A recent survey carried out by a car insurance provider has found that a massive 90% of drivers admit to having broken the speed limit while travelling on UK roads.Only a tiny minority of those drivers polled by Autocar, just 3.5%, said they had never broken the maximum 70mph speed limit while driving on a British motorway, with 94.6% admitting that they knew they had driven over the limit had some point.Worryingly, 6.1% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they regularly drive at 90mph on the motorway.Given the results of this survey into driving speeds, the news that transport secretary, Philip Hammond, is to launch a public consultation on raising the speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways to 80mph is especially timely and shows there is a strong case for raising the maximum speed limit.The survey also sought to gauge the public reaction to a possible increase in the speed limit, and two fifths of respondents revealed they would like to see the limit raised.Car insurance experts believe that given the results of the Autocar survey, the transport secretary’s decision to look into raising the speed limit on motorways will be especially popular with drivers. If the government do decide to go ahead with a maximum speed limit of 80mph, it’s not likely to come into force until 2012/13 at the earliest.

Research has found that 67% of UK drivers said they didn’t think they would pass a practical driving test is they had to re-sit it.

Bad habits such as being distracted by music and changing CD’s and stations, texting and using mobile phones (this tends to be younger respondents – aged 18-24), eating and drinking, and driving whilst tired all contributed to poor driving skills.

Yet, it is things such as checking mirrors, gear changes, giving way and speed that would trip up even the most experienced drivers on a practical driving test. Most experienced drivers slip into bad habits and have their own style of driving which more often than not would not be test standard.

Even more worryingly is for those drivers that passed their test before 1996. These drivers would not have sat a theory test, this could limit their knowledge of road marking and signs which in turn could endanger themselves and other road users if they have not kept themselves up-to-date.

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When something is obvious we are able to respond, i.e. when snow is on our roads, we adapt our driving however, what about the hazards autumn brings.

There is very little advice available to drivers about the hazards autumn brings, such as low sun, evenings becoming dark in the blink of an eye, strong winds, heavy rain, fallen leaves and poor visibility.

Many drivers will know the frustration of being dazzled by low sun, the sun visor does nothing, the windscreen looks filthy and you find it hard to see anything in front of you. Well keeping a pair of sunglasses in the car will help and ensuring that the windscreen is free from dirt on both the inside and the outside, this also means ensuring your window screen wash is topped up.

Leaves on the road can become a huge hazard for motorists and pedestrians alike. Firstly they can cover road markings and obscure junctions. Secondly they can make the roads wet and slippery, so it’s important to take drive carefully and take extra care on tree-lined roads.

Wind can cause a multitude of problems, with vehicles being difficult to control on open roads and debris causing drivers to swerve.

The main piece of advice we can give is take extra care, plan ahead and ensure your car has been serviced and can handle the transition from summer to autumn and then through to the cold winter months.

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More than half of drivers in the UK would be unable to cope if they had a car without a stereo.
That is the finding of a poll by Confused.com, which showed a further third would quickly install a music system if their vehicle did not come equipped with one.
One in five men said they drive faster when music is playing and head of car insurance at the price comparison site Gereth Kloet noted playing tunes while behind the wheel has become something of a “modern tradition”.
“While we would, of course, encourage all drivers to concentrate on the road, we like happy drivers who enjoy being in their cars,” he added.
Motorists were asked about their favourite driving song and Queen took the top two places – with Bohemian Rhapsody trailing Don’t Stop Me Now.
However, a SEAT survey last week had Bohemian Rhapsody in first place, with drivers perhaps enjoying the chance to recreate their favourite Wayne’s World scene.

Under Government plans, there is a proposal to increase the motorway speed limit to 80 miles per hour by 2013.

The current speed limit of 70mph was introduced back in 1965 and is thought to be outdates and has lost legitimacy. With vehicle technology and design and improved road conditions, raising the speed limit could not only bring the UK in line with other EU countries but generate significant economic benefits, particularly from savings in travel time.

Not everyone is in favour of the proposed changes, RAC Foundation Professor Stephen Glaister said: “Drivers may reach their destination quicker however, they could be using up to 20% more fuel and emit 20% more CO2.”

There is also a danger that motorists that push the 70mph speed limit now and reach speeds of up to 80mph will be pushing speeds of 90mph when the new speed limit comes into place.

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Mr Ashworth of Oxfordshire was found guilty of death by careless driving after he knocked down a cyclist.

