The Public and Commercial Service union has warned that thousands of driving tests could be cancelled as a result of examiners beginning a 48-hour strike. The union says the new driving test means examiners will have to work longer and harder for no extra pay.

The chief executive of the DVSA stated the union was “trying to undermine” the new test. He said it showed a “shameful disregard for both road safety and learner drivers who have worked so hard”.

The DVSA said the new test offered a more realistic assessment of driving skills.

The PCS general secretary said his union had tried to negotiate: “No one takes strike action lightly and we acknowledge the disruption to the driving tests for learner drivers keen to pass their test.”

The union said examiners, who are employed by the DVSA, were being told to work harder as the tests come into force.

It said the tests were being accompanied by a “flexible working” regime, which gives managers the ability to deploy driving test examiners anywhere they choose without notice.

The PCS says this could mean staff working six days a week, but only being paid for five.

The DVSA said this was “simply not true”, adding that it had recruited more than 320 extra driving examiners in the past year.

What are your thoughts on the new test?

Safe driving from Britannia!

While many dogs will sit quietly on your back seat while you’re driving, others might move around, leap about and most likely cause a distraction. Even if your four-legged friend is well behaved in the car, it’s still vital to provide some means of restraint for them in case of an unexpected bump in the road or, heaven forbid, you are involved in an accident. The force of an impact could cause your dog to be thrown forwards in the car, resulting in serious injury or even death.

A dog should never sit on your lap while you are driving, or even on the laps of any passengers. It is generally safer for them to travel in the back of your vehicle as opposed to on the passenger seat. If your dog is happy to sit quietly in a crate or cage, then this is one potential option for restraining your dog when out driving. Alternatively, dog guards can be fitted in your vehicle, between the back seat and the boot area, providing a restricted area for your dog to be contained within.

For smaller dogs, it is possible to purchase a special “doggy booster seat” that ensures a comfortable seating position and safe attachment to the car. Harnesses are also available in most pet stores, and are generally considered to be the best and safest choice of restraint for your dog when travelling.

Safe driving from Britannia!

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after five people died after a car smashed into a tree.

Two men and three children all travelling in the same car, were instantly killed in the “catastrophic” crash on Saturday night in Leeds.

West Yorkshire Police said the suspect would appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning, charged with five counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The crash happened just before 10pm when shocked neighbours reported hearing a “loud bang” and seeing a car “completely squashed”. A forensic investigator was later seen photographing debris next to yellow evidence markers.

Recent research by an insurance firm has shown that hundreds of underage drivers are being caught every year in the UK, and numbers are rising. Last year alone, 725 under 17s received a driving ban after being caught behind the wheel, before they’re even old enough to hold a licence.

This has prompted calls for tougher penalties to prevent underage driving. The number of repeat offenders suggests that the current system of disqualification is not proving an effective deterrent to underage drivers, with some children caught behind the wheel 15 times.

Safe driving from Britannia!

We’ve all been stuck behind a bus at some point in our lives, and granted, it’s not much fun considering the number of stops it has to make between you and your destination. That said, your arrival on time is equally as important as that of the bus passengers, so try and be patient while behind the wheel. Furthermore, consider yourself fortunate enough to be able to drive to work in your own vehicle, as most commuters wish they could do.

Should the opportunity to overtake arise – if it is safe and legal to do so – then go for it! But if not, exercise that patience and wait for the right moment. Too many drivers get impatient and aggressive when the slightest delay is caused to their journey – even if they’re not required to arrive at their destination at any specific time.

Remember, the bus driver has a schedule to run to, and is in no more of a hurry than you. We can’t stress it enough – be patient, stay cool!

Safe driving from Britannia!

A number of drivers have been branded “irresponsible” for turning around after queieing inside a tunnel, causing what could only be described as chaos. The impatient motorists decided to simply ignore the fact that they were on a one-way system instead of waiting for the congestion to pass.

One motorist filmed the scene in the Butetown tunnels in Cardiff when they were faced with a “10 minute delay.” He said they simply exacerbated the situation after turning around and attempting to drive out of the tunnels on the wrong side of the road.

A minor collision on the A4232 flyover to Cardiff Bay had caused traffic to build at 6.15pm on Saturday afternoon, with cars queuing all the way down the dual carriageway.

However instead of waiting, footage shows a female driver of a black Mercedes telling other motorists to exit the wrong way out of the busy tunnel. Seconds later a silver 4×4 is seen with other cars using the tunnel’s second lane to turn around.

The witness reported: “The driver was telling other cars to get out the way and drive down the middle lane like you see emergency services do. People just started turning their cars around like it was a normal thing to do. They hadn’t been there for more than minutes. I couldn’t believe it.”

The traffic cleared in 15 minutes after the accident was cleared 300 yards away from the tunnel.

While there is nothing more frustrating than getting stuck in a traffic jam, please try and be patient as you may find the hold-up is not as drastic as it initially seems.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Waste crews in South Staffordshire are appealing to motorists to drive safely when overtaking bin lorries, following a series of incidents caused by dangerous driving. Since October 2013 when all bin lorries in South Staffordshire were fitted with 360^o cameras, they have recorded a monthly average of 8 incidents of poor, dangerous and aggressive driving.

