October 10, 2013
Foreign-Language Tests To Be Banned

Ministers plan to ban people from taking the driving test in a foreign language amid fears that they are unable to read English road signs. Further, the case of the Mandarin translator for the theory test who was jailed for 12 months for fraudulently indicating the correct answers to the theory test questions has caused concerns that interpreters enable learners to cheat.

The current rules allow the theory test to be sat in 19 foreign languages, aided by either an interpreter or voiceovers, and permit learners to attend the practical test with a translator.

In a consultation run earlier this year over 70 per cent of people supported the ban of foreign language voiceovers and interpreters on tests.

The changes are designed to mimic driving in real life and it is feared that in a lot of cases interpreters may be giving more help than they are supposed to.

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October 9, 2013
Brushing Teeth Whilst Driving

A lorry driver has been caught on camera brushing his teeth whilst driving. The footage shows a male driver with a tooth brush in one hand and a bottle of water in the other on a motorway.

The offence was one of 227 detected in a five-day police operation across the motorways of Hampshire and the Thames Valley. All drivers were given a £100 fine and three points on their licence.

Another clip shows a woman applying make-up in the car whilst driving on the M27 and a man on his mobile phone whilst driving.

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October 8, 2013
Drivers Own Up To Bad Driving

Would you admit to bad driving? If you would, unfortunately you wouldn’t be alone.

One in five drivers questioned by law firm Slater & Gordon have admitted to consuming alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

The poll was aimed to reveal bad habits of drivers… and it returned some shocking results.

One in five was also guilty of falling asleep at the wheel, with a quarter describing themselves as a poor driver.

Eating and drinking were common misdemeanour’s, topped only by speeding and poor steering… but a whopping THIRD of all those questioned had hit another car whilst attempting to park, and a fifth had actually driven off after said accident.

Claimant personal injury specialist Paul Kitson, whose firm commissioned the poll, said of the findings:

“We work with clients who experience the life changing effects of bad driving every day… It’s important to remember that driving can have terrible consequences if you don’t take it seriously.”

Safe driving from Britannia!

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October 7, 2013
Drink-driving And Sleeping At The Wheel

A fifth of motorists have admitted to driving over the limit whilst a similar number have admitted to have fallen asleep. One in four also regard themselves as a bad driver with the most common faults being speeding and poor use of steering followed by eating and drinking whilst driving.

A third have hit another car whilst parking, a fifth have damaged a car and driven off whilst one in four admit to have knowingly driven the wrong way down a one-way street.

It was also revealed that nearly one in three driver have admitted to being distracted by their children whilst driving, jumping red lights and deliberately ignoring stop signs.

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October 4, 2013
1 in 3 Drivers Not Ready to Drive

A recent survey has shown that a third of young drivers do not consider themselves ready to drive alone… despite recently passing their test.

29% of 18-30 year olds do not believe that their lessons or even their exam have equipped them with the tools necessary to begin driving without supervision.

Almost a quarter of the same group of 2,000 young drivers surveyed believe that if they had spent more time learning to drive, a previous accident would have been much more easily avoided.

Of this number, 21% still chose to avoid motorways, and almost 15% described themselves as “unprepared” to be behind the wheel in the first place.

The survey revealed other shocking statistics such as a third being too unconfident to drive in wet weather, over a fifth uncomfortable driving with others in the car, and even 8% being unwilling to perform a right-turn… despite this being a compulsory part of the driving test.

Like all things, driving requires some confidence. Remember, if you have passed your test, you are clearly capable of driving safely. Just remember to make sure you always do.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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October 3, 2013
Uninsured Lamborghini Seized By Police

The Lamborghini Aventador was seized by police in Newham after it was found that the driver’s policy did not cover him to get behind the wheel. Police were initially alerted to the vehicle after it was caught with its front number plate missing.

The car was one of 180 seized last Tuesday as part of operation Cubo, designed to crackdown on uninsured vehicles. 37 people were also arrested on the same day for offences including drink-driving, robbery and driving without insurance.

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October 2, 2013
Sunroof Preferred to Sat Nav

A survey by Best of the Best found that two-thirds of drivers opted for a sunroof as an optional extra when buying a new car ahead of satellite navigation.

Satellite navigation did, however, come in at a close second with head-up display and parking sensors also making the top five. Digital TV came in fourth place with a high-end audio system seventh.

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October 1, 2013
Drivers Using iPads

A police crackdown has caught two drivers using their iPads behind the wheel. The operation, in Hampshire and Thames Valley, identified a string of offences committed by drivers, adding up to a total of almost two-hundred motoring misdemeanours.

These indiscretions included over half of those caught using their mobile phones behind the wheel, as well as many committing other more unusual felonies.

Some of these included drivers having a shave or applying make-up in order to save time during their commute, or even brushing their teeth with a bottle of water!

Each driver of the 198 identified to be breaking the law will receive a £100 fine, as well as three points on their driving license.

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September 30, 2013
Paying For The Car Park In Conkers

Customers are being given the chance to pay for their spaces using conkers by a group of car parks in Leeds and Manchester in a bid to help the environment and bring back childhood memories. The conkers are equivalent to 20 pence each, requiring customers to use as many as 20 conkers at a time.

Each collected conker will then be used to sponsor a forest in the UK to help offset rising levels of omission from vehicles.

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September 27, 2013
Drivers on Airport Runway

A significant flaw in tech giant Apples Map app has caused controversy by leading drivers to enter an Alaskan airport runway – when it was supposed to direct them to the car park.

Fairbanks International Airport has experienced two separate incidents of motorists entering the restricted runway, leading to obvious potential danger for both the car passengers and airport staff and aeroplane passengers.

The motoring mishap was caused by the map directing its users along the airport taxiway, leading to drivers mounting the runway and causing panic to onlookers.

Apple has issued an apology for the error, and replaced the faulty map with an error message until the issue is resolved.

Have you ever had a driving disaster due to dud directions? Let us know in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

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