Since Pastafarian Ian Harris has had his driving licence picture for wearing a colander on his head, the father-of-one is rallying for fellow Pastafarians to take to the streets on Sunday to battle for his “right” to wear the metal bowl in his licence photo.

Ian, from Brighton, East Sussex, claims wearing a colander is equivalent to Muslim women wearing hijabs, or Jewish men wearing skullcaps.

Ian’s second appeal to the DVLA was dismissed on Thursday last week and he is now arranging for Pastafarians wearing colanders and pirate hats to take to Brighton’s streets from 2pm on Sunday.

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Most drivers are unaware that vehicle excise duty is automatically cancelled if a car changes ownership due to the tax disc being abolished. This has resulted in many motorists having their cars towed away without even a warning letter from the DVLA.

Previously, anyone selling a used car could post adverts saying ‘Taxed and MOTd’ until a certain date as a selling point for the car. Now, when a car is sold the tax, even if it has many months to run, automatically expires and the new owner has to tax it again.

This change is exposing drivers to clamping by the DVLA and large fines. Administrative errors by the DVLA since the rule change have also left motorists fuming. One driver had his car clamped after he opted to buy his wife’s vehicle following her death last August. He went to his local post office, completed the forms and paid for a year’s tax. He even got a receipt confirming this payment, but the DVLA then cancelled the payment following an admin error, resulting in his vehicle being clamping.

The DVLA maintains that the measures make vehicle tax easy to pay but hard to avoid.

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When it comes to learning to drive, there can be many things that might put a potential driving pupil off. From a lack of confidence behind the wheel, to nerves about passing the test, these can often be terrifying obstacles that can be hard to overcome.

But finding the right driving instructor shouldn’t be one of these. Instructors should be calm and patient with their students – After all, many people who sit behind the wheel in a learner car are nervous drivers, and so it takes time to become a confident enough driver to pass your test.

A driving instructor should also be friendly and professional, and help to encourage their pupils to improve to the best of their ability during their learning to drive experience. Many of our pupils tell us of horrible experiences with past instructors – And it is our aim to make sure they reach their full potential.

Safe driving from Britannia!

A man driving a private ambulance has died in a crash with a double decker bus and a car in North Yorkshire.

The driver stole the vehicle just 20 minutes prior to the crash with a double-decker bus. The driver was killed and six others injured following the accident on the A64 near York at 8.30pm Friday night. The bus driver was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries and 5 out of the 16 passengers were also taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Another person, travelling in a Toyota Yaris with one other, was taken to hospital as a precaution.

North Yorkshire police said the ambulance was not being driven by a paramedic or member of ambulance staff when the collision occurred.

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For many of us, driving in traffic is a part of our day to day lives. Whether it is on the school run, amongst a stream of other parents picking up or dropping the kids off at school, or on the daily commute to work, hitting the rush hour traffic especially in cities – Driving in heavy traffic is just unavoidable.

As traffic is not something that can be avoided, it is necessary to learn how to handle these situations properly. Remember, Safety first. This means ensuring correct distances between yourself and the vehicle in front, as well as ensuring you do not stop suddenly or without warning, to prevent the driver behind going into the back of you, especially if they are following too closely.

As well as being safe, you also have to consider courteous driving – Especially if you are trying to impress your examiner on your driving test! Slowing down to allow other drivers out in front of you will score you brownie points, so keep an eye out and show some generosity to other road users.

Safe driving from Britannia!

People who take drugs before getting behind the wheel of a car believe it is a much more acceptable thing to do than driving while drunk, according to a Government study.

Drug drivers believe their abilities behind the wheel are not seriously impaired by taking substances such as cannabis, cocaine and MDMA and that in any case they are unlikely to be stopped by police, the research found.

The scale of drug driving is difficult to calculate as statistics are not always recorded, but research suggests that levels are similar to drink driving.

The law on drug driving in England and Wales was tightened last month, giving police powers to test for cannabis and cocaine through a saliva swab at the side of the road. Those found guilty face up to six months in jail, a £5000 fine and an automatic year-long driving ban.

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Ian Harris, 51, from Brighton has had his application to change the photograph on his licence to one with a colander on his head. He is saying that he will appeal the refusal holding that he is fighting for his right to wear the religious garb.

He claims he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Followers of that church are known as Pastafarians and they wear a colander on their head.

According to the DVLA, the photograph must be clear and be a current likeness to allow the Police to link the driver to driving entitlement held without confusion or ambiguity. Headgear is generally not acceptable, but may be permissible on religious or medical grounds and any exemptions are dealt with on a case by case basis. Religious exemptions include the Sikh turban and the Islamic Hijab.

Ian vows to fight his case until he runs out of appeals.

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With the Easter bank holiday right around the corner, many of us will be planning to take a Spring road trip or even a long weekend away – But have you prepared your car for the journey?

Before setting out on any long journey, it is essential to carry out the Pre-Drive checks. This will help you to identify any issues with the vehicle that may hinder your journey, and give you chance to rectify any problems in advance of setting out.

It is also good practice to plan your route thoroughly. This does not just mean knowing which roads to drive on, but you should also take into account other factors such as time of day which may affect the amount of traffic on the roads – For example, Friday nights on the Motorways can be heavily congested.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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