The Newsletter of Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
What can you see? www.iamchelmsford.org.uk Issue 122 June 2017 IAM Group 7223 Registered Charity No 1059372
Honorary Life Member
Here is Gaynor Manthorpe receiving her Honorary Life Membership of the group from Chairman Steve Wright. Gaynor held various posts during her time with the group but it was her role as Observer that had a big impact, getting a hundred Associates through the test. What an incredible achievement. She will be sorely missed by the group.
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Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Terry Joyce
Issue 122
Forthcoming Group Meetings These are usually held on the 2nd Monday of each month at the Essex Police Sports and Social Club, Which is through the Police vehicle park at the very end of St. Margarets Road, Chelmsford. Group Meetings start promptly at 8pm, so please arrive at around 7.45pm.
http://goo.gl/maps/VrEwi
CM2 6DS
http://www.essexexplorer.co.uk/cam.kmz
Associates, Full Members & Guests Welcome Date
Topic
Monday 17th July
AGM + Fun in the Car Park
Monday 14th August
DABS Forensic Murder investigation & Forensic science
Monday 11th September
Track Racing
Speaker
John Norrington
Make a note in your diary and please be there! Disclaimer—Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the individual writers and they do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, nor those of the Chelmsford and District Group of Advanced Motorists. Their accuracy has not been verified. Notice—Data Protection Act: records are held of members personal details submitted on their application form. The information will be used solely for the Group’s administration purposes and will not be passed to any third party.
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Welcome
to our new Associate and Full Members. We look forward to seeing and talking to them at our monthly Group nights Linda Taglialavore
Cold Norton
Cameron Turner West Hanningfield
Paul Chaplin
Chelmsford
Lewis Lucking
Chelmsford
Geoff Yeatts
Little Bardfield
David Cobb
Witham
Jessica Talbot
Brentwood
George Hester
Brentwood
Elaine Clark
Goldhanger
Phil Oakley
Chelmsford
Gillian Clarke
Wickford
Dan Smith
Chelmsford
We are a friendly bunch, so don’t be worried about coming to our Group nights if you are on your own. Make yourself known to John who will greet you at the desk, he will find one of us to come and talk to you. John will also try to get you to part with some money for the raffle. There will be Local and National Observers, at the evening and you will be able to get answers to any questions that you have. Please come along, we’ll even give you tea or coffee and there is a bar - for light refreshments obviously! Terry Joyce
Electronic Newsletter & Emails Whilst new members have been getting their copy electronically for some time it would be helpful if more people joined in with the electronic age and did the same. We are not going to force anybody to move to electronic but we would appreciate it if you consider letting the newsletter editor know if you are willing to receive yours by email. In any event for the purpose of telling people about Group nights and the occasional event such as the skid pan it is useful to have as many e-mail addresses as possible so if you are not currently on our mailing list it would point to us not having your email address. Please let the newsletter editor know and he will pass it on.
Please let us know if you change your email address. Page 4
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Roll of Honour Congratulations to these latest Members of our Group who have Passed
‘The Test’.
Test No
Name
Test Date
Observer
1089
Rak Rehal
6th May
Norman Smith
To all those people who have passed their test: It would be appreciated if you could write a few words thanking your Observer and maybe something about the process and your test, to give those New Associates an insight into the process of learning Advanced Driving.
Please remember: Do telephone both your Observer and Graham Lowe ( Associates Co-ordinator ) immediately after your test.
