

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Drivers intending to stay behind the wheel well into old age may have to pass exams proving they are mentally up to it.

Ministers want to ban anyone over 75 who does not pass the exams and they will insist that drivers repeat the series of IQ tests every five years if they want to stay on the road.

The new barriers to elderly motorists will also include an eyesight exam, but they will not have to re-take their practical driving test.

Since 1974, motorists have been allowed to continue unhindered until they reach 70. After that, they simply fill out a form every three years to declare they are fit to drive and are free of ailments such as epilepsy, diabetes and heart conditions.

But a shake-up was ordered because the 1.5million motorists aged 75 or over who have licences today will soar as the “baby boomer” generation approaches retirement and beyond.

The proposals, to be announced within weeks in a Government consultation document, suggest a “cognitive” exam to measure brain power.

It is likely to include an IQ-style puzzle such as being asked to spot the odd one out from a series of shapes.

Last night, a spokesman for the charity Age Concern warned: “A blanket system risks stereotyping the elderly as bad drivers.”

Muriel Gladwin, 94, from Hereford, who taught herself to drive 82 years ago and has held a clean

licence since, said: “It’s the wrong way round. You don’t have as many older people getting into accidents as younger ones.

“It’s the younger drivers who should be having more tests.”

But road safety groups welcomed the measures, saying they would reduce accidents.

Research suggests that elderly drivers are more likely to be involved in collisions causing death or injury.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists says older drivers take longer to spot hazards, have slower reaction times and are more likely to become confused by road layouts and traffic rules.

Drivers over the age of 55 take 22 per cent longer to react compared with those under 30 - adding about 25ft to their stopping time at 70mph.

Separate research by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency shows that only one in ten drivers of any age with a “notifiable” condition, such as epilepsy or heart problems, actually admits to it on the form.

In 1975, elderly motorists constituted fewer than one in six drivers on the road, but by 2004 it was nearly half.

“In 2006, some 23,000 registered drivers were over the age of 91, with 1,555 aged 96 to 100 - and 34 who were 101 or older.

Experts say most drivers recognise when it is time to give up but a “hard core” refuses to accept their physical or mental deterioration could make them a hazard.

The Government’s consultation paper, Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive, has taken into account several pieces of research.

Alistair Kennedy of research group Risk Solutions, which carried out one study, confirmed it had recommended replacing the three-year renewal of licences for the over 70s with a five-year renewal for over 75s involving eyesight and cognitive tests.

The proposals are also likely to bring training options to drivers who, while competent, may need a little extra assistance to cope with motoring in advancing years.

Smaller such schemes already exist, such as a pilot project in Gloucestershire called Safer Driving With Age.

At the other age extreme, Ministers are also revamping the rules about young drivers and the L-test with reforms that will effectively raise the solo driving age from 17 to 18, because of the length of time it will take to pass.

Reform of the drinkdrive laws, including a lowering of the limit and random breath-tests, will also be up for consultation.

Elderly drivers also face a potential a crackdown by police who, with the Home Office, have been trying to develop simple devices which will detect whether a driver is fit to be behind the wheel because of age or fatigue.

The Home Office’s Police Scientific Technical Branch is trying to develop a roadside “impairment meter” to judge a drivers’ ability to multi-task, and detect impairment through “alcohol, drugs, tiredness or even old age”.

Source: The Daily Mail website 28/01/08

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Bedfordshire County Council Road Safety hold seminars for older drivers and invite them to have a free driving assessment with IAM or RoSPA Advanced Drivers.

NEW laws have prompted Hampshire Police to give advanced driver training to more than 550 officers.

Changes to road safety legislation mean now police can contravene the Highway Code only if they take an advanced driver training course.

It means the Hampshire Constabulary will launch a new two-week course in April to equip officers to drive at excess speed, overtake safely and refine urban and rural motoring skills.

Ian Readhead, deputy chief constable, said: “It is very important that more officers are qualified to respond in vehicles to incidents that require immediate attention. I hope that this eases some of the pressure being experienced at the frontline, especially by area car drivers.”

The announcement comes as the force prepares to add 60 turbo diesel Ford Focus response cars to its fleet.

