April 12, 2013
MOTORIST RECEIVES MINOR SENTENCE AFTER A CYCLIST LOSES HIS LEG

Graham Douglas, 29, of Fort William, was driving his car at 67mph in a 30mph zone in 2011 when he crashed into a cyclist.

The cyclist, Mr MacLeod was thrown more than 200ft into the air, suffering serious head injuries and losing his lower right leg.

However, Douglas was only jailed for 10 months for dangerous driving, along with a driving ban of three and a half years. Considering the extent of Mr MacLeod’s injuries and the speed Douglas was travelling, this is a light sentence and does not reflect the seriousness of his actions. Driving at more than double the legal speed limit is outrageous.

Mr MacLeod has taken a positive attitude and only a year after the accident, he climbed Ben Nevis and carried the Olympic Torch.

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April 11, 2013
Man Caught Driving at almost 100mph

A Flamborough man drove at 95mph through a 60mph zone to ‘try out a lease car’, a court heard.

Darren Neil Tobin, 44, of Chapel Street, Flamborough, was clocked speeding in a Toyota Avensis car on the A614 between Driffield and Nafferton on January 12 this year.

Prosecutor Heather Levett told Bridlington Magistrates Court last Wednesday, April 3, that PC Hughes was operating a handheld speed device on the stretch of road at around 8,25pm when Tobin’s car was spotted.

“When stopped, the defendant gave his name and address to police and admitted he had been speeding. He said ‘it was a lease car and I was trying it out’,” said Ms Levett. Tobin was unrepresented in court and did not comment. He was fined £75, and ordered to pay £40 costs and a £20 victim surcharge while magistrates also endorsed his license with six penalty points.

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April 10, 2013
HUMAN BOWLING WHEN DRIVERS KNOCKS DOWN TWO POLICE OFFICERS

A man from Manchester has been jailed for 10 years after he decided to partake in a game of human bowling, with two police officers as the pins.

Wayne Crompton, 36 was seen driving on the wrong side of the road back in February and two officers on routine patrol pulled him over. As one left the patrol car, Mr Crompton reversed into him, he then drove forward at the other officer who had stood in front of his vehicle.

Both officers suffered injuries, one with a fractured skull and the other with a broken arm.

Mr Crompton was found to be driving whilst disqualified and driving with no insurance.

He must now serve a minimum of six and a half years before being eligible for parole.

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April 9, 2013
50 Fines a Week for Woeful Wolverhampton Drivers

Up to 50 fines a week are being dished out to motorists who flout road laws in Wednesfield High Street and Wolverhampton city centre, figures revealed today.

Police have patrolled the High Street, as well as Market Street in the city centre, after complaints from residents and cyclists about vehicles driving illegally along the routes.

Latest figures show that, since the crackdown started in February, more than 400 tickets were handed out.

Insp Sarah Thomas-West said: “It is a problem that has been raised for the last couple of years.

“Previously, we’ve had to prioritise things like shoplifting but now we have a different team that looks at that so we’re able to focus more on longer-term crime and issues that are concerning the community. I cycle to work in Wolverhampton and I’ve seen firsthand vehicles using Market Street when they’re not suppose to.

“Since taking this action, we’ve had no more complaints while we’re still monitoring the issue in Wednesfield.”

Drivers stopped by police over the past two months have been fined £30 as a result of driving illegally along the routes. Insp Thomas-West said officers would continue to monitor the three locations and take action against those caught flouting the law.

The police action was today welcomed by councillors, who said it had been an issue continuously raised by residents.

Wednesfield councillor Neil Clarke said: “A lot of people do complain about this because it is a problem, and I welcome the action from the police.

“People ought to take more notice of the signs that are there to make the High Street safe.

“I use the High Street quite frequently to do little bits of shopping and I’m very pleased that the police are taking this action.

“If they can keep these people out of the area, then I’d be pleased with that and I’m sure the majority of people in Wednesfield would welcome it too.”

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April 8, 2013
DEATH PENALTY FOR BUS DRIVER ON KILLING RAMPAGE

A bus driver from the city of Pune in India has been given the death penalty after he went on a rampage killing nine people and injuring 27.

Eyewitnesses said he drove the bus as high speeds, on the wrong side of the road through very busy areas, damaging more than 40 cars before he was finally stopped.

During the 30 minute rampage, he ran over pedestrians and smashed into vehicles.

The court found Santosh Maruti Mane guilty of murder, attempted murder and damage to property.

Mr Mane’s lawyer pleaded that he was “mentally instable” but the judge ruled that he was of a “sane mind”.