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From the Chairman URGENT ACTION REQUIRED OR GROUP WILL CLOSE I make no apology for the stark warning but the group is facing a challenging couple of years. On a number of previous occasions I have highlighted to the membership that we need people to take over some essential positions on the committee. I have written articles in this very magazine and mentioned it at group nights. Unfortunately not one person has volunteered to help. The group presently is being run by a few people doing a lot of work. This eventually gets to them and they resign. With more help the load lightens and becomes easier and more pleasurable to manage. Secondly it is a requirement that certain positions are filled. It is getting to the point where we will not be able to operate as a group. The IAM are trying to merge groups so if we can't fill these posts then we will be asked to attend a group elsewhere. I am passionate about the Chelmsford group and will fight to ensure this does not happen but I can't do it unless I have a body of people to help. Urgently we need
Membership Secretary. This person will liaise with the committee, Chief Observer and IAM to coordinate the membership. The prime function is to service the data base. We also need someone to organise the guest speakers. These speakers will be found and contacted by others but this person needs to ensure we have a speaker every group night. Manage this and ring to remind the speaker to turn up. Treasurer. Our treasurer has indicated that he would like to resign. He has reluctantly agreed to do another year but will definitely leave in 2018. We need someone to work with the treasurer now for a smooth transition Group Contact. As the name suggests act as contact for the group. Secretary. This is the same situation as the treasurer Finally my chairmanship finishes next year. I hope our vice chair will step into my shoes meaning we will need a vice chair. None of these posts entail a lot of work if we all pull together. Please act now by contacting any committee member or contact me directly stevewright1965@hotmail.co.uk YOUR GROUP NEEDS YOU NOW Steve Wright GROUP CHAIR
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~~~~~~~~ Editorial ~~~~~~~~ Hello, See Page 20 for the article about the cover picture.
Hot sunshine, torrential rain and everything in between has made driving a little more difficult lately. Do you have any stories to relate? In Rayleigh where I live, I have noticed far more drivers jumping red lights, failing to give precedence to pedestrians on crossings and driving into roads through no entry signs. Have you spotted any of this dangerous behaviour? And don’t start me on the amount of people driving using their phones. Are there any subjects that you would like to see covered in an article? Please keep the letters and articles coming.
Terry Joyce Check out the dates for this year on Page 19. Pay particular attention to the July and October Group Nights as they are not on the second Monday of the month.
Please contact me by email at terry.joyce@iamchelmsford.org.uk Page 7
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Group contact information Our Group Enquiry number: - 07757 399897 Honorary Life Members
Mr Mike Corbett, Mr Glyn Jarrett, Mrs Ruth Jarrett, Mr Dave Travers, Mr Colin Snow, Mr Scott Bannister, Mrs Gaynor Manthorpe.
Committee Chairman
Steve Wright
Vice Chairman
Norman Smith
Secretary
Colin Snow
Treasurer
John Johnston
Membership Secretary
Ken Carrington
Chief Observer Associates Co-ordinator Newsletter Editor
Graham Lowe
Publicity
John Stone
Training Officer
Pat Clements
Terry Joyce
Outside Events Organiser Malcolm Kentish Events Organiser Group Contact Committee Member
Dr Clifford Murira
Committee Member
John Ockmore
Committee Member Committee Member
Ken Howard Terry Hyland
Committee Member
Dagmar Hampton
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Letters & emails On all matters relating to motoring and the Chelmsford Group, this newsletter or your experiences in preparing for or taking your test are most welcome. Hi Terry, Nice to meet you albeit briefly at the last IAM meeting. I wanted to write a few words of thanks to the "Two Marks''; Mark Criddle my Observer and Mark Wilson my Examiner. Mark C gave me all the tips and guidance to greatly improve my driving, giving up part of his weekend in the process, so very much appreciated Mark. I couldn't have done it without you. Really. Mark Wilson my examiner made the test run as pleasurable and relaxed as a test can be. Of course we're all nervous but his calm demeanour and personable outlook really made it a nice experience. So Top Marks to the Two Marks!! Cheers Steve Hedges
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Observers Are you interested in being an Observer? Contact Pat Clements 01245 223427 Pat Clements
John Ockmore
Helen Jeffries
Graham Robson
Terry Joyce
Norman Smith
Dr Clifford Murira
John Tullett Rob Wise
Graham Lowe
