PAUL BURCHELL, Chairman of BADDIA believes that the recently imposed 40 mph speed limit at the Clophill Roundabout, on the A6 at Clophill, Bedfordshire is, illegal.

 Photographs from Paul Burchell. Click on photos for larger image.

“The reason for this is that the national speed limit repeater signs have not been removed on approach to the roundabout from at least two directions. “This I believe invalidates any speed limit at all in that area” He goes on to say. “I have today asked the Highways Agency to investigate this as a matter of urgency. It comes to something when it takes driving instructors to become highways vigilantes. I thought we paid departments such as the Highways Agency to get it right”

 

A similar situation arose last year during the reconstruction of the A6 at the Wixam’s development on the outskirts of Bedford. Then it took weeks to get the agency to cover up the national speed limit signs which were still being displayed within the temporary 40mph limit imposed for safety reasons during the construction.

 

Source: Paul Burchell, Chairman BADDIA

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LEARNER drivers are turning to family and friends for lessons in a bid to save cash, a survey has revealed.

According to car insurance firm Swinton, the average number of professional lessons per driver fell from 43 in the first three months of 2008 to 32 in the same period this year.

Drivers who passed their test in March, had an average of 41 hours of paid-for tuition compared with 63 hours of teaching from relatives or friends, the survey found.

Eight out of 10 of the drivers questioned said that cutting costs was the reason why they had chosen “home tuition”.

The survey showed that fathers were the most popular budget instructors (64%), with mothers second (23%), and aunts and uncles third (17%).

Steve Chelton, development manager at Swinton, said that approved driving instructors go though a number of tests to ensure they are equipped with the skills needed to teach safely.

He recommended that all learners taken professional lessons and only practise with friends or family when the instructor says they are ready.

“Following the Driving Standards Agency’s recent reform of the learner driver training and testing process, it is now more important than ever to take lessons from a fully-qualified instructor,” he added.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

Source: RAC website

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MOTORISTS should face fewer red lights following the relaxation of government guidance on the flow of traffic.

Local councils can adopt “green wave” systems of sensors, where vehicles at or just below the speed limit trigger a succession of green lights.

Environmental and motoring groups say carbon emissions will be reduced.

Previously the Department for Transport (DfT) had discouraged the systems which reduce fuel use, resulting in less tax being paid to the Treasury.

But now, rather than seeing green wave systems as a “cost” to the public purse, the DfT views them as a “benefit”.

‘Easy target’

The RAC’s motoring strategist Adrian Tink said: “Green waves is a common sense win-win initiative that will actually help motorists as they go about their daily lives as well as reduce carbon emissions.

“It’s used very successfully in other countries and it would be great to see motorists up and down the UK benefit from its widespread introduction.

“Let’s hope this is the start of motoring being seen by policymakers as more than just an easy target for tax revenue.”

The latest government guidance to local authorities on transport issues is contained in a document called the New Approach to Appraisal.

It states that it is “counter-intuitive” to view the higher tax revenues from discouraging green wave schemes as a “benefit”.

Environmental pressure group Campaign for Better Transport said the schemes would make car driving more efficient, but claimed they would not get to the heart of the problem.

“They are fantastic so far as making the best available use of space and allowing drivers to drive in a smooth and therefore more efficient manner,” said campaigner Richard George.

“But they don’t tackle congestion in the long term because they don’t give people alternatives to driving.”

A DfT spokesperson said: “Tackling climate change is one of the single most important issues we face, and cutting road transport CO2 emissions will play an important part in that.

“Urban traffic control systems, like green wave, help tackle congestion and vehicle emissions in urban areas, and a number are already being progressed as local major schemes.

“Our new guidance regarding fuel taxation will mean that greater priority will now be given to this type of scheme.”

Source: BBC News website

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GOVERNMENT begins consultation in attempt to reduce number of fatalities from 3,000 a year.

More 20 miles per hour speed limits could be introduced to reduce road deaths. Photograph: Stephen Kelly/PA

The government is planning to introduce measures such as reduced speed limits and a tougher driving test to improve traffic safety and reduce road deaths.

A consultation document, being published today, will seek views on the government’s road casualty reduction targets; the aim is to cut deaths by up to a third from the current annual level of 3,000 over the next 10 years.

The proposals include allowing local authorities in England and Wales greater powers over deciding speed limits, which could see a 20mph limit introduced more widely in many urban areas, especially around schools.

