Welcome to the B.A.D.D.I.A blog page for all our latest news and informationTelephone the police on 01583 401212 if you see an older style Vauxhall Corsa registration KB05 GMU.
Last night a LADDSA driving instructor had his house broken into, jewellery was stolen, but also his car. The culprit has been identified by police, after he did a drive through at a garage in Stopsley and caught on CCTV. But we still need help finding the car.
Source: E-mail from Les Stonnell, LADDSA
Road deaths fell below 3,000 last year for the first time since records began in 1926.
Pedestrian deaths fell by 5 per cent – but injuries among cyclists and motorcyclist fatalities were on the rise.
Motoring groups said that better car safety technology and greater compliance with the speed limit were the two key factors behind the fall in deaths.
The greatest improvement was in the number of child deaths, which fell by 28 per cent compared with 2006.
The road network is now eight times safer per mile travelled than it was in 1966, when deaths reached a postwar peak of 7,985. There were 2,943 deaths last year, seven per cent fewer than in 2006. The number killed was down for every category of road user except for goods vehicle drivers.
Road deaths had fluctuated between 3,200 and 3,600 since 1994 and last year’s total appears to mark a significant shift towards safer driving.
Last year was the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the EuroNCAP crash-test rating system. The average car in 1997 gained between two and three stars, compared with four or five stars in 2007, owing to the almost universal introduction in new cars of ABS brakes and multiple airbags.
The proportion of cars exceeding the speed limit on residential roads has fallen sharply in the past decade, down from almost three quarters in 1996 to only half in 2006.
The overall improvement masked some poor performances, with deaths rising sharply in Hampshire, Cambridgeshire, Kent, Lincolnshire and Wiltshire. There was little improvement in safety on rural roads. A total of 121 children under 16 died on the roads last year, down from 169 in 2006 and less than half the number killed each year during the mid1990s.
The death rate for car occupants fell twice as fast as for pedestrians and cyclists. There were 1,431 deaths in cars – 11 per cent down on 2006. The number of pedestrians killed fell by 5 per cent to 644 and the number of cyclists by 7 per cent to 146. However, serious injuries among cyclists rose for the third successive year to 2,428. This was partly because of the doubling since 2000 of cycling in London, where there has been a steep rise in low-speed collisions.
There were 588 motorcyclists killed last year, a fall of only 2 per cent on 2006. Motorcycle deaths have been on an upward trend in the last decade from a low of 440 in 1996.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said speed cameras were partly responsible for the reduction in deaths because they had prompted many drivers to pay much closer attention to the limits. Speeding offences reached a peak of 2.1 million in 2005 and fell by 150,000 the following year, the steepest reduction since the introduction of cameras in 1992.
Mr King said: “Drivers are now much more tuned into the fact that speeding can kill and that it isn’t just a bit of fun. The focus on speeding has changed the mentality of drivers and you now see pedestrians waving at cars to slow down.â€
He said the crash-test system meant car manufacturers were under intense competitive pressure to produce safer designs. In 1997 the Rover 100 achieved half a star in the first set of crash tests and was withdrawn within six months. The new Renault Clio, a similar-sized car, has five stars. Robert Gifford, director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (Pacts), said that road humps and other engineering measures had made residential roads much safer in the past decade, during which pedestrian deaths fell by more than a third from 1,000 a year.
However, the fall in child deaths was partly the result of greater restrictions on children’s movements outdoors, with parents less likely to allow them to walk or cycle on their own. The drop in the number of cyclists killed was entirely down to a halving in the number of child victims. Adult cyclist deaths increased by 6 per cent from 115 to 122.
Kevin Clinton, the head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: “It is worrying to see increases in deaths among adult cyclists and in serious injuries among child cyclists. This shows the need for the new investment of £140 million announced earlier this year to make the roads safer for cyclists and for cyclist training.†Jim Fitzpatrick, the Road Safety Minister, said: “Far too many people are still dying and we will continue to do everything we can to improve road safety and further reduce the numbers of people killed or injured.â€
The Government is considering creating a specific target to reduce road deaths below a certain number. Its current target, to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent by 2010 compared with the average for 1994-98, has been criticised because interpretations vary on what constitutes a serious injury.
The target is likely to be met (it was down by 36 per cent by 2007), but only because reported serious injuries are falling much faster than deaths.
Pacts has urged the Government to set a target to cut deaths to below 1,000 by 2030 – based on the idea that using the roads should be no more than twice as dangerous as everyday activities such as DIY. At present road travel is 8.5 times as dangerous.
Neil Greig, director of the IAM Motoring Trust, said: “There is no place for complacency in road safety.
“The challenge now is to drive down these figures even further by targeting known high risks such as rural single carriageways, young drivers and those who drive for work.â€
Source: The Times Online website, by
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Bert Moncur organiser of the fuel protest and the Gord help us campaign is now planning a larger Protest on Thursday 10th July that will start in Newcastle than travel through Gateshead, South Shields, Sunderland and Durham.
Then a delegation of about 40 Driving School cars will travel to downing Street, in London where campaigners want to hand in a petition to the Prime Minister.
