Virtually everyone knows that it is illegal to drink and drive. But I was shocked when recently I learned that a group of my friends were not aware of the penalties.

Not only does drink driving increase the chances of you causing a major accident on the road, affecting your life and those of other people, the law is quite rightly, harsh. Here are the facts.

If you are caught drink driving, you face a minimum 12 month driving ban.
You can go to prison for up to 6 months
The possibility of being fined up to £5000

Not only that, but your lifestyle would dramatically change. Think of the freedom that driving gives you, to drive to work, visit your friends, and drive to the shops. This would all change after you are caught drink driving.

The answer is simple: don’t drink and drive, ever.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DLVA) have dismissed three of their staff after it was found they had posted unsuitable comments on social media sites.

The staff were found to have made comments regarding customers, other members of staff and criticised the DVLA and its services.

The Swansea based company said that none of its employees had done this during working hours as they do not have access to social media sites from the DVLA computers. But they state they will take disciplinary action against those that breach the Data Protection Act.

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A Plymouth resident caught speeding went to extraordinary lengths to avoid a speeding conviction.

Roger Moore, caught speeding at 51mph in a 40 zone, faked CCTV footage to try and prove he was at home with his vehicle at the time of the incident.

He told courts that he had returned the hire car that he was caught speeding in and that the staff must have a vendetta against him.

He provided CCTV footage which had the date and time he was said to have been speeding. However, photography experts analysed the footage and decided the shadows cast across Moore’s drive were inconsistent for that time of year.

So rather than the £60 fine and possible three points on his licence, he ended up with a 16-week jail sentence, was ordered to pay £2000 in fines and was suspended from driving for two years.

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It’s official; Drivers that use mobile phones whilst on the road are more dangerous drivers, a new survey reveals.

The US-based AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has suggested from its research that over 2 in 3 drivers often hold phone call conversations whilst driving.

However despite this shocking figure, a large proportion of those questioned have admitted that they consider other drivers on the phone to be dangerous, regardless of their own infidelity.

Whilst almost 90% of those questioned believe that using a mobile phone whilst driving is a dangerous activity and should be discouraged, this does not seem to have had any impact on their own actions.

The research also suggests that drivers who use a mobile phone regularly whilst driving are also more likely to take other driving-related risks, such as:

Driving above the speed limit: 65% admitted to this.
Driving whilst tired: 44% admitted to this.
Sending a text or email: 53% admitted to this.
Driving without wearing a safety belt: 29% admitted to this.

In stark contrast, motorists who do not use a mobile phone whilst driving,

Just 31% reported speeding.
Just 14% reported driving drowsy.
Just 3% reported sending a text or email.
Just 16% drove without a safety belt.

A vast majority slated drivers operating a mobile and a vehicle at the same time, with 95% voicing disapproval. However two out of three young drivers admitted to this behaviour, with over a quarter even admitting to updating their social media whilst behind the wheel!

A study conducted by the University of Utah in 2006 provided proof that driving whilst using a mobile phone renders the driver as incapable a motorist as a highly intoxicated driver due to the extreme levels of distraction it evokes in the driver.

If you need to answer the phone whilst driving, simply find a safe and convenient place to pull over, or wait to call them back; Surely this is a preferable option than crashing your car, wrecking your pride and joy, and potentially injuring yourself or others?

Safe driving from Britannia!

Research has shown that drivers take their eyes of the road and look at other things, on average, every 9 seconds.

The study found that clouds and scenery, mirrors, road signs, advertising and oncoming traffic were the main distractions. They monitored drivers’ eye movements using the latest eye tracking technology.

Even more alarming were the results found by drivers who had satnavs. They were found to spend 22% of the time ignoring the road and looking at the devise.

Don’t get distracted, keep your eyes on the road and keep safe.

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So the day has arrived for your driving test, you’re all nervous and filled with anxiety.

This is the case for many people who take their test. It varies from person to person; we know those who thrive under a little pressure and we also know of many who can’t handle their nerves on their test day.

So what do you do about it? Here are our top tips.

1) Practice. Yes, practice and practice. You build your confidence through practice.
2) Do mock tests. Your instructor might do them with you but ask for more. Knowing the routes will give you more confidence.
3) Try and take your driving test in the car that you have been practising in.
4) Remember that the examiner is there to do their job, you need to prove to them that you are a safe driver. Be confident, show them that you are a driver that they would want to see on the road.
5) Get a good nights sleep the day before. Feeling fresh rather than groggy will be much better for you. Remember to have all of your documents ready, wear some comfortable shoes and have your glasses/contact lenses to hand if you wear them.
6) I did all of these things and I failed. Remember, if you fail it’s not the end of the world. You just have to do it again and practice some more. The important thing is that you keep going.

Good luck.

The new Ford Fiesta now comes with parental child lock features such as limiting the top speed they drive at.

The technology comes with what’s known as MyKey, this allows parents to place restrictions on young drivers though their car key.

Chris Burgess, a psychology lecturer at Exeter University said: “Young drivers may want to drive safely, but are perhaps less inclined to do so because they feel pressure from their friends or other drivers. MyKey can remove the influence of personal control on the vehicle’s top speed and maximum volume.”

MyKey will allow young people the freedom to drive but allow the parents peace of mind that they are minimising risks attributed to accidents.

Some of the key features will include:

Limiting the top speed

Reducing maximum audio volume

Until seatbelts are fastened the radio will be disabled

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The DVLA saw a new law come into effect on the 19th January that will allow 16 year olds to drive lightweight microcars

Teens that pass CBT Compulsory Basic Training, including theory and practical tests, will under the new laws be eligible to drive both mopeds and a quadricycles.

So what classes as a quadricycle? A vehicle that weighs less than 350kg and has a maximum speed of 28mph. This will bring the UK in line with the rest of Europe.

One manufacturer keen to sell to the UK is a French quadricycle firm called Aixam. Justin Bond, UK manager for Aixam Mega said: “People need to see it as an alternative to a moped, rather than comparing it to car.”

They don’t come cheap mind you and many 16 year olds will not be able to afford the £10,000 quadricycles. But this didn’t stop Jamie Coley, the UK’s first 16 year old to drive an Aixam under the new rules. He said: “I’ve seen people of any age that should not be on the road, and a 17 year old can be driving at 70 or 80mph whereas this is much slower.”

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We know that for a lot of us, the snow is a complete nightamre when it comes to driving; it causes our cars to skid and can make you feel unsafe when driving.

However, when the snows starts to melt away, we are left with ice, and ice as we know is very slippy. So how do we cope with this when driving? Here are a few tips:

1) If you can try and avoid driving in icy conditions opt for public transport
2) Have a can of de-icer in your car, this stuff works great when your car has been parked up for a while and it is iced over
3) Wear shoes with a good grip. If you can, carry a spare pair of shoes in the car that aren’t covered in snow.
4) Make sure that all of your windows are clear before you set off, even if this means sitting in the car for a little while. Reduced vision can affect your severly
5) Try and stick to major roads.

Good luck, and we look forward to the ice going away just as much as you do!

Drivers could face fines of £60 and even points on their licence if their windows are not completely clear of snow.

Rule 229 of the Highway Code states that drivers should: “remove all snow that might fall off into the path of other road users.”

Police forces are using their discretion and not targeting drivers but can take action if they feel necessary.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “There is no specific legislation on driving with snow on the roof of a vehicle however, if it slips over the windscreen or flies into the path of another car it could leave the driver open to being penalised for driving without due care and attention or careless or inconsiderate driving.”

Yet, what motorists know about this? With no public awareness providing information for drivers, everybody muddles through the snow and does the best they can.

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