It has been revealed that more and more learner drivers are attempting to fraudulently pass their driving and theory tests – by hiring lookalikes to take their place!

With almost 700 cases reported in the last 8 months, it seems that the issue is on the rise, although this has been refuted by the DVSA as a “serious, but rare” offence.

The criminal doppelgängers have been known to charge anything from less than £100 up to £1800 to sit the exams for their counterparts. 37 have been jailed for the crime, and 97 have had their licenses revoked.

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Safe driving from Britannia!

The Bay Parking exercise has been a part of the driving test since May 5th 1999 – and so without this crucial piece of knowledge, you run the risk of failing your driving test.

Many students are not aware that when the examiner instructs you to reverse park into a bay, you are actually entitled to choose whether you would like to pull in from the right or the left, with most simply opting for the closest option to appease the examiner. But firstly take a look at your surroundings, and consider the alternative to the obvious – and go with the way that you feel will be best for you.

The requirements to pass this exercise state that you must be in full control of the vehicle, must perform the manoeuvre safely and smoothly, that you must make good and proper use of the accelerator, clutch, brakes and steering, and that you must not cross the white bay marking.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Yesterday Health Minister Jane Ellison outlined the Government’s plain cigarette packaging legislation. Alongside this announcement she stated that smoking in private cars carrying children will be banned from 1^st October this year.

She said that tobacco causes around 80,000 deaths a year and that approximately 600 children in the UK take up smoking every day.  The Government has taken its time in making this announcement but according to Ellison this is so as to consider all of the relevant evidence, including the prospect of litigation from the tobacco industry.

The new law will apply to anyone carrying children in a car and not just parents. The penalties for this offence were set out in the consultation paper circulated in November of last year. Most notably, if the case goes to court, the maximum fine will soar to £800 for someone caught smoking in a car carrying a child and £10,000 for a driver who fails to prevent someone else smoking.

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With the threat of heavy snowfall looming over us over the coming days and weeks, it will do us good to be prepared. Here are our top tips for snowtime driving:

– Avoid driving at night when it is snowing. The temperature at night is at it’s lowest, and combined with the fact that there are less cars on the roads, this makes the night time driving much more dangerous than driving in the day.

– Avoid long journeys. As we all have to drive slower when it is snowing for our won safety, a long journey will become much longer, and therefore more exhausting on both you and your car, exacerbating the risk of an accident.

– Allow more journey time. As a general rule, allow an extra 50% time on your commute and small journeys. With drivers attempting to avoid smaller and icier roads, the main roads can become congested with traffic, adding time onto your journey.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Feel nervous about driving? Don’t worry, you are not alone. In fact, studies have shown that as many as half of us feel anxious behind the wheel at some point, and up to 7% of us described as feeling “dread” when driving, especially when on unfamiliar roads.

So how to conquer this fear? The best way is to put yourself behind the wheel. Although it may be daunting, forcing yourself to drive more will help turn the dreaded prospect of driving into a more familiar one, and eventually you will find yourself gradually acclimating to being behind the wheel.

Also, put yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t just stick to the known routes to work and back, but drive alternate routes, explore new areas, drive for longer than you are used to and in unfamiliar territory. Although this may be daunting at first, over time it will just become second nature to you.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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All drivers are familiar with the dreaded blind spot – that mysterious area lurking just outside your peripheral vision, and undetected by the mirrors in and outside your car. The blind spot is simply the area that you can’t see outside your car in your mirrors, and whilst you may think you can see enough around your vehicle to keep you safe, the blind spot is a notorious culprit for road accidents.

Far from what most people think, the blind spot is actually a pretty large area – if a cyclist, biker or even another car can hide in it easily, then it must be larger than you anticipate. The best way to keep yourself safe against this threat is to check your blind spot every time you make a manoeuvre, particularly when pulling away from any stationary position.

Also make sure you don’t wind up in someone else’s blind spot – this is usually to the right of a car, and slightly behind them. If you find yourself in this situation, it is advisable to slow down and allow them to move on ahead of you (rather than overtaking), just in case they don’t happen to check their blind spot before pulling out.

Safe driving from Britannia!