Mert Tanay, from Enfield, was filmed by police in an unmarked police car weaving in and out of traffic on the M20 in Kent, overtaking officers and then reaching a maximum speed of 140mph.

However, not only was Tanay speeding but when police officers pulled him over at Junction 9 at Ashford he was found to have had a six-year-old boy as his front-seat passenger. Officers reported that the boy was left “very shaken” by the experience.

Tanay has now been banned from driving for three years and was told to carry out 50 hours’ unpaid work after admitting dangerous driving at Canterbury Crown Court.

Kent Police have condemned his actions stating ‘Tanay’s actions on what is a busy motorway fell far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver’.

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In the modern world, many of us will choose not to opt for a brand-new car straight from the forecourt, instead going for the much more financially friendly option of a used car.

However, whilst buying a previously-owned car does have its advantages, there are a few things you need to watch out for when taking your test drive:

– Take out Day Insurance. Most car dealers should have their own insurance policy, but if you are buying privately we strongly recommend taking out Day Insurance for yourself. Remember, the car is not brand new, and so there could be problems with it during your test drive.

– Treat it like a first driving lesson. You have never driven this car before, so you will not be used to the vehicle. Take a moment in the driving seat to adjust to the interior and get to grips with the feel of the car before pulling away.

– Check all of the controls. Start with a cold engine, and test the clutch, brakes, pedals, indicators, electrics, windscreen wipers, even the radio – You will only have a limited time in the car during your test drive, so you need to find any potential flaws with the car before you commit to a purchase.

Safe test driving from Britannia!

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With the Driving Test having celebrated its 80th Birthday this week, what better a time than to share some its glorious history with you?

Below are some of the more interesting facts we have managed to find out about the famed driving test – read on and enjoy!

– The first person to pass the driving test was a Mr J Beene in 1935, the year it was introduced.

– Test candidates would have to arrange to meet their examiner at a pre-organised location such as a train station, as there were no test centres when the practical test started!

– During World War II, the driving test was suspended, and was not made compulsory again until November 1946.

– The hand signal was a mandatory part of the Practical Test until as late as 1975!

– The Theory test was formally introduced in 1996. Before this, candidates would be quizzed on the Highway code during their practical exam.

– Finally -Since its introduction in 1946, over 46 million tests have been taken – and that number continues to rise.

What do you think about this article? Have we missed anything out? Let us know in the comments below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

An 80-year-old whose out-of-control car crushed a grandmother outside of her home and killed her has been given a two-year driving ban and £500 fine. The driver admitted causing her death by driving without due care and attention. He had been sitting in his stationary car when he put his foot on the accelerator and shot across the road at a 90 degree angle.

The grieving family of grandmother Irene Wills, who had to have one of her legs amputated and then died in hospital six days later, are furious at the sentence imposed by magistrates. Her husband, Joe, called the penalty ‘ludicrous’ and went on to argue ‘I’m not an awful person but if you lose your wife you expect more than this.’

Prosecutor Andrew Bodger said the driver ‘got in the car, which was an automatic, while his daughter went to a chemist’s shop nearby to fetch a prescription. The Ford Focus with the defendant at the wheel shot forward out of the car park in a 90 degree arc and ended up hitting Mrs Wills…right from the outset the defendant said his foot had slipped from the brake pedal on to the accelerator.’

Simon Dykes, mitigating, told the court ‘this was a momentary lapse in concentration with tragic circumstances. He lost control when he put his foot on the accelerator, instead of the brake.’

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Many happy returns to the practical driving test, which celebrates its 80th birthday today!

Compulsory driving tests originally began in the UK on March 16th, 1935, following the implementation of the Road Traffic Act one year earlier.

However the driving test has undergone many changes in its lifetime – with many more elements being introduced, such as Independent Driving, the Bay Parking manoeuvre, and even the Driving Theory Test back in 1996, and the Hazard Perception Element in 2002.

Now with the Practical Driving Test having turned 80 years old, many are calling for revolutionary changes in the requirements of the test to avoid the “carnage” of the high numbers of young people’s deaths on UK roads.

What are your thoughts on this article? Sound off in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

On the whole the new drug-driving laws that have now come into force have been welcomed as a reform that is well overdue. Officers can now test for drugs like cocaine and cannabis at the roadside with a new “drugalyser” while they can request samples for other illegal substances at a police station.

However, the new laws have been criticised for being unnecessarily wide. Drug-drivers usually fall into two very different – illegal and legal – camps. The first includes those who consume banned narcotics and the second comprises those motorists on authorised, tried and tested medication.

Critics have called separate laws to be introduced – one tough law for criminals who choose to drive while high on illegal substances, then a separate, more sympathetic one for those who have little or no choice but to take the legal medication supplied to them by registered health professionals.

Understandably, the new drug-driving laws are a cause for concern to patients with life-threatening illnesses who have little or no support from family, friends or hospital transport services. These patients have to drive themselves to or from cancer and transplant wards for life-saving medication. With the penalties including a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record, a fine of up to £5,000 or up to six months in prison and the consequences of those penalties including job loss, shame of having a criminal record and increased car insurance costs, this law clearly doesn’t take into consideration innocent patients.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

The Driving Standards Agency introduced a new section to the driving test back in 2010 – That of the Independent Driving.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that you get to go for a drive without your examiner in the car. Rather, you will be required to drive for a period of approximately ten minutes without following step-by-step instructions from your examiner. Typically, the examiner will ask you to follow a set of directions such as “Follow the signs for …” and you will be expected to follow this direction without being reminded by your examiner.

However this is not as scary as it sounds. Often in nervous conditions, you may forget details, so you are allowed to ask your examiner for a reminder of the route to follow. Also, if you do happen to take a wrong turn, this will not necessarily result in a fail – If the manoeuvre is undertaken in a safe and responsible manner, you should not be penalised.

Safe driving from Britannia!