When you drive a car, it is important to be in proper control of the vehicle and this includes wearing the correct shoes.

Driving footwear should be comfortable and provide adequate ankle support but at the same time allow ankle flexibility.

It is often hard to get the correct thickness of the sole. Too thin or no shoes at all will reduce braking force, yet a thick sole may reduce the pedal pressure, it can often be hard to judge how much pressure you are applying.

Flip flops and other slip-on shoes are not a good idea as your foot may slip off the pedal. The same thing may happen even if you are wearing the correct shoes but they are slippery due to wet weather, so ensure you dry them before setting off.

Women leave the heels at home or at least swap them when you arrive at your destination. Wearing heels whilst driving is dangerous, the heel can become jammed and trapped under the pedal, this time delay could potentially cause an accident. Just as importantly you may break the heel and then you would have a ruined pair of shoes!

Emily Smith of Britannia Driving School said: “Keep a spare pair of shoes in the car, you don’t want to be caught out. Quick reactions whilst driving can be the different between life and death.”

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One of the first counties in Britain to switch off its speed cameras is to turn them back on again – after speeding offences soared.

Oxfordshire deactivated its 72 cameras and 89 mobile units on August 1.

The move came after Oxfordshire County Council withdrew its funding to Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, which co-ordinates speed enforcement.

Shortly afterwards the Partnership claimed the number of drivers speeding past the deactivated cameras had increased by up to 88 per cent.

The switch-off brought a storm of protest from road safety groups and residents who warned it would lead to an increase in accidents.

But on Tuesday it was revealed that the police and council were nearing a deal to turn all the cameras back on.

A county council spokesman said: “We’ve been in discussion with our partners at Thames Valley Police and we’re close to an agreement to have the cameras switched back on in the future.

“We look forward to being able to reveal the detail of that agreement in future weeks.”  The county had withdrawn £600,000 in funding to the Safer Roads Partnership – an organisation of the police and local roads authorities – because of Government cuts.

Oxfordshire switched off its cameras shortly after Swindon announced it was switching off its cameras from July 31.

A man from Lancaster admitted to driving his car whilst over the drink drive limit for more than three miles.

The man remembers drinking alcohol but then going to sleep with no intention to drive. He told magistrates that he had no memory of getting in his car and all he remembers is waking up in the back of an ambulance.

The man was clearly going through the motions when driving, as he got in the car, switched his lights on and drove more than three miles before hitting any bother or a wall!

A psychologist involved in the case said it is possible to sleep-walk whilst under the influence of alcohol and that he believes the man did not plan to drive and that it was an involuntary action. The man was cleared of the charge and no further action was taken.

This is an extraordinary case and one that anti drink-drive campaigners are appalled by.

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Fleet drivers are being warned about a new speed camera, designed to detect motorists who are committing up to five different driving offences, which could soon be appearing on Britain’s roads.

The Asset camera will be able to catch drivers who are speeding, measure distances between vehicles, pick out drivers who aren’t wearing seatbelts and identify vehicles without insurance or valid tax disks.

The European Commission has funded the new super speed camera, which is named Asset; advanced safety and driver support for essential road transport, and is currently being developed by a number of European institutions.

It has been reported that researchers hope to have the camera set up across Europe by 2013.

Senior research scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland, Matti Kutila, said: “The intention is to support traffic police to supervise that the drivers follow traffic rules such as wearing seat belts, preventing over-speeding and maintaining sufficient distance to the front vehicle. This, of course, is beneficial for road safety.”

Drivers in parts of Scotland have been warned about driving in the month of November after statistics show that November is the most dangerous month.

Scottish government records shows that the most road casualties are recorded in the month of November. It is thought that as the nights get darker more quickly and the weather conditions can change from day to day, drivers need to be more vigilant.

As we head further into the winter season, icy roads, fallen leaves and darker roads can all contribute to car accidents.

Demist the inside of your car thoroughly before setting off. It can often look misleading in the morning with the sun shining however, take extra care before setting off and leave yourself plenty of time to de-ice the car if necessary.

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Different vehicles require different category entitlements on the licence and the minimum age will vary depending on the vehicle.

Most people will hold a category B licence. This entitles them to drive a motor vehicle with no more than eight passenger seats and with or without a trailer weighing no more than 750kg.What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

Some will hold a category B auto licence this is the same as above however they are not allowed to drive a manual transmission.

B + E category allows you to drive with a heavier trailer than category B.

B1 category refers to motor tricycles and three or four wheeled vehicles.

The general rule is you must be a minimum of 17 years of age to hold any of the licences above. However, you are entitled to drive at 16 if you receive Disability Living Allowance.

