A bus driver from Bristol deliberately knocked down a cyclist after an altercation that took place earlier that day.

The court heard that Gavin Hill had driven too close to Mr Mead who was on his bicycle and when the bus came to a stop Mr Mead propped his bike against the front of the bus and approached the bus driver over his actions.

After moving off, Mr Hill swerved his bus into Mr Mead which resulted in him suffering a broken leg and his bike being crushed.

CCTV footage shows this happening and Bugler Coaches has since sacked Mr Hill and added that the firm’s sympathies lay with Mr Mead.

Mr Hills was given a 17th month jail sentence as the judge said his actions “were not an accident”. His defence was that the collision happened in a “moment of madness.”

Martin McDonnell, from Bristol Cycling Campaign said: “It’s about time cyclists were treated as human beings and not just flesh”.

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As it stands the police do not have the laws or the technology to punish drug-drivers properly but under a new law expected in the Queens Speech, drug-driving in England, Scotland and Wales could become a specific offence with a jail term.

Police will be able to test saliva at the roadside with drugalysers. The exact drugs that will be covered by the offence and the specified limits for each will be decided following advice from the panel and public consultation. It is thought that cannabis and cocaine will be looked at.

Offenders caught could face fines of up to £5000, a driving ban of at least 12 months and well as a prison term.

People are dying due to the effects of individuals who drug-drive and we need to push for zero tolerance and be able to punish those that are caught appropriately.

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A woman from Teeside, Middlesbrough, has been revealed as the worst learner in the country after taking 35 attempts at her practical driving test before passing.

The woman would have spent in excess of £2000 attempting the test, but has been applauded by a local instructor in the area that said “Good for her for keeping going”.

The instructor said people that fail the test really need to stick at it and not feel demoralised.

Passing the test is not just down to ability but age, being able to handle your nerves and a little bit of luck on the day all play a part.

This Teeside woman is not alone however, as DSA figures show that nearly 900 people across the county have failed the test 16 times or more in the last five years.

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Finally, a very positive move in the vehicle industry. It is a positive way to drive the change.

Recent figures provided by Chargemaster reveals a new ever changing environment. It is an electric vehicle charging unit supplier who firstly had the vision and the commitment to excellence to chase this, who has delivered some revealing statistics.  A total of 1,000 people took part in a survey. The most interesting bit is that 58 per cent of the participants revealed that they would like to switch over to an electric vehicle (EV) in the near future. It would appear that more of us are become conscious of the effect our vehicles are having on the environment. We must do what we can and a lot of people have. At first, it was recycling bottles, then it was using recycle bins for grass, glass, cardboard and such.  Now we are ready to see how we can change our cars.

But, there could also be other reasons why we are so ready to switch to electric cars. The rising fuel rices can be taken as a warning sign. Pricing have been rising and many motorists have been unable to use their cars as much as they would like.

The popularity of electric cars is growing, it’s not too difficult to see a millions of people ready to trade in their cars with more cheaper, environmentally friendly versions. It provides better balance between living a healthy and balanced life. It is the future trend of transportation. The emergence of driving green technology is becoming far more aggressive and universal in nature. It is something that we look forward to seeing how it evolves.

Parents in Fort Wayne, Indiana made a trip to a liquor store in their car with their four children; there is nothing wrong with this I know. However, they were caught driving with the four children strapped to the roof of their car.

The young children aged, four, five, six and seven appeared unharmed when police stopped them, after an emergency call was placed. However, Child Protection Services have become involved and are investigating the couple and possible neglect.

The children were tied to the hood with a tow strap and to top it off the man driving was intoxicated. The danger they put these children in is unforgiving and both were arrested.

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There are road signs all around us and they are there for an important reason. The message is always written clearly and if you’ve done your homework you will know what they mean. They are there for your safety. Road signs should be taken seriously. People often overlook them or do not pay attention at all. Why? I think it’s because we get too relaxed and comfortable. But we must remember that driving is not a task that should be taken lightly. A car can be a blessing, and it most cases it is, but other times, when used for the wrong reasons it can have horrific effects.