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Annual Reports to the AGM 2017 Chairman's Report AGM 2017 Well another year has flown by and I find myself writing the report for the AGM. The year has been eventful to say the least. As previously reported over the Christmas period we made and implemented a policy to only allow observers to work who hold the new qualification. Initially this seriously affected the observer resource available to the group as some individuals decided not to complete the qualification. Without the help of four individuals the group would have been in dire straits. Terry Joyce put a lot of work into formulating and implementing our strategy to deal with this. Graham Lowe agreed to take on the role as Chief Observer after Scott's resignation and is working well to re-establish the observer network. However I reserve a special thanks you to Pat Clements who took up a new role within the group to get everyone trained and is still recruiting and training new observers. The fourth person sits behind the scenes. As with any change there has been some difficulties. Who fielded most of the flack? Colin Snow our Secretary who has worked tirelessly in an attempt to ensure the group runs smoothly through this period and beyond. As mentioned in this publication we can't move forward without people like these folk and the rest of the committee who I would also like to thank for their dedication. As explained in my Chairman's letter we desperately need more help from the membership. Please read this letter and see if you can help. I believe through the year we have had an extremely varied program on group nights and I thank all the speakers (including myself on one occasion) and those who booked them. Well here's to another year and hopefully we can get the support to make it just as successful. Steve Wright Group Chair ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Secretary’s Report AGM 2017 What on earth am I doing writing one of these again – I must be mad!! It became obvious to me that Steve was having difficulties making the booking for the EPSA Function Room for our group meeting & committee meetings. There are some things in life that can’t be resolved with a smartphone & that the personal touch is required. Since I know most of the EPSA staff on a personal basis having dealt with them for many years it was simpler to go & see them & sort it out, something that is rather difficult if you’re in full time employment. Sue was also tied up with her church affairs and found it impossible to attend committee meetings so I started doing the minutes of committee meetings. Continued on Page 11
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Secretary’s Report continued
However because I ended up doing stuff last time around that definitely wasn’t the Secretary’s role like Treasurer, Membership Secretary + a myriad of other stuff I won’t be offering to do them again but the membership MUST understand we cannot carry on for much longer unless existing members come forward to offer their services. It is just too easy to say” Oh no I haven’t got the time”. The future of the Group is in YOUR hands. For whatever reason the IAM decided to break up the old group regional structure and make it into 3 big regions so we were separated from the other groups in East Anglia & got shunted into the Southern area. Having done that & employed new staff they found it didn’t work and we’ve gone back to how it was. I suppose you call that progress?? The IAM have come up with a number of new initiatives – their term is PRODUCTS ie more ways to part you from your hard earned money. IAM Surety have discovered that insuring IAM members isn’t such a low risk as they thought and they are just as likely to make large claims like everyone else. So the IAM have latched on to that & introduced “Fellow Membership” which entails a higher membership fee with certain extra benefits but compulsory retesting every 3 years. However they don’t seem to be able to work out why there is such a low take up of it – maybe using “Suspension of membership to maintain standards” isn’t a very clever sales pitch. What I don’t understand is why our members would go down that route. It may raise a few eyebrows for those that don’t know but I don’t actually own a car. The neighbours on the other side of the road all have garages & driveways but use the road as a parking lot. When I drove a van for work it crippled me being too small for my long legs. However once a year I hire a car to go & see my relations in Devon so I give Scott a call & ask him for a one off observed drive to make sure my driving is up to scratch. I have to have a car I can actually fit my tall body into. The snag was this one had only done 200 miles so the brakes weren’t bedded in or the tyres scrubbed in and I’d only driven it for half an hour before meeting Scott. Afterwards he felt I was well up to test standard but my point is why don’t more members have their driving checked out once in a while – one of our Observers could fit you in to their schedule as a one off and it’s free.
