Most learner drivers will opt to have their lessons in broad daylight, and consequently find themselves struggling to adapt when the necessity comes to drive in the darker hours.

Many drivers will admit that this is a different ball-game altogether, but how do you ensure that you stay safe behind the wheel at night?

– Never drive when tired. It is human nature to want to sleep at night, and so therefore you are likely to be more tired at the end of the day. However if you can help it, delay your journey until you have had some well-deserved sleep.

– Take all necessary precautions. This includes the same cockpit drill you would take in the daytime, as you are in as much danger on the roads at night as you are in the day.

– Stick to the speed limit. While this should go without saying, it is even more important in night time, when your vision will be impaired by your less illuminated surroundings.

– Keep your lights on at all times. Even if it seems like it is not helping you to see any better, the chances are that it is helping other drivers to see you, which is just as vital.

If you have to take a drive at night time for any reason, as always, drive safely!

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Martyn Uzzell died from severe head injuries when he was thrown into the path of the car behind him when his bike hit a four-inch deep pothole on the A65 at Giggleswick, North Yorkshire. The inquest into his death heard that the tragedy was avoidable as workers from North Yorkshire County Council had inspected the pothole a month before the accident and decided that immediate repairs weren’t necessary.

This pothole is one of possibly millions that have appeared on UK roads in recent years due to several icy winters in a row together with this year’s floods. It is estimated that if all local authorities were given the budgets they need to fix their road, it would still take English authorities 12 years to catch up with the current backlog – some potholes are filled within a day or two but many take up to a month to deal with.

Unfortunately, there is no universal standard for road care, with each authority setting different schedules on how often their roads are inspected. And there is no standard for what constitutes a dangerous pothole – the criteria vary from council to council.

So, if you suffer damage, it won’t be immediately clear if the council will pay out. If they’ve abided by their own regulations, then they may well not be liable. And even if they are liable, they won’t always admit it. The average repair cost is in the region of £250; the expense of getting a lawyer or losing a no-claims bonus from claiming on insurance is hardly worthwhile for a cost this low. So, a lot of pothole damage goes unreported.

Despite this, the advice is to gather evidence and report the pothole and damage to the council; it is also worth submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to the relevant council and download the national code of good practice for highway maintenance. These pieces of information can then be used to evaluate the local authority’s defence against your claim. It may take a long time but usually the result is a successful response. And if the local authority still refuses the claim, it may be worth taking some legal advice.

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Many new and inexperienced drivers are put off by the daunting prospect of driving on the motorway. However this needn’t be as terrifying as most people think if you follow the basic rules.

Here are Britannia’s Top Tips for Motorway Driving:

– Perform your pre-flight checks. Check your oil, fuel, tyre pressure, brakes, clutch fluid and windscreen washer fluid to ensure that these are fully prepared for your journey.

– Plan your journey. Avoid looking at maps, and don’t rely on your sat-nav. Also ensure that you allow enough time to take a fifteen minute break every two hours to avoid fatigue.

– Remember the 2-second rule. Leave at least 2 seconds of reasonable space between yourself and the car in front, to prevent the possibility of a collision in the event of a sudden stop.

– Make sure you indicate before making any lane change or leaving the motorway.

– Keep an eye on those mirrors – the situation is liable to change much faster on a motorway than a normal road.

– Try to stay clear of larger vehicles such as trucks, coaches, etc., as these present more of a hazard.

– Stay on the left at all times, unless overtaking. After overtaking, return to the left lane as soon as it is safe to do so.

– Should the worst happen and you break down, pull into the hard shoulder as soon as possible, and call for help immediately. Emergency phones are situated along most motorways and will automatically relay your location. While you wait for help to arrive, you should stand clear of the hard shoulder for your own safety.

Following these simple rules will make motorway driving much easier for you. We are sure in no time you will be wondering what all the fuss was about!

Safe driving from Britannia!

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It is a well-known fact that traffic is getting worse, and it has been revealed that the ten worst roads for congestion in Britain are all in London. Despite London’s efforts to combat traffic by enforcement of the congestion charge, traffic jams have been on the rise.

