Floods have started to hit the UK, namely Yorkshire and the North East, therefore it is important to know how to stay safe when driving.

While many cars will get through quite severe floods, there are a number of dangers. In  addition to shorted-out electrics, there is a risk of the engine sucking in water which, being incompressible, will smash connecting rods, pistons and even crankshafts. If the water is fast-moving, there is also a risk that car could be carried off into deeper flood water with you inside.

If you meet a flood, the first thing you should do is try to avoid it. If you can’t, you should make sure there is not more than six inches of standing water or four inches of moving water. Park up and watch other cars and trucks, look out for hidden dips and gullies. If you go through, stay on the crown of the road, crawl through slowly in first gear and keep the engine revs up.

Avoid going too fast into even quite shallow puddles as that can lead to aquaplaning, where the front tyres will no longer steer the car and you lose control. It is also inconsiderate and illegal to soak pedestrians.

When you emerge from the water, dry the brakes by using them gently, and if there were leaves in the water, check the radiator for blockages.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

With Christmas just around the corner now, many of us may be thinking about starting our Christmas shopping soon – Indeed, many of us may already be well under way with our festive gift-buying, or, if you;re very lucky, you may have managed to beat the rush and have it sorted already!

However if you are one of the millions of Britons going to be hitting the shops soon, remember that the roads at this time of year can be much busier than you are used to, particularly in city centres or around retail parks.

We advise you to drive carefully at this time of year, as you would all year round!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Ben Brooks-Dutton, whose wife Desreen was killed by an elderly driver who mistook the accelerator for the brake, has started a popular online petition calling for over-70s to be retested every three years.

The couple were walking home from a friend’s house with their son when a car mounted the pavement and struck Desreen. The car was driven by 85-year-old Geoffrey Lederman, who was sentenced to 18 months in jail for causing death by dangerous driving, a sentence that was later reduced to 12 months on appeal.

Brooks-Dutton, who chronicled life after his wife’s death on a blog, also started a petition on Change.org 6 days ago, calling for compulsory testing of drivers every three years once they reach age 70. It now has about 140,000 signatures. At the moment, drivers over 70 in the UK must fill in a self-assessment form every three years to renew their licences. The form doesn’t include a medical or driving test. Several commenters said they were elderly drivers who agreed with the proposal. However, few disagreed with the idea calling it ‘ageist’ and that it spreads ‘hate and stereotypes’.

Though data shows drivers under the age of 20 have more fatal accidents than drivers over 75, there is some evidence to suggest drivers over the age of 80 are at an increased risk of accidents. In 2013, DfT said that it had no plans to restrict licensing on the basis of age. A spokesman said ‘age alone is not a reliable indicator of a person’s fitness to drive and the vast majority of older people continue to drive safely.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

Not just a popular quote from Game of Thrones – No, it seems that winter really is setting in fast in the UK.

As the weather gets colder and wetter, we drivers must learn how to deal with the changes in conditions, not just when behind the wheel, but at all times. For example, how many times have you gotten up in the December mornings, dreading the long commute to work, only to find that your car is completely frozen over, or unable to start?

It is good practice to leave your car in a garage overnight where possible, or to leave an old towel or sheet over the windscreens of your car, particularly if you think snow or frost is likely.

Have you got any other tips for how to winter-proof your car? Let us know here!

Safe driving from Britannia!

We all know how stressful learning to drive can be – From being thrown in the deep end driving on dual carriageways for the first time as a learner, or to preparing for your driving test, being behind the wheel can be a tense period when you are not used to it.

However many would argue that driving becomes even more stressful after passing the test – With many citing the daily commute to and back from work as one of the worst points to be sat behind a wheel. With a high volume of traffic on the roads at this point, especially if you are driving into or close to a city, it’s no wonder that commuting seems to get most drivers worked up.

We would advise reading our tips for stress-free driving to help you cope with these times – And always remember – Just take a deep breath!

Safe driving from Britannia!

A fish and chip shop owner from Chelmsford refused to pay an £85 penalty ticket given to him in 2013 by London-based parking company, ParkingEye Ltd. He had exceeded the maximum stay in Riverside Retail Park, Chelmsford, by 56 minutes. There were signs around the car park stating that the maximum stay was two hours, and if any driver did not comply then they would be charged £85 – reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.

After refusing to pay, Barry Beavis was taken to the County Court to recover the money owed. Beavis then fought his case all the way to the Supreme Court with pro bono representation and funding raised by those who sympathised with his case. His case was, in short, that the charge was unfair because consumer rights law says that a contract term is unfair when the consumer must pay a disproportionately high sum of compensation if the contract is breached.

Lord Neuberger in the Supreme Court used a ‘reasonable motorist test’ and stated that a reasonable motorist would have paid the charge. This has significance for motorists parking in private car parks. The judgment isn’t to say that once a contract has been entered into, a party cannot retrospectively argue that it was unfair. Rather, unlike usual unfair terms, this wasn’t hidden in an obscure place in a lengthy contract. The charge was plainly visible and would be seen by any motorist entering the car park. Therefore, motorists freely entered into the contract knowing these terms which made the terms themselves fair.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

The television ad for BMW has been banned for encouraging irresponsible and potentially dangerous driving. It showed the 3 series being driven through the countryside towards the coast while a voiceover said ‘curves invite you in’, before the driver changed gear and the tachometer rapidly increased.

The voiceover continued: ‘Curves inspire you, and definitely dare you. And the new BMW 3 series was made for every one of them.’ Three viewers complained that the ad condoned dangerous driving. BMW said the ad did not contain any references to driving at speed or aggressive driving, and the reference to ‘dare’ was simply to challenge drivers to enjoy their journey.

The Advertising Standards Authority noted that quick acceleration and excessive speed were not explicitly indicated in the ad. But they did find that the ad showed the car being driven along the coastal road from various angles, through a succession of fast-paced shots, including a few aerial shots tracking the vehicle’s movements and shots of a gear change and of the tachometer rapidly increasing. They said this gave the impression that the car depicted was being driven along at considerable speed.

ASA considered that the handling capability of the vehicle had not been communicated in a clear context of safety, which was a requirement of the code. Because the ad implicitly challenged the viewer to drive at speed around corners, ASA considered that it had also encouraged irresponsible and potentially dangerous driving.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

For all people, driving means a lot of different things – For some, it is a passion and a way of life, a fun activity to look forward to on the weekends or even a hobby to partake in during one’s free time – For others, it is a burden, a necessary evil, perhaps for those who dread the daily commute or even drive for a living.

Whatever your thoughts on driving, almost all of us could agree that we could become better drivers in one way or another. Whether it is due to learning to cope better with road rage or how to drive more safely in winter weather, everyone likes an extra bit of advice for driving.

So today we thought we would give you, our loyal followers, the opportunity to discuss amongst yourselves and offer the best driving tips you know, from safe driving to how to prepare for your driving test – So share, and share alike!

Safe driving from Britannia!