Car makers claim to have bent over backwards to make driving their products as comfortable and harmless as possible.

But the fact remains that sitting behind the wheel puts a multitude of stresses and strains on your body. To make matters worse, many people are driving further than ever before while congestion means that even relatively short journeys can result in time sitting in a jam.

To reduce the stresses there are some simple precautions you should take. The key thing to get right is your driving posture. According to the Department of Health, at least half of high-mileage business drivers suffer from pains in their lower back, caused by forcing the body into a slumped position for long periods of time.

It is easy to check your driving position. For a start, make sure there is enough headroom – typically, at least the height of a clenched fist above your head – to allow you to stretch your neck and back. If the roof is too close, adjust the seat height, where possible.

The head restraint should come up to the top of your ears and be in physical contact with your head when you are in your normal driving position. This helps prevent whiplash in an accident and provides support while driving. The seat should be set to incline 10% backwards to ease pressure on the lower back. Check you can reach the pedals without stretching, and bear in mind that in general an automatic is healthier than a manual since it reduces the amount of movement your legs make.

The increasing length of journeys means an increased risk of fatigue. “A third to a quarter of all motorway and dual carriageway accidents are caused by drivers falling asleep,” says Dr Louise Reyner of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University. “Opening the windows or switching on the radio won’t help because they don’t wake the brain up.” The best way to fight tiredness is to have a caffeine drink, then take a 15-minute nap (caffeine takes 20-30 minutes to work on the brain).

Finally, try to avoid road rage. “Being aware of your own early signs of anger is important,” says Allan Norris, consultant clinical psychologist at Birmingham Nuffield hospital. “Imagine the other driver is someone you know and learn to take a different view. If all else fails, avoid eye contact and don’t get out of your car.”

TAKING IT FURTHER

www.drivingergonomics.com
Offers detailed advice on how to adjust your car seat, and what to look for in a car to take the pain out of driving

www.mysleepprogramme.co.uk
This site helps you determine whether you are sleep-deprived and then suggests an improvement plan. The service costs �20 a year

www.thatcham.org
Gives comparative ratings for whiplash prevention measures in cars

Driving health

Head restraint
To offer protection against whiplash it needs to be as high as the top of your ears, and in contact with your head

Exercise for drivers
The best exercise while driving is to pull your tummy in as far as possible, release by 50% and hold for as long as possible while breathing normally

KIT BAG: ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR SAFER DRIVING

Driver Reviver CD �10 www.awakeltd.info
It’s not always easy to get the recommended 15 minutes of sleep when you’re tired at the wheel, but this CD, designed by Awake, a research body, can help you take a more effective power nap.

Back Care slimline wedges �18 www.spinalproducts.co.uk
This wedge-shaped cushion tips the pelvis forward slightly, maintaining the correct mild S-shape of the back. This is known as neutral spine and is the optimum position for long-distance driving.

Red Bull energy drink 250ml 88p www.redbull.co.uk
One can of Red Bull can head off a postprandial slump, but the effect is shortlived and energy drinks are really no substitute for a decent kip.

Recaro Specialist M car seat �445 www.recaro.com
These supportive seats ensure the ideal driving posture, and several models cater for different driver sizes and weights, and even the frequency of driving.

Source: The Times Online website 31.03.08

Disclaimer: BADDIA and its members cannot be held responsible for products or websites mentioned in this article.

Comments please from driving instructors who are members of BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) giving driving lessons in Bedford.

Britons have a one in 200 chance of being killed in a road crash, according to an unpublished Department for Transport report that reveals how the death rate has improved only marginally in the past decade.

The calculation of lifetime risk for different modes of transport exposes how dangerous the roads are compared with travel by rail or air. The average person has a one in 65,000 chance of being killed on the railways and a one in 7.6 million chance of being killed in an aircraft.

The figures in the report, which has been obtained by The Times, also challenge the Government’s claim that it is improving road safety.

Ministers privately admit that the official road safety target is inadequate but they are reluctant to adopt a new one because achieving it would be more challenging.

Figures from hospitals show that serious injuries from road crashes have hardly changed since 1996. The number of road deaths fell by only 7 per cent between 1998 and 2006, from 3,412 to 3,172.

Britain had the best road safety record of any European country in 2000 but since then has been overtaken by the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, all of which have lower death rates per 100,000 residents.

Andrew Evans, professor of transport risk management at Imperial College, London, said that the lifetime road death risk of one in 200 was valuable in drawing attention to the issue of road safety.

“Many people will be surprised to learn how high the risk is of their life being ended in a road crash. We are much too ready to accept the risk on the roads as the inevitable price of freedom of mobility.”

