With many experts stating that the UK is already in recession, drivers would do well to consider cutting motoring costs wherever they can. There are a number of tips that can help in the battle against rising prices but many drivers fail to take advantage of these simple measures.

For instance, you should not simply opt for the first insurance quote that you are offered. You will find that hundreds of pounds can be trimmed from your premiums by using price comparison websites. You will also find that motor insurers will look favourably on vehicles that are fitted with an immobiliser or alarm.

Why not shop around to find which petrol station offers the cheapest petrol and diesel prices? You should be aware that choosing a petrol station simply because it is nearest does not mean that it is the most economic.

Another tried and tested way of reducing fuel cost is to avoid frequent braking and acceleration. Driving your vehicle at a steady pace will not only see you save pounds but will also improve your road safety awareness.

Those drivers who have recently passed their test will find that there are a large amount of insurers who will offer a discount if they take the Pass Plus qualification. Taking this action could result in savings of 35-40%.

According to the AA’s British Insurance Premium Index the average cost of car insurance has now risen to nearly £725. This has come as unwelcome news for many UK drivers whose finances are already under considerable pressure from steep increases in food and fuel bills.

Motor insurers have stated that there has been a significant rise in the number of road accident personal injury claims and this has contributed to soaring insurance costs. Market specialists Datamonitor stated that they expect UK motoring claims to rise to around £10.9 billion by 2012.

A spokesperson for AA Insurance commented that young male drivers who do not have much experience are chiefly responsible for insurance losses. The average cost of an insurance claim for male drivers in this age bracket is £4,500 but claims from women of the same age are likely to be around £2,700. This is the main reason  why young male motorists can expect to be faced with insurance premiums that are twice as high as those for young female drivers.

The AA index , which was established in 1994, will normally monitor around 1000 car insurance premiums across the UK. The average is then calculated to produce a benchmark index figure.

A blind man was fined 500 euros and attained a one-month sentence for drink driving and driving without a license in a French court on Friday.

The man who cannot be named for legal reasons was a 29-year-old blind journalist who was arrested after driving the vehicle with a passenger who was also drunk. The 52-year-old passenger received a five-month driving suspension and was given a one-month sentence.

The bizarre incident took place in the French town of Nancy. The pair was arrested after Police spotted a vehicle suspiciously moving at a very low speed and was zig zagging across the road.
When Police finally stopped the vehicle, they were very shocked to discover that the driver was blind and both him and passenger were twice drunk over the permitted level.

The blind man told the court that he had an urge to drive the car and the passenger who was the owner of the car allowed this to commence.

Adding that he was extremely happy whilst attempting to drive and that he was very concentrated on the road.

Apparently, the journalist had driven before and recounted his experience in a French regional paper.

The judge prosecuting told the two men that they were in no fit mind state to drive any vehicle and that there sentence in prison will allow them to reflect upon their silly actions.

Every motorist is aware that road rage is a problem on Britain’s roads and that because we are a heavily populated country; we are to share the road with many other vehicles very regularly.

There are many road aspects that can lead to a driver’s temper furring but it is vital to keep calm and not let the rage get the best of you.

The best thing to do to avoid road rage is to stay alert and to be prepared for silly and stupid mistakes from other drivers. If this occurs then let it happen, don’t let it get the best of you, keep calm and take deep breaths. Do not respond in temper back to a driver who has clearly lost theirs. Never use swearing gestures – this will only infuriate the driver further. 

If unfortunately an angry motorist is following you then it is off high importance that you do not drive to your home, workplace, family or friends houses. Ensure to drive to a police station or a crowded area. Also write down the vehicles make, model, colour and registration number and phone the Police.

Do not over use your car horn as even a polite horn can be misinterpreted by an aggressive motorist. Also ensure you do not tailgate in any situation, maintain a safe distance, this is a very common cause for accidents and is intensely infuriating for any driver.

If you combine all those pointers with ensuring a supply of fresh air, melodious music and a non alcoholic drink then you will be set to have a safer, pleasant journey.

Drink driving in its own right is a very dangerous thing to do but new studies have revealed that the most dangerous thing to do whilst driving is to text and drive.

According to national research, texting impairs motorists further than alcohol and drug influences.

