Police are warning drivers to use their common sense and clear their vehicles of ice and snow before attempting to drive.

The warning comes as the county sees another morning of chaos on the roads.

Although the last remnants of snow have finally melted, the problem of ice on the roads – in particular the treacherous black ice, that is hard to spot – remains.

There were a number of collisions on roads during this morning’s rush hour, including at Chacewater, Redruth and on the Longdowns to Stithians road.

Police officers are out and about keeping an eye on the flow of the traffic and have urged people to make sure they make checks on their car – including the most basic, of being able to see out the windscreen – before driving away.

The rumours that spread about the new Volkswagen Polo not being suitable for test are untrue according to the DSA (Driving Standards Agency).

Potential buyers and instructors were equally worried that they may experience trouble with the car.

It was the Hill Start Feature that was cause for concern, with many fearing that this would make the VW Polo unsuitable on test and the DIA received many quires regarding this.

The hill start feature allows the driver to have a few seconds delay when moving their foot from the footbrake to the accelerator on an uphill or downhill gradient.

However, the DIA and DSA squashed any concerns on the matter and state that cars fitted with the hill assist feature may be taken on test. More and more cars are being fitted with this feature as standard therefore, why should drivers not be allowed to us it on test if they can use it in their own car once they pass.

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The officers, who were off-duty when found to be over the legal limit, have all been suspended.

The BBC understands officers have been warned drink-drivers will be “fast-tracked” to dismissal rather than have a drawn-out disciplinary process.

Drink-driving is regarded as a severe breach of the PSNI’s code of ethics and merits an automatic sacking.

Police carried out 5,780 tests, out of which 414 drivers were over the limit – down 13% on the same period in 2008.

Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland said the officers would face “the full rigours of the law”.

He said those caught drink-driving “begin 2010 with the prospect of going to court where they will almost certainly lose their driving licence.

“They should count themselves lucky – they could have lost their own life or destroyed the lives of others had police not stopped them.”

China has an unusual way of punishing those that have committed a traffic offence – totally humiliating them!

The offenders are made to stand on the corner of a road, holding a white flag with red characters. They must stand there for the whole day waving the flag at passing traffic.

This one day sentence of embarrassment I can only presume is very boring, but it does allow for the offender to reflect on their behaviour and possibly deter others.

It is also a way of freeing up valuable resources for those that commit the more serious crimes.

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Drivers of mobility scooters are being given road safety training following a series of accidents.

Norfolk Police are teaching users how to slalom round traffic cones and how to improve their reversing skills and parallel parking.

Despite the scooters having a top speed of just 6mph, drivers have been involved in serious collisions with pedestrians and other scooter users.

Last year in Doncaster a toddler was knocked down by one of the vehicles and dragged down the road. The 70-year-old woman driver was apparently unaware of what had happened.

Shopkeepers in Great Yarmouth have complained that drivers are knocking over displays.

Scooter retailers welcomed the move.Michael Lockwood of South Norfolk Mobility Centre told Sky News: “It’s a brilliant idea. Some of these machines can weigh 140 kilos and in the wrong hands can be very dangerous.

“A pedestrian had her hip broken a while ago and I’ve also heard of a hit and run incident. The government needs to ensure all drivers are insured.”

Presently, drivers are exempt from road traffic rules – they do not need to take a driving test or have a licence to use a scooter. There is also no legal requirement for insurance.

An adjournment debate, titled Mobility Scooters and Road Safety, is being held in the Commons, and in February MPs will hold an inquiry into scooter safety.

One option is to ensure that training is given before drivers are allowed on the streets.

Tips For Winter Driving
· If the forecast or conditions are bad, only drive if it is absolutely necessary
· When you’re on the road, leave at least a three-second gap between you and the car in front
· Check local traffic and weather reports for their planned route
· On long journeys keep you car well-ventilated to prevent drowsiness – and take regular breaks
· Plan your journey in advance and check for diversions or closures
· Keep an up-to-date roadmap in the car
· Let friends or family know where you are travelling and when you expect to arrive
· Keep a fully-charged mobile phone with you in case of breakdown
· Wrap up warm and take a blanket, waterproof clothing, sensible footwear and a fully charged mobile phone in case of breakdown
· If you begin to skid, turn into the skid to correct it

