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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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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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.

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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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The aim of learning to drive is to be able to pass your test, and to be able to drive your own car freely without the need for supervision – However if you are going to be practising something, don’t you want to become the best you can be at it?

To really master the skill of driving, you need to put the hours in. Only by repeating and repeating the same actions over and over again will you become accustomed to the actions needed to operate the car well and to increase your skill as a motorist. Taking lessons from a qualified ADI is a good way to get the best advice available from a professional, but even after passing your test you need to ensure to keep pushing yourself to become the best driver you can be.

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In July, vandals damaged all four pay-and-display machines in Cardigan’s busiest car parks. As the council was unable to repair the machines immediately, shoppers have been able to enjoy a period when they no longer had to pay to leave their cars.

Local traders now say they have benefited from a substantial increase in custom due entirely to the fact that motorists have not had to rush back to their vehicles before their parking entitlement runs out.

Business owners in Cardigan say that the temporary removal of parking restrictions has levelled the playing field when it comes to competing with large out-of-town shopping centres, where parking is usually free.

As a result of Cardigan’s experience, high-streets minister Marcus Jones has even suggested that the centres of some smaller UK towns should be declared parking meter-free zones.

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When learning to drive, you will be expected to practice a number of manoeuvres – From bay parking (Which we offered some advice on recently here ) to the turn-in-the-road, and even the emergency stop – These finer points of handling your vehicle will be essential once you have passed your test.

However one point you will also need to try is the parallel park – This is often cited as one of the more difficult parking manoeuvres, and it’s not hard to see why. To master the parallel park, you need good control over your clutch and brakes, as well as being able to maintain optimum observation around you at all times.

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The most common reason for car accidents is lack of space between vehicles – Usually linked to one or more drivers travelling at an excessive speed, and therefore unable to stop in time when the vehicle in front has to brake abruptly. But how can we judge what a suitable space to leave between vehicles is?

The easiest way to ensure a safe distance between yourself and the car in front is to remember the 2-second rule. If there are chevrons on the road, always ensure you can keep a minimum of 2 chevrons visible in between your front bumper and the vehicle in front. If there are no chevrons, then try to spot a fixed point on the side of the road (such as a phone box, a parked car, etc) and ensure that you pass this point at least 2 seconds later than the vehicle in front.

As you probably know from your Theory test, this time needs to be increased to at least 4 seconds in wet weather.

Safe driving from Britannia!