A cyclist from Manchester has been filming his daily commute to Trafford Park after a near-death encounter with a HGV two years ago. The cyclist says he used early footage to have a driver prosecuted for careless driving and is in regular contact with police and bus operators.

His most recent shocking footage, posted to his Twitter  account, shows a woman reading a book whilst driving with her child in the car. Another video shows a Stagecoach bus overtaking him and then attempting to turn left, cutting him up. His footage has led to the retraining of the driver.

Another film from January shows an HGV forcing him into a side lane. The cyclist also says he has seen drivers do their make up; one woman for a full three minutes with her visor down at an Old Trafford roundabout.

The managing director of Stagecoach Manchester said that they were aware of the incident and so appropriate retraining will be undertaken. He also highlighted that a cycle awareness course is being introduction of a cycle awareness course this year for its drivers.

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A new study has revealed that drivers who are particularly dehydrated may be just as dangerous on the roads as those who have been drinking alcohol.

Loughborough University released the figures claiming that drivers who drank a small amount of 25ml of water an hour were likely to make twice as many mistakes when behind the wheel as those who were properly hydrated – Which also means that they would make approximately the same amount of mistakes as a driver who was over the legal drink-drive limit.

Dehydration can cause a lack of concentration which will result in a decreased driving ability – Which puts both yourself and others around you at risk when you are on the roads. Make sure to stay well hydrated at all times, or run the risk of dangerous driving.

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It was revealed on Friday that the figure for the number of drivers handed points and a £100 fine by police for using their phone at the wheel has dropped by 24% in the past year.

This is down to the fact that many more drivers are being sent on awareness courses instead. Experts believe that first-time offenders are offered safety courses instead, similar to those offered to those caught speeding. On the other hand, many people believe the fall in figures is down to fewer police officers on the road.

Last year a survey found that the biggest in-car cause of distractions for motorists is a phone. Last week a speeding driver on drugs was jailed for four years after knocking down and killing a teenager as he checked his phone. This highlights the importance of sanctioning those who drive and use their mobile.

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Latest figures suggest that punishments for people using their mobile phone whilst driving have fallen.

Police figures suggest that the penalty points slapped on careless motorists for using cell phones and other hand-held technology whilst behind the wheel have plummeted by almost a quarter last year in England and Wales alone.

Despite these figures, using your mobile when driving is still just as dangerous as ever – As it distracts your attention away from the road where it belongs, putting you and others in unnecessary danger.

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Since Pastafarian Ian Harris has had his driving licence picture for wearing a colander on his head, the father-of-one is rallying for fellow Pastafarians to take to the streets on Sunday to battle for his “right” to wear the metal bowl in his licence photo.

Ian, from Brighton, East Sussex, claims wearing a colander is equivalent to Muslim women wearing hijabs, or Jewish men wearing skullcaps.

Ian’s second appeal to the DVLA was dismissed on Thursday last week and he is now arranging for Pastafarians wearing colanders and pirate hats to take to Brighton’s streets from 2pm on Sunday.

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Most drivers are unaware that vehicle excise duty is automatically cancelled if a car changes ownership due to the tax disc being abolished. This has resulted in many motorists having their cars towed away without even a warning letter from the DVLA.

Previously, anyone selling a used car could post adverts saying ‘Taxed and MOTd’ until a certain date as a selling point for the car. Now, when a car is sold the tax, even if it has many months to run, automatically expires and the new owner has to tax it again.

This change is exposing drivers to clamping by the DVLA and large fines. Administrative errors by the DVLA since the rule change have also left motorists fuming. One driver had his car clamped after he opted to buy his wife’s vehicle following her death last August. He went to his local post office, completed the forms and paid for a year’s tax. He even got a receipt confirming this payment, but the DVLA then cancelled the payment following an admin error, resulting in his vehicle being clamping.

The DVLA maintains that the measures make vehicle tax easy to pay but hard to avoid.

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When it comes to learning to drive, there can be many things that might put a potential driving pupil off. From a lack of confidence behind the wheel, to nerves about passing the test, these can often be terrifying obstacles that can be hard to overcome.

But finding the right driving instructor shouldn’t be one of these. Instructors should be calm and patient with their students – After all, many people who sit behind the wheel in a learner car are nervous drivers, and so it takes time to become a confident enough driver to pass your test.

A driving instructor should also be friendly and professional, and help to encourage their pupils to improve to the best of their ability during their learning to drive experience. Many of our pupils tell us of horrible experiences with past instructors – And it is our aim to make sure they reach their full potential.

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A man driving a private ambulance has died in a crash with a double decker bus and a car in North Yorkshire.

The driver stole the vehicle just 20 minutes prior to the crash with a double-decker bus. The driver was killed and six others injured following the accident on the A64 near York at 8.30pm Friday night. The bus driver was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries and 5 out of the 16 passengers were also taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Another person, travelling in a Toyota Yaris with one other, was taken to hospital as a precaution.

North Yorkshire police said the ambulance was not being driven by a paramedic or member of ambulance staff when the collision occurred.

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For many of us, driving in traffic is a part of our day to day lives. Whether it is on the school run, amongst a stream of other parents picking up or dropping the kids off at school, or on the daily commute to work, hitting the rush hour traffic especially in cities – Driving in heavy traffic is just unavoidable.

As traffic is not something that can be avoided, it is necessary to learn how to handle these situations properly. Remember, Safety first. This means ensuring correct distances between yourself and the vehicle in front, as well as ensuring you do not stop suddenly or without warning, to prevent the driver behind going into the back of you, especially if they are following too closely.

As well as being safe, you also have to consider courteous driving – Especially if you are trying to impress your examiner on your driving test! Slowing down to allow other drivers out in front of you will score you brownie points, so keep an eye out and show some generosity to other road users.

Safe driving from Britannia!