Important update from Les Stonnell. : - 

Update on the Luton instructor whose car was stolen last week the car it is an older model blue Vauxhall Corsa the number plate has been changed and police are looking for KM O5 LKK Please could all instructors keep a look out for this if seen immediately call 999 with the location and direction of travel UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES APPROACH OR TRY TO BLOCK THE VEHCLE IN AS THE OCCUPANTS MAY BE ARMED  These people are wanted by the police for a few offences and are in general very nasty and dangerous characters so the sooner they are caught the safer everyone is 

Regards  Les Stonnell

LADDSA

Source: e-mail 07/07/08

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Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

THESE grim pictures of car smashes are at the centre of a new campaign to stop young drivers speeding.

Some show wreckage from fatal accidents and it’s hoped the shock tactic will save lives in the future.

They are contained on a DVD produced by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service after a study found around 50 per cent of fatal crashes involved a driver under the age of 25.

Research also revealed people in that age group are seven times as likely to have a road traffic accident.

The DVD also contains interviews with bereaved families and is now being shown in schools and to young drivers caught committing motoring offences like speeding in Cumbria which has one of the worst records in the country.

Grieving mum Lynette Francis, of Kings Meaburn, Cumbria, works closely with the fire and rescue service and police to educate youngsters on road safety. She lost her 19-year-old son Mark after he was killed in a car crash in Appleby six years ago.

Mum-of-five Lynette, 50, who does voluntary work for road safety charity Brake, said: “The videos seem to have an impact on youngsters and educates them. As I have a personal story to go with it, it does have more impact.

“If I can help the fire service get the message across and make a difference to just one person’s life then that is great. Parents and youngsters need to be educated about the consequences of dangerous driving to reduce the number of deaths.”

Justin Johnson, of Cumbria Fire and Rescue, explained: “We need to find a way to make a difference and part of that is by being hard-hitting with videos and personal stories as the numbers are not reducing.

“I remember one 15-year- old girl who took her father’s car and crashed into a tree and killed her friend. It is not always the driver who is affected, it can happen to anyone.

“I think there is a particular problem with the under 25 year olds as they don’t have much experience and often feel invincible.”

Last week in Carlisle and Workington road checks were carried out as part of Operation Orwell.

Sgt Paul Brown, of Cumbria roads policing unit, said: “These road checks show that Cumbria Constabulary, together with it’s partners, is committed to reducing the high number of youngsters killed or badly injured on our roads every year.”

Source: Sunday Sun website by Phil Doherty

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

GRIDLOCK on Cambridge roads is hitting the city’s businesses in the pocket.

Motorists have been slowed to a crawl by road works in and around the city, with the respite of the school holidays still weeks away.

The Hills Road bridge is currently down to a single lane during off-peak hours while a guided bus underpass is constructed – leaving jams stretching as far back as Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Works are being carried out on Horningsea Road and in Cottenham, while resurfacing and the construction of a new park and ride site on the A10 has also caused delays.

The city’s driving instructors are among the worst hit, and other businesses are feeling the pinch too – while there are fears shoppers might shun Cambridge because of tailbacks.

Lola Craft, chair of the Cambridge Association of Approved Driving Instructors (CAADI), said her members were taking a pay cut or working longer hours.

Ms Craft said: “It’s impossible to get anywhere with all these main arterial roads out of Cambridge blocked.

“It means people are paying for me to sit in traffic with them and I can’t make them do that.”

Ms Craft said she had been forced to turn down enquiries from Waterbeach and from students at Hills Road College because of the traffic problems.

She said: “Why are they doing all these works at the same time? It just shows a lack of planning. Some of us are wondering how much more we can take.”

John Bridge, chairman of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, said: “It’s difficult for companies trying to deliver or pick goods up, and people are losing money because they have to put aside more time to get places. There hasn’t been enough coordination or communication, and it’s causing a lot of frustration.”

Sid Couzens, chairman of the Cambridge Licenced Taxi Owners’ Association, said: “Our takings have gone down because if you’re sitting in traffic you’re not earning as much as you should. And it costs customers more to get places as well.”

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said: “Road works tend to happen when the weather is better because that’s when you get more done, and you get lighter traffic towards the school holidays as well.

“They are planned to be some distance from each other and we put details of all works on our website.”

Source: Cambridgeshire News website, by Chris Havergal

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.