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Learner drivers have been banned from practising manoeuvres in car parks in Gosport, Hampshire, over fears of children being run over. Instructors who are caught will be fined £65 - The Daily Telegraph news in brief.

The above was posted today in the ‘daily news e-bulletin’ from the road safety charity Brake.  Unfortunately this kind of attitude is becoming the norm, the assumption being that it is the learner driver who is unsafe.  Insurance companies will tell you this is not so, and that accidents involving a learner driver, accompanied by a qualified Approved Driving Instructor, are very rare indeed - the instructor is there to teach the learner safe driving and manoeuvring skills, in a safe, controlled environment.  If instructors are prevented from carrying out their job properly, then we will see an increase in accidents in car parks generally, as the drivers themselves will have been ill-prepared for the dangers they face, due to lack of appropriate areas in which to practise with an expert driver.

Learners are taught to observe out of the rear window when reversing, pausing the vehicle regularly to make all-round observations, in a car park especially so.  Mirrors may be used to assist reversing, but only when the vehicle has been brought to a brief standstill; learners understand that the reason for this is that a child, or even adult, could walk directly behind the car whilst it is moving and the learner driver is observing in the mirrors.  Do you reverse on mirrors alone?  Do you pay attention to the manoeuvring of cars in and out of parking spaces when you are walking to or from the store?  Or do you expect the driver to see you?  Personally I would trust a learner, accompanied by an ADI, far more as I know for sure there are 2 pairs of eyes watching out for me!

Click on the following link to view a shortened version of an earlier clip of this fascinating video entitled, “In Your Car No-0ne Can Hear You Scream”: 

And you can also listen to this discussion on the BBC World Service ‘Culture Shock’ programme:

What do you think?  Could you “exercise intelligent discretion”?  Do you believe drivers generally could do so?  Do you think this is too radical an idea for our Government to try?  Could you envisage this approach where you live?  I’d really like to hear your views.  Please email your comments to jackie@caremotoring.co.uk. 

I have just found this site:  http://bristolcars.blogspot.com/2008/07/parking-lessons.html  (opens in new window).  It horrifies me that driving instructors behave in this way!  Is it any wonder that the habit of parking on the pavement, with no thought for the pedestrians it was put there for, is becoming more common?  Everywhere I go these days, including the street where I live, cars are blocking pavements, forcing pedestrians out into the road and into the danger of the traffic these drivers are trying  ‘considerately’ to leave more space for!  Yes, this is currently my pet hate.  Please remember pedestrians include the blind and the disabled, mums with pushchairs, the elderly, dog walkers, children.  Drivers, you are entitled to park on the road where it is safe, legal and convenient; you are definitely not entitled to park on the pavement!  If you believe you will obstruct traffic, don’t park there.  If you believe vehicles may have to slow down or stop to deal with your parked vehicle, then that’s fine, it really is up to drivers to deal with it, as with any hazard on the road.  So, before you park, think: Safe? Legal? Convenient?  If any of these does not apply, don’t park there, and certainly, please do not choose the pavement as an alternative.

With regards to driving instructors, well it is unforgiveable if any instructor actually teaches a pupil parking skills anywhere that is not safe, legal or convenient (this is actually tested in the driving test).  However, driving instructors must occasionally allow their pupils to park somewhere which does not fulfil these criteria in order to enable the learner to assess for themselves why their chosen place is unsuitable.  In this way we will hopefully reduce the high rate of such bad parking as we see today.

A couple of weeks ago, just before going away on a long-awaited week of R&R, I met a lovely lady called Sophie Garrett who runs a fascinating website all to do with sharing things, all sorts of things, whatever you can think of (within reason!), and of course the discussion on cars ensued.  We all know about car clubs and how they operate, but this is entirely different.  I won’t bore you with it here, but instead give you 2 links to the site which I’m sure you’ll find very interesting (each one opens in a new window): 

http://www.yours2share.com/articles/running-an-informal-car-club.shtml

http://www.yours2share.com/case-studies/informal-car-club-baked-bean-case-study.shtml

Given the right circumstances, people, location, this could be a solution for anyone needing the use of a car from time to time but unable, or unwilling, to meet the high cost of car ownership.  Most certainly a very interesting idea.

