If you thought failing your driving test the first time around was bad luck, spare a  thought for a poor man in the UK that has failed his theory test a whopping 92 times – he hasn’t even had the chance to sit his practical examination yet.

Figures show that nearly 300 people took their driving test for the tenth time in 2011 and only 88 of them passed.

New research has revealed that British people have so little knowledge of the Highway Code that two thirds of us are totally confused by basic road signs on a daily basis.  The study found one in three drivers admit they get so bemused they simply follow the car in front when they are not sure what to do.  Despite such understanding being an essential part of the modern driving test, more than half of us simply ignore signs. 

Confusion: Many British drivers do not pay attention to road signs and others have admitted that they don’t understand them.  The research by motor oil company Castrol discovered that one in 20 motorists even confess they ‘never’ take notice of highway signposts.  And three per cent of drivers said their confusion over road signs had led them to have an accident – that’s the equivalent of just over 1.3 million incidents.

Expert: Quentin Wilson said he was shocked that 28.6 million motorists appear to be baffled by road signs.  When shown ‘give way’ road markings, half did not know what it meant and one in 20 even believed it meant they should wind their window down and listen for approaching vehicles.  A third believed the ‘no motor vehicles allowed’ sign meant the complete opposite – that only cars and motorbikes were allowed.  More than half thought the ‘no waiting’ sign meant ‘no entry’ or ‘no parking’ and one in three believed diversion signs were not applicable to cars, and were instead for truck drivers only.

Disturbingly, one in four British people believe the ‘end of 30mph speed limit’ means they are not allowed to dip below 30mph.  Just over half of drivers have not looked at the Highway Code since taking their theory test.

Motoring expert Quentin Willson said he was shocked that 28.6 million motorists appear to be baffled by road signs.  He said: ‘It’s worrying to think the vast majority of British motorists have not got a clue about the road signs they see every day.  Signs are in place not only to help motorists navigate the road, but also for safety, and not taking the time to learn the most basic of instructions is lazy and irresponsible.  ‘There’s only a few pages of road signs in the Highway Code. It’s not War And Peace and reading five pages could one day save your life.’

Danny Edwards, 29, an office worker from London, said: ‘I do get caught out by the odd road sign and it can throw you off for a second.  ‘I have to admit I thought a sign that said no motor vehicles actually meant the opposite and have believed that for years.  ‘Some of them can be confusing and everyone ignores road signs from time to time. I see people pulling left turns all the time when they’re not meant to.  ‘I threw my Highway Code away when I passed my theory test and should probably brush up on it.’ 

By Daily Mail Reporter  2nd January 2012 

If you would like some expert advice and guidance from your local driving instructor in Bedford please call one of our BADDIA driving schools listed on the homepage.

Children start learning to carry out all sorts of skills from a very young age.  It may be surprising to know children copy and mimic their parents very early in life.  They start learning to drive as young as 2 years old.

We frequently see drivers, using mobile phones, smoking and eating whilst negotiating hazardous road conditions.  Young children, seeing this behaviour, will naturally believe it is quite acceptable and, when they themselves learn to drive, they will doubtless follow the example set by their parents.  After all, we teach our children everything they know, and driving is no exception.

So next time you take your children out in your car, bear in mind exactly how much notice they are taking of your skills behind the wheel.

 If you think you could benefit from some refresher lessons to improve your driving skills, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our instructors.  If you are finding any aspect of your driving difficult, BADDIA Driving instructors in Bedford will be pleased to help you.  Click here http://www.baddia.co.uk/index.php

27.10.2011

By Alexa Kaczka

It is a well-known fact the people who require a prescription for their eyesight need to wear any required glasses or contact lenses when they are behind the wheel, but many motorists are failing to do so.

According to a new report by The Co-operative Motor Group, the number of drivers in the UK that have had their licenses revoked due to failing eyesight has more than doubled in the last four years.

New figures obtained following a Freedom of Information request by the Co-operative show that the number of drivers unfit to be on the road has risen from 1,597 in 2006 to 4,009 in 2010 – an increase of 151 per cent.

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said he is not sure whether the rise in the number of people having their licence revoked is because more of them are failing to tell if their eyesight has deteriorated, or if motorists have simply been caught driving without their contact lenses or glasses.

“People don’t have to fear losing their licence, they just have to go to the opticians. We can’t stress enough the importance of having an eye check every two years, or more often if your optician says so,” he explained.

