After startling figures were released this week revealing that 80% of Britons suffer from severe lower back pain when driving, Britannia has decided to emphasise the importance of correct posture when driving:

1.) Firstly reduce the seat to its lowest and farthest back point. Then from here, raise the height of the seat and inch it forward so that your knees and hips are level.

2.) You should be able to firmly press all of the pedals without your back leaving the seat. If you need to lean forward at all, your seat is too far back.

3.) Keep your back straight. Although many cars have a recline position for their driver’s seat, this is not the best position to use. The farther forward the better (not only for good posture, but also in the event of an accident).

4.) Adjust the head-rest and the seat-belts so both are firm, yet not too constricting. You should feel comfortable, yet safe when driving.

5.) Move the steering wheel into the optimum position. This is found when you can easily see over the top of the wheel, and can rest your wrists on the top of the wheel without it being too far down towards your legs.

If you’re going to be driving this spring, make sure that you have the correct posture, or you may regret it later!

Safe driving from Britannia!

At last we have made it through the treacherous winter conditions, as we edge tentatively into the first few days of spring. Whilst that may put a spring in your step, remember that your car has probably seen much more of the abysmal weather than you have, and the start of this new fresh season does not just mean it is time to spring clean your house, but your car as well.

Here are Britannia’s top tips for spring cleaning your car:

– Check your tyres. After all those wet and icy roads, it is inevitable that your car will have used up some of the tread on its tyres. The road-legal limit is 1.6 mm, however most car manufacturers recommend replacing them at 3mm to be on the safe side.

– Remove any old junk. Bad weather may cause you to leave bits and bobs inside your car to save exposing them to the harsher elements, but improving weather means you can now de-clutter all that mess. Don’t forget to go through your boots and get rid of any non-essential items. This will also help you to drive more economically.

– Check your oil. Many drivers forget to check their oil and water levels in their car over winter, or are put off by poor weather, however there is no excuse now. Take a look, and don’t take a chance. Change your oil and oil filter!

– Recharge your battery. If your car is more for leisure, then you may have put it into storage over the colder months, meaning now you will have to charge it up again or even replace it.

– Clean the underside of the car. Snow and grit often collect in these parts of cars over winter and begin to eat away at the metal. Give this a good scrubbing down to remove any excess grit that could damage your engine and chassis.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Scottish drivers are the worst on UK roads, a new survey has shown.

One and a half thousand Scottish motorists have broken a series of new laws issues by the government to clamp down on poor driving behaviour, such as lane-hogging and tailgating.

Since the changes were implemented in August last year, over 5,000 drivers were penalised for their bad driving habits, with a proportional majority of these on Scottish roads.

These driving transgressions included driving through puddles and drenching pedestrians, as well as mounting the pavement.

When proven to be guilty of the offences, the perpetrators were liable for on-the-spot fines of £100 and 3 points on their license, or the option to take a Safe Driving Course.

The issue seems much more significant when it is considered that the fatal crash rate was higher on Scottish roads than elsewhere in the UK.

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

Safe (and considerate) driving from Britannia!

Graham Wilkinson, from Shoebury, Essex, has been fined £35 for letting his son get out of his van whilst he was stopped at a zebra crossing. At the time, Wilkinson thought nothing of it but the seven-second stop, which also allowed pupils to cross the road safely, was caught on camera by Southend Council’s spy car and has landed him with a parking ticket and a potential £70 fine.

Council officials say Wilkinson was ‘parked’ during the brief stop outside Shoeburyness High School in Southend-On-Sea, Essex. However, Wilkinson argues that he could not have driven on even if he wanted to as children were walking across the zebra crossing and it is at that point his son got out the car. Wilkinson also spoke to a police officer who informed him that he had not broken road traffic law.

There is an appeals process if people wish to challenge a penalty charge notice and a significant number of tickets given as a result of these spy cars are found to have been given out in error.

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

Much of Britain has lately been immersed in deep fog, and any motorist knows how difficult it can be to navigate the roads with this most dangerous of driving conditions.

Here are Britannia’s top tips for driving in fog:

– Keep your lights on at all times. Not only will this help to illuminate the roads ahead of your vehicle, therefore making it easier to see ahead, it will also make your own car much more visible to other motorists, reducing the likelihood of an accident. Use your dipped headlights along with wipers and de-misters.

– Keep your speed down. Driving at normal speeds should be discouraged in dense fog, as it becomes more likely that hazards will appear with less warning.

– Keep your distance with other cars. Do not tail others rear lights, as they are likely to stop abruptly, and this practice does not allow for much stopping distance.

– Use all of your senses – in conditions such as fog where visibility is limited, engage your other senses, particularly your hearing. If you are pulling out of a junction where you cannot see other approaching vehicles, wind down your window and listen carefully for traffic. When you feel it is safe to emerge, do so carefully but confidently – do not leave yourself in the path of unforeseen oncoming vehicles.

Safe driving this foggy spring from Britannia!

A great-grandmother has been banned from driving after knocking down a pedestrian at a zebra crossing in Hornchurch, Essex. Caroline Turner, 79, was banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay £220 to the injured pedestrian at Romford Magistrates’ Court. She was also fined a further £165 for driving her blue car after the accident, and ordered to pay a £130 fine and victim surcharge.

However, this isn’t the first time Turner has had her licence taken away. She had her licence revoked in 2011 after leading officers on a 27-mile chase at 10mph through Essex. She was only stopped when patrol cars formed a rolling road block on a dual carriageway – with one officer even jogging beside her car, telling her to pull over. She was banned from driving for a year and fined £100 after admitting to driving without due care and attention at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

During the pursuit, she had ignored blue sirens, swerved into oncoming traffic and driven the wrong way around a roundabout – forcing other motorists to take evasive action. She had only just regained her licence before the most recent incident.

Perhaps she would benefit from a few refresher lessons!

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Samuel Lees, a 22-year-old motorist in Colchester, was seen by a police officer earlier this year driving at speed through a puddle soaking Debbie Pugh and her two children as they walked to school.

Lees received a fine of £500 as well as six points on his licence which means that as a new driver he will lose his licence. Anyone receiving six points within two years of passing their test has their licence revoked. Chelmsford magistrates also ordered him to pay £90 court costs and a £50 victim surcharge on top of his £500 fine.

However, Pugh finds the severity of his sentence too strict instead suggesting that a driver awareness court would have been enough of a punishment. The traffic policeman who witnessed the incident, PC Mark Hercules, argues that Lees’ actions caused distress to the young children who got drenched and that he could have potentially lost control of his vehicle and caused a danger to other road users following his actions.

Lees argues that his actions were not reckless at all and that he did not mean to splash the family as that kind of behaviour is not in his nature. He now faces losing his job through losing his licence since he uses his red VW Polo to drive to work in Chelmsford, 25 miles from his home in Colchester.

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