An elderly man who embarked on an hour and a half journey to visit his daughter was still attempting the journey 30 hours later.

Mr Leighton had become confused on his journey from Berkshire to Kent after missing his turning, he then took a series of wrong turns, which meant him stopping to refuel and taking a much needed nap at a service station.

He had made the journey to his daughter’s house many times before and cameras picked him up only 6 miles away from her house at one point, when police were called to investigate his whereabouts after his worried daughter filed a missing person claim.

He was eventually found in South London, still attempting to drive to his daughter’s house.

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Many pupils are concerned about the changes to the theory test set to take place in January 2012. However, these pupils are not sure what is going to change, so really their worries are unfounded.

Let me explain, the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) will be adding new multiple choice questions to the theory test and these questions will not be published anywhere. At present learners have access to all the official DSA theory questions and many are choosing to simply revise the answers rather than learning the Highway Code.

The DSA will still continue to release the old theory test questions and answers to enable pupils to understand the format of the test and learn from them.

So in short the theory test will still continue to have 50 multiple choice questions and the hazard perception test stays unchanged, pupils just need to go into the test having understood the Highway Code.

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Are there any special instructions to be followed while driving in winters? You should have asked that question few weeks or at least few days ago. It seems that we need to go back and read the manual once again all over. Time is still not lost here! We can prepare ourselves to avert the danger by following few simple guidelines. It is always a kind of challenge to drive in extreme weather conditions. The secret is to stay focused and alert all the time. You should make a winter car kit first. This is the best way to prepare yourself against any kind of unwanted situations.

The instructions clearly read out that you should maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. It goes without saying that you should drive slowly as it takes extra time to make a turn or apply breaks etc. There are specific instructions to be followed, in case of a car break down during winter season. The first step is to position your vehicle at a safe place far away from the road. You should keep warm clothes and sleeping bags in the car. The list goes on till the end. You can keep on adding more items to make yourself feel comfortable or secured.

Ingenie a telematics company have designed a black box which can record driving information. Insurers are interested in the devise to help match car insurance premiums with a drivers driving skill.

Gary Lineker has invested in the company as he understands the brand and the reason behind it, he is keen that young drivers improve their driving behaviour and sees the reduction in their insurance a key way to entice this. It is aimed mainly at 17-25 year olds as drivers in this age bracket are normally hit hardest with high insurance.

Policyholders will be insured initially and the black box will be fitted free of charge. After three months, the information will be analysed and insurance companies can adjust the insurance premium to match their driving. The only payment involved for the driver is to have the box removed.

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It becomes a collective responsibility of all to make roads safe and secure during this festive season. The Local Councils have issued a warning that people should get their act right or face severe consequences for causing trouble to others. The Christmas Drink Driving and Drug Drive Campaign has been launched again this year. It was a successful social drive last year when it was introduced for the first time. What kind of image do we portray in front of our children when we come back home under the influence of drugs or alcohol? There is no point in following double standards here.

We should celebrate Christmas season in its true spirit.

The emergence of virtual courts has made it relatively effective. It has all been done to protect us. It is often witnessed that hundreds of people are involved in fatal accidents every year during this period. The police authorities are making every attempt to make people realise of their social responsibilities. Isn’t it a bit clumsy? The legitimate definition of making celebrations has nothing to do with hitting or killing other people.

You can still go out, celebrate it in a way you would want to and come back home without making life tough for others. This is the time to play our part to perfection.

Motorists will be glad that we are not reliving the snow frenzy we had last year. It was a time when Britain suffered badly. Motorways were closed, roads were a write off, cars slid, people couldn’t get to work and airports came to a complete standstill. There was outrage and anger from Manchester to London and beyond.

At the moment, (*he touches wood) we are doing ok. Yes, on a few mornings you have to get the de-icer out and give the car a once over but it’s nothing compared to what we suffered previously. And may i just point out i am not complaining about not having any snow. Sadly, my children are but as i tell them, they are not the one’s having to face the wrath of snow each and every morning and trying to get it off the car. They’re the ones throwing it at their friends.

It makes me wonder though, if we did have snow, how much have we learnt from last year and how would we be more prepared to face the hassle of it? Would Heathrow be shut down and thousands of people stranded again? Would motorways still be no go areas?

Let us all hope that the snow stays away.

An internal inquiry done by the Department for Transport has found that thousands of drivers deemed ‘high risk’ have been able to get back behind the wheel without undergoing medical checks.

Drivers who lose their licence due to refusing to give a breath sample, those that are disqualified for driving twice in two years and those drivers who were more than two and a half times over the legal limit are all classed as ‘high risk’ offenders.

Around 8,000 letters are being sent out to drivers who have been re-issued their licence without a medical check.  They will be required to give a blood and urine sample, undergo a physical examination and complete an alcohol history questionnaire by an approved doctor.