Source: This is Hampshire.net website

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They damage cars and give drivers a nasty jolt, but now speed bumps have been found guilty of an even worse crime — they are helping to destroy the planet.

The traffic-calming measures double the carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption by forcing drivers to brake and accelerate repeatedly, according to a study commissioned by the AA. A car that achieves 58.15 miles per gallon travelling at a steady 30mph will deliver only 30.85mpg when going over humps.

The AA employed an independent engineer who used a fuel flow meter to test the consumption of a small and a medium-sized car at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire.

The results, calculated by averaging the performances of the two cars, also showed that reducing the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph resulted in 10 per cent higher emissions. This is because car engines are designed to be most efficient at speeds above 30mph.

A motorist who observed the speed limit on one mile of 20mph road during a daily journey would produce an extra tonne of CO2 in a year compared with driving at 30mph on the same stretch.

In an unusual move for a motoring organisation, the AA called for the introduction of cameras that detect average speeds to replace humps.

Edmund King, the AA’s president, said: “Humps are a crude, uncomfortable and noisy way of slowing people down and this research has shown they are also environmentally damaging. We accept that traffic speed needs to be controlled in residential areas where there is a problem with accidents and children are playing. We think motorists are more likely to accept average speed cameras than humps.”

But he added that drivers would not support a proposal in London by the Mayor, Ken Livingstone, to make 20mph the default speed limit on all residential roads. “The AA accepts that targeted 20mph speed limits in residential areas are popular and improve safety. However, a 30mph limit on local distributor roads may be more environmentally friendly.”

Previous research by the Transport Research Laboratory found that air pollution rose significantly on roads with humps. Carbon monoxide emissions increased by 82 per cent and nitrogen oxide by 37 per cent.

The London Ambulance Service has claimed that the 30,000 humps on the capital’s roads cause up to 500 deaths a year because its crews suffer delays in reaching victims of cardiac arrest.

Mr King said: “Humps tend to breed more humps. If one street has humps installed, the adjacent street calls for humps and eventually you find no clear roads for movement of emergency service vehicles.”

Transport for London has been helping to test average-speed cameras on residential roads in Camden, North London. No tickets are being issued yet, but the mere presence of the cameras has resulted in the proportion of drivers complying with the limit increasing by a third.

The new cameras are not linked but have synchronised clocks and each separately transmits information to a processing centre. This allows several cameras to work together without the need to dig up the road between them to lay cables. In urban areas this can halve the cost of installing the system.

Putting in 50 standard humps on three or four connecting residential streets costs about �150,000. A set of eight average-speed cameras covering the same area would cost �250,000.

The Home Office has been monitoring trials of average-speed cameras for almost three years but has yet to approve them. The camera suppliers believe that the delay is due to a lack of staff to complete the approval process.

Rob Gifford, director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: “If we remove road humps, the clear alternative method for enforcing lower speeds is through average speed cameras. These will smooth out traffic flow and be fairer to car drivers.”

Mr Gifford said that research had shown that 10 per cent of pedestrians would die when hit by a car at 20mph compared with 50 per cent at 30mph.

Source: The Times Online website, Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent

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Breaking down in a vehicle can be a very worrying experience for drivers – and can also be a dangerous one. Each year, hundreds of people lose their life or suffer serious injuries while working or stopped at the roadside or on the motorway hard shoulder. On the hard shoulder alone, around 250 people are killed or injured each year. This is why it is vital that all drivers and passengers know what to do in the event of a breakdown.

General breakdown procedures
1. If you break down, avoid stopping in a dangerous place if at all possible, such as on a roundabout, round a corner or over a brow. If you can keep driving safely for a short distance, drop your speed to dead slow, use your hazard lights and try to pull off the road completely or pull over on a straight bit of road.
2. If you have to stop on a road, display your emergency triangle at least 45 metres behind your vehicle (but don’t do this on a motorway as it’s dangerous).
3. If you have to stop on a road, do not attempt to fix your vehicle yourself. Call your breakdown service.
4. If you are involved in a crash that obstructs the highway, is serious or involves injuries, call the emergency services as soon as possible. If you are trained in first aid, provide appropriate help to anyone who is hurt. If you are not sure what to do wait for the paramedics.

