Part of the learning to drive experience is the journey from being a novice student, simply following the orders of your instructor, to being a fully-fledged driver filled with confidence – And the difference between those two is the ability to make good, safe decisions when behind the wheel.

The trick of making good decisions is to know how to react when uncertain – For example, if you cannot see if the road is clear, then you will not know if it is safe to pull out of a junction. In these cases, the best course of action is to slow down your vehicle – Or stop, if you need to ensure you don’t put yourself in any danger – And then to proceed with caution.

You will find that this gives you much more time to consider the situation – For example, you may become aware of a reflective shop window across the street which allows you to clearly see into the road you are trying to pull into!

Safe driving from Britannia!

A recent survey has revealed that two thirds of us want European road signs in English. It revealed that 26% of British drivers struggle with driving on the right hand side and 36% say that navigating and understanding road signs is a challenge. Sadly, only 11% said they positively enjoyed the experience of driving when abroad.

Further, 60% said they didn’t feel knowledgeable enough to drive confidently and safely when abroad. A fifth of drivers said they were unlikely to pass a foreign driving test and 15% admitted to being amazed that there aren’t more rules for foreign drivers.

If you’re taking your UK-registered vehicle out of the country for 12 months or more (known as permanent export) you’ll need to tell the DVLA by filling in the V5C/4 section of your V5C and send it to the DVLA office. Keep the rest of your VC5 registration as you might need this to register your vehicle abroad. Since your licence was issued by an EU country, it’ll be recognised throughout the EU. Driving is permitted on a valid EU licence but you may be required to exchange it for an EEA national licence once you’ve gained resident status.

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A road rage driver has lost his appeal against conviction for dangerous driving near Carlisle. Ken Mousey was convicted of dangerous driving following an incident where whilst driving a BMW, he overtook, braked and then swerved in front of a lorry which was forced off the road and on to the hard shoulder. This was in response to an earlier aggressive manoeuvre by the lorry driver.

The appeal against both conviction and sentence was heard on Monday at Carlisle Crown Court. Mounsey claimed it should be overturned on a point of law because a notice of intended prosecution was not sent to him within 14 days of the incident occurring – the statutory period in which a document should be served.

However, the court heard that neither Mounsey nor the HGV driver had reported the incident to the police. As a result, it was concluded that this failure by Mounsey had contributed to the notice being sent to him outside the 14-day period, so the rule could be waived.

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For may young or new drivers taking their lessons, the idea of pulling away in the car is one that may fill you with dread – Driving in first gear is after all, the most common time for any driver to stall their vehicle!

But pulling away from a standstill is never more terrifying than when on a steep hill – Especially with other cars parked just inches behind you.

But if you can master this skill, then pulling off on a flat road is never likely to trouble you again! Just make sure to keep your handbrake on, whilst you press the accelerator slightly until the engine starts to purr gently (the trick is to make sure the engine revs slightly more than it would for a flat start) – Then bring the clutch up to the biting point, and release the handbrake – And your car should pull away uphill!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Since the early days of practising for your Theory Test, you will have become well acquainted with the various road signs on display all over, to the extent where a sizeable portion of your time behind the wheel of a car is spent analysing the strange symbols and words, and trying desperately to remember which shape is a warning and which is colour is for a Tourist attraction!

However, some experts advise that the abundance of road signs around us has led to a significant problem on UK roads – As drivers are accepting less responsibility for their actions behind a wheel, and simply following the instructions placed on Road signs.

Examples include drivers stopping suddenly at a Stop sign, forcing drivers behind to brake abruptly, or other drivers blindly driving forward at a green light, rather than waiting for any other traffic to continue passing before moving, often resulting in a collision.

This danger has many calling for compulsory refresher courses in driving, to keep drivers on their toes all the time.

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Safe driving from Britannia!

All drivers know, from the moment they first step foot into a car, or even when they are practising for their Theory test, that good use of the mirrors is one of the key aspects to becoming a good driver.

In fact most people have heard of the notorious “blind spot” – The area on the side of your car that cannot be seen in any of your mirrors, whether in your interior or on the wing of your car.

However, what many people don’t know, is that any possible danger caused by lack of visibility in your blind spot can be easily avoided – Simply by rearranging your mirrors correctly.

Experts advise that most people have their wing mirrors angled to show part of their own car – But instead, it is better to point these away so that you can clearly see the blind spot – Giving you full vision around your car, and reducing any blind spot danger.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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The Scottish government is to press Westminster into allowing the country to pilot a graduated licensing scheme (GDLS). Responding to calls from Labour MSP David Stewart for GDLS, Scottish transport minister Derek Mackay agreed to press the UK government for the introduction of a pilot scheme.

In Holyrood, Stewart called on the Scottish government to press for a meeting in advance of official casualty statistics for 2014, which are expected to have seen a rise in the number of pedestrians and motorists killed.

Young motorists, particularly men under 25, are high-risk group for death and injury on the roads. In Scotland, there is a strong voice in support of a Graduated Licence.

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On 5^th December 2014, Scotland introduced a new, lower blood-alcohol limit of 50mg per 100ml for drivers, falling in line with many other European countries, and leaving England and Wales, alongside Malta, as the only nations in Europe still supporting the higher 80mg limit. Legislation is shortly due in Northern Ireland that will also cut its limit to 50mg.  These new tougher laws mean just one drink can push drivers over the legal limit.

Scotland has witnessed a real behavioural change. Less drivers are being caught even though more drivers are pulled over for breath tests. Most drivers have been behind the move, with some suggesting they wouldn’t even consider half a pint before driving.

As for England and Wales, there is a strong desire for new legislation. The effect in Scotland is a marked reduction in prosecutions and that result would like to be mirrored in England and Wales.

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