Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Monday, 15 April 2013
Motorists favour driving and smoking ban
Fifty-six per cent of motorists think that smoking while driving
should be banned, according to a survey by the Institute of Advanced
Motorists (IAM). However, almost half of respondents (forty-five per
cent) think that such a ban would be unenforceable.
Respondents clearly have concern over the effects of smoking while driving. Seventy-five per cent of motorists think that lighting a cigarette while driving is a serious distraction.
Fifty-two per cent of those surveyed think the act of lighting a cigarette is the greatest potential danger of smoking and driving. While just two per cent believe that there are no dangerous elements to smoking while driving.
Other survey results reinforce the negative perception of smoking and driving. Respondents felt it was:
“The health benefits may be clear but more research needs to be done to determine whether there are actual road safety grounds to act on these concerns by banning smoking and driving altogether.”
Respondents clearly have concern over the effects of smoking while driving. Seventy-five per cent of motorists think that lighting a cigarette while driving is a serious distraction.
Fifty-two per cent of those surveyed think the act of lighting a cigarette is the greatest potential danger of smoking and driving. While just two per cent believe that there are no dangerous elements to smoking while driving.
Other survey results reinforce the negative perception of smoking and driving. Respondents felt it was:
- Irresponsible (forty-eight per cent)
- As dangerous as using a mobile phone (forty-six per cent)
- Dangerous (forty-three per cent)
“The health benefits may be clear but more research needs to be done to determine whether there are actual road safety grounds to act on these concerns by banning smoking and driving altogether.”
Friday, 5 April 2013
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Women Drivers Worse Than Men
Figures revealed by a Driving Standards Agency study into reasons
given by examiners for failing learners showed women clocked up 857,000
major errors last year. Men made 646,000.
The data showed women were most likely to fail for reverse parking, steering mistakes and missed gear changes, though the study did find men are boy racers.They often fail for going too fast, ignoring lights or missing signs.
The most common reason for failing a driving test for both sexes was not spotting a hazard at a road junction just ahead of failing to check mirrors.
Women need praise from men to help them become better drivers, experts said last night.
Psychologist Dr Zachary Estes is quoted as saying “Our research suggests that by making a woman feel better about herself she’ll become better at spatial tasks such as parking the car or reading a map.”
Recent research into 19,000 drivers showed that women were up to a fifth safer than men once they passed their tests.
The data showed women were most likely to fail for reverse parking, steering mistakes and missed gear changes, though the study did find men are boy racers.They often fail for going too fast, ignoring lights or missing signs.
The most common reason for failing a driving test for both sexes was not spotting a hazard at a road junction just ahead of failing to check mirrors.
Women need praise from men to help them become better drivers, experts said last night.
Psychologist Dr Zachary Estes is quoted as saying “Our research suggests that by making a woman feel better about herself she’ll become better at spatial tasks such as parking the car or reading a map.”
Recent research into 19,000 drivers showed that women were up to a fifth safer than men once they passed their tests.
Simple checks to reduce MOT failures
Before you take your vehicle for its annual MOT test, manufacturer
main dealers recommend that you carry out a number of quick and easy
visual checks to give your car the best chance of passing the test –
saving you time and money.
If you do find any faults that you’re unable to easily rectify yourself, it’s advisable to notify your manufacturer main dealer in advance so they can complete the work required before the test is carried out. Identifying the work before an MOT test will allow the problems to be rectified, so the car will be far more likely to pass its MOT test first time around.
Check that all of your car’s lights function properly – headlights, sidelights, rear lights, hazard lights and indicators.
2. Brake lights
Press the brake pedal and ask a friend to check that the rear brake lights come on – including any supplementary brake strip light. Alternatively, carefully reverse up to a reflective surface (window, wall or garage door) and look behind to see for yourself.
3. Number plate
Make sure that the number plate is clean and legible – even a quick wipe with a cloth can make a difference. The font and spacing of letters must also comply with legal requirements to be passed by the MOT station.
4. Wheels and tyres
Check that wheels and tyres are undamaged. The minimum legal tyre tread depth is 1.6mm and any tyres with less than this will be marked as an MOT ‘fail’ (though it’s recommended that tyres are changed when tread reaches 3mm). If you’re in doubt about how much tread is left on a tyre, your local manufacturer main dealer can check for you. The dealer can also advise on the type of tyre that is right for your car if a replacement is required.