Motorway breakdown procedures
According to a survey carried out by Direct Line Breakdown in October 2005, over a million drivers had broken down on a motorway during the previous 12 months. These breakdowns had resulted in more than 94,000 collisions or near misses on the hard shoulder.

In a breakdown situation, the most important thing for drivers to consider is the safety of themselves and other road users. If your vehicle develops a problem on the motorway:

1. Leave the motorway at the next available exit if possible and stop at the service area.
2. If the problem requires you to stop immediately, pull onto the hard shoulder and stop with the wheels turned to the left away from passing traffic.
3. Park as close to the left as possible and try to stop near an emergency phone if you can.
4. Put on your hazard lights to ensure other drivers know you are there.
5. NEVER attempt repairs yourself on the hard shoulder. If your car develops a problem and you think you can fix it, continue to a service station, or leave the motorway and find a safe place to stop away from moving traffic before attempting the repair.

FACT! More than one in four (28%) men will attempt to fix their car on the hard shoulder.

Calling for help
If possible, use the nearest emergency phone. Blue and white marker posts show the direction of the nearest phone. The phones connect directly to the police control centre, and are numbered so that you can be easily located.

Waiting for help
Waiting for help can be very dangerous – one in ten motorway crashes involve vehicles parked on the hard shoulder.

If you must stop on the hard shoulder:
� Even if it’s cold or rainy, get out of the vehicle – it is dangerous to wait inside as you are at risk of being hit from the rear at high speed by passing cars. Put your coat on and get out while you still can.
� Make sure yourself and all passengers exit the vehicle on the left-hand side. If you get out on the right-hand side you will be dangerously close to passing traffic. Anything on the hard shoulder within half a metre of the white line stands a high risk of being struck by passing traffic.
� Walk off the road – that means up the embankment if there is one, or climb over the crash barrier into a field if that’s possible.
� NEVER try to cross lanes to the other side of the motorway. This is lethal.
� Make sure pets are left securely inside the car to prevent them running out in front of the passing traffic.
� Anyone who is unable to leave the vehicle – for example, someone with severe mobility problems - should wait inside the vehicle with the seatbelt securely fastened and all the doors locked.

FACT! More than one in ten (14%) drivers impulsively exit from the driver’s door when they are stopped on the motorway hard shoulder, rather than correctly exiting from the passenger door.

Women alone at night may feel uneasy about getting out of the car, but statistically they are at far greater risk of being hit by another vehicle while waiting in the car than of being attacked by someone.

FACT! More than one in five (21%) drivers will wait for breakdown recovery next to or inside their vehicle, and over a third (35%) believe that’s the correct place to wait.

There are only three instances where stopping on the hard shoulder is allowed:� In a breakdown
� In an emergency
� If told to stop by the police

This is because it is not a safe place to wait. Research carried out by the police showed that it could take as little as 10 seconds after stopping on the hard shoulder for a vehicle to be hit by passing traffic. Therefore you must never use the hard shoulder to use your mobile phone, read a map, go to the toilet, ask for directions or stop for a break.

Penalties
Drivers caught incorrectly using the hard shoulder can receive anything from a police caution to disqualification and/ or penalty points. In extreme cases, where a driver’s actions have caused a fatal crash, a prison sentence of up to fourteen years for causing death by dangerous driving may be given.

Avoid breaking down
While it is impossible to be certain you will never break down, there are certain things you can do to minimise the chance of it happening. The majority of breakdowns are due to poor vehicle maintenance and could have been avoided.

Drivers should make sure they have their vehicle serviced regularly (in line with the manufacturer’s requirements) and should make routine checks to their vehicle including checking wipers and tyres are in good condition and that water levels are adequate.

FAULTY BATTERIES ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF BREAKDOWNS, SO GET YOUR BATTERY CHECKED BEFORE COLD WEATHER SETS IN. MANY GARAGES OFFER CHECKS FREE OF CHARGE.

Although it is possible for any vehicle to break down, it is worth investing in a reliable one – it is not worth taking chances with your life by travelling miles in an old banger. If you are thinking of buying a new vehicle, it is worth doing a bit of research into its reliability. Unreliable cars are costing UK motorists an estimated �680 million because of breakdowns.