Your vehicle
Before heading off, you should make the following checks:

· Check tyre pressure (spare tyre too!), tread depth and oil level
· Check all lights are working correctly and remember to keep them clean
· Check front and rear wiper blades for wear or splitting
· Screen wash additive should be added to prevent freezing
· Make sure you have enough fuel for your journey
· Check anti-freeze should be added to your vehicles cooling system in line with the manufacturers specification
· Before setting out on a journey, remove ice and snow from your vehicles windows and lights. Do not drive with a small hole cut through the ice on your windscreen. The Highway Code states that it is illegal to drive with poor visibility. Ensure you demist the windows properly before you drive off
· Do not use hot water from a kettle to clear your windows, as this may crack the glass
· Carry a key de-icer with you to unfreeze frozen locks

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) have found that most motorcycle crashes occur in daylight in fine weather.

Sunday is the day that sees most accidents with 20% more accidents happening than any other day. This is thought to be because Sundays allow drivers to take a leisurely drive where they are likely to travel longer distances than the average weekday commuter.

Over half of rider fatalities are a result of bikers leaving the road and hitting a roadside object and most serious crashes happen on bikes that are over 500cc.

Not surprisingly it is the younger drivers that have more accidents and this is put down to the fact that they have less experience on the roads. The younger riders are also the ones that tend to crash in urban areas at junctions.

Simon Bush of Britannia Driving School said: “Experience, confidence and competence. These all contribute to the making of a safe rider. Even if the conditions are clear this is a message to warn all road users not just motorcyclists that accidents can still happen.”

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The Scottish Conservatives are calling for police to be issued with devices which can test whether motorists are under the influence of drugs.

Justice spokesman Bill Aitken said that ‘drugalysers’ were already in use in Australia and on Thursday, he urged the UK Government to ensure similar equipment be made available here.

The move would allow police who already test people’s blood alcohol to also check if they have taken illegal substances before getting behind the wheel.

Mr Aitken said his party had been pressing the Government on the issue for for three years. And he claimed the Conservatives had previously been told the “best case scenario” was that a testing kit would be available by the end of 2007.

However, he said: “Two years later nothing has happened.”

He demanded: “The sooner this equipment is available for use in Scotland, the better it will be for the safety of everyone on our roads.”

Mr Aitken said there had been a significant change in public attitudes towards drink driving, but insisted action will have to be taken if the public attitude towards drug driving is to move in the same direction.

He continued: “The existing system for dealing with drug drivers is laborious, involving road side tests where the suspect is asked to walk in a straight line and do mental arithmetic. If it results in an arrest, the police vehicle is off the road whilst the police surgeon is summoned and this can take two hours.

“The Westminster Government must ensure the appropriate technology, similar to the breathalyser apparatus used in drink-driving cases, is available for roadside drug testing. Drug-driving is in many respects now more serious than drink-driving.”

ACCIDENTS on Swindon’s roads have continued to rise since speed cameras were scrapped but the number of speeders has halved.

Swindon Council leaders claim the figures prove they made the right decision by deactivating fixed speed cameras at the end of July.

But motoring groups and opposition politicians have warned that it is too early to claim Swindon’s roads are now safer.

According to figures released by Swindon Council there were six injuries on Swindon’s roads between August and October of this year. Two of these were serious injuries, while four were slight.

Over the same period in 2008 there were four slight injury accidents and one fatal.

The council also said that over the same three-month period in 2009 1,033 motorists received prosecution notices after being caught by mobile cameras. The figure for 2008 was 2,227.

With the present economic conditions, it is thought that around half of all motorists (46%) are failing to have their car serviced, repaired and maintained. 

Car-related expenditures are deemed not as important as other expenditures such as Christmas.

Some non-essential car expenditures such as the latest Satellite Navigation and alloy wheels can be overlooked, but worryingly some individuals are delaying the purchase of things such as replacement tyres and scheduled services. These are crucial for safety and have an impact on the warranties and insurance and also on the resale value.

Simon Bush of Britannia Driving School said: “It does not help that petrol and insurance remain at an all time high. Cars can be expensive to run at the best of times but with the economy the way it is and the government not easing on motoring costs many people are gambling with their safety, not to mention other road-users safety.”

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