5. Seats and seatbelts
The driver’s seat should adjust forwards and backwards and all seatbelts should be in good, working order. Test movement of the seat and inspect the seatbelt’s full length for damage. Tug sharply on all seatbelts to check that they react as they’re supposed to if you have to brake severely.
They save your life in a crash, but only if they work properly – inspect the full length for damage and tug sharply on all the seatbelts to check that they react as they’re supposed if you have to brake severely.
6. Windscreen
Check the view out of the front of the car for damage – any damage larger than 40mm will cause a ‘fail’, as will any damage wider than 10mm in the ‘swept’ area of the windscreen in front of the driver.
7. Windscreen wipers
Make sure your wipers are able to keep your windscreen clean – any tears or holes in the wiper rubber can be an MOT fail.
8. Screenwash
Top up the washer bottle before taking the car in for a test – something as simple as an empty container can cause an MOT fail.
9. Horn
Give a short blast of the horn – if it doesn’t work, your dealer will need to repair or replace it.
10. Fuel and engine oil
Make sure your car is filled with enough fuel and engine oil – you can be turned away from the MOT without suitable levels of either, both of which are required by the dealership when running the car to test its emissions levels. If you are unsure about the type of oil that should be used, ask your manufacturer main dealer.
Note: When checking fluid levels and handling parts that could be become hot to the touch (eg bulbs) it’s always best to ensure that the vehicle has had an opportunity to cool down fully.
Help your car pass its next MOT
Around 1.5 million vehicles fail their MOT due to simple things such as faulty bulbs, too little tyre tread, or even empty windscreen washer fluid bottles. It’s possible to anticipate most of these issues with a quick check of your car. It only takes a ‘Minute Or Two’!If you do find any faults that you’re unable to easily rectify yourself, it’s advisable to notify your manufacturer main dealer in advance so they can complete the work required before the test is carried out. Identifying the work before an MOT test will allow the problems to be rectified, so the car will be far more likely to pass its MOT test first time around.
The Minute Or Two check
1. Headlights and indicatorsCheck that all of your car’s lights function properly – headlights, sidelights, rear lights, hazard lights and indicators.
2. Brake lights
Press the brake pedal and ask a friend to check that the rear brake lights come on – including any supplementary brake strip light. Alternatively, carefully reverse up to a reflective surface (window, wall or garage door) and look behind to see for yourself.
3. Number plate
Make sure that the number plate is clean and legible – even a quick wipe with a cloth can make a difference. The font and spacing of letters must also comply with legal requirements to be passed by the MOT station.
4. Wheels and tyres
Check that wheels and tyres are undamaged. The minimum legal tyre tread depth is 1.6mm and any tyres with less than this will be marked as an MOT ‘fail’ (though it’s recommended that tyres are changed when tread reaches 3mm). If you’re in doubt about how much tread is left on a tyre, your local manufacturer main dealer can check for you. The dealer can also advise on the type of tyre that is right for your car if a replacement is required.
5. Seats and seatbelts
The driver’s seat should adjust forwards and backwards and all seatbelts should be in good, working order. Test movement of the seat and inspect the seatbelt’s full length for damage. Tug sharply on all seatbelts to check that they react as they’re supposed to if you have to brake severely.
They save your life in a crash, but only if they work properly – inspect the full length for damage and tug sharply on all the seatbelts to check that they react as they’re supposed if you have to brake severely.
6. Windscreen
Check the view out of the front of the car for damage – any damage larger than 40mm will cause a ‘fail’, as will any damage wider than 10mm in the ‘swept’ area of the windscreen in front of the driver.
7. Windscreen wipers
Make sure your wipers are able to keep your windscreen clean – any tears or holes in the wiper rubber can be an MOT fail.
8. Screenwash
Top up the washer bottle before taking the car in for a test – something as simple as an empty container can cause an MOT fail.
9. Horn
Give a short blast of the horn – if it doesn’t work, your dealer will need to repair or replace it.
10. Fuel and engine oil
Make sure your car is filled with enough fuel and engine oil – you can be turned away from the MOT without suitable levels of either, both of which are required by the dealership when running the car to test its emissions levels. If you are unsure about the type of oil that should be used, ask your manufacturer main dealer.
