September 7, 2015
Essex Instructor’s Elbow Broken In Road Rage Incident

Instructor Chris Barnett had taken Connor George out for his fourth lesson. As 17-year-old novice Conner George struggles to pull away at a busy junction, the driver of a white Range Rover beeps impatiently from behind.

Moments later the range rover pulls up in front of him and despite the instructor repeatedly saying that he was being video-recorded, the furious driver and passenger shout obscenities at him.

The lesson was Connor’s first experience of heavy traffic in Braintree, Essex. After the lights at a busy junction turn green, he struggles to pull away and has to be guided through the routine by his instructor, Barnett, causing a delay of 20 seconds.

Barnett waves dismissively through the window as the angry driver honks his horn. But after they turn a corner, the vehicle overtakes them and stops suddenly in front of them, forcing Barnett to slam on the dual brakes.

The driver gets out and confronts Barnett through the open passenger window. The driver is heard shouting obscenities as the whole episode is caught on camera. Meanwhile the passenger gets out of the Range Rover to join in the abuse. As Barnett tries to open the door, one of the men slams it hard on his left elbow, breaking it.

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September 4, 2015
Suspended Driver Driving Like a Doll

A university student has found a novel new way to get around her driving ban – By taking to the roads in a battery-powered Barbie Jeep.

Tara Monroe, a 20-year old Industrial Engineering student at Texas State University had her license suspended after refusing a breathalyser test when stopped by police.

As a result her father confiscated her car from her – But that didn’t stop the plucky youngster, who subsequently purchased a bright pink, plastic Barbie Jeep from Craigslist. Despite the fact that it needs to be charged up regularly, it struggles to go up hills, and it’s top speed is a maximum of just 5mph, Tara is overjoyed with her new method of transport.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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September 3, 2015
Airlifted To Hospital On First Lesson

A teenager who was about to have her first driving lesson was airlifted to hospital after her instructor’s car was in a crash with a lorry.

The 17-year-old and the instructor, whose car was stationary at the time, were both hospitalised but police said their injuries were not life-threatening.

The accident happened yesterday afternoon on the road that links Cargo to Kingmoor on the northern edge of Carlisle. The teenage was flown to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle by the Great North Air Ambulance’s Pride of Cumbria helicopter. Her driving instructor, from the city-based Danny’s School of Motoring, was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary with suspected neck and chest injuries.

The school’s owner Danny Daniels, 55, said after the accident that he had spoken to the instructor involved and that he was not badly injured. Apparently, they were sitting in the car at the side of the road and the car was station. It was her first driving lesson – she had literally just turned 17 and the lesson was a birthday present. She had just taken off her seat belt as they were just about to swap seats when the collision happened.

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September 2, 2015
Research by telling youngsters driving test included texting

We all know how dangerous it can be to use your mobile phone while behind the wheel, but a new video aims to make it even clearer.

The footage recorded the moment young drivers were told the Government had changed the rules and they needed to prove they could text and drive to pass their test.

The shocked youngsters were surprised by the request with many expressing how odd it was.

But what was more astounding was how bad their driving became when they attempted the task.

In the film entitled: “The Impossible texting and driving test” Belgium-based safety group Responsible Young Drivers makes its point loud and clear.

The “instructor” tells the drivers: “You must prove you’re able to use your mobile phone while driving.”

One of the youngsters looks down the whole time, another crashes into cone and the other throws the driver from his chair.

The test took place on a racing track.

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August 31, 2015
Avoid M25 This Bank Holiday

The M25 is the road to avoid this weekend if you don’t enjoy sitting in traffic, according to research by Green Flag.

As part of research that roots out the most and least scenic main roads in the UK, the company identified where it believes most traffic jams are likely to happen, based on real-world analysis of traffic flow.

The M25, M6 and M1 are the predictable top three when it comes to traffic jams, while at the other end of the scale drivers should be free and easy on the M50, M45 and M48 – although the joy could be short-lived since these are all rather short motorways.