We must therefore look for road signs  and understand their importance. Study them, remember them, test your self on them. Go back to your books. Remember they are there to help us drive more safely. We must drive safe because if we don’t then accidents happen. The road signs are very easy to read and understand. It is highly advisable to read them whenever you are traveling to a new and different place. It takes one wrong turn to keep on running in circles for hours.

Here’s what to do:

1. When you get in your car, make a conscious effort to look for road signs

2. Ask your self, “what does that mean?”

3. Then say, “do I have alter the way I am driving because of the road sign?”

It may be worth doing these things when you go for a walk. It’s amazing how many road signs you will see.

DRIVERS not wearing seatbelts are to be targeted by police in a new crackdown next week.
Forces across Scotland will be stepping up patrols on the roads to also snare motorists speeding and driving dangerously or carelessly.
Days of Action from Tuesday to Thursday are being co-ordinated by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS).
Drivers caught breaching the law could be fined or reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
Chief Superintendent Derek Robertson, from Lothian and Borders Police, who is the ACPOS lead on casualty reduction, said: “During this campaign the eight Scottish police forces will use marked and unmarked police vehicles to carry out static speed checks at identified hotspots.
“We will target road users who continue to break.
“The aim of the campaign is to prevent accidents on our roads and to promote safety. Those who break the speed limits can expect to be dealt with appropriately.”

Motorists in Northern Ireland have been dealt another financial blow after it emerged that the cost of driving licences will rise by up to 60%.
For people learning to drive the price of a provisional licence will be subject to a £12.50 hike (or 25%), going up from £50 to £62.50.
Renewing or repairing a licence will cost £30 instead of £20 (up 50%), while drivers applying for a licence after a disqualification will face higher increases of up to 60%.
Environment Minister Alex Attwood has announced the proposals to raise the fees at a time when drivers are struggling with record fuel bills.
Statistics from the AA last month revealed petrol and diesel cost more in Northern Ireland than in any other UK region.
University of Ulster retail analyst Donald McFetridge said the news will exacerbate the burden of owning, driving and licensing a vehicle here.
“These additional costs will add greatly to the already spiralling cost of living, particularly for younger motorists and for those who, in many parts of Northern Ireland, are heavily reliant on car usage due to geographical location,” said Mr McFetridge.
“Running a car these days is extremely expensive. Motor tax costs were increased at the last Budget with the result that a growing number of motorists are opting to tax their vehicles for only six months instead of 12, in spite of being able to save a small amount if they choose to tax their vehicle for the full 12 months.”

A DSA examiner from Lincoln has appeared in court to deny taking money and attempting to gain sexual favours in return for passing learner drivers on test.

Mr Cwierzona worked at the Barnet test centre as an examiner and has been accused of attempting to obtain money in exchange for passing pupils, yet he denies all charges.

Four defendants accused of corruption because they had agreed to pay or did pay Mr Cwierzona are also due to appear in court.

The monetary value offered to Mr Cwierzona was thought to be between £80 and £500 from the various learners.

Not only has this examiner defied the DSA and their rules and regulations for passing learners passed on their merit and performance on the day, but he is potentially endangering lives. If these learners felt they were competent enough to pass there would have been no need to pay the examiner.  If Mr Cwierzona had got away with this, we could have many drivers on the road who are not safe.

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The DSA (Driving Standards Agency) who conduct all driving tests are set to trial tablet computers in a bid to cut down on paper use and time interpreting the candidate’s data.

At present, an examiner will complete a paper examination form on the day of the test and no matter what the result, the form is sent off to the DSA’s head office in Newcastle to be processed. If a candidate is successful the information then needs to be sent to the DVLA in order for a full licence to be issued.

The tablet computers are hoped to save time, money and speed up the process of obtaining your full licence, not to mention save trees. With the DSA conducting over 1.6million tests last year alone, they needed to review the current old fashioned way of recording test data.

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