To drive a motorcycle the age requirements are slightly different.

P category refers to a moped with a maximum speed of 50mph and an engine size no more than 50cc. You are allowed to possess this licence at just 16 years of age.

A1 refers to a motorbike with an engine size of up to 125cc and will require you to be 17 years of age.

A bus (more than eight passenger seats) with a trailer no heavier than 750kg holds the D category and you must be 21 years of age. With a trailer heavier than 750kg the category falls under D + E.

There are often exemptions and different age restrictions for those in the Armed Forces and for those that may hold a permit. The same is to be said for those that passed their test before January 1997 the category codes will differ on their licence, so please contact the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) for clarification if you are unsure.

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Speed cameras are not as effective as the cost of filling up your vehicle at reducing motorists’ speed, new research by RoadPilot has revealed.

Almost half of UK motorists claim to have reduced their average speed in the past 12 months, with concern over rising fuel prices being the main motivation.

Thirty-three per cent of those questioned in the survey said fuel prices had caused them to slow down, and only 13 per cent claimed traffic enforcement was the reason.

Meanwhile, environmental concerns caused only ten per cent of motorists to reduce their speed.

Learner drivers not only have to contend with the theory test, practical test and basic knowledge of how the car works and how to spot problems with the vehicle, but how to save the environment too.

Cars, mobile phones and the like are a part of our society and people won’t stop using them. So let’s at least try to reduce out carbon footprint and educate the next generation.

It is easier to start with learner drivers, we can mould their driving and outlook and not only teach them techniques that will allow them to drive in a low-emission way but also how to save them some money.

Its small things like; planning ahead not just on long journeys but looking at your surroundings and making a decision earlier rather than later.

Limiting the number of gear changes and allowing the car to do most of the work. If you are travelling downhill or slowing down ease of the accelerator.

Checking tyre pressure and ditching any excess weight whether it be bags in the boot or a fuel tank of petrol (yes its more eco-friendly to have no more than half a tank of fuel) will help the environment and should allow you to have a more relaxing drive knowing your saving the pounds.

Emily Smith of Britannia Driving School said: “It is not just learners that can learn these skills, it’s never too late for the rest of the driving population to take refresher lessons and change their ways. Help save the planet and save yourself money too.”

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Not wanting to get left behind in the race to develop hybrid cars, Nissan Motor Co. on Tuesday unveiled the environment-friendly version of its Fuga sedan.

Known as the Infiniti M in North America and Europe, Nissan’s first foray into mass-produced hybrid vehicles will go on sale in Japan on November 2 with a price tag of Y5.8 million (€51,410), the company announced at a press conference at its headquarters in Yokohama, south of Tokyo.

Nissan has not announced the release date in the US or Europe, although it is understood it will be in the early part of next year.

At 19 km per liter, the new Fuga is capable of double the mileage of the conventional gasoline-engine version, which was first released in November 2009. It will be substantially more expensive than the conventional sedan, however, which retails for Y4.3 million (€38,117).

Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan’s chief operating officer, told reporters at the launch that the company expects to sell 200 units a year in Japan but substantially more than that in the US, where the Infiniti has already proved popular.

We are all used to having electronic signals such as an indicator and hazard lights to warn other drivers and pedestrians of our next move. Yet hand signals were used prior to the invention of the car, for those on horse and cart.

From time to time we may have to use hand signals in order to pre-warn others of our intentions.

Authorised persons, such as police officers use hand signals in order to monitor and divert traffic normally if an accident has occurred or it a set of lights are out on a very busy road. However, they would normally replace a faulty set of lights with temporary traffic lights.

Motorcyclists, cyclists and potentially a car that has difficulty with their lights would use hand and arm signals in order to let other traffic know what they intend to do.

Holding your palm out flat and raising your arm up and down would indicate that the driver intends to slow down or stop.

Holding your hand out to the right indicates that you are going to move in to the right or are turning right.

Holding your hand out to the left indicates that you are going to move in to the left or are turning left. However, for somebody driving a car this signal would not be seen, therefore you would hold your hand out to the right and make circular motions with your hand.

A lollypop lady/man also uses arm signals alongside their stop sign/pole. If they hold the pole across their body it acts as a barrier to prevent children from crossing the road. Holding it with the stop sign touching the ground means cars should carry on as normal as nobody is waiting to cross. Holding the sign out towards the road is meant to signal for cars to prepare to stop. The lollypop lady/man will then enter the road holding the stop sign up-right in order to stop any traffic travelling over the crossing.

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