Google has been advocating the benefits of its self-driving cars for years, so a team of stuntmen decided to put the technology to the test.

The tests were carried out at the Mojave Desert, California.

As they went around the track at speeds of 50 mph, the motorists switched on the smart cruise control and lane assist features, which allowed the cars to drive the 6.4 mile circuit unaided.

At this point, a large lorry with a flatbed drove alongside and four of the stuntmen climbed out through the roofs, and jumped unaided onto the back of the HGV.

Only the driver at the front of the convoy stayed in the car, knowing there were four cars travelling behind him with no-one at the wheel.

He then crossed his arms, with the lorry pulling up on front and slamming on the breaks.

The Hyundai’s automatic emergency braking system immediately kicked in and the car came to a standstill before it could smash into the track. The four driverless cars behind also slammed the brakes on – preventing a serious accident.

The cars did exactly what Hyundai promised they could and all drivers and vehicles came out unscathed.

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Most motorists are aware that pulling over on the hard shoulder of a motorway is in fact an offence, unless there is an emergency. However, this does not seem to prevent many drivers from using the hard shoulder as anything from a place to pull over to make a phone call, to a convenient place for a snooze after a long motorway drive.

Here are some of the best (or worst) excuses for pulling over on the hard shoulder:

– One driver seeing the word “Fire” showing on his dashboard display panicked and pulled into the hard shoulder, expecting his car to be ablaze within minutes. It turned out that was the title of the Adele track he was listening to on his CD player.

– Disoriented drivers checking maps or re-setting their sat-navs.

– One driver pulled up after realising his insurance policy had expired – so that he could call around for the best quote to renew.

– Photographing their children in the car on a sunny day.

– Falling asleep after feeling sleepy when behind the wheel.

– Picking flowers for a loved one.

– Having a drink and chatting to fellow passengers.

– Trying to find the best location for mobile phone signal along the motorway (this one raises so many questions…)

These are just some of the strangest excuses we have heard for drivers illegitimately using the hard-shoulder. What bizarre excuses have you heard for appalling driver behaviour?

Let us know in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

It has been found that more than a quarter of those found guilty over cyclist deaths did not receive driving bans.

In 2013, 109 cyclists were killed on UK roads and more than 3,000 were seriously injured.

Campaigners are arguing that drivers are being let off too lightly and want tougher penalties. In the last seven years, 148 people were charged with killing a cyclist. Of those found guilty, 44% went to prison. The average jail sentence was less than two years while the average length of driving ban was 22 months. For 26% of drivers, no ban was imposed.

Pro-cycling group and the sport’s governing body, British Cycling, says it wants tougher bans and longer prison sentences, especially for repeat or serious offences. Driving groups think it is wrong to demonise one type of toad user and that it is impossible to increase penalties just for cyclists.

The maximum sentence for death by dangerous driving is 14 years and five years for death for careless driving.

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The penalty for using your mobile phone when behind the wheel is set to double, under new plans from the Government.

The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin has announced that he intends to increase the punishment from three points to six, after a recommendation by Metropolitan Police after the first increase in mobile-related road deaths in ten years.

The move could have dramatic repercussions for repeat offenders – meaning that if you are caught using the phone whilst driving more than once in a two-year period, you are liable to be banned from driving.

Using the phone when driving a car is an extremely dangerous activity – one that puts not only yourself and your passengers in danger, but also pedestrians and other road users around you. It seems that the main problem is simply that those using their mobile when driving simply don’t think they are going to get caught – however with these tougher penalties being imposed, hopefully the rate of accidents related to mobile phone use will be able to drop as much as possible.

What are your thoughts on this article? Are the proposed new penalties too harsh, or has this been long overdue?

Sound off in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has said that the high death toll directly caused by motorists using the phone whilst driving. This has influenced his decision to change the rules which would see the penalty for using your mobile at the wheel increase to six points on your licence.

This would have a dramatic effect on newly-qualified drivers in particular who could be banned after only one offence because their threshold for a ban is six points. The increased penalty would also affect a driver’s insurance premiums. In addition, the Department For Transport is looking at raising fines from £100 to £150.