Be prepared
Although you might not want to imagine having a breakdown, being prepared is much safer and could even be life-saving. Some basic tips are:

� Carry a mobile phone so that once you have stopped in a safe place you can call immediately for help (but use a roadside phone on a motorway if possible)
� Carry a map so that you can easily explain where you are when calling for help
� Put together an emergency kit which you keep in your car. This should include items such as a torch, a warning triangle, warm clothes, a blanket, reflective jacket or vest.

Source: Excerpts from Brake website 24/01/08

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Motorists face being subjected to random breath-testing as part of the biggest shake-up of drink-drive laws since the introduction of the breathalyser 40 years ago, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Ministers are convinced that tougher enforcement is the key to cutting the number of alcohol-related road deaths. Their plans for random testing will be unveiled within weeks.

Police can currently carry out a breath test only if a motorist has been driving erratically, been involved in an accident or committed another offence while driving, such as having a faulty tail light or speeding.

The proposed changes would allow breath tests to be carried out at any time, with roadside checkpoints being set up at points where police were confident they could catch lawbreakers.

Ministers have previously rejected random breath-testing but it is understood that there was a change of heart when the results of the latest Christmas campaign against drink-driving were revealed.

These showed that while the number of tests carried out in England and Wales rose six per cent, the number of drivers who failed fell to 7,800 - down from 9,700 in 2006.

Ministers believe that the results prove that increasing the number of tests acts as a deterrent.

There is also concern that a new generation of motorists has little or no memory of the hard-hitting advertising campaigns of the 1980s and 1990s that effectively made drink-driving socially unacceptable.

According to Department for Transport figures, drink-driving among teenagers has risen by more than a quarter, with 1,050 involved in drink-drive accidents in 2005 compared with 810 a decade ago.

Under the new proposals a checkpoint could be set up for a maximum of 24 hours by a senior police officer - of inspector rank or above - �anywhere there was a reasonable belief that drink- or drug-impaired driving may occur.

It could be left in place for a further 24 hours on the authority of a superintendent.

But the proposals - which will be detailed in a consultation document - have been criticised by John Spellar, a former Labour transport minister, and some drivers’ groups as a further infringement on law-abiding motorists.

“Yet again they are straining the tolerance of the British public, when they should be focusing on the minority who are grossly over the limit and causing mayhem,” he said.

“This system has been working well for many years and has left us with one of the best safety records in Europe.

“There is a serious danger this will erode the confidence of the public in the police and create ill will.”

A spokesman for the Association of British Drivers said: “It seems like an infringement of people’s liberty.

“It is as if our freedom of movement is being withdrawn. We would need to be convinced that it would save lives.”

A spokesman for Brake, the road safety charity, welcomed the plan but said it did not go far enough.

“Random testing of drivers is long overdue,” he said. “These proposals are a step in the right direction but to have greater impact all levels of police officer should have the power to test anyone, at any time.

“Only if the Government combines random testing with increased year-round enforcement and a lower drink-drive limit will we see a drastic reduction in the devastating numbers of people killed and injured in drink- and drug-driving offences.”

The number of drink-driving related deaths on the roads has remained relatively stable for the past decade. There were 540 in 1997. In 2004, the figure was 580. By 2006 it was back down to 540.

No decision has been taken on whether to reduce the drink-drive limit from 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood to 50 milligrams, which would bring Britain into line with most other European countries.

Some police forces have already found ways of effectively carrying out random breath tests, such as by stopping motorists to warn them of a hazardous stretch of road and then breath-testing when they smell alcohol.

Sheila Granger, the RAC campaigns manager, said random testing would “formalise” a situation that already effectively existed in some areas and the motoring organisation would not oppose it.

Robert Gifford, the director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, which drew up the proposals for random testing, said: “This will send a message to road users that ministers are taking the issue of drink-driving seriously.”

Source: The Telegraph website 21/01/08 By David Millward, Transport Editor

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Your driving test will start with an eyesight check and some vehicle safety questions. You will then start your practical driving test which will include some specific manoeuvres.

The driving part of your test will last about 40 minutes. Throughout the test your examiner will be looking for an overall safe standard of driving, including when you are carrying out the set exercises. You can make up to 15 driving faults and still pass the test (16 or more results in failure). However, if you commit one serious or dangerous fault you will fail the test.

The practical driving test (car)

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is now able to offer tests outside the normal test times at a number of test centres. This provides customers a wider range of appointments over an extended working day.

Practical tests are generally available at all permanent test centres. Saturday and weekday evening tests, subject to resources being available, are offered at a premium rate. Non premium rate tests are available at various times between 7.30 am and 3.27 pm Monday to Friday.

The driving test is straightforward and has been designed to see if you:

• can drive safely
• know The Highway Code and can demonstrate this through your driving

What will the test include?

The test will include an eyesight check (if you fail this, your test will not continue). The eyesight test requires you to read a number plate that is a certain distance away.

After the eyesight test you will be asked two vehicle safety check questions. You will then be examined on your general driving and on two reversing exercises. The reversing exercises will be chosen from:

• reversing around a corner
• turning in the road
• reverse parking

You may also be asked to carry out an emergency stop exercise.

Vehicle safety questions

These are basic safety checks that a driver should carry out to ensure the vehicle is safe for use. Although some checks may involve the candidate in opening the bonnet to identify where fluid levels would be checked, pupils will not be asked to touch a hot engine or physically check fluid levels.

As vehicle technology advances, more and more vehicles are being equipped with electronic diagnostic systems, which inform the driver of the state of the engine fluid levels and tyre pressures. It will be acceptable for a candidate to refer to the vehicle information system (if fitted) when answering questions on fluid levels or tyre pressures.

You can find source material in the DSA publication ‘The official guide to Driving - the essential skills’ and ‘The official DSA guide to learning to drive’. Advice and information on how to carry out vehicle safety checks can also be found in the manufacturer’s handbook.

Candidates will be asked two questions, one ’show me’ and one ‘tell me’. One or both questions answered incorrectly will result in one driving fault being recorded.

What happens during the test?

During the driving test the examiner will give you directions which you should follow. Test routes are designed to be as uniform as possible and will include a range of typical road and traffic conditions. During the test, the examiner will ask you to carry out set exercises.

Throughout the test you should drive in the way your instructor has taught you. If you make a mistake, don’t worry about it, it might be a less serious driving fault and may not affect your result. The examiner will be looking for an overall safe standard of driving.

You can make up to 15 driving faults and still pass the test (16 or more results in failure). However, if you commit one serious or dangerous fault you will fail the test. If at any time your examiner considers you to be a danger to other road users your test will be stopped.

You are allowed to take someone with you on the test, this person must be over 16 years old and cannot take any part in the test.

After the practical test

When the driving test is over, the examiner will tell you whether you passed or failed. You can request feedback on your test from the examiner, who will then go through your performance during the test.

If you pass…

If you pass and have a photocard driving licence issued after 1 March 2004 the examiner will ask you if you want your full driving licence issued to you automatically.

If you want to use this service, the examiner will take your old licence off you, scan the details and send them electronically to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). You will then be given a pass certificate to prove you passed your test. DVLA will then send you your new full licence by post within four weeks of you passing your practical test.

If you pass your test but do not want to use this automatic service, or have a licence issued before 1 March 2004, you will be given a pass certificate by the examiner. On the back of the pass certificate it tells you what you need to do next. This involves sending your licence and appropriate fee to DVLA who will then check your application and issue you with a new full licence.

If you fail…

If you fail the test you should ask the examiner for some feedback to help prepare yourself for your next test. Your driving report form will also show you where you made any mistakes. You can take another practical test 10 working days after your car or motorcycle test.

Driving test standards

All examiners are trained to carry out the test to the same standard, they do not have pass or fail quotas. So as long as you demonstrate the standard required you will pass your driving test.

Weather conditions/ mechanical problems etc

DSA do not conduct tests in bad light or in adverse weather conditions for the safety of the candidate and the examiner. We will arrange another appointment at no further cost, but compensation is not payable. Candidates should call the telephone number quoted on the appointment letter to check whether their test will go ahead.

If the driving test is not completed for reasons attributable to you or your vehicle, you will have to take another test at your own cost.

Pass Plus

The DSA recommends that new car drivers who have just passed their practical test consider taking Pass Plus. Pass Plus is a course of six extra modules taken with a driving instructor after passing your test.

Source: direct.gov.uk website 18/01/08

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LEARNER drivers should be taken to the countryside to prepare them for the hazards of motoring on rural routes, say experts.

Rural roads in Britain account for three times more road deaths than urban ones, and in Wales the accident rate rises dramatically at weekends and other times when city-dwellers head for the hills and beaches.

Now motoring organisation the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) Trust is calling for the driving curriculum to include tuition on rural roads, even for candidates sitting their test in towns and cities.

They believe drivers used to driving on wide, well-lit roads can be ill-prepared for the hazards of country driving.

“We’ve got an upcoming root-and-branch review of driver training by the Driving Standards Agency,” said Carmarthenshire resident Tim Shallcross, the trust’s Welsh policy officer.

“Let’s take that opportunity to give people, as part of their training, experience on rural roads. In a town the main bend is a junction, so you’re naturally slowing down for it. In the country you drive much more quickly up to bends.

“People losing a car on a bend because they approach it too fast is probably the biggest single category of single-vehicle accidents. It’s also the largest category of accidents that young drivers are involved in.”

Horse-riding and cycling experts welcomed the idea of rural driver training.

Lucienne Bennett, the British Horse Society’s Brecon Beacons access officer, said, “If drivers are only used to driving on dual carriageways and city roads, they have no idea how to drive on country lanes.”

But young, inexperienced drivers were not the only offenders. “It’s also the locals, more mature people, who drive too fast. They know the roads and expect nothing else to be on them, and the limit is still 60mph.

“When you’re on a horse you can hear them coming but you can’t go anywhere. You just pray that they won’t hit you,” said Mrs Bennett, who runs a guesthouse near Brecon for riders and their horses.

“The 60mph limit on minor roads is becoming dangerous in itself. It’s too high.”

Steve Stockham, chairman of the Cyclists’ Touring Club Cymru, said drivers forgot they should be able to stop in the section of road they could see before them.

“In cities you’re always driving on two-lane roads. What we’ve got round here is one-lane roads,” said Mr Stockham, who lives near Fishguard.

“Suddenly, around the corner the road isn’t big enough for two vehicles to pass. That’s where a lot of problems happen.

“I used to live in a fairly urban environment before I came here. I drove round a corner and a van was coming towards me. I wasn’t driving within the stopping distance. My only option was to go up on the verge. It was a lucky reminder – it could have been the last mistake I made.”

He said he felt safer on a bicycle than in a car on country lanes, when he could hear speeding cars approach.

“I notice in the holiday season there’s a lot more fast driving. I can only think this is holidaymakers not used to unclassified roads.

“The Assembly should be looking at speed limits. I know their priority is to get traffic moving, but that’s what trunk roads are for. There’s a case for 40mph limits on the rural unclassified roads.”

A Driving Standards Agency spokeswoman said she could not comment ahead of the results of a consultation on driver training, to be released in the next few weeks.

Source: ICWales.co.uk Photographs from Location Works

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INDIAN motor giant Tata today unveiled the world’s cheapest motor car which will sell for 100,000 rupees – around �1,200.

The three-metre long, four-seater Tata Nano, also known as the People’s Car, will go on sale in India and nearby regions but will not be available in the West.

Tata, which is in line to buy the Jaguar and Land Rover marques from Ford in the next few weeks, said the Nano will bring the “comfort and safety” of a new car within the reach of thousands of families.

Speaking at the unveiling of the car at a motor show in Delhi, Tata chairman Ratan Tata said: “I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby.

“It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family. Tata Motors’ engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal.

Today, we indeed have a People’s Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions.

We are happy to present the People’s Car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility.”

Source: The Sun website 11/01/08

Any comments from driving instructors who are members of BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) giving driving lessons in Bedford? I wonder if driving instructors in India will be using them and whether they would be allowed on driving tests. I would buy one as a family pet! I can remember when you could still buy cars for less than �1,000 in this country……