Transport for London has informed Britannia Driving School that their sponsored Pass Plus – London Scheme is ending soon; students will not be able to register after 31st March 2009 as their evaluation project is almost complete. New drivers who register before this date will have until 31st July 2009 to complete Pass Plus and claim their refund.
Road Safety Officer Transport for London, Steve Chesterman, said: “I would like to thank you for your valuable support in this important research project.”
The project attracted over 10,000 new drivers to Pass Plus – London and more than 2000 driving instructors are registered with the scheme.
Steve Chesterman said: “Transport for London is keen to maintain the links created with driving schools and driving instructors and will keep their details on our database. We will inform you of future campaigns targeting new and young drivers in London.”

Are you Pass Plus registered driving instructor? How you will be affected by these changes? What are your thoughts on the Transport for London’s decision? Send Britannia Driving School your views using the comments link below:

Under new powers police will not be giving verbal warnings and will instead issue fixed-penalty notices for careless driving or minor offences as failing to signal passing, too close to a cyclist or not displaying lights at night. Drivers will pay an automatic £60 fine and have three penalty points added to their licences.

As more than one million motorists have six or more points on their licences. Anyone who receives 12 points within three years is banned for six months. Road safety groups are concerned that with new power and will fuel suspicion among drivers that police are acting unfairly and that fines are being issued to raise revenue.

Unlike existing fixed-penalty offences, such as speeding and using a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel, the evidence for careless driving is much less clear-cut and is often a matter of the officer’s opinion.
A Department for Transport consultation paper says that there is evidence that police are not charging drivers with careless driving due to the issue of paperwork involved. “This would suggest that there are careless drivers who are currently ‘getting away with it’, an idea that is supported by the steady downward trend in the prosecution of careless driving.”

The Association of Chief Police Officers welcomed the move.

Night Vision and adaptive cruise control are the two pieces of technology that Britain’s drivers would most like to see on their next car.
In the poll, conducted by website MSN Cars of nearly 30,000 people, users were asked: “If you could only have one, which new gadget would you like to see in your next car?”
In total, 27, 506 people participated in the poll. The full results were as follows:
1. Night vision – 20%
2. Adaptive cruise control – 20%
3. Self – parking – 13%
4. Voice control – 13%
5. Internet feed – 12%
6. Slow speed auto braking – 10%
7. Active high beam – 8%
8. Lane keeping assistance – 4%
Content Manager for MSN cars, Tom Evans, said: “it’s a challenge for car makers to incorporate more and more high technology into their cars while at the same time keeping buying costs down in fiercely competitive markets, especially in the current environment. Our poll involving a very large sample gives clear indications of the technology the bulk of potential buyers want to see in their next car. It may also indicate that car manufacturers have a challenge in educating the public in terms of the benefits that some of these new technologies can offer in terms of convenience and safety.”

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

When you buy a new or used car it is important to take the car for a test drive and ensure it is the right car for you, below is a checklist of useful points you can use to compare the cars you test drive:
1. Do you like the look of the car?
2. Is there enough legroom, headroom, space between the seat and steering wheel in order for you to drive in a comfortable position (check the front and back)?
3. Are the dials easy to read and understand?
4. Does the engine sound quiet and smooth?
5. How does the vehicle stop (does it pull to one side, does it take longer then expected, any strange sounds)?
6. Do all the accessories work, don’t forget to try the windows, heater, A/C, radio etc.
If you want to go a step further you could try hiring the car for a week to see how the car runs on a day to day basis.

Most Motorists believe that electricity is the car fuel of the future, according to a new poll.Green car advisory website – TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk – polled the opinion of 1025 website visitors to ask what would be the ultimate fuel of the future, and 40 % voted for electricity.
The recent report from the Committee on Climate Change entitled “Building a low – carbon economy –the UK’s contribution to tackling climate change” which was published on 1st December 2008, stated that the UK should invest in the development of electric cars couple with the decarbonisation of electricity generation as part of a list of measures designed to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
Hydrogen took second place in the poll with 28% of the votes. Hydrogen has been widely acclaimed as a hopeful replacement to fossil fuels as it is able to offer a similar performance to that of a conventional fossil-fuelled car with the added benefit that hydrogen fuelled vehicles can be instantly refuelled unlike electric vehicles which require a waiting period to recharge. However hydrogen technology is currently still being refined while problems such as generation and storage along with the supporting infrastructure are still being addressed.
Hybrid technology offers the convenience of a fossil-fuelled with the cleanliness of an electric motor in urban driving conditions and took third place with 12% of the vote. While the second generation of biofuels languished in fourth position with just 9%
 What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

Econav will not just help you find your destination while you are driving your car,this hi-tech device could save you petrol and the planet as well. Econav prevents you when you accelerate and brake too harshly, it flashes when you need to shift gear according to speed. Navigation makers Vexia claims that this will reduce co2 emissions by 30%. This Idea seems to be very clever, however the public will decide when it hits the market.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

The DSA (Driving Standards Agency) has announced that elements of dangerous goods training for LGV drivers can be counted as part of their Driver CPC periodic training. Driver CPC is a new qualification which will affect all LGV drivers from 9th September 2009. All drivers will be required to complete 35 hours of periodic professional training within consecutive five year periods.

Are you an LGV candidate? How you will be affected by these changes? What are your thoughts on the DSA Proposal? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

Insurer Aviva has sold British School of Motoring (BSM) to German holding firm Arques Industries AG.

The company did not mention the purchase price but gross assets of the driving school business totalled £36m as at December 2008.

Aviva acquired BSM, which operates a franchised network of around 2,700 driving instructors, as part of its purchase of RAC in 2005.More than one in seven British drivers are thought to pass their test with BSM, which conducts more than four million lessons each year and signs up 130,000 new drivers annually. The company, which employs more than 600 people across Britain in 96 local centres and its Bristol head office, says that someone passes a driving test with it every two minutes.

An 11% increase in under 25’s failing breath tests over the Christmas period shows the battle against drunk driving is never-ending.
Figures released by the Association of Chief Police Officers show that of the 48,214 under 25s who were breathalysed during December 2,709 tested positive, failed to provide or refused a breath test. During the previous year’s 43,144 under 25s were breathalysed, of whom 2,182 tested positive.
During the festive campaign, police forces also conducted 481 field impairment tests, which are used to detect if drivers are under the influence of drugs. More than 28 per cent of those tested were arrested.
Kevin Clinton, RoSPA head of road safety, said: “The figures from the Christmas campaign show that the battle against drunk driving is never-ending. After 25 years of drink-drive campaigns, it is disappointing.”
 

Do you know of anybody that has been the victim of drink driving? What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

Tyres are very important for safe travel in your care, we have outlined some tips below on how to keep you tyres in the best condition which will make them last longer and help you save money.
• Check your tyres at least once a month to see the tread depth, ensure they are at least 1.6mm this can be measured using a simple tread depth tool available at car accessory stores.
• If you ever have a tyre that has got a puncture larger then ¼ of an inch never have it repaired as this could easy cause a blow out and cause you to lose control at any time.
• Ensure your tyres are correctly inflated and to the correct pressure, a tyre can lose upto half of its tyre pressure and still not appear to be flat so it’s important you check it on a gauge.
• When you do check your tyre pressures ensure you do this in cold weather and wait around three hours after you have drove anywhere.
• Don’t speed up / slow down or turn faster than required as this puts more strain on the tyres.

If you follow these basic tips, it will ensure you get the most out of your tyres and might even save you some money along the way.