This follows research showing texting at the wheel can be more distracting than the effects of drink or drugs.

Motoring groups and MP watchdogs have welcomed this move, however, some have highlighted that harsher penalties are only part of the solution. This change would be more effective if enforcement of the law was improved.

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By autumn 2014, insurers will be able to access DVLA records online due to a MyLicence initiative as part of a government pledge to transfer services online. This will lead to cheaper insurance. At the moment, insurers cannot check licence records when selling policies which leads to insurers adding in risk facts such as mistakes or lies made by drivers. This often results in premiums being slightly higher.

Once the MyLicence initiative is in place, license numbers will be used by insurers to access the necessary driving records to process their car insurance cost. An automatic check will be made to the DVLA database, giving insurers access to information such as driving points, entitlement to drive, speeding endorsements and the type of licence held.

The advantages of this system is that most customers would be able to save money on their insurance and less questions will need to be asked of them when obtaining a quote. In addition, the likelihood of mistakes being made during application will be severely reduced.

The paper counterpart to the driving licence is also turning digital and is set to be phased out by the end of 2015. The tax disc is also set to be abolished as part of this new move.

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For many young drivers, one of the best experiences they can have is passing their driving test, and pulling up outside a friends house to pick them up, and take to the roads with a car full of friends, fully enjoying the freedom driving your own car can grant you.

However many younger drivers may not be aware of the potential risks of having passengers in the car with you – particularly when they are of a similar age to yourself. Research shows that driving with peers in the car can render you up to four times as likely to have an accident, something that you certainly don’t want to be increasing the likelihood of this early in your driving career.

As the driver you are responsible for the passengers in your vehicle – make sure that everyone is wearing their seatbelt and behaving themselves in your car, otherwise you are simply putting yourself and your passengers at risk.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Most of us will prefer driving in the summer to any other time of the year – the bright nights, the hot days, no rain or snow to contend with, and of course, glorious sunshine beaming down on us, it certainly is much better than driving during the winter months.

However one aspect of summer driving many people will be aware of is the sudden onset of hay fever. Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, which tends to be at it’s highest volume during the summer months. Approximately one in five people suffers with severe hay fever, although many more may experience mild to uncomfortable symptoms of this.

It has been suggested that driving with hay fever can impair your driving skills just as much as driving under the influence of alcohol – not only can it cause itchy and tired eyes, a runny nose, and fits of uncontrollable sneezing, which can be especially hazardous when behind the wheel, but it is also reported to have a negative effect on cognitive functions such as memory and concentration – which pose a risk to any driver as well as those in the same car or around them.

A recent study at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands has concluded that drivers suffering from hay fever show symptoms similar to those in drivers after two to three units of alcohol – which is over the legal alcohol limit when driving on UK roads.

If you do suffer from hay fever, be advised to be on alert this summer. Whilst hay fever treatment may help to temporarily relieve the symptoms, they are also known to cause drowsiness and fatigue in users, so do take these with caution. If in doubt, do not get behind the wheel until the symptoms have cleared up.

What are your thoughts on this article? Do you or any drivers you know suffer from hay fever, and does this impair your driving ability? Let us know in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

The family of a teenager who suffered life-changing injuries when a car went through a red light and knocked her down are calling for changes to made to the law after the driver merely faces a fine and points on his licence.

The crash left Miriam Parker, then 17, was left with severe brain injury and reduced mobility. The collision occurred at a pelican crossing in Selsdon Park Road, South Croydon, on New Years Day. Parker was left in a coma for a month and, despite defying doctors’ warnings she might die, will need care for the rest of her life.

The driver, from Selsdon, last month admitted to driving without due care and attention – a charge that means he may not lose his licence. A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service highlighted that the law only considers the standard of the defendant’s driving rather than the consequences of their actions which is why the driver could not be convicted of dangerous driving.

Parker and her mother will need to be rehoused by Sutton Council since the flat they currently live in are now unsuitable due to the block’s concrete stairs.

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