Jane Hofmeister lost her 13-year-old daughter after she was knocked down in June last year. However, it has taken more than a year for those responsible to be brought to justice.

Leanne Burnell, 21 and Leonard Jones, 42 both left a pub in separate cars and played a game of ‘cat and mouse’ through Taunton Town Centre at more than twice the 30mph speed limit. Witnesses say they were overtaking, driving down bus lanes and speeding excessively.

Jones, admitted causing Amy’s death by dangerous driving and received a sentence of seven years in jail. However, Burnell denied the same charges and was originally handed an 18-month sentence.

After Jane Hofmeister campaigned to increase Burnell’s sentence, her sentence was reviewed and increased to three and a half years when three Court of Appeal judges agreed the first sentence was “unduly lenient”.

Ms Hifmeister said she felt Burnell showed “no remorse” for her involvement in her daughter’s death. She hopes that by fighting to increase the prison sentence it will not only teach Burnell a lesson but send a message out to other drivers that there can be terrible consequences getting behind the wheel after a drink.

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Skobbler a satnav app developer analysed over three million downloads by UK drivers between May and July and found that McDonald’s was the second most searched for destination.

Thankfully petrol stations were the most popular search, so drivers are at least thinking like drivers. However, it is thought that food is just as important a thought, with three out of the top four searches being food related.

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We spend so much time in our car and so it’s understandable why we take a big hit when we find that our car has been broken into or damaged.

You can though, by making a few small adjustments, help deter thieves from breaking into your car. The first and most obvious is to not leave anything on show. It’s tempting when you are just popping into the shop to leave your goods on display, but don’t – ever! Get a steering wheel lock, this takes seconds to put on and take off, yet it’s useful for putting off thieves. If you have a garage make sure that use it. If you are going to an area that you don’t know, take the time to find a secure car park. A secure car park is usually well lit and has cameras.

Hamilton Police started a campaign in February, on the look-out for drivers that are distracted whilst driving. Whether it is a mobile phone, iPod or other devise, anyone issued with a ticket for distracted driving will pay $155.

The Distracted Driving Law took effect in October 2009 when police saw an increase in traffic collisions and alcohol wasn’t the cause.

As a mark of the end of the nine-month campaign which saw more than 4000 drivers issued with tickets, the police set up a distracted driving simulator for the public. This highlighted the effect of taking your eyes of the road for just a few seconds and would jolt the simulator forward to emulate a real collision.

Steve Overend a driving instructor said: “They’re missing things like doors opening, cars in front. They’re not able to respond in time.”

Constable Wes Wilson said it is also important for drivers to know that the car doesn’t have to be in motion for it to be illegal. He said: “If you think about it, the car is still in drive. You’re driving your vehicle at a red light.”

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Yes guys, it’s happening again, the rain keeps coming and it never seems to go away!

What does that mean for us drivers though? Well a few things:

1) Your stopping distance will increase by at least double the amount so prepare well
2) Remember that your windows are mostly likely to steam up so have some good ventilation going, open your windows a touch
3) Be extra cautious. We all know the roads seem busier when it rains and everyone is in a rush so be prepared.
4) Always have an umbrella in the car. There is nothing worse than been wet. If you’re like me, you make sure you never forget your umbrella. However, for others, they lose umbrellas so often it makes sense to buy a few – they’re pretty cheap – and keep them in your car.

We hope these tips come in handy.

A driver was led into Cardiff Magistrates’ Court after he was accused of deliberately running down parents and young children on Friday.

Karina Menzies, a mother of three died and several children were injured after Mr Tvrdon mounted the kerb in his van. Injurs

Mr Tvrdon is due to appear at Newport Crown Court, charged with murder, 13 counts of attempted murder, four counts of actual bodily harm and one of dangerous driving.

Catrin Evans, prosecuting argued against bail and said: “…there had been concerns about his mental health.”

Those in Cardiff are still in shock after the terrible events that left three children without their mother.

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Susie Wolff is the first female to drive a Formula 1 car after Maria de Villota lost her right eye in a test crash back in July.

Scottish driver Wolff said she has spoken with Maria and thinks she is an incredible lady and a real inspiration. She is very proud and honoured to have Maria’s star on her helmet.

Wolff wants to show people that women are good in motorsport and said: “After the publicity surrounding Maria’s accident without doubt I felt an extra need to go out there, do a good job and show that her accident was a freak one-off and it doesn’t generalise women in motorsport.”

The last British woman to drive a Formula 1 car on a race track was Katherine Legge in 2005 in Italy.

Wolff was thought to enjoy the drive and Williams race driver Pastor Maldonado, who was present said “Susie is quite good”.

Susie said: “The feeling of driving that car on the track for the first time was just incredible…on the first lap, I thought my helmet was going to fly off the G-force was so much.” She finished by saying: “For me the journey is just starting, my first time in the car and let’s see where that takes me.”

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Driving home from work in the winter can be a little mundane. When it’s all dark around you and you see a flood of lights, you quickly begin to remember the summer and how you wish you had a beach, a book and a blanket. Failing that, when it is cold and wet and windy outside all you really want to be is, indoors.

When driving in the winter though you must be prepared for all situations. Remember that you will most likely be needing to use your lights. Have a look through the highway code to jog your memory about which lights to use. There are dipped headlights, your full beam, fog lights etc. You need to know which lights to use and when to use them.

Although it is pretty cold when you get in your car and you will want to leave your coat on, I find that wearing a coat restricts me. I prefer to take it off and get my heating going! Of course, to ensure your heating is able to perform make sure that the water is topped up. This doesn’t take long to do and it’s well worth checking. As it gets colder, keep some anti—freeze spray in the car. This is a life saver when you need to quickly remove ice from the windows.

Should you re-sit your driving test after the age of 70? If you think not, maybe this will make you change your mind.

A 100 year old man known as Mr Carter was driving his Cadillac near a primary school in Los Angeles, California, when he reversed and hit eleven people, including nine children.

Some of the children became trapped under the car and were badly hurt, passersby did try to get the drivers attention but it was too late.

Mr Carter spoke to a local news station and said: “My brakes failed. It was out of control.” When asked about hitting the children, he said: “You know I’m sorry about that…my sympathies for them.”

Police believe that he was parked in a grocery shop nearby and when pulling out of the car park drove on the pavement rather than pulling into the street.

Mr Carter is now 101 years old and still holds his driving licence.

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We jump in the car to go to work, we load up the car when we have done our shopping, we use the car for the school run, and we happily sink into the car when it’s raining outside. We love our cars. That is of course, when they are working ok. When they’re not, our life can seem to fall apart a little.

It makes sense then that you know of a mechanic that you can use should anything happen to your car. Don’t wait for your car to break down before you contact one. We all know someone who has used a mechanic and they are usually very forthcoming on their opinion of the mechanic. They let you know if they were good or bad, overpriced or if they charged fairly. So ask around and see what others are saying.

That way, when something does happen to your car, you will know where you can go to get it sorted.