First things first, ensure that you are not in any immediate danger. Make sure your engine is switched off, your hazard lights are on and you vacate the car. It is important to make sure nobody is smoking.

If anybody in any of the vehicles involved are injured try your best to assess their injuries and call an ambulance. If they are seriously injured, only move them if it is absolutely necessary. If a motorcyclist is involved do not remove their helmet unless they have breathing problems.

You are by law required to stop at the scene of an accident and provide a certain number of details including your name, address and registration details. However, if you cannot provide these immediately you must report the incident to your local police station within 24 hours.

You must also provide details of your insurance policy. Again if this is not possible at the scene you must provide your contact details and inform your insurers as soon as practicably possible.

When you make a claim it is not always easy to prove who was responsible. Therefore it is important to make note of the other parties make, model and registration number. If possible, it’s advisable to take photos of the scene and note down the weather conditions, road conditions and whether they were any witnesses present. If there are try to take down contact details from the witnesses.

Finally stay calm. At the end of the day if you can carry out the instructions above you must be ok, a car is replaceable you’re not!!

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MOTORING football fans have been warned not to go down the wrong road by considering driving after drinking during televised World Cup matches.

Durham Police have issued the eve of tournament warning to the motoring public, among fears usually sensible drivers may be tempted to drink if caught up in the excitement of big game televised feedback from South Africa.

The World Cup forms a major consideration of this year’s police summer drink-driving crackdown strategy.

Patrol officers will be out in force during the campaign targeting those who think they can drink and drive and get away with it, while also checking for drivers who may be impaired by drugs.

Inspector Ken Cook, of Durham Police’s strategic road policing department, said: “Summer is generally a time for socialising and having fun and this year will be no exception.

“With the World Cup starting in a few days time we also expect lots of people to have a drink while watching the action.

Learners are taught how to carry out the cockpit drill in their driving lessons and once passing the test will continue to follow this procedure. However, how many of you make checks before starting your journey?

There is a lot more to just mirror, signal, manoeuvre – you should be making a series of checks before starting the engine to enhance both your comfort and safety.

You must by law wear a seatbelt. It is there for your safety and can have such a major impact in the case of an accident.

You must ensure that you can reach the pedals and steering wheel with ease and that all mirrors are correctly aligned. You should be able to see in all mirrors with little head movement.

It is also important to check that your head restraint is in the correct position. It is an important feature that can prevent whiplash injuries in an accident.

It may sound silly but it is important to check that all doors, including the boot are secured properly.

There are also a number of things you could consider to make your journey more pleasant and comfortable, such as cushions and blankets for longer journeys, a bottle of water and a first aid kit in the boot for emergencies. Now sit back and enjoy the ride!

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It was 75 years ago that the compulsary UK driving test was introduced. Nearly 250,000 people applied to get their licence from just 250 examiners who each assessed up to 16 drivers per day. The pass rate was 63 per cent.

Fast forward to 2010 and things have changed somewhat. Our road network has expanded vastly to cater for the 28.3 million cars using it each day (up from 1.4 million in 1935), while pass rates have dropped to 44 per cent.

Cars too have progressed hugely, not just in terms of speed or safety, but increasingly in their fundamental componenets: means of propulsion, transmissions and a proliferation of electronic driver aids place a completely different set of demands on today’s motorists.

Amidst all of this changes to the test itself have been relatively small. Training of examiners has become more stringent, more classifications have been identified for different classes of vehicle and since 1996 would-be drivers have been made to complete a theory element alongside the traditional practical one.

There have always been long debates as to who make better drivers – men or women.

Insurance companies continue to suggest that young males have riskier driving habits, generally men aged between 16-25 years old and this results in higher premiums.

Research by various organisations have also found the following:

Fatalities between 1999 and 2005 were around 175,000 for men and 82,000 for women. However, there are more males on the roads than females!!

Men are twice as likely to instigate road rage using gestures, which is not productive.

Women find manoeuvres more difficult especially reversing.

41% of men have admitted to reading a map whilst driving compared to 23% of women.

Men find breaking speed limits more acceptable – 53% of men compared to 22% of women.

Natasha Simper of Britannia Driving School said: I guess we can say that this argument is like the chicken and the egg conundrum, the answer will never be known!

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Millions of motor insurance customers in the UK are running risks with their car maintenance in a bid to save money on motoring costs, it has been claimed.

Car manufacturer Ford found that one in five UK motor insurance policyholders have no breakdown cover.

Due to rising road tax and fuel costs, roadside assistance cover is neglected by younger car insurance holders, with 28 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds forgoing any cover.

All of this is surprising considering recent independent research from consumer group Which? revealed that one in six motor insurance customers experience at least one breakdown a year.

A nationwide motoring scam has been uncovered by police carrying out raids across Greater Manchester.

Two men were arrested in connection to the network, which has seen hundreds of motorists avoiding more than 2,000 penalty points and £40,000 in fines.
Police officers raided 11 homes in Tameside and Gorton, seizing computers and documents.

The detained men, both aged 39, have been arrested and are currently being questioned.

The scam centres on people who have avoided convictions for motoring offences – including bans – by making false nominations or causing false information to be provided to police on their behalf.

An expectant mother in Minnesota went from having labour pains at work to holding her baby whilst driving to the hospital.

The mother picked up the baby’s father on the way to the hospital and although being in discomfort continued to drive the journey as the baby’s father has a history of seizures and they thought it was safer for her to drive.

Ms McBride was driving when the baby simply slid out. The father had to then take the wheel as she cradled the baby in her arms. The baby boy named Joseph was a healthy baby weighing 8 pounds.

However, the hospital were shocked to discover that the mum was driving whilst in labour, which of course is not recommended and deemed extremely dangerous. If there is nobody that can take you to the hospital, the safest thing to do is call the ambulance service.

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At present the minimum age to obtain a license is 17 but is expected to rise to 18.

The government are looking to propose a number of changes such a 12 month training period for new drivers, meaning a 17 year old will not be able to obtain a full license.

They also want to introduce a zero alcohol policy for all new drivers regardless of their age. Anyone caught with alcohol in their system will be forced to retake their driving test.

Research suggests that by introducing the new age limit, more than 1000 deaths and 700 causalities could be avoided.

The government along with campaigners and insurers feel that the current process is just simply not safe. Many young drivers learn to drive within a six month period, meaning that they have never driven in certain weather conditions.

Most new drivers have never driven on the motorway and new drivers don’t seem to be taking up the opportunity to carry out the pass plus course, which is not only designed to help new drivers become safe and competent on the road but also to reduce insurance premiums.

It is important to point out that driving may be fun and give immense freedom but it also carries huge responsibility, hence these new rules and regulations. However, other forms of driving such as motorcycles would also need to be addressed otherwise young people might be inclined to learn to drive a bike instead of a car.

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A Spartanburg woman arrested after Union police clocked her Buick at 102 mph in a 45-mph zone Tuesday spent Wednesday trying to figure out how she wound up in Union.

Sandra Weiss Powell, 72, of 180 Hilltop Road, Spartanburg, told the Herald-Journal Wednesday that she left home to go to a hair appointment on East Main Street in Spartanburg, but turned right when she should have turned left.

“I really was out of it,” Powell said. “I don’t know how I got there. I don’t drive that fast. The best thing was that police stopped me, and the nightmare ended.”

A Union police officer met Powell on Highway 176 as she was driving toward Union, estimated her speed at 101 mph, measured it at 102 mph and turned around to follow her.