ITV’s programme on 100 Year-Old Drivers (a documentary which follows elderly drivers) has sparked a debate on the status of elderly drivers.

With no further test required for the older drivers in this country, it’s usually down to sons and daughters to decide if their elderly parents are still safe to be on the road. The documentary features a bomber command veteran, Harry who had never taken a practical test since it was not a requirement when he started 86 years ago.

The statistics suggests that drivers over 70 cause fewer accidents than the under-30s, but does that take into account numbers, and numbers, and time spent on the road? Also, if we take into consideration 100-year-olds – the average 100-year-old driver is more likely to cause, or have, an accident, in every minute they’re on the road, than the average 29-year-old. There have been the occasional stories of elderly drivers driving recklessly, a characteristic more commonly associated with younger drivers.

Calls have been made to require elderly drivers to be assessed, yet the focus still very much remains on young drivers.

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Summer is a great time of year, and a season which is great to drive in. However, even in the summer, roads are full of hazards.

Here are the top hazards that you should look out for:

1. Bicycles and Horses: It is advised that you leave ‘at least a metre’ when passing bicycles. Horses are more of a risk, but they have the same rights to the road as cars. With these particular hazards, you must pass slow and wide, with no loud noises.

2. Motorcycles: There are likely to be more motorcycles on the roads during the summer. You must double check at junctions as these are blackspots. Although motorcyclists are 38 times more likely to die, being hit by a motorcycle can still be deadly. According to ROSPA, in a side impact causing a change in speed over 40mph, has an 85% chance of death.

3. Kids and Teenagers in the Street: In 2010, 180 people died in crashes at legal speeds. Good weather during the summer means children will be playing outside and so it will not always be safe to drive at 30mph. The holidays mean more teenagers on the roads, and car crashes are the biggest single killer of UK youth. One in five new drivers has a crash within six months, and men aged 17-20 are seven times more at risk than any other group.

4. Distracted Drivers: On the average, drivers took their eye off the ball once every six minutes. Distractions include phone calls, food, drinks, grooming, smoking and children.  Astonishingly, 40% of drivers surveyed started reading or writing whilst driving.

5. Breakdowns: Great weather means more breakdowns, as worn out cars go on long hot trips. Look for leaking hoses, low water levels and broken fans before leaving, and watch for breakdowns blocking the road.

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Most new drivers seem to believe that upon passing their driving test, they are fully qualified drivers, and that their experience in the driving seat of a dual-controlled Instructors car has given them a full view of the motoring world.

However statistics show that the highest rate of driving accidents occur within two years of passing the driving test – suggesting that new drivers are the more dangerous motorists on the road.

Certainly this seems to make sense – the relative lack of experience when compared with older drivers, combined with the added thrill of finally being able to drive one’s own car, as well as the extra confidence gained when one passes their driving test, it is not too hard to see why so many young drivers seem to be having accidents within a short time of passing their test.

So the question has to be asked, is enough being done to support new drivers, especially after passing their test? Whilst many institutions such as Britannia Driving School do offer a Pass Plus course, this is just an option, and whilst it can benefit a new driver enormously, many young drivers, fresh from the financial woes of finally finishing paying for driving lessons, theory tests and practical tests, are likely to opt out of this.

So should additional training be pushed more? Perhaps there should be higher incentives to new drivers to take the Pass Plus course? Or should additional driving training be made available to those who wish to pursue it?

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Safe driving from Britannia!

The number of deaths on the roads has risen rapidly this year with experts warning that those using smartphones whilst driving could be to blame.

There were 380 road deaths in the first three months of 2014; this is 13% more than the same period in 2013. The total of number killed and number seriously injured has risen by 17%.

Experts have asked whether issues such as mobile phone use and texting by drivers and pedestrians failing to look where they are going were contributory factors. They also said there were signs of increasing conflicts between cyclists and motorists sharing congested road space.

There has also been the growing concern of young drivers taking ‘selfies’ with a third admitting to photographing themselves at the wheel. This is clearly of significant concern as snapping a selfie at the wheel could distract a driver for 14 seconds, while checking social media distracts for as much as 20 seconds.