Note: When checking fluid levels and handling parts that could be become hot to the touch (eg bulbs) it’s always best to ensure that the vehicle has had an opportunity to cool down fully.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Monday, 25 March 2013
Friday, 22 March 2013
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Monday, 18 March 2013
Sunday, 17 March 2013
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Friday, 15 March 2013
Thursday, 14 March 2013
motorists are waiting longer before replacing worn tyres
Figures show that motorists are waiting longer before replacing worn tyres
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/63154/more-drivers-running-illegal-tyres
Data from the UK’s largest tyre fitting centre has revealed that more
drivers are waiting until their tyres are illegal before replacing them.
Between March 2012 and 2013, 57 per cent of the 39,676 tyres removed by Micheldever Tyre Services had less than 1.6mm of tread. That means the firm’s 59 depots removed 21,719 illegal tyres. In 2008, that figure was only 15 per cent, which suggests that the recession has caused motorists to wait longer before fitting new tyres.
Micheldever’s Wholesale Director, Alan Baldwin, said: “This has to be a direct result of the current economic climate, with consumers delaying tyre purchases wherever possible. Sadly, UK motorists tend not to place the same importance on tyres as drivers in Germany”.
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 act says that a tyre must have a minimum of 1.6mm in a continuous band throughout the central three-quarters of the tread width. The penalty for breaking this law is a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per illegal tyre – so you could face a £10,000 bill and 12 points if all four tyres are illegal.
Worse still, a tyre’s braking performance significantly drops when there’s less than 3mm remaining, so it’s risky, too. An Auto Express test in 2009 found that a car with barely legal tyres took 30-44 metres longer to stop from 70mph than when running tyres with 3mm deep tread – that's nearly four-car lengths.
Worryingly, just three per cent of tyres removed by Micheldever in the last year had more than 2mm tread remaining. “The increasing number of drivers running illegal tread depths is terrifying,” said Baldwin, “Sadly the figures speak for themselves. In 2011 the number of deaths from tyre related accidents doubled against those in 2010.”
Have you been running your tyres for longer to save money? When was the last time you checked your tread depth? Let us know in the comments below.
Between March 2012 and 2013, 57 per cent of the 39,676 tyres removed by Micheldever Tyre Services had less than 1.6mm of tread. That means the firm’s 59 depots removed 21,719 illegal tyres. In 2008, that figure was only 15 per cent, which suggests that the recession has caused motorists to wait longer before fitting new tyres.
Micheldever’s Wholesale Director, Alan Baldwin, said: “This has to be a direct result of the current economic climate, with consumers delaying tyre purchases wherever possible. Sadly, UK motorists tend not to place the same importance on tyres as drivers in Germany”.
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 act says that a tyre must have a minimum of 1.6mm in a continuous band throughout the central three-quarters of the tread width. The penalty for breaking this law is a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per illegal tyre – so you could face a £10,000 bill and 12 points if all four tyres are illegal.
Worse still, a tyre’s braking performance significantly drops when there’s less than 3mm remaining, so it’s risky, too. An Auto Express test in 2009 found that a car with barely legal tyres took 30-44 metres longer to stop from 70mph than when running tyres with 3mm deep tread – that's nearly four-car lengths.
Worryingly, just three per cent of tyres removed by Micheldever in the last year had more than 2mm tread remaining. “The increasing number of drivers running illegal tread depths is terrifying,” said Baldwin, “Sadly the figures speak for themselves. In 2011 the number of deaths from tyre related accidents doubled against those in 2010.”
Have you been running your tyres for longer to save money? When was the last time you checked your tread depth? Let us know in the comments below.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Monday, 11 March 2013
Sunday, 10 March 2013
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT DRIVING INSTRUCTOR
With so many people taking up driving instruction how do you
know who is the best instructor for you?
Here are a few questions you might want to consider before
you sign up with an instructor:
1.
All DSA approved driving instructors are graded
via a check test process. Confirm what
grade your instructor is at (grade 6 is the highest) and when their next check
test is due.
Grade
6: Only 6% of Driving Instructors are
grade 6. Top grade available.
Grade
5: Good instruction given. Around 20% of
Driving Instructors are grade 5.
Grade
4: Competent instruction given. A grade 4
Driving Instructor with a good attitude can still get you through your driving
test first time.
Ungraded: This would a newly qualified instructor who will be
ungraded until their first check test.
A
green octagonal badge shows the instructor is a fully qualified ADI and
completed all necessary DSA tests in order to teach pupils without any form of supervision.