At the time of the accident Mr Ashworth was not licensed, not insured (as the car was borrowed from a neighbour) and he was under the influence of drink and drugs. The judge made it very clear that he will be facing a prison sentence.

The cyclist Mr Kahl who was knocked down was not completely blameless however, as he has also been drinking before the accident, was not displaying any lights on the bicycle and was listening to his MP3 player.

Ultimately if Mr Ashworth had not been drinking or had not taken cocaine before driving his vehicle the outcome could be very different for both Mr Kahl and his family. It is strongly urged that all cyclists take something away from this tragedy and remember the Highway Code:

At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit.

You must not ride when under the influence of drink or drugs, including medicine.

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A teenage learner became so confident after 15 driving lessons he decided to take out his mother’s car and wrote it off by smashing into a bridge parapet.
Greig Gorrie’s parents replaced the £6700 insurance write-off and have ordered their son to pay for the new vehicle with regular £100 instalments.
Perth Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday that Gorrie had been taking regular formal driving lessons and had completed more than a dozen by July this year.
Without his parents’ permission he decided to help himself to his mother’s Vauxhall Corsa to demonstrate his driving skills to his friend Christopher Stewart.
But the court was told that the impromptu lesson lasted only a few minutes before Gorrie lost control of the car because he approached a bend in the road at excessive speed.
Fiscal depute Nicola Manison told the court that the 19-year-old failed to negotiate a left hand bend on the B9112 Perth to Dunning road, near to the village of Aberdalgie.
He left the road and struck a wall and bridge parapet and both he and Mr Stewart were injured, while the Corsa was so badly damaged it had to be written off.
Gorrie, of Viewlands Road West, Perth, also admitted driving without insurance and without a qualified driver while he was a provisional licence holder on July 12 this year.
Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, said: “He had been taking lessons and had done 14 or 15 when he decided to take the car out to increase his knowledge of driving.
“Unfortunately he took the corner too fast and struck the wall. Neither he nor his passenger suffered significant injuries, but the car was written off.
“Since then his father has bought his mother a new car and my client is being made to pay that back at £100 a time.”
The teenager, who works for a garage, had his licence endorsed with eight points and was fined

A 25 year old woman holds the pain and grief of the death of her husband after he was hit by a car, but she also holds the guilt as she was the one that hit him.

Mrs. Knox, was driving their family car when she was trying to find her husband after an argument, she had her two young children with her in the back. She found her husband sitting on the pavement with his back to a fence and pulled up onto the pavement to speak with him.

She had not realised that whilst pulling on to the pavement she had struck her husband and he went on to die later that day in hospital.

Witnesses described her as hysterical when she realised what she had done and she immediately called the emergency services.

Suzanne Knox has denied causing her husband’s death by dangerous driving but had admitted a less serious charge of death by careless driving. Police accident investigators have said that she must have been driving very slowly at the time of impact as there was very little damage to the fence and hedge.

Emily Smith at Britannia Driving School said: “This it is a tragic accident that has seen a family lose a loved one. However, we must all think about how our driving and in particular our parking can affect others, in most cases parking on the pavement is restricted and when parking on the pavement is permitted, we must all take extra care to look out for pedestrians.”

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The Motor Insurers’ Bureau, which provides compensation to victims of uninsured drivers, has pinpointed the worst offending areas in the country.They include Bordesley in Birmingham, where nearly one in three drivers is without a policy. Other badly behaving areas include parts of Essex, Manchester and West Yorkshire.There are thought to be 1.4million uninsured drivers on Britain’s roads – or one in 25 motorists.Around 23,000 people are injured and 160 killed by uninsured and untraced drivers every year.Uninsured drivers cost inurance firms up to £500million a year and adds an average of £30 to every single annual premium, it is estimated.

A driver in Argentina has been given a second chance at life after narrowly escaping death when his van was hit by a train.

The driver jumped the gates at a level crossing and was hit by the oncoming train. Cameras fitted to the train showed the accident and shows the van being shunted along the tracks.

The man has been detained by authorities after he was given the all clear for injuries.

This was the second incident to take place in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires, when a city bus was hit by a passenger train, unfortunately this led to the death of 11 people, with hundred injured.

The City is now looking into the effectiveness of the railway gates however, it must be said that all drivers have a sense of responsibility and should approach all junctions and crossing with care.

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