Audi has let its self-driving car model loose on the road.

The Audi RS 7 appears like any other racing car, making split second decisions and navigating a track at 150mph. However, its difference from racing cars is that it is also a self-driving car.

The model completed a lap on the Grand Prix track in Hockenheim at 150mph without a driver. As with other self-driving cars, it operates without a driver being driven entirely by software.

It took the Audi RS 7 two minutes to complete a lap on the track. The car uses specially corrected GPS signals which are transmitted to the vehicle via WIFI. 3D cameras in the car film the track, and a computer program compares the cameras’ image information against a data set stored on board.

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When we are driving, one of the main things to look out for is other cars – whether they are overtaking, undertaking, or any other manoeuvre that could cause danger to yourself, other auto mobiles are probably at the top of the list when it comes to dangers you might face behind the wheel.

One that is surprisingly rarely mentioned however, is that of cyclists. Despite figures suggesting that cyclists have increased in number by 1.2 % in just 3 years, as well as the devastating statistic that the amount of cyclists killed on UK roads has increased by a shocking 10% in the same period, many do not seem to consider bicycle users as a hazard that they need to keep an eye out for.

The truth is that cyclists are perhaps even more of a hazard to motorists – their relatively small stature makes them much harder to see than a car, however they are still capable of reaching speeds on a bicycle that mean they could appear suddenly and without warning, if you do not perform your checks thoroughly enough.

Be aware of cyclists around you, and we can bring the number of cyclist-related tragedies down for the future.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Over a century since their first arrival, the paper driving licence is set to be phased out from the start of 2015.

Since its introduction in 1903, the paper licence has been a compulsory part of being permitted to drive. However new cost saving measures announced in 2011 are to be brought in to replace the traditional counterpart licence, estimated to be saving £8 million from the UK budget.

The paper licence will be replaced with a photocard (which was originally introduced alongside the paper licence in 1998). If you currently have a paper licence, you will need to keep this until its expiration, at which point you will be required to replace it with the new photocard, at no extra charge.

The change comes shortly after the replacement of the traditional tax disc with a new digital system.

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

Safe driving from Britannia!

It has recently been suggested that a parent with particularly bad habits when behind the wheel will be influencing their child to adopt the same habits when they themselves become drivers – even years before they ever get behind a wheel for the first time.

Mike Frisby, (CEO of the Driving Instructors Association) has made the claim that parents are unwittingly affecting their offspring’s motoring habits long before they ever take to driving themselves – which in turn stresses the importance of making sure that you clamp down on your own bad habits when driving, to help prevent a future generation of poor drivers.

The claims have been made after recent research has revealed that three-quarters of parents are ready to admit that they would fail their driving test if they were to take it again – yet still insist on teaching their young to drive.

Like anything in life, if you are going to learn to drive it is best to do it the right way – otherwise, you will just become better at being a bad driver.

Safe driving from Britannia!

The Government has announced that they will trial the sharing of data between HM Revenue and Customs, the DVLA and six police forces to ensure foreign vehicles that stay in the country longer than six months pay their share of motoring taxation and can be pursued to pay motoring fines.

The trial is being announced by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin and will run from 3^rd November 2014 until February 2015. It aims to reduce the revenue lost through drivers using UK roads illegally and will ensure that such vehicles have a current MOT certificate and are therefore fit to be on the road.

Vehicles found to be on UK roads illegally will be impounded and subject to a £200 release fee.

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Think! is launching a new campaign to warn drivers of the dangers of country roads. The following statistics have been released: 60% of people killed on Britain’s roads die on rural roads, 25% of drivers report having had a near miss on a country road and 40% have been surprised by an unexpected hazard, such as an animal. A third also confess to taking a bend too fast.

The statistics evidently show that many drivers are failing to anticipate dangers on the road ahead when driving on country roads.

– The new THINK! campaign urges drivers using country roads to:

– Read the road ahead and anticipate potential hazards

– Drive at a speed that allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear

– Stay in control and give yourself time to react by braking before a bend, not on it

– Give cyclists and horse riders plenty of space when overtaking

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It has been found that ‘Siri’ and other voice-activated systems designed to keep drivers’ eyes on the road are as distracting as making a mobile phone call.

The studies conducted on this measured the drivers’ mental capacity, reaction time and heart rate during the tests. They found that not all the in-car systems were the same, with some significantly more distracting than others, but the majority of them were as distracting as a demanding mental maths problem.

In a simulator, interacting with Siri caused two virtual crashes despite the driver only interacting with Siri using their voice and not looking at the screen or tapping any buttons.

The research concluded that while well-designed voice control systems with minimal steps and accurate recognition could potentially be less distracting than manual controls, clicking a button or flicking a switch was much faster and less dangerous.

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Many drivers have horrific horror stories of their experiences learning to drive – some involving minor misdemeanour’s on driving lessons, others as severe as having a road accident during the dreaded driving test.

Here at Britannia we have heard all sorts of stories in regards to bad driving tests, including multi-car pile-ups on the test, and sometimes even tales of nerves getting the better of some participants resulting in cancelling the test part-way through.

It is best to prepare yourself in advance before attempting the driving test – we do recommend mock tests prior to taking the real thing, so that you have an idea of how well you will perform. Also read our guide on dealing with exam nerves, which should help you to deal with any pre-test anxiety.

Have you got any stories about your driving lessons or test? Let us know here!

Safe driving from Britannia!