A
pink triangular badge shows the instructor is part qualified and is currently
undertaking practical training with an approved college or ADI. Instructors with a pink badge qualification
have undertaken most of the DSA tests required and are allowed to teach members
of the public as this is part of their training until they complete the course,
passing all required DSA tests.
2.
Aside from the DSA, does your instructor have
any other qualifications above the minimum DSA tests? The higher the qualifications your instructor
has, the higher the chances in you obtaining that all important FIRST TIME
PASS!
3.
How will you be taught – will your instructor
design lesson plans and structure a programme for your learning or will you
just drive around and hope for the best?
4.
Can you try before you buy – ie is your first lesson
free? If your first lesson is free of
charge this will allow you to see how comfortable you are with the driving
instructor and give you a good gauge of how you will be taught should you take
up further lessons with that school.
5.
Is there any other assistance your instructor
will provide to get you through the Theory and Hazard Perception tests or will
you be left to figure this out yourself?
6.
Does the driving school offer a discount for
block bookings? Many schools will offer
incentives for you to block book which will not only help keep your costs down
in the long run, but also enable you to pre-book the particular date and time
slot that would best suit you in advance.
7.
What is the driving schools policy for
cancelling a driving lesson? Confirm
with your instructor or school if there is a cancellation policy in order to
avoid cancellation charges.
8.
Is your instructor available when you will want
lessons? Many learners have work/family
or education commitments; confirm that your instructor can take your lessons
when it will suit you.
There are several factors you should consider before signing
up with a driving school, but the most important is that you are comfortable
with what you and your instructor have agreed upon. Remember if there is something you are not
happy with, you need to discuss this with your instructor and work out what can
be done. Learning to drive is not cheap,
quality is always better than quantity,
so ask the right questions and ensure you are getting value for your
money!
Friday, 8 March 2013
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Monday, 4 March 2013
Sunday, 3 March 2013
Night Time Driving Lessons
 |
| www.streetwise-drivingschool.co.uk |
Driving lessons at night are a completely different
sensation to when you are on a lesson during the day. As visibility is reduced you will once again
be out of your ‘comfort zone’ throughout the lesson and may feel as though you
are back at lesson one!
Although driving at night may be a daunting prospect for
some, it is and essential stage in learning how to drive safely and
efficiently. Once experienced, many
learners feel far more confident in their driving ability and look forward to
booking the next night time lesson.
Take advantage of the last of our winter nights and improve
your driving skills with some night time lessons. Don’t leave it until next winter, be
prepared, be pro-active, you’ll be glad you did!
Friday, 1 March 2013
One Lump or Two
Did you know that on average, people who pass their driving test have
had 47 hours of driving lessons with a Driving Instructor combined with
a further 20 hours of private practice from a friend or family member?
With the national average cost of a driving lesson now standing at £24
per hour, any new learner driver is looking at well over £1,000 to pass
their test. As if the cost of lessons and private tuition wasn’t
enough, today learners will also have to pay for a Theory and Hazard
Perception Test (£31) and then the Practical car test (£62 weekday / £75
weekend) before they can get that all important licence. Fair to say
that learning to drive in today’s world is NOT cheap!So what can learners do to keep the cost at a minimum?
Simple! Book two hour lessons instead of one hour and take a very minimum of one lesson per week. Learners who take two hour lessons are more likely to pass their test in less than half the time of those only taking one hour tuition each week.
Why does STREETWISE believe a two hour lesson will make such a difference?
First of all by taking a two hour lesson your Driving Instructor can take you on far longer routes, teaching you how to READ a road and not just learn what to do in your local area. You will learn to drive more independently, build your confidence and driving skills quicker by being out of your comfort zone in an area that is completely new to you.
Taking lessons close together will help build your long term memory of new and difficult subjects. It stands to reason that the more often and more frequently you practice a subject, the more likely you are to remember how to do it if there haven’t been long periods away from your lessons.
Overall taking longer lessons more frequently may be a big cost initially, but in the long run you will pass your driving test quicker and therefore have saved yourself a small fortune.
At www.streetwise-drivingschool.co.uk All of our pupils take a least one two hour lesson per week with their instructor. Almost half of our pupils will take four hours tuition per week, either as one afternoon of driving with a short break or as two lessons throughout the week. Combine the duration of lessons and the structured STREETWISE teaching methods this is the reason we maintain one of the highest first time pass rates in the south side of Glasgow.
Save your time and your money and achieve your goal quickly – book two hour lessons!
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