UK drivers wasted a total of 30 hours in traffic congestion in 2013 with the London commute zone having the biggest increase in hours wasted, rising from 72 hours in 2012 to 82 hours in 2013. Of the 25 most congested cities in Europe for urban traffic, London was second only to Brussels.

The most congested road was the A4 in the afternoon peak between central London and the junction 3 of the M4 near Heathrow in west London, with 91 annual delay hours. The second worst road was the M4 going in the opposite direction in the afternoon between the M4 junction 3 and central London, with 73 hours of annual delays.

After London, the most congested areas were Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Nottinghamshire and Greater Birmingham.

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A UK teenager has been given a speeding fine – whilst on a driving lesson.

Stacie Ralphes, a seventeen year-old from Weymouth, Dorset, was clocked by a speed camera whilst travelling at 36 mph in a 30 mph zone.

With only 12 hours of driving experience to her name, the health and social care student was shocked to receive the fine whilst on her driving lesson with the AA.

As the car did not belong to her, the letter was forwarded to her home address after being received by the AA. Ralphes was offered a choice between a compulsory fine and three points on her (currently green) license, or a driving awareness course instead, the latter of which she accepted, at a cost of £110.

Whilst deciding not to appeal the speeding fine, the issue was raised with the AA, who have offered to pay the price for the course, as a gesture of good will, although they do deny any responsibility for the transgression.

This should stand as a warning that according to current UK laws, the operator of a vehicle (with a full license or not) is fully responsible for the speed at which they are travelling, and it is this individuals duty to ensure that they do not break speed limit laws. A driving instructor, whilst in possession of dual controls, is there to guide and advise the pupil, and to avoid any accidents, although the speed of the vehicle rests solely with the person behind the wheel.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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A review by the Department for Transport has called for elderly drivers to be allowed to continue driving until they are 80 before having to renew their licences, making the DVLA, who are struggling under the weight of renewal applications, more efficient.

Safety campaigners, however, warn that the move could cost lives and insist that regulations for older drivers should be strengthened, not relaxed.

Under current law, drivers must send their licence to be renewed when they reach 70, declaring if they have any medical conditions which could affect their driving, and confirming they can still read a number plate at 65ft. After 70, they must reapply every three years to keep driving. However, with the population living longer while still being fit to drive, the DVLA is finding it hard to cope with the amount of renewal applications.

The Department for Transport argues that raising the renewal age could relieve pressure on the DVLA ‘with little or no impact on road safety’. Safety organisations argue otherwise, with calls even being made for all drivers to be regularly assessed.

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With hints of the weather starting to improve as we edge ever-so-cautiously into spring, many of us will be tempted to load up the car and go for long drives into the country, or even on summer holiday trips away. But along with long journeys comes driving fatigue, a proven deadly hazard. Here are Britannia’s top tips to fight the tiredness:

– If you will be driving more than 2 hours, take a stop every two hours, just for fifteen minutes or so. Whilst this will length your journey time somewhat, it will dramatically improve your concentration when driving.

– If driving with a partner, friend or relative who is also able (legally) to drive your car, share the journey, so fatigue is only half as likely to set in.

– Stay hydrated. Lack of fluid in the body is a huge cause of tiredness.

– Avoid travelling late or in the dark, as this exacerbates fatigue.

– Be aware of your alertness – if you start to feel drowsy, pull over at the earliest opportunity and take a short walk around a service station. If in need, drink a cup of strong coffee or other caffeine-based beverage, but be wary that this will only work once in a journey.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Katie Homer, 26, has been banned from the road after being caught on camera driving north up the hard shoulder of the southbound carriageway of the M5 for four miles until leaving the motorway at junction one for West Bromwich.

She also circled a roundabout twice before being finally stopped by police in the early hours of December 4 last year. She was spotted leaving the motorway up the entry slip road at 2.30am.

CCTV footage released by West Midlands Police shows Homer speeding down the wrong way, forcing vehicles, including a lorry driver, to swerve out of her way. She was recorded as having 79mcg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath – more than twice the legal limit of 35mcg.

She was given an interim disqualification from driving at her hearing last Thursday and was released on bail until her sentencing hearing on March 28.

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