As a result of the group rejoining our East Anglian colleagues I got to meet some old friends at a regional forum at the new IAM Head Office in Welwyn Garden City. Another “product” they have – oh how I hate that term – is the Masters qualification which I suppose is their ultimate “test” of your driving ability. The cost is currently £249 including tuition which they term “mentoring”. Talking to Jeff Beecham who is the Secretary of the Ipswich Group but who actually lives in Colchester has said that he can offer free mentoring to our members which would halve the cost. If anyone is interested please contact me using my contact details in Forward Vision and I can put you in touch with him. Colin Snow Page 11
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Treasurer’s Report AGM 2017 The Group’s accounts for the year ended the 31 March 2017 are set out together with the figures for 2015/2016. Following the surplus of the previous year, for 2016/2017 expenditure exceeded income by £173.81. This main reason for this is the reduction in the cost associated with the rebranding of the Group to IAM Roadsmart. Whilst a contribution towards this was received from the centre this was not sufficient to cover the related costs. The review of the Groups Gift Aid records is nearly completed and it is hoped that we will be in a position to make a robust claim for Gift Aid shortly. It is pleasing to note that the level of income received from renewals remains at a high level although the income from Associate members joining fees is lower. The financial position of the Group is still strong and it has assets in the Charity account of £11,156.66. In view of this, at the moment it is not considered a need for those that are making the £10 per annum donation to the Group by standing order to be asked to increase this figure. The situation in respect of those who pay by cheque is continually under review as with the closure of our Banks branches, dealing with cheques becomes more expensive. It would be helpful to the Group if everybody has a standing order so if you do not please reconsider your decision. It is the wish of the Charity Commission that we do not retain a high level of assets as they should be used by the Charity. To comply with this requirement the committee of the Group is continually looking at further ways of using the funds we have to promote our objectives. In respect of the Social Account, there was a small surplus last year and the balance to be carried forward is £3,965.02. I am pleased to advise you that the Group’s accounts for the year ended 31 March 2017 have been reviewed by an Independent Examiner and they have received a Clean Bill of Health. John Johnston Honorary Treasurer
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Chelmsford & District Group Institute of Advanced Motorists Income & Expenditure account for the year to 31 March 2017 Income
ye 31/03/2017
ye 31/3/2016
Gift Aid Full Member Renewals
Associate member joining fees
£3,075.00
£3,070.00
£979.00
£1,493.00
4x4 days Skid pan
£475.00 £600.00
£910.00
Newsletter Book Sales Donations
£277.76
£4,931.76
£5,948.00
Expenditure Other
£254.00
£190.60
Books
£63.05
£134.70
£1,382.39
£403.39
Telephone & Postage
£683.12
£521.24
Printing & Stationary
£216.64
£141.46
Travel
£364.37
£317.10
General admin & room hire
4x4 Days Skid Pan Newsletter
£500.00 £750.00 £1,392.00
£900.00 £5,105.57
Surplus for Year
-£173.81
Gen Fund Bal bf
£3,426.76
Surplus for year on activities
£2,127.50
£5,235.99 £712.01
-£173.81
Gen Fund Bal cf
£3,252.95
Capital Assets Virgin Deposit cf Int 2016/2017 Total Assets
Social Fund bf Income Expenditure Bal cf
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£7,835.14 £68.57
£7,903.71 £11,156.66
£3,962.51 £392.00 -£389.49 £3,965.02
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
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Advanced Driver For many of you it may have been years since you looked at the theory of Advanced Driving. I am sharing the new logbook issued to new members that join the group. The Advanced Driver Course Logbook continued
Speed For the purpose of IPSGA, the correct speed is ‘the speed required to negotiate the hazard safely’. As with all stages, this is influenced by the information gathered plus other factors such as the vehicle type, the road, weather and traffic conditions Advanced drivers should: Recognise that the speed phase of IPSGA is not about making progress but adjusting to a safe entry speed for the hazard Continually assess the speed requirement and adjust it accordingly in relation to the changing information and priorities identified, for example, a damaged road surface or mud on the road demand a slower speed for safe entry to a bend than is normally required
Similarly, if there are vulnerable road users close to a hazard, drivers may need to further reduce their speed Smooth operation of the accelerator and brakes are essential qualities in an advanced driver The smooth and accurate progressive braking covered under core driving skills is desirable as it allows for safe speed reduction
Gear Accurate use of the gears allows an engine to deliver the required performance in all situations Advanced drivers should: Develop sound knowledge of the performance of their vehicle in each gear - so it becomes easier to choose an appropriate gear and to know when a gear change will be needed Engage the correct gear for the speed they are driving now, while taking account of what may be required in the immediate future - i.e. to select a gear with sufficient flexibility to allow for speeding up and slowing down - consider other factors, such as fuel economy, vehicle sympathy (not overrevving or allowing the engine to labour) and the amount of acceleration required Continued on Page 15
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Advanced Driver continued
Conduct gear changes in a smooth steady manner In a manual vehicle, advanced drivers should be capable of changing to their chosen gear without using an intermediate gear.