Edmund King, the president of the AA, said: “The stark implication of the one in 200 figure means that at least one child in every primary school will die on the roads.”

“You are 30 times more likely to be killed in a road crash than you are to win the National Lottery.”

The DfT report also reveals that motorcyclists are 45 times more likely to be killed per journey than car users. Cyclists are four times more likely to be killed but pedestrians have almost the same risk as car users per trip.

Source: The Times Online website 28\03\08

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June Knott had her car stolen from Blunham between 8:30pm on 11/03/08 and 6:00am on 12/03/08

Anyone seeing a metallic red Ford Fiesta Zetec 3 door registration KM55 HHF please phone 999

The car has been reported as stolen

A distinguishing feature is that the alloy wheels on one side are 7 spoke and the other side only 5 spoke

Speed limits of just 15 miles-per-hour are to be introduced on major roads in planned new towns across the country as part of an effort to reduce global warming.

Caroline Flint, the housing minister, will unveil the measure when she publishes planning guidelines later this week for up to 15 “eco-towns” across the UK, which will house 100,000 people.

The Government wants the towns designed and built to encourage people to stay out of their cars.

It will introduce the low speed limit as a means of getting people to use public transport, walk more or use bicycles, with the aim of cutting pollution and increasing the quality of life for local residents.

The measure has been attacked by pro-car campaigners who called it “lunacy” and fear it is a pilot project ahead of limit cuts in other towns and cities.

Nigel Humphries, of the Association of British Drivers (ABD), said the move was the latest in a long line of attacks on drivers by the Government and questioned whether the move would make people abandon cars.

“It is ridiculous. It is another step towards the return of the man with the red flag walking in front of the car. The Government has got to think of a different way. It just shows how flawed the idea of eco-towns is if they have to bully people into getting out of their cars in this way.”

Under the plans, the central areas of the new towns would be pedestrianised, with the 15mph limit introduced on “key roads” into the centre. All homes would be built within 400 yards of public transport stop and 800 yards from shops.

This, the Government argues, will mean just 25 to 40 per cent of journeys will require a car, compared with the current national average of 85 per cent.

Mrs Flint on Monday said the Government had an opportunity to “deliver a programme which will genuinely revolutionise the way people live” and would not shy away from controversial ideas.

She said: “These developments will be exemplars for the rest of the world, not just the rest of the country. It’s critical that we get it right - and I make no apology for setting the bar as high as possible.”

The RAC questioned whether a blanket 15mph ban was appropriate in all cases, saying a case-by-case approach was needed.

“If they are just looking at it from a vehicle emissions point of view, they need to look at individual situations,” a spokesman said.

“The Government should use individual studies and monitoring after three months to see if the limit is still working.”

A shortlist of carbon neutral eco-towns will be drawn up from the current list of 60 possible sites in the coming weeks. But several prospective sites are already the focus of opposition from local residents.

Plans for a new town of 15,000 homes near the picturesque village of Weston-on-the-Green in Oxfordshire are being opposed by local residents, led by the parents of former British tennis champion Tim Henman.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk 25/03/08

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That number plate reads CASH 08

You can already make yourself cleverer, more life aware, more artistic, more mathematically adept and able to speak foreign languages using your DS but perhaps the most focused real life application comes in the shape of Driving Theory Training.

Officially licensed by the UK’s Driving Standards Agency, the game/application has been designed to help learners study for and simulate the process of taking their driving test.

For that reason it features questions and answers from the full driving theory exam while revision for the test is provided using graphs and mini-games. More seriously, the application also features the full Highway Code in touchscreen form.

“Knowing the rules of the road and the Highway Code is vital part of driving and passing your theory test. Atari UK has been striving to replicate the driving theory exam in an educational and informative application. We hope this title will help people learn everything they need to know to successfully pass their driving theory test,” suggested Jeremy Wigmore, Atari UK’s MD while stamping on his brakes, attempting an emergency stop on a wet Monday morning road.

“Everything from speed limits to stopping distances is covered using the official question bank featured in the actual test. Wherever they are, players can take the test, revise the questions or simply play challenges. Hopefully this title will help them achieve that while also providing an enjoyable experience,” he added, wrenching the steering wheel around once again to complete a seven-point turn.

And while the game may seem a little bizarre, even in the context of the DS being the utility-screwdriver-console of the gaming world, the fact that the PC version of the Driving Theory Training long dominated the UK’s charts until a reclassification of software categories forced it out suggests Atari will be completely on the money when the game launches in the summer; for example over 1.8 million car tests and 1.5 million theory tests were carried out in the UK last year.

Source: Pocket Gamer website 21/03/08 By Jon Jordan

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Latest ABI research shows real risk to young learner drivers

Latest research from the ABI (Association of British Insurers) highlights how vulnerable young drivers are to having a serious motor accident. Every day four people are killed or seriously injured in accidents involving young drivers. The findings reinforce the ABI’s call for a minimum one-year learning period for all learner drivers, and restrictions on the number of teenage passengers young novice drivers can carry.

The ABI’s analysis of insurance claims involving young drivers reveals that:
• Drivers aged 18 cause 50 collisions every day – nearly three times as many as drivers in their fifties.
• Inexperience affects young novice drivers more than older novice drivers: an 18 year-old driver with one year’s experience is twice as likely to make a claim as a 30 year-old driver with one year’s experience.
• Passenger restrictions in the first year of driving could significantly reduce the accident risk. In the USA such restrictions have reduced fatal crashes by up to 37%.

Nick Starling, the ABI’s Director of General Insurance and Health said:

“Every year 50,000 17 year-olds pass their driving test with less than six months driving experience. One in three of these drivers are likely to be involved in an accident within the first two years after passing their test. Too often these accidents end in tragedy. Introducing a structured minimum one-year learning period, and passenger restrictions will help today’s young drivers become tomorrow’s safer motorists. We urge the Government to act now to protect young motorists and their families.”

Source: Politics website 20/03/08

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GreenRoad’s Safety Center Becomes a Virtual Driving Instructor

GreenRoad Technologies, an innovative leader in driver safety technologies, today announced that Staffordshire County Council is the first UK council to deploy GreenRoad Safety Center to improve teen driving.

As part of its Young Driver Coaching Programme, the council is starting by installing GreenRoad Safety Center in 50 cars driven by local teens. These young drivers will get instant feedback via red, amber and green LEDs in their car showing how well they are driving. Teens and parents will also be able to log onto a web site to review each journey. Teens that drive well will be rewarded under a “Safe Miles” incentive scheme.

“Neuroscience research has revealed that the human brain cannot effectively assess risk and consequences until the age of 25. This makes young drivers an especially high risk on the roads,” said Adrian Hide, Road Safety Manager, Staffordshire County Council. “GreenRoad Safety Center is like a virtual driving instructor providing feedback and encouragement after young people have passed their driving test.”

The council is launching this very exciting initiative on May 23rd 2008 where there will be the opportunity to view the in-vehicle data recorder on a test drive as well as finding out more about this potentially life saving scheme. Families that have been using the equipment will also be in attendance to discuss their experiences to date and will also be able to unveil their first set of results on the website. Invitations will also be extended to potential sponsors who are interested in partnering in this initiative.

GreenRoad users have reduced accidents by an average of 54 percent and lowered accident costs by an average of 65 percent. By empowering drivers to manage their own safety, and understand how to drive more responsibly, GreenRoad can make teens safer behind the wheel. Safe drivers also use less petrol. With GreenRoad Safety Center, fuel consumption is typically reduced by 7 - 10 percent.

“Although teen drivers only represent 10 percent of the population, 40 percent of local accidents involve young drivers,” continued Adrian Hide. “And whilst male drivers are particularly at risk, more young women are killed as passengers than for any other reason. We are making progress towards the national goal of reducing accidents by 40 percent by 2010 except when it comes to young drivers. We believe GreenRoad can make the difference.”

“It is encouraging to note that a number of families from Stoke-on-Trent are involved in the programme” said Jim Tunney, Team Manager for Road Safety and TravelWise with Stoke-on-Trent City Council. “Clearly, we view this innovative programme as making a positive contribution to casualty reduction among young drivers.”

“Young drivers are at risk more than ever before. They have increased access to cars – in fact many have their own cars - and the same size engine is higher powered than ever before,” said Aidan Rowsome, VP of GreenRoad Technologies EMEA. “Staffordshire is leading the way nationwide with this pioneering initiative to make the roads safer.”

GreenRoad Safety Center rates driving skills without invading the driver’s privacy or tracking their location. An in-vehicle sensor collects information on over 120 different driving manoeuvres. These are analysed to give the driver feedback about their driving and the areas that need improvement. Safety Center can provide feedback by SMS and on the Web at the end of each journey and will make reports available to teens, their parents and the council.

Staffordshire Council has hired Dr Fiona Fylan from Brainbox Research to help evaluate the results from the trial and develop a personal development log for each driver.

Reaction from users

Among the first participants in the scheme are Malcolm Harris and his 18-year-old daughter Steph, from Bignall End. Steph Harris commented, “I admit that I drive too quickly, but I think most people my age tend to. At first I wasn’t too happy about the thought that my dad could watch how I was driving, but I’m getting used to it, and it’s making a real difference.”

Malcolm Harris is optimistic that the system can make a real difference to his daughter’s driving. “I worry sick about her when she’s out in the car. I know she drives too quickly, but I don’t want to be a nagging dad. This technology is wonderful because it can present her with the stark facts,” he said.

Staffordshire Council’s Young Driver Coaching Programme aims to help young drivers from the time they start having driving lessons until 12 months after passing their driving test. The Council is collaborating with a network of 250 local driving instructors and using e-learning and workshops to educate parents on how to be mentors. More information is available from Staffordshire County Council’s Road Safety Unit, telephone 01785 276617 or email roadsafety@staffordshire.gov.uk.

About GreenRoad

GreenRoad develops driver safety technologies that stop risky driving before an accident occurs, and dramatically reduce crash rates. Its solutions are designed to empower drivers to manage their own safety by giving instantaneous, in-vehicle driver feedback—without invading privacy. Over time, GreenRoad has proven that it can change driver behaviour behind the wheel. The result is fewer accidents, lower accident costs, and reduced fuel consumption and CO� emissions. GreenRoad is backed by Benchmark Capital, Virgin Green Fund and Balderton Capital.

For more information about GreenRoad, visit http://www.greenroadtech.com.

Source: Sourcewire.com website 19/03/08

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Transport committee wants limit raised
• Ban on young carrying passengers
• One third of road deaths involve young drivers

The minimum driving age must be raised from 17 to 18 to stop young people ‘killing themselves and others’, according to a report from the House of Commons transport committee.

The committee also wants learner drivers to have their lessons over the course of a year before taking their driving tests, as well as a total alcohol ban for new drivers.

The report added that novice drivers should be banned from carrying passengers between the age of 10 and 20 late at night.

Government figures show that a third of deaths on the road involve a driver between the age of 17 and 25, even though the age bracket accounts for just one in eight of all full licence-holders.

The chairman of the transport committee, Gwyneth Dunwoody, MP for Crewe and Nantwich, said ‘The reality is that we aren’t talking about people having the odd crunch… but people killing themselves and killing others’

The Government has said that it would not rule out the proposals.

Source: What Car? website 18/03/08

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A revamp of the driving test will begin soon after Easter in an attempt to reduce the carnage among young and novice drivers.

The driving age will effectively rise to 18 as the test system becomes more difficult and pre-test training more complicated.

Learners will still be granted their provisional licence from 17 but will need a year to pass the beefed-up test.

The move follows a Daily Mail campaign - backed by the insurance industry, road safety campaigners and motoring groups - to raise the formal driving age to 18 to help cut accidents caused by young drivers.

Consultation on the revamp is due to begin “imminently”.

Candidates will have to master key skills of the current driving test - including parallel parking, reversing around a corner and the three-point turn - before they are allowed to take the tougher test.

Each key skill will be signed off by an instructor in a log book. The theory test will also be beefed up.

A Whitehall source said: “This way the Government can effectively raise the driving age to 18 without having to specifically legislate.”

Source: The Daily Mail website 17/03/08

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The Driving Standards Agency is urging all driving test candidates booked to take tests just before and after Easter to turn up regardless of the threat of strike action by examiners who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union.

The union is urging its driving examiners to strike for 2.5 hours in the morning on Thursday 20 March and for 1.5 hours in the morning on Tuesday 25 March.

Non-examiner and administrative staff are also being asked to strike for half a day on the morning of Thursday 20 March. PCS is also asking members to ban overtime over the Easter weekend, from Good Friday until Easter Monday.

Driving Standards Agency’s Chief Executive Rosemary Thew said: “Not all examiners are members of the PCS union and even if they are, we cannot be sure that they will not turn up for work. We therefore want candidates to attend so that practical tests can be delivered if possible. Theory tests are not affected and will be taking place as planned.”

If no examiner is available for a test, a new date will automatically be re-booked by DSA and the candidate will be sent an out of pocket expenses form along with details of the new test. If candidates fail to turn up they will not be able to claim out of pocket expenses if their tests are cancelled and they will need to re-book their own tests.
“Candidates who turn up but are unable to take their tests because of industrial action will not have to contact DSA to re-book,” said Ms Thew. “They should hear from us with a new date within five to ten working days. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.”

Call centres and other DSA offices may also be affected. Customers who wish to book a practical test will still be able to use our internet booking service on www.direct.gov.uk Further details about out of pocket expenses are available on DSA’s website on www.dsa.gov.uk

Source: The Driving Standards Agency website 17/03/08

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