He noted that this is also another reason why the government should not weaken the eyesight part of the driving test, which it has proposed to do.

Mr Clinton said there is also still a patent need for education about the importance of regular eyesight checks.

It comes after a campaign was launched by Royal Sun Alliance that aims to increase the frequency of motorists’ eye tests in a bid to reduce the number of accidents occurring on UK roads.

According to the organisation, if drivers were to regularly visit their optician or optometrists to ascertain whether they need glasses or contacts lenses to drive, their boosted vision could significantly reduce road accidents and deaths.

Driving Instructors in Bedford would  like your views on this.

How many times have you seen this on the back of driving school cars in Bedford?

Cast your mind back to the days when you sat behind the wheel of a car for the first time.  You may have had high expectations of your potential driving skills and took to driving easily and quickly.  On the other hand, you may have been nervous and things didn’t quiet go as well as you hoped.

In either case, you will probably remember the hard work it took to achieve reaching a high enough level of skill-full driving and confidence before your driving instructor was happy for you to undertake your driving test.

As time goes by, we all forget what it was like to learn this new skill and how dangerous it can be if we get things wrong.  So, the next time you are following a driving school car in Bedford, please spare a thought for the learner driver behind the wheel who is trying to learn how to control their car, at the same time, concentrating on what you are doing behind them!

Bedford driving instructors and their learner driver both know you are in a hurry and don’t want to hold you up.  The more patient you are, the less likely they are to stall their engine, and the quicker they will move off!

Bedford Driving Schools are doing our best to create safe, confident drivers and we can only do this with your help! 

This message is brought to you by Driving instructors in Bedford.  Please feel free to leave a comment.

Reporting non-emergency crimes using 101

101 is the number to call when you want to contact your local police – when it’s less urgent than 999. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Find out how you can use it and if it is available in your area.

How to report general nuisance or environmental issues

You should still call your local council for issues like:

• reporting graffiti
• dog fouling
• abandoned vehicles
• dumping and fly tipping
• vandalism

Driving examiner strike – candidates to attend tests The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is urging all driving test candidates booked to take a test on Thursday 30 June to attend as usual regardless of the threat of strike action by examiners who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union. DSA’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. “Candidates who turn up but are unable to take their tests because of industrial action will not have to contact DSA to re-book. They should hear from us with a new date within five to ten working days. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause and will do everything we can to minimise disruption for our customers.” If no examiner is available for a test, a new date will be rebooked automatically by DSA and the candidate will be sent details of the new test. If candidates fail to attend they will not be able to claim out-of-pocket expenses if their tests are cancelled and they will need to rebook their own tests. DSA’s customer service centre for practical tests might also be affected by the strike action. Customers who wish to book a practical test will still be able to use DSA’s internet booking service at direct.gov.uk/drivingtest. Details about claiming out-of-pocket expenses can be found at direct.gov.uk/drivingtestexpenses.

Bedfordshire Police are investigating a string of wing mirror thefts across the county.

Reports have been received over the last six months of exceptionally high numbers of colour-coded wing mirror casings being stolen from cars.

The predominant targets are Vauxhalls, mostly from Bedford and Luton. In fact, 81 offences have been reported between January and June 1 this year.  Fifty three of these thefts were from Vauxhalls, with Mark 4 and 5 Astras being the most commonly stolen type.

 “We’ve noticed a significant upturn in these type of thefts in the last few months,” said Det Con Vicky Willett, from the Intelligence Unit. “The mirror casings are not cheap to replace and because they are not marked by the manufacturers, even if we find them it’s difficult to trace them back to their rightful owners and prove they are stolen. That means the criminal could get away with the crime and continue stealing.”

“We’re investigating the spate of thefts but we also really need the public’s help.  We’d like as many people as possible to write their postcode and house number on the bottom outside edge on the casing. That means we can identify the stolen parts if we arrest those suspected of stealing them,” she said.

We have free ultraviolet markers to give away to people to do this and they are available from    Greyfriars, Luton, Dunstable and Ampthill police stations.  The UV pens can also be used to mark all household property such as electrical items, mobile phones and bikes etc.

If people who would like an indelible marker which is completely unique to their household they can buy Smartwater from  Neighbourhood Watch  for a £20 fee, call 01234 275165.