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April 5, 2013
POTHOLES CAUSINGTHE NATION MISERY

With the cold weather continuing, potholes are appearing everywhere and our roads are becoming an embarrassment. Severe winters and flooding across the country has left our roads in disrepair.

Research has shown that Scotland was the worst place for drivers, with more than 40% of respondents suffering some sort of damage.

Thousands of drivers have suffered damage to their cars as a result of potholes, including serious damage to suspension, steering and bodywork.

Drivers are blaming the councils for not fixing our roads and investing in resurfacing projects. However, The Local Government Association defended councils, Chairman Cllr Peter Box said: “Government should be focusing on giving councils the proper funding to invest in the resurfacing projects which our crumbling road network desperately needs.”

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April 4, 2013
One Third of Drivers Don’t Feel Guilty About Dangerous Driving

According to new research from car insurance provider Allianz Your Cover, a third of commuters don’t feel guilty about driving dangerously or being distracted on the road.

A fifth of drivers (21%) blame their habits on other commuters.

The top five bad commuter behaviours are:

  • Speeding (30%)
  • Careless driving (14%)
  • Travelling too fast for the conditions (14%)
  • Tailgating (13%)
  • Not looking when changing lanes (13%)

Commuters may however have been twisting the truth about their bad habits, as although nearly a third (30%) admitted to speeding, more than half (55%) have seen other drivers exceed the speed limit as well as;

  • 5% admit they have jumped a red light – 38% have seen other commuters do this
  • 4% have applied make-up – 22% have seen other commuters do this
  • 2% say they failed to stop at a give way sign – 22% have seen other commuters do this

More than half of British commuters (52%) are in too much of a hurry to drive safely and are blaming their bad driving on a lack of concentration (30%) and being tired (27%). The commuting environment impacts the workplace as almost half of drivers (43%) believe that their commute affects their mood and can negatively impact their work.

Natalie Woods, of Allianz Your Cover Insurance said: “Our research found that British commuters feel they drive carelessly during their journeys due to rushing and tiredness. This is supported by police road accident statistics which show that 46%* of accidents can be attributed to careless driving. We urge drivers to take a careful and considerate approach to their driving in order to reduce accident rates and improve the experience of all their fellow commuters and drivers. One in ten (13%) have witnessed an accident on their way to work – not the kind of start to the day anybody would want.”

Despite witnessing the bad habits of their fellow commuters, one in four (27%) hope that a driver would stop to help them if they were in need, a lot less (15%) have actually pulled over to help. The main reason for continuing their commute instead of helping a fellow commuter is to avoid being put in danger (43%). With safety being top priority breakdown services can help out those in need enabling other drivers to continue their journey. Other reasons given for not stopping to help fellow commuters are not knowing how to help (27%), followed by being in a rush (27%).

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April 3, 2013
THE DSA MOVE 90% OF TEST BOOKINGS ONLINE

The DSA now book over 90% of theory and practical tests online. Previously candidates would call the DSA and book over the phone with a letter of confirmation being posted to them.

Now the only way a test confirmation is sent by post is if you pay by cheque or postal order.

With many companies and organisations wanting to provide as many services as possible online, the DSA are doing everything possible to do everything online and email is the new way of informing candidates of their test details.

You can book your test by visiting www.gov.uk/booktheorytest or www.gov.uk/bookpracticaltest.

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April 2, 2013
Eye Tests

Do you know if you would pass an eye test? A lot of people don’t.

But having good vision is crucial to driving safely. Think about the last time you were driving, did you need to squint? Have you drove at night and had terrible glare from oncoming traffic lights? It could be that when you drove in the sun your vision was affected, in this case you just need to grab yourself a pair of sunglasses.

There are any number of places where you can get your eyes tested at times convenient for yourself. And you will find that glasses are available at a range of prices.

So don’t delay, get your eyes tested.

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April 1, 2013
CHOOSE YOUR DRIVNG SONG CAREFULLY

Research has shown that listening to music whilst driving can cause drivers to drive more dangerously, with rock music the most dangerous music genre.

London University Psychologist Dr. Simon Moore reviewed footage of both male and female participants driving with no music or different styles of music and came to an interesting conclusion.

Not surprisingly listening to no music at all gave the best results. Music that was noisy and upbeat, increasing the heart rate leads drivers to concentrate more on the music than on the road.

A fast tempo saw drivers subconsciously speed up to match the beat of the song.

Listening to a song that we don’t like can also have a negative effect on our driving, causing us stress.

So according to Dr. Moore if drivers are going to listen to music, then they should choose songs that mimic the human heartbeat. This is around 60-80 beats per minute.

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