Road safety researchers say people hit at 20mph have a much better chance of survival than those struck at 30mph. Only one in 40 die at 20mph, compared with one in five at 30mph.

Robert Gifford, of the parliamentary advisory council for transport safety, said: “The 20mph zones are proven to save lives and that is especially important when thinking about children and the elderly.”

Overnight speculation suggested the government’s plans also include:

• Increasing fines and fixed penalties for traffic offences such as driving without wearing a seat belt..

• Increased police powers to stop vehicles without suspecting an offence.

• Limit motorists’ rights to contest some charges.

There are also plans to update the driving test to include asking candidates to find a given destination using road signs.

Steve Garrod, the chief examiner for the Driving Instructors Association, said the proportion of people passing the test could be expected to fall from its current level of more than 40% following the introduction of the changes.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The main point of some of the new initiatives is to test people on how they will be driving once they have passed the test. I would imagine that the pass rate initially will drop.”

But Garrod said the goal of improved safety might be better served by changing the process of learning to drive, rather than making the test harder.

“You could argue that a lot of emphasis is being put on the driving test, rather than the learning that goes into learning to drive,” he said. “Maybe if we looked at a more modular system, where people have to complete various modules, such as driving on rural roads or motorways, then when they come to the test that is the final sign-off by somebody independent.

“If you focus purely on the test, people may pass a harder driving test but it doesn’t mean to say they will be any safer.”

Source: Guardian website, by Stephen Bates and agencies

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ESP (stability control) will be mandatory on all new cars in the EU from November 2011, the European Parliament has announced.

Currently, just over 50 per cent of new cars sold in Europe are fitted with ESP. ESP is proven to significantly reduce fatal accidents.

“ESP can prevent up to 80 percent of all skid-related accidents,” said Dr. Werner Struth, president of the Chassis Systems Control division at Bosch, where ESP systems are made. “After the seat belt, the system is therefore the most important safety technology in the car.”

The mandatory installation of ESP on all new cars should help to further reduce the number of people killed on the roads in the EU. In 2001, this figure was 50,000, but by 2006 that number had dropped to 29,500, partly thanks to the increasing fitment of ESP.

The move to make ESP compulsory is part of a package of EU-wide road safety measures.

These will include making lane departure warning systems and emergency brake assist compulsory on vehicles with a maximum weight of more than 3.5 tons and on passenger vehicles with more than eight seats by 2013.

Source: Autocar website, by Matt Rigby

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FROM a Ferrari to a Smart Car, police forces around the world are spoiled for choice for fast cars when it comes to patrolling their patch.

There is fierce competition for the world’s fastest police car with the Italians and Germans vying for the title.

Up until now the police prix d’or has been held by a Lamborghini Gallardo which an Italian police patrol is using on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway.

Lamborghini Gallardo

It is capable of hitting a top speed of 192mph, which is probably ample to keep up with the most reckless of motorists.

But the Germans have their eye on a car which would leave the Lamborghini trailing in its wake.

It has placed an order for a Brabus CLS V12 S Rocket which has a top speed of 225mph. It will be used on the fastest stretches of the autobahn.

The Brabus CLS V12 S Rocket which has a top speed of 225mph was unveiled at the Essen Motor Show in Germany Photo: WENN

Meanwhile in Austria, police are testing a Porsche 911. Even on trials, patrol cars have noticed that the country’s motorists are reluctant to take them on.

Police Test Porsche Patrol Car Photo: WENN

In San Diego officers are using a custom made police car with integrated shotgun mounts and a top speed of 155mph.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti: Possibly the World’s Fastest Police Car Photo: WENN

UK police officers have driven a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, but purely to promote road safety.

The low-emission Smart police car has a re-chargeable motor and a top speed of 70mph Photo: WENN

But if British police cars are not the fastest, the four Smart Cars used by Scotland Yard are the greenest with the lowest carbon emissions.

Source: Telegraph website By David Millward, Transport Editor

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MALE drivers are more likely to speed compared with women, according to a Huddersfield charity.

Research released today by road safety charity Brake and Direct Line Car Insurance finds one in three male drivers, compared with one in seven female drivers, admitted they drive at 35mph or faster in 30mph zones every day or several times a week.

The gender gap is said to be even larger on rural roads.

One in five male drivers, compared with one in 16 female drivers, said they drive faster than 60mph on country roads every day or several times a week.

Joanne Dixon is a manager at Lindley driving school Laugh and Pass who employ only female driving instructors.

She told the Examiner she thought competent driving was down to the individual and it was hard to pigeon-hole the different sexes.