The DVLA then decide whether the driver is still deemed ‘high risk’ and should have their licence withheld.

Even more embarrassing for the ministers but it also emerged that some records have been destroyed, meaning these drivers will never be chased up.

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As a full licence holder I am sure you think you are a safe, competent driver who does not require any further training and I am sure this is true for many of you however, there are many of us that could benefit from ongoing training.

Pass Plus for newly qualified drivers is heavily promoted and seen as a valuable course after taking the test however, refresher lessons for those that have held there licence for a number of years can be a little embarrassing and not something we will easily admit we could benefit from.

Refresher courses benefit a large number of people including:

Those starting a new job which requires driving a company car

To combat common fears such as motorway driving or night time driving

To regain confidence after an accident or a long period of not driving

To adjust your driving skills from country driving to city driving or vice versa

For full licence holders that have lost their licence  and needs to re-sit their test

The length of the refresher course will vary depending on the individual and their reason for wanting to take the training. The courses offered at Britannia area designed to tailor the individual’s needs and the pupil is free to request areas they wish to work on. So why not contact us today on 0208 543 8050 and bring yourself up-to-date and iron out those bad habits.

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THE mother of a North East schoolboy killed by a speeding driver has backed a road safety campaign calling for greater restrictions on young drivers.Steven Atkinson, 12, triumphed over leukaemia and a range of other health problems in his life, only for it to be cut short by speeding Ross Telfer.The youngster was crossing a road in Sunderland on his bike in October 2009 when 21-year-old Telfer appeared in a Mini racing along at 53mph in a 30mph zone.Telfer, of Creighton Avenue, Chester-le-Street, was unable to stop and knocked Steven off his bike, causing fatal injuries, and was last year jailed for 16 months at Newcastle Crown Court.Now Steven’s mother Violet and father Graeme have spoken of the need for “graduated driver licensing”, including a minimum learning-to-drive period and restrictions for novices.The couple, also parents to John, 19, Dawn, 16, and Katie, five, yesterday launched Road Safety Week at Sunderland College’s Usworth Campus, in Washington.Violet, 40, said: “Graduated driver licensing could have made a difference, and might have saved Steven’s life.“Drivers need to think about the consequences of driving irresponsibly. If we can make just one person change, then it will be worth it.”Graeme, 41, said: “Steven overcame so much in his life. He was only young but he was the sort of person who loved to help people so I think he would be proud to see us here today.”According to road safety charity Brake, casualty statistics show a young person is killed on the North East’s roads every six weeks.Young drivers are involved in a disproportionately high number of crashes that kill and injure people of all ages.To spread this message, a team of firefighters demonstrated the horrifying reality of being cut from a car crash.District manager Keith Carruthers, of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Many young people are at high risk of being injured or killed in a road crash but they don’t think about this when they get in a car.“By having the opportunity to be involved in a mock road traffic collision, they can experience first hand the devastating consequences of road traffic collisions.”Road safety campaigners say graduated driver licensing would prevent 200 deaths and thousands of injuries each year.Kath Hartley, from Brake, said: “We need drivers of all ages in the North East to show compassion at the wheel, to realise they have lives in their hands, and pledge to drive safely and legally.“And we need the Government to help young, inexperienced drivers to be safer, by implementing graduated driver licensing.“We’re appealing for a commitment to this evidenced, life-saving policy during Road Safety Week.”

By Kim Carmichael

An insurance scam could have left around twenty thousand motorists uninsured according to a report by the BBC.
‘Ghost brokers’ are targeting young drivers who are struggling to afford high insurance premiums, as well as communities where English is not the first language and where residents may not understand how the UK insurance system works.
The so-called ghost brokers advertise cheap insurance through the Internet or small ads in the hope of attracting people looking for a cheap deal.
However, their insurance policies may be fake or may have been acquired from a genuine insurance company at a cheap rate by changing details such as age, which could make the policy more expensive.
Of course, with false details, the policy will be invalid.
Major UK insurance company Axa estimates that around 20,000 motorists may have an insurance policy that has been obtained fraudulently.
City of London police is opening a new unit dedicated to tackling insurance fraud and has pledged to make ghost broking a priority.
Insurance firms recently criticised the Government’s rejection of measures to reduce the level of insurance claims by young drivers.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) wanted a zero alcohol limit to be introduced for young drivers and a ban on driving between 11pm and 4am, but the proposals were rejected.
It also wanted drivers under the age of 25 to have to undergo a 12-month learning period before being allowed to take their driving test.
Mike Penning, the road safety minister, said the Government would not introduce plans which would “unfairly penalise responsible young people who rely on driving to get to work or college”.
In an effort to reduce insurance premiums for young drivers some genuine insurance firms are trialling black box technology which monitors a driver’s behaviour.
Careful driving can then be rewarded with lower premiums.