Bert Moncur, Chairman of SADI says: - ”Your support is needed as fuel prices are crippling our profession, even after price rises of lessons we are still standing still, seems we don’t get a pay rise unlike so many others, any help you can give vote online at http://www.look4lessons.com/default.asp click the gov link and vote.  Anyone wanting to join the convoy you would be most welcome, thank you for any support you can give.”
CLICKÂ HEREÂ to vote online at www.look4lessons.comÂ
Source: Email from Bert Moncur, Chairman SADI; look4lessons website; Daily Mail website for garage forecourt picture.
Tens of thousands of unqualified Irish drivers could be put off the road next week.
Up until now, Ireland was the only country in Europe where you could fail your test and drive off unaccompanied from the test centre.
Statistics from the Road Safety Authority show that more than 20,000 drivers are on at least their sixth provisional licence.
But from next Monday, all that will change.
Gardaà will have the power to prosecute all provisional licence holders found driving without a fully qualified driver in the car with them.
If a learner driver is caught driving unaccompanied, he/she could face fines of up to €2,000 or three months in prison.
Figures for the end of May suggest that there are nearly 336,000 unqualified drivers on Irish roads, that is about one in seven of all motorists.
Conor Faughnan of AA Roadwatch said it was “indefensibly absurd that Irish drivers have been ignoring for the past 25 years the need to get a full licence”.
“We are the only country in Europe where you could fail your test and drive away from the test centre”, he said.
Last year, Transport Minister Noel Dempsey said the situation was no longer acceptable but there was a public backlash when he announced his plan.
And he was forced to delay the implementation by eight months.
Until last year, there were major delays in getting a driving test. The average wait was 64 weeks.
But in the last 14 months matters have improved and the delay is down to 10 weeks.
Now, 12,000 tests are now carried out every week.
However, tens of thousands of provisional licence holders still haven’t applied for their test.
Gay Byrne, the Irish broadcaster who chairs the Road Safety Authority, says:
“Nobody can possibly say they didn’t know about the deadline and nobody can say they weren’t warned – and nobody can possibly say they aren’t ready for it.”
If the clampdown is fully enforced from next week then hundreds of thousands of current drivers will either have to use public transport or drive with someone, who has had a full licence for at least two years.
Road safety campaigners say they expect gardaà to take a reasonable, intelligent and sympathetic approach to the problem of unqualified drivers.
But they all agree that from next week, for the sake of all road users, there has to be a new beginning.
Source: BBC News website, by Shane Harrison, NI Dublin Correspondent
The Driving Standards Agency is writing to learner driver candidates who have booked practical tests on a Saturday since November 2005, to offer a refund for overpayment of fees caused by accidental overcharging and to apologise for the error.
We are taking this action because of an error in regulations made on 1 November 2005 which had the unintended consequence of removing the differential between normal weekday hours and Saturday charges for taking a test. The refund offered is the premium paid for a Saturday test, currently £10.50 for a car test.
An amending regulation has now been laid in Parliament to reinstate in law the intended differential in fees. The Agency is obliged to recover administrative costs through fees, including the extra costs of Saturday operation, for example in overtime. Tests booked from 7 July onwards will be charged at the intended Saturday rate of £67.00
The Driving Standards Agency apologises for the error and is contacting all those affected, but customers can speak direct to the Agency’s advisers by calling (0191) 201 4098 if they want information in the meantime. DSA believes around 270,000 candidates will be affected.
Background note:
Current fee rates are:
| CATEGORY | DRIVING TEST FEE | DRIVING TEST FEE | EXTENDED DRIVING TEST FEE | EXTENDED DRIVING TEST FEE |
| Â | During normal hours | Out of hours | During normal hours | Out of hours |
| A1, A & P | £60.00 | £70.00 | £120.00 | £140.00 |
| Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| B1, B, F, G, H & K | £56.50 | £67.00 | £113.00 | £134.00 |
| B+E, C1, C1+E, D1, D1+E, C, C+E, D& D+E | £105.00 | £125.00 | No extended test for these categories | No extended test for these categories |
Source: DSA website, Crown Copyright
Driving instructors can help train safe drivers by signing up to Brake’s Buddy Driving Instructor scheme, helping to promote Brake’s acclaimed 2Young2Die campaign.
All Buddy Instructors receive a pack of 2Young2Die driver safety resources from the charity to discuss with, and pass on, to pupils. These packs include:
All Buddy Instructors also receive a FREE subscription to the Brake Professional scheme for one year. This means you receive a regular e-bulletin of our internationally-acclaimed newsletter, Road Safety News, quarterly mailings including research reports, posters and leaflets produced by Brake, the Government and other organisations, and discounts to our conferences on road safety.
All we ask in return is that you ask your next 25 pupils to pay £1 more for one of their driving lessons in return for their resources from Brake – and that you donate £25 to the charity upfront in advance of you collecting these extra £1s (which you keep). This means the scheme is entirely self-funding for you and you recoup your donation!