This is termed block changing Operate an automatic gearbox appropriately When required they should match engine revs to road speed
Acceleration For the purposes of IPSGA, acceleration is mainly concerned with the driver’s ability to leave any hazard safely Advanced drivers should: Assess a number of factors when deciding on the amount of acceleration they need to apply The correct degree of acceleration will allow for safe unobtrusive progress. To achieve this, it’s important to take all of the limiting factors into account For example, the speed limit, the condition of the road surface, grip and weather conditions The proximity of the next hazard Understand that advanced driving isn’t about making maximum progress; it’s about making the level of progress required for the particular journey safely in the given conditions The use and timing of IPSGA is paramount in achieving the above
Human Factors This section refers to the Associate, their vehicle, their journeys and lifestyle in relation to becoming an advanced driver. As it relates more to the person than the act of driving, it is the only component not framed by IPSGA..
The Driver For the purposes of IPSGA, acceleration is mainly concerned with the driver’s ability to leave any hazard safely There are a number of personal qualities or behaviours that any advanced driver must demonstrate. Continued on Page 16 Page 15
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Advanced Driver continued
To put safety first in all driving judgements - No journey is so important that safety can be compromised; advanced drivers should never put themselves or others in harm’s way.
They should remain calm and be considerate of others at all times. Advanced drivers are always aware that their decisions and actions may have an effect on other people.
They recognise that the road-space needs to be shared and that this is most successfully achieved when everyone communicates and cooperates. As well as complying with legislation and the Highway Code, they should set a good example to other road users. To always maintain concentration while driving. Concentration can be defined as:
The full application of mind and body to a particular endeavour to the exclusion of everything not relevant to that endeavour. Advanced drivers should be able to focus on their driving while disregarding any unrelated factors. They should be able to manage driving related tasks, such as identifying road junctions. To manage any external influences and distractions. Advanced drivers must remain in charge and not be negatively influenced or distracted by friends or passengers. Recognising these influences and distractions is the first step to successfully overcoming them. As hands-free telephones have a detrimental effect on concentration, despite being legal and commonplace, use is discouraged. Advanced drivers should always pull over somewhere safe if they need to answer a call. Continued on Page 17
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Advanced Driver continued
To change their plans if any factor is likely to impair their performance or decision making. Advanced drivers must be aware of any physical influences that might impair their decision making and ability to drive safely. For example, if they start to feel tired or experience physical discomfort while driving, they should consider whether they are still able to concentrate fully. Similarly, if they feel angry, frustrated, anxious or frightened, they should in the short term - find somewhere to stop safely and try to deal with those outside influences. In the longer term - use the experience to develop new methods for managing the influences prior to driving and to consistently evaluate their own performance, with a view to retaining and developing their skills. The IAM RoadSmart approach to driver development seeks to encompass all of the components necessary to produce safe, well-rounded drivers. It encourages selfreflection as a means to develop as an advanced driver. A mistake can often be defused with just an apologetic wave. Advanced drivers should always assess their vehicle control and driving performance as if through the eyes of a third party. (see picture showing Betari’s Cycle of Conflict and how attitude and behaviour are affected). Other factors to consider include the time of day, the route and any potential negatives, such as tiredness, stress, the effects of prescription medication and traffic conditions. In terms of the bigger picture, advanced drivers should also have an understanding of how driving fits into their lifestyle and life goals. To apply new-found knowledge in order to improve their driving performance Advanced drivers are constantly learning and developing. They should always use any new-found knowledge to improve their driving performance.
How a driver’s attitude affects their own behaviour and the attitude and behaviour of other drivers
More in the next edition.
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Young Driver Scheme Do you know of anyone who is not 17 years of age, but wants to learn how to drive? Chelmsford IAM group supports this road safety scheme to give people the opportunity to learn basic car control skills in Driving School Dual Controlled cars on private land before they go on the public Highway. Lessons, lasting for one hour, are run on the third Sunday of most months at Earls Colne (near Coggeshall). There is an initial Registration Fee of ÂŁ40 which covers registration and the first one hour lesson. Subsequent lessons cost ÂŁ28. Lessons must be booked in advance. The scheme is intended primarily for 16 year-olds but, if vacancies permit, places may be offered to 15 year-olds or even to older people who are nervous about
getting behind the wheel (again, or for the first time). Full details of the scheme, a letter from Essex Police and a map may be viewed, and the application Form can be downloaded, from www.youngdriverscheme.org Alternatