A DSA (Driving Standards Agency) examiner at Morden Test Centre alerted the police to a 35 year old who regularly took practical driving tests for other people.

Gageen Preet Singh who took payment of up to £3000 from individuals wanting him to impersonate them on test would wear wigs and disguises in order to trick examiners. Unfortunately his disguise on this occasion led to him being sentenced to a 12-month prison sentence at Guilford Crown Court.

Mr Singh is thought to have taken over 100 fraudulent tests, many of which he failed. He even sat exams whilst disqualified for drink driving.

Officers found around £55,000 in Mr Singh’s property thought to be from the scams, this money along with his car is to be forfeited.

It is worrying to think that if this examiner had not informed the police, thousands of potentially dangerous and unqualified drivers would be on the roads. Even more worrying is that Mr Singh could not pass the practical test despite taking it hundreds of times.

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Cell phones, music players, and a numerous other gadgets in cars pose a constant problem – distraction for the drivers. But soon, in-car coach could solve this problem.

Professor Linda Ng Boyle from University of Washington has developed an in-car driving coach, an electronic device that reminds you to keep your eyes on the road if it finds your vision wandering away from the road.

The coach uses an eye tracker to monitor drivers’ gaze.

“By providing continual feedback, drivers may be more likely to learn from their mistakes and put their eyes back on the road,” said Boyle.

In the study, the high-risk drivers’ longest glances tended to be between 2 1/2 seconds and 3 seconds. They also had the shortest time to collision, a measure of how long until they could crash.

After the drive, a trip report summarized what the driver did right and wrong.

The coach decreased the length of high-risk drivers’ glances by an average of 0.4 seconds and the feedback also increased the high-risk drivers’ time to collision by roughly 8 seconds.

“I think that drivers are coachable,” Boyle said.

“The worst drivers can benefit the most, because we can change their behavior the most dramatically. We can also reinforce the good behavior for safer drivers,” she added.

A two-litre VW Beetle convertible with top speeds of 114pmh now runs on human excrement.

UK engineers have established the bio bug which runs on methane gas generated by human excrement. Household sewage is processed by anaerobic digestion at sewage works, which in turn generates enough energy to power the vehicle.

It is hoped that energy will also be generated through treating general household food waste.

The methane tanks are found in the boot of the Beetle and the car cleverly converts back to petrol when the methane tanks run out. The car does use unleaded petrol until the engine is up to temperature but swiftly converts to methane.

This new green motoring idea is thought to out shine electric models and is thought to be one of the most sustainable cars around.

Natasha Simper of Britannia Driving School said: “It is amazing that this prototype could soon become reality with millions of drivers recycling energy to power their cars whilst reducing CO2 emissions. I just hope that the cars come with an air freshener!”

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Some 64 per cent of British drivers have admitted to driving in a potentially dangerous way, a study has revealed.

Research conducted by Sainsbury’s Car Insurance found that 38 per cent of motorists had driven while eating or drinking in the last month.

Some 28 per cent admitted to driving whilst feeling tired, 18 per cent said that they had got behind the wheel while wearing flip flops or without shoes, which is a four per cent increase on last year.

Over the last month, some 16 per cent of motorists drove at excessive speed, the survey revealed.

Ben Tyte, Sainsbury’s Car Insurance manager, said that simple things like eating while driving can significantly increase a person’s risk of being in an accident on the roads.

“We would urge motorists to focus on their driving and not be tempted to engage in anything that may distract them,” he added.

Earlier this week, research by the Institute of Advanced Motorists revealed that 44 per cent of motorists in the UK are in support of the government’s decision to cut the funding of speed cameras.

The independent driving section of the practical driving test will come into effect on the 4th October 2010.

Newspaper reports have suggested that the independent driving may lead to an increase in people failing the test however, this is based on early research when independent driving was still going through the trial stages. Current studies have found that there is no significant fall in the pass rate.

The key thing to remember is if you go off course (this can happen to even the most experience drivers) you will not fail and be left to orientate yourself back to the test centre, the examiner will put you back on route.

Learners have asked whether using a sat nav is acceptable and the answer is no. You are meant to be making your own decisions as opposed to listening to step-by-step instructions.

A short video can be found on YouTube explaining more about the independent driving aspect which has been published by the DSA (Driving Standards Agency).

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Most standard insurers base a quote on the driver’s age, employment status, address, marital status and estimated mileage.

At least 2 millions drivers are thought to be uninsured in the UK and many of drivers are under 25. The Co-op says that with higher premiums for younger drivers and inflation rates it is leading to an uninsurable generation.Those under the age of 25 can pay anything up to £2000 for car insurance and for many who are still at college or university, it is almost impossible for them to find this kind of money.