Every penny collected goes towards Brake’s life-saving educational work and care services for road crash victims, and enables us to provide you with more resources in the future at the same low cost. Just call us on 01484 559909 when your pack runs out.
Source: Brake website
Below is a link to DSA’s website which shows the new question combinations. Please note that some questions are new and that some of the previous questions have been changed from SHOW ME to TELL ME and vice versa.
Source: DSA website, Crown Copyright
The Government (DSA) has published a Consultation Paper called Learning to Drive, which sets out proposals for a major review in the way we learn to drive.
The Consultation Paper explains the reason why change is important and how the public can be involved in the process.
The need for change
Over the past ten years the number of people killed or injured on Britain’s roads has fallen by a third, making road travel in the UK safer than almost anywhere else in the world.
But there’s still a long way to go.
Experts estimate:
The proposed changes
The Learning to Drive Consultation Paper outlines what we have found that people would like to see in a new training, testing and driving for life programme. We want to provide:
What do you think?
So that members of the public have everything they need to join in the consultation we have published a wide range of information and created a number of feedback mechanisms. You have from now until 8 September 2008 (when the public consultation closes) to get involved.
A special Learning to Drive consultation web site:Â http://learningtodrive.dsa.gov.uk
The Learning to Drive Consultation Paper: http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=545
A series of Public Events throughout Great Britain where you can discuss the proposed changes and register your views in person: http://learningtodrive.dsa.gov.uk/pages/publiceventsÂ
You can also call the DSA Helpline on 0300 200 1122 and ask to receive a Learning to Drive Consultation Pack by post or email consultations@dsa.gsi.gov.uk
Source: The DSA website 07/05/08
A new route to avoid prosecution is being offered to young drivers caught committing minor motoring offences in Dumfries and Galloway.
The pilot scheme in the Stewartry area involves some being taken out for tuition with an advanced motorist.
Procurator fiscal depute Lyndsay Hunter said it was another option to “address offending behaviour”.
Alan Jones of the Institute of Advanced Motorists said he believed it could be a “win-win” solution.
The scheme was introduced as a bid to tackle the high number of serious accidents involving young drivers in the region.
Since the start of this year four young people in Dumfries and Galloway have been jailed for causing crashes in which four people lost their lives.
Ms Hunter said that while serious offences would still be prosecuted, the “assessed drives” could be a valuable alternative for lesser crimes.
She added: “It provided another option for us to try to address the offending behaviour as quickly as possible.
“We are dealing with young, inexperienced drivers.
“To give them some instruction and show them where they are going wrong rather than simply prosecuting means they are a lot safer on the roads - and the roads are a lot safer for the rest of us.”
Drivers are first assessed by arresting officers to see if they could benefit from the project.
The procurator fiscal then applies a series of tests before deciding whether or not to place them on the scheme.
Mr Jones, who is one of the motorists who takes out the young drivers, said he believed there was great merit in the project.
“If you can produce a driver that goes away from us who is safer and more aware of hazards then surely that is better than giving someone points on their licence or taking their licence away,” he said.
“Once you remove a person’s licence they are not going to improve their driving skills.
“I think it is a win-win situation.”
‘Better driver’
It would appear that young drivers also see the benefits of the scheme.
David Moore, 18, has been reported by police for a number of minor driving misdemeanours since passing his test six months ago.
He said he believed he would learn more from being taken out by an expert driver rather than more traditional forms of tackling the problem.
“I would prefer to do this than get points on my licence or lose my licence,” he said.
“I am hoping to get a better driver and learn more about the roads.”
Source: The BBC News website
Jed Sheahan has beaten nearly 2,500 motorists to be named Auto Traders first Young Driver of the Year.
The 17-year-old from Newport, Wales, was among the top seven scorers in a special theory test to be invited to take part in a set of driving challenges at the Rockingham race track in Northamptonshire, matching the theory score set by the original Stig, Perry McCarthy.
He pipped 18-year-old Londoner Jade Hansle to second place in the event to win a Ford Fiesta and a year’s free car insurance with Jade picking up a cheque for £2,000.
At the event in Rockingham, the seven drivers aged between 17 and 24 had to complete a string of skill-based challenges testing vehicle handling and control, distraction driving and using a wet-grip track.
Jed, who has been driving for five months and passed his test first time with just one minor fault, was presented with his trophy by Trader Media Group’s head of partnerships Tom White.
Jed said: “I’m shocked and delighted to win the competition.
“I’m only insured on my parent’s car at the moment so getting a Fiesta with a year’s insurance is amazing.â€
The Young Driver of the Year completed Auto Trader’s ‘Don’t Wreck the Ride’ safety campaign where alarming research showed road crashes are the leading cause of death for people aged between 15 and 24.
Tom White added: “A huge congratulations goes out to Jed for becoming Auto Trader’s 2008 Young Driver of the Year.
“We are extremely proud of the success our Young Driver Safety campaign in educating young people about the consequences of taking risks on the road.
“We hope we have gone some way to draw the attention to the awful and growing statistics of young driver deaths.â€
For more information check out the Auto Trader Young Drivers website
Source: Auto Trader website, by Adrian Hearn
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