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A new study has confirmed suspicions that drink-driving is expected to rise over the summer months, reaching new heights during the warmer spells than over any other time of the year.

The survey, carried out by confused.com has shown that over half of those questioned that were guilty of driving their cars over the legal drink-drive limit had committed the offence in the months of June, July or August.

51% of drivers believe that there is more temptation to drive in the summer months, whilst over a quarter admitted to the offence and almost a third had experienced being a passenger in a vehicle operated by a driver over the limit.

31% had also revealed that they found it more sociable to drink in the summer, which could have obvious results of those who choose to drive.

We all know that the temptation can be higher when the sun is out, but if you are going to be driving this summer, leave the car at home, or if you choose to drink instead, then stay off the alcohol.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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The number of drivers pulled over for making a call or sending a message in Surrey has dropped by more than 1,300 last year.

Statistics have revealed a gradual decline in fixed penalty notices issued to motorists for phone usage in the county since 2010.

Research has shown that reaction times for drivers using a handheld device are around 50% slower than when people are driving under normal conditions.

Drivers caught using their mobile phone behind the wheel will receive a £60 fine and could also be given three penalty points on their licence.

According to a national survey, a high percentage of drivers argued that using a mobile phone whilst driving was the most annoying driving habit.

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A 12-year-old girl and seven other youngsters aged either 12 or 13 have been disqualified from driving, according to recently-released figures. These young offenders are among 230 people under the age of 17 who are currently disqualified, according to statistics from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) show.

The driving bans won’t come into effect until they have passed their practical test. The IAM have stated that it is concerning that those who are not even eligible to hold a provisional licence are being banned at such young ages.

Figures released by the IAM showed that 92,136 people in the UK were disqualified from driving between July 2013 and June 2014. Of those, 36,001 were in the 20-30 age range.

Research has shown that young males are very much at risk when it comes to driving safety.

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A new survey has revealed the shocking statistic that almost one million drivers have been under the influence of drugs when behind the wheel – placing themselves and other road users at danger.

Experts say that drug-driving is becoming more and more of a significant social problem, with these rates on the rise for drivers caught under the influence of illegal substances or those under suspicion of the same.

Three per-cent of the 1,000 drivers questioned by the survey admitted to using drugs behind the wheel. Whilst this does not seem like a large number within itself, when applied to the 30 million driving population of the UK, as opposed to a limited 1,000 cross-section, the number suddenly suggests that approximately 900,000 drivers are behind the wheel under the influence of drugs – and perhaps many more that are not ready to own up to the offence.

With those convicted of the crime facing penalties ranging from a £5,000 fine, a driving ban of one year, or even 12 months behind bars, it is understandable that many others wouldn’t come forward, and it could be likely that many more unknown drivers are under the influence of drugs when behind the wheel.

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Safe driving from Britannia!

We have all heard of “passenger-seat” and “back-seat” drivers – but one motorist has taken this figure of speech a little literally.

A 20-year old Spanish driver has recently posted a video of himself online, in an apparent attempt to spark some controversy on the internet – however his plan has backfired on him drastically.

The man shared a video of himself in his car, seemingly behind the wheel – however several seconds into the footage, the man turns his mobile phone camera to the side to reveal that he is in fact manually operating the steering wheel from the passenger seat the whole time.

The reckless driver also continues to overtake a large lorry at high speeds, all the time steering the car from the wrong seat.

The video did indeed gain some popularity after going viral on the Internet – however it was this online notoriety that led to Spanish Police posting a copy of the video on their YouTube page to publicise the incident in the hope of identifying and punishing the so-called “irresponsible” driver.

The young man eventually handed himself into police custody, and was served a six-month suspended sentence on the condition of not breaking the law again in the next two years, as well as having his driving license revoked for one year.

It seems that this particular young man was attempting to pre-empt the arrival of the driver-less car before Google – but his recklessness has cost him dearly.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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