Drivers who passed before the Highway Code theory test was brought in 12 years ago are better at recognising road signs than younger drivers, according to research involving 3,211 drivers conducted by insurance firm elephant.co.uk – Daily Express

I found this little snippet in my daily bulletin today from the road safety charity Brake, www.brake.org.uk.  Learners please take note: the theory test is set so that you learn all the rules of the road, together with laws covering drivers and the vehicles they drive.  It is not a test like a school exam, take it, pass it, forget it!  I believe the reason this has come about is because the DSA publish the full question bank, with answers, so many learners simply use memory tricks to memorise questions and answers, so as to get them through the test, but because they have failed to have any understanding of the reason for the answers, they quickly forget what they have learned.  This alone must represent one of the reasons why young novice drivers have such a high crash rate: if you can’t remember what the warning sign is warning you about, then this could lead you directly into danger!

One of the proposals contained within the ‘Learning to Drive’ Consultation document is to cease publishing the theory test question bank, a proposal endorced almost unanimously by the driver training industry:

We think the new theory test should assess thoroughly the student’s understanding of the subject matter as well as their knowledge.  We shall investigate whether, if we discontinue publishing (and licensing) the question bank, we could encourage and achieve more thorough and rigorous learning and assessment.  We welcome your views on this issue.

Please do let your views be heard and have your say in this consultation.  Download the document here:  www.dsa.gov.uk/learningtodrive

According to a survey by Saga Motor Insurance, holidaymakers are putting themselves at risk by driving home tired after long flights.  Fatigue kills!  Do not put yourself,or other innocent roadusers, at risk by attempting to drive straight home after a long flight - or even a short one if the day itself has been long and busy and your arrival back in the UK is late in the evening.  Plan for this before your holiday and book one more night in a hotel close to the airport.  Driving tired is as dangerous as drink driving and could land you in jail if you kill someone!  So, enjoy your summer break, and make it just one night longer and book that hotel in the UK.  Bonnes Vacances!

Dr. Lisa Dorn, director of the Driving Research Group at Cranfield University, explains the significance of driver behaviour in a short video which you can access here: http://www.a2om.com/options.php. 

This is what she has to say:

Research has shown that 95% of all collisions are contributed to by human factors.  But traditionally what people do is focus on the driving skills.  But it is not the skills that are causing the crashes, it’s the way that people behave.  So it’s important to concentrate on both the skills and the behaviour.

And this is precisely what learner drivers will learn when following A2om’s BTEC in Driving Science, which we, at Care Motoring, are accredited to deliver.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheaper-fuel

Follow this link to read Martin’s money saving tips for fuel efficient driving.  Although these money-saving tips were given to Martin by the RAC, the fuel-efficient driving style is consistently taught by advanced driver trainers.  Care Motoring has fuel efficiency, coupled with safety, at its heart - letter E in CARE stands for EcoSafe - and Martin’s recent overseas holiday proved that our promise to you of savings in fuel, without sacrificing journey time, is true.  If you would like to learn more about money-saving driving techniques, then please contact us now:

email: info@caremotoring.co.uk

tel: 01362 698441  or call free on 0800 298 4380

Read our previous tip, ‘Reduce Your Vehicle Running Costs’ (click on the archive May 2008).

Care Motoring is delighted to announce that we have been accredited to deliver a brand new BTEC level 2 course in Driving Science.  This is a vocational qualification, equivalent to a GCSE, administered by Edexcel and delivered through A2om - Alpha to Omega School of Motoring Ltd - www.a2om.com - to whom we are now proud to be affiliated.  For more information on this exciting new addition to our CareLearner course, click on the BTEC link in the menu bar.

The late Paul Smith founded the SafeSpeed campaign in 2001 to highlight what he considered to be unsafe road policies, particularly with regard to speed cameras, set against a background of rising numbers of young novice drivers involved in serious crashes.  Paul believed passionately that the wrong messages were being given out and that much more needed to be done both to educate drivers and give back responsibility to them. On December 10th 2007, just 3 days before his sudden and tragic death from heart failure, Paul wrote his advice to novice drivers, advice which is now addressed by the new BTEC qualification in Driving Science, which Care Motoring is accredited to deliver, and which I am sure would have been greeted enthusiastically by Paul.  You can download a copy of this advice from Paul by following this link: safe-speeds-advice-to-young-drivers.doc

To learn more about the BTEC qualification in Driving Science, click on the link in the menu bar.