The research was compiled from a selection of different studies, one including findings from the RAC foundation who completed a simulator study. The study tested the affects of texting whilst driving and 17 – 24 year olds participated, the result found that reaction times were slowed down by 35% while they read and wrote texts.

The RAC also stated that nearly 50% of 18 – 24 year olds texted whilst driving. Reaction is slowed by 21% when cannabis is consumed and 12% slower when drunk to the legal limit.

When driving, people who text are more likely to cause a serious accident, as they are not in full control of their steering, by drifting in and out of lanes etc.

In actual fact steering control is decrease by 91% when on the phone, talking, texting or even holding the device. The combining factors of impaired reaction time and vehicle time are a greater risk then having consumed alcohol to the legal limit.

Drivers who use hand help phones face a £60 fine and three penalty points. In August, a law was implemented to harshly penalise those who cause death by careless driving.

When driving it is more than likely that you will experience passengers in your car, as the driver you must ensure that seatbelts are provided for them and that they are worn. Although as the driver you are solely responsible for passengers and the wearing of their belt if they are 14 years and under, passengers over this age need to ensure that they wear their belts themselves.

If you enjoy driving and like to socialise with people, then maybe becoming a taxi driver or bus driver may be the way forward for you. To complete this you may require a PCV – Professional carrying Vehicle driver specification.
No matter whether you are driving a taxi, limousine, tour bus or bus, your passengers comfort is vital. Also, ensure that the vehicle you are driving is road safe and has all the appropriate accompanying road documents. Check that your tyres are inflated, engine oil is at an appropriate level, and lights, horn and wipers are all working.

July 1st 2008 saw a change to the vehicle safety questions of ‘show me/ tell me’ questions that were originally introduced in September 2003.

The new additions include questions that cover a wider range of vehicle topics. The questions that learner drivers have to compulsorily answer as part of the theory test have now changed in order to make new drivers safer on the road.

The questions encompass a combination of vehicle safety and maintenance ones.  The method is that questions would be asked by the examiner and then the pupil would respond by telling the examiner how to check or complete the proceed.

The new questions that have now been added include ones that cover the use of wipers, demisters, brake lights, fog lights, head restraints, ABS warning lights and the correct operation of relevant controls and switches.

A 12 year old girl in Limerick was recently arrested with driving offences. The girl which cannot be named for legal reasons drove a vehicle around the streets of Limmerick around 4am in the morning and was arrested later when she crashed into the Garda car.

Garda is the Police force in Limmerick and after she was pursued by the patrol, she plummeted into the vehicle. In the pursuit, she also sped through two sets of traffic lights.

She appeared before the District court on five charges of dangerous driving, causing criminal damage, driving without insurance and a licence and then colliding with the garda car. She also appeared on two further public order charges dating back from July 17th.

She was remanded on bail until September 30th and must obey a curfew from 8am to 8pm. The Probation service will investigate the girl’s circumstances and will prepare a report for her next court appearance.

If plans so ahead by next month, there will be segregated motorway lanes that will allow drivers to drive past stationary traffic.

This privilege will cost £5 and will allow drivers to drive in this lane, depending on the length of the journey.

Ministers are due to award contracts for technology trials to begin next year on the new lanes, and have arranged 100-200 volunteer motorists to act as guinea pigs in trials that will go ahead soon.

The Department for Transport has confirmed that tolling is being considered for one lane on any stretch of motorway that is due to be widened.

We will bring you further information soon, so please revisit for updates.

The DSA was today being questioned by an AM to why it appeared harder to pass driving tests in North Wales apposed to other parts of the country.

There is a significant difference in the pass rate figures from Wales in comparison to the rest of the welsh county.

The pass rate in Rhyl, Denbighshire, is 35%, compared to 63% in Lampeter and Ceredigion. It also showed that waiting times also varied and pupils had to wait longer here.

Don Bartley, who runs Acorn School of Motoring in Mold, said: “Every instructor around here will tell you that the pass rate is very low and we’re all worried about it.

“None of us know the reason why but for example this morning I took a girl for a test in Chester because she’d failed twice in Mold and she sailed through.”

Mr Bartley also said that the waiting list was higher in Mold, which he believed was due to a closure of a test centre in Wrexham last year.

Stella Carrington, of the Independent Driving Centre in Rhyl, said: “Rhyl’s also been classed a deprived area – I don’t know whether that might have something to do with it.”