The Co-op is working alongside other insurers to promote a new scheme which will allow drivers to pay as they go and make huge saving by driving during off-peak hours.

Drivers wanting to take advantage of this scheme will be required to complete a short online training course and answer questions such as the dangers of not wearing a seat belt or speeding and the effects that drink and drugs can have on an individual’s driving behaviour.

A black box will be placed in the car which will be able to record when the car is being used. If the driver drives in what is known as the red hours (11pm-5am) they will be charged an additional £45 on top of their payments. It is thought that most car accidents involving young people happen in the red hours.

There are also lots of other insurers who allow drivers of all ages to pay for single day use or monthly use of their vehicle. This will especially help those who hold a provisional licence and want to learn in their parent’s vehicle.

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A section of the Crimes Act that led to drink-driving charges being dismissed against a Sydney woman because she lived in an area without public transport is under review, the NSW Police Minister says.

Jasmin Clair Henley, 27, who lives in the north-western suburb of Cattai, walked out of Downing Centre Local Court yesterday without a conviction.

She recorded a blood-alcohol reading of .067 while driving on the Cahill Expressway last month after she told police she drank two glasses of wine at a dinner in Paddington in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Mr Maloney made his ruling under section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act, which allows for the dismissal of charges by a court after certain mitigating factors, such as a person’s character, the nature of the offence and extenuating circumstances, are considered.

It is understood Mr Maloney also decided to dismiss charges against Ms Henley because her lawyer argued she could lose her job if she lost her licence.

Police Minister Michael Daley said there was “never an excuse for drink-driving”.

“That is why the NSW Government has set high penalties for drink-driving offences and police regularly target drunk drivers on our roads.”

Speed limits are implemented to not only reduce accidents but to keep traffic moving smoothly.

The general speed limits for cars and motorcyclists are:

30mph in a build-up area with street lighting

60mph on a single carriageway

70mph on a dual carriage way or motorway

However, the speed limit is not the same for all vehicles, cars towing trailers or caravans, buses, coaches and good vehicles all have varying speed limits to abide by.

You will find in some instances that the speed limit is temporarily changed. Take for example on a motorway, generally if there has been an accident, the speed limit can be reduced to 40 or 50mph.

Surprisingly there are not only maximum speed limits but occasionally you will find minimum speed limits as well. Driving to slowly can be just as dangerous as driving too fast. By holding other drivers up you may encourage them to overtake dangerously or cause tailbacks affecting thousands of motorists.

When acknowledging speed limits, it is also important to take in to consideration the road conditions and weather conditions. Driving down a country lane with a speed limit of 60mph is not appropriate if it is icy of raining heavily.

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THE number of people driving without motor insurance has fallen by 20% during the past four years.

An estimated 1.5million motorists were on the roads despite not having insurance cover during 2009, down from 1.8million in 2005, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) but despite the reduction, it is still reckoned that 4% of drivers in the UK do not have any cover, the highest level in western Europe.

Every year, uninsured drivers in the UK kill 160 people and injure 23,000, costing insurers about £500million and adding the equivalent of £30 to the cost of policies for honest motorists.

Four of five top hotspots for uninsured drivers between 2007 and 2009 were in Birmingham, with Small Heath taking the top slot, followed by Bordesley and Saltley.

Driving can be stressful at the best of times, but for those that have a physical or cognitive disability it can be even more difficult without the right support.

Driving as a disabled person can bring immense freedom and independence. The Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation Mobility Centre (QEF) in Surrey aims to develop ADI’s skills and provide a register which gives details of such instructors who can provide adapted vehicles and teaching methods in your area.

Basic adaptations to a car can make a huge difference to those with physical impairments, such as a simple bolt on the steering wheel to a complex joystick which allows the driver to operate the accelerator, brake and steering using just one hand.

Of course it is not just new drivers that will benefit from this style of teaching but those who hold a full license and may have acquired a disability during their driving years.

Those teaching learners with disabilities may also find they encounter communication problems however, this should not hold them back once having received training from QEF. ADI’s will learn how to deal with people with hearing and speech difficulties and how effective certain methods are, including using forms of sign language.

The structure of the body and how it works along with basic knowledge of various medical conditions and the impact this can have on safe driving will be taught on the course provided to ADI’s at the QEF mobility centre.

Natasha Simper of Britannia Driving School said: “The Queen Elizabeth Mobility Centre is allowing people with disabilities the chance to achieve outdoor mobility and learn in an environment that is safe and supporting to their needs. Any ADI that joins the course and goes on to teach those with disabilities will have the pleasure of knowing that their job has changed the lives of so many individuals.”

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