The worst time to travel as the Bank Holiday weekend kicks into gear on Friday will be 5pm, but people leaving at 8pm will have a much easier time of it.

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August 28, 2015
Driving with the Fuel Light On

A new study has revealed that one in six drivers broke down in their cars last year due to running out of petrol – A number which has trebled since the last review in 2011.

The cause for this rise in cars running on empty is due to drivers adopting a dangerous “devil-may-care” attitude to driving with the fuel light on – An issue in itself which is attributed to soaring fuel costs.

In response to the crisis, supermarkets that provide fuel are now engaging in a Bank Holiday fuel war, in a competition to corner the market of drivers embarking on weekends away and needing to top up beforehand.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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August 27, 2015
Autonomous Cars Learning Unpredictable Driving Habits

Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, are preparing autonomous cars to predict what humans might do next. A team has developed an algorithm that can guess with up to 92% accuracy whether a human driver will make a lane change.

Enthusiasts believe that self-driving vehicles could lead to fewer crashes and less traffic. But people aren’t accustomed to driving alongside machines. When we drive, we watch for little signs from other cars to indicate whether they might turn or change lanes or slow down. A robot might not have any of the same tics, and that could throw us off.

Volunteers were asked to drive in a simulator. Each time the driver decided to make a lane change, they pushed a button on the steering wheel before doing so. The researchers could then analyse data from the simulator for patterns at the time of lane changes: where were all of the cars on the road? How fast was each one going, and had it recently moved or slowed down? Was there sufficient room next to the drivers’ car?

They used some of the data to train the algorithm, then put the computer behind the wheel in re-runs of the simulations. The algorithm could predict accurately when the driver would attempt a lane change. Such algorithms would help a self-driving car make smarter decisions in the moment. They could also be used to teach the cars to mimic human driving tics.

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August 26, 2015
Trophy Driver Illegally Parks Outside Court

A driver who posed for a video while doing 161mph on the motorway and posted the ‘trophy footage’ online has been banned from the road – but not before leaving his car on a double-yellow line outside the court.

Nightclub boss Mark McCrae, 28, got his passenger to record him as he broke the speed limit by almost 100mph in his powerful BMW M3, then posted the footage on YouTube and Facebook where it was ‘liked’ and ‘shared’ numerous times.

One viewer was so alarmed by the video that they alerted police and McCrae was arrested. He admitted dangerous driving and was given a suspended prison sentence on top of an 18-month ban and £1,450 in fines.

But the driver showed little remorse for his actions and even parked his car on double yellow lines outside Bristol Crown Court.

McCrae was handed a three-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and told to pass an extended driving test.

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August 25, 2015
The Last Few Lessons

When it comes to learning to drive, a lot of emphasis is placed on the first driving lesson or two – From warning your friends and family to stay off the roads for that one hour a week to first meeting your instructor and sitting behind a wheel for the first time.

However one key point in learning to drive is actually the last few lessons you take before you sit the driving test – During these lessons, you will likely be ready to take the practical test, and will be trying to polish up on the skills you have developed as a learner driver.

Many students like to go over the areas they feel they struggle with on their lessons such as tricky manoeuvres, as well as practising the show-me-tell-me questions in preparation for – hopefully – passing the driving test.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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August 24, 2015
Driver Caught Speeding In Smashed Car

A motorist who failed to stop after colliding with a lorry and carried on driving his smashed-up car at speeds of up to 90mph has been spared jail.

Michael McCluskey continued for more than 40 miles on a motorway despite extensive damage to his grey Vauxhall Insignia, including a smashed windscreen, caved-in roof and severe dents.

The car had also been running on a skinny space-saving spare wheel because of a puncture the previous day and was not supposed to be driven at more than 50mph.

At a hearing, McCluskey admitted charges of driving dangerously and failing to stop after an accident.

Recorder Jeremy Wright handed McCluskey a 10-month prison sentence suspended for two years, ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and pay court costs of £350. He was also banned from driving for 18 months.

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