Joanne said: “I have noticed that women tend to be more cautious and don’t tend to be as confident drivers.

“Men seem more willing to take risks and don’t see the potential dangers as much as a woman would.

“Statistics suggest that drivers only spend 25% of their journey concentrating on the task in hand.

“Both sexes could improve their driving and their safety from further advanced driving lessons.”

Phillip Lockwood, a Huddersfield BSM driving instructor with 42 years experience said ‘generally speaking men do tend to speed more than ladies’.

He added: “With new drivers I think it’s more of an even split.

“There seem to be more and more ladies, especially of the younger generation, breaking speed limits.

“I think a lot of it may be to do with TV programs such as Top Gear and peer pressure.”

Last week, the Government announced it was considering plans to reduce the speed limit on rural roads to 50mph.

Many local authorities are already reducing speed limits to 40mph or 50mph on country roads after accidents from head-on collisions, often on bends or brows.

Tim Coats, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Leicester, said: “The Government is clearly right to target its campaigns at men.

When it comes to driving on motorways, the survey also found that men are nearly three times more likely to speed.

One in five male drivers, compared with one in 14 female drivers, say they drive faster than 80mph on motorways every day or several times a week.

Source: The Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 03/04/09 by Katie Grant

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USING cheap tyres from the Far East could seriously hinder the way cars perform on wet roads, a test has shown.

Car magazine Autocar tested five budget brands – the Linglong, GT Radial, Triangle, Nankang, and Wanli – against a premium Continental tyre.

Autocar senior tester Jamie Corstorphine was involved in the tests. He said: “We expected the bargain tyres in this test to fall short of the Continental, but we were not prepared for just how poorly some performed.”

He continued: “Having seen how the five cut-price tyres in this test perform, we’re in no doubt that quality pays dividends.”

Braking from 50mph, the Continental stopped in the shortest distance, followed by the Nankang, GT Radial, Wanli, and Triangle, with the Linglongs taking the longest to stop. When using the Linglong tyres, the test car was still doing 27.8mph at the point where it had stopped on the Continentals.

One fifth of tyres sold in the UK are imported from Taiwan and China and although they pass tests for speed, there are no statutory tests for braking or aquaplaning – driving in wet conditions.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

Source: RAC News website

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ADVANCED technology has caught up with speeding drivers on the A361 North Devon Link Road.

Recently installed sensors embedded in the road are providing the Devon Countrymile project with the clearest ever picture of the safety issues surrounding vehicle speeds on the road.

Unlike other devices, the new sensors can recognise vehicle types, ranging from motorcycles to large goods vehicles, and can determine the following distance between vehicles as well as their speed.

The versatility of this detailed information is enabling Devon County Council to work with its enforcements partners to identify the specific times of the week where motorists are exhibiting risky driver behaviour.

Initial signs are that this is helping target enforcement resources.

Devon County Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, the Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership, Devon Primary Care Trust and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, are working in partnership on the Devon Countrymile to improve rural road safety, specifically in the area between Exeter and Barnstaple, bordered by the A361, the A377 and the A396.

The A361 North Devon Link Road has a history of collisions resulting from excessive or inappropriate use of speed and other risk taking behaviours.

Recent instances of vehicles caught travelling at high speeds on the road have resulted in highly publicised prosecutions.

These include a motorcyclist who was recently jailed for speeding at 122mph, on a wet road, with his 14-year-old son on the pillion.

A motorist was also prosecuted following a deliberate attempt to avoid detection by a static Gatso camera by driving on the wrong side of the road at 90mph.

Further new technology is also being deployed at problem times and locations. Advanced speed detection vans, operated by the Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera partnership, have ‘all-round’ rather than one-directional surveillance capability.

The new vans are supported by a new enforcement motorcycle, funded by Devon County Council, equipped with speed detection equipment.

These high profile policing measures are being coordinated with the Roads Policing Unit, in areas along the road where the data is revealing speed-related safety issues which cannot readily be addressed by other means.

Cllr Margaret Rogers, Devon County Council Executive Member for Environment, said: “This new technology is allowing the partners involved in the Countrymile project to gather more information than ever before to improve road safety, and is the first of several measures planned to reduce the number of casualties on the A361.

“Drivers who take risks can be targeted much more closely, and this equipment should deter that kind of driving behaviour.

“We hope motorists will take heed, slow down and help us share our Devon country mile in safety.”

Source: thisisthewestcountry.co.uk

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