Recorded footage shows impatient drivers mounting the pavement in order to get around bin lorries, instead than waiting. In one shocking incident, a car was recorded driving at speed around the bin lorry, almost hitting a member of the crew.  As a result the driver was cautioned by the police and fined.

One waste collection worker who has worked for Biffa for 12 years has reportedly witnessed or experienced to many close shaves, one of which was when he was nearly hit by a car while on a collection round in Codsall.

He said: “Every day, we are reminded by our supervisors that safety is of paramount importance. I was just out there doing my job – when a driver became impatient, decided to get round our wagon by driving dangerously, and nearly took me out. I don’t want to feel like a target just because I wear high visibility clothing and work out on the roads and streets providing a service for residents. It does worry me that people seem to have less patience, and seem more willing to risk my life and the lives of my workmates. Most of the danger we experience during our working days is caused by impatient and aggressive drivers.”

Safe driving from Britannia!

The low winter sun can hinder your vision when driving, at times making it impossible to get a full view of the road ahead. Don’t believe that wearing sunglasses at this time of year is silly – they are in fact an essential safety tool for any driver all year round. While they don’t provide perfect vision, they are a good first step to safe driving in the sun’s glare.

Grime on the inside or outside of your windscreen can refract and scatter bright light, intensifying the glare. A clean windscreen is much easier to see through whatever the weather, but especially when you are facing sunlight. It is advisable that you clean your windshield before your trip. Using wiper fluid can leave drops on the screen, which also reflects the sun, making it harder to drive until they dry up.

Your car’s sun visor is there to help reduce glare. In addition, you can increase its effectiveness with mini-visors available in most motor shops. Some are transparent, which helps to filter out glare while still allowing the driver to see through.

Safe driving from Britannia!

As the number of fixed cameras in the UK rises, nearly 12 million motorists receive a penalty notice each year. The RAC Foundation has collected data from fixed penalty notices issued for violating motoring law, and civil penalties, often issued for parking offences.

Their findings revealed that between 2015-2016 there were approximately 8 million local authority penalties, 2.5 million local authority bus lane and box junction penalties, 500,000 late licensing and insurance penalties and 1 million speeding and red light penalties.

A Criminology lecturer at Liverpool Hope University suggested that the figure of 12 million would reflect a small rise of about 1.5% on the previous year.

“There’s not really been that much change on top line levels, but what is changing is we are getting slightly more cameras,” he reported. There are also more cars on the road, with almost one car for every driver in the UK.

In 2015, 90% of all speeding offences were caught on camera. Between 2010 and 2014 the number of traffic police officers dropped by 24%. This reduction coincided with a period of falling costs for automatic enforcement technology.

A member of the RAC Foundation stated that while traffic offences should warrant necessary punishment, many motorists are being caught for minor wrongdoings while more serious offences go undetected.

Safe driving from Britannia!

A driving instructor has launched a petition calling for a new manoeuvre to be removed from the UK driving test, because he believes it to be dangerous. The new manoeuvre requires the learner driver to pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for two car lengths and re-join the traffic.

It is suggested that the manoeuvre contradicts the Highway Code, which states that drivers should never park facing against the flow of traffic.

“I think the move is dangerous because not only does it mean you’re moving across oncoming traffic, you’re moving over two lanes. You’ve got to remember that these are inexperienced drivers who are being faced with a manoeuvre that I personally rarely use, and is also against the Highway Code. I just think it’s unnecessary,” the driving instructor who launched the petition reports.

However, the Deputy Chief Driving Examiner at the DVSA, said that the new manoeuvre is designed to reflect how well people cope behind the wheel and ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to carry out the manoeuvre safely, which is why it is included.

According to the DVSA the new test has been trialled by more than 4,300 leaners, while a consultation showed that 78.6% of motorists agreed with plans to change how manoeuvres are tested. The petition has over 2,300 signatures. What are your thoughts on the new manoeuvre?

Safe driving from Britannia!

An off-duty police officer had no choice but to wrestle a raging motorist to the ground after he began spouting aggressively and lunged at another driver through his window.

The video captured on the A27 Sompting bypass in Worthing, Sussex, shows the man targeting a driver as he sat behind the wheel of his car in a row over “slow” driving.

The off-duty Sussex police officer detained the man as he tried to drive away from the scene. After a long tussle the cop managed to stop the man by wrestling him to the ground and holding him until another officer arrived at the scene.

During the incident other drivers repeatedly told the man to stop. However, he continued to act aggressively even after the officer showed him his police warrant card.

The man was eventually given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and fined for his actions. According to the report, he also admitted using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause distress and resisting a police constable.

A shocking eight out of ten motorists admit they have fallen victim to road rage in the past year. Try and avoid falling victim to it yourself by staying calm; move over if someone is tailgating you. Use an “I’m sorry” gesture (e.g. wave) to attempt to defuse the situation. Plan ahead; allow time for delays during your journey. Consider whether you’ve done something to annoy the other driver and adjust your driving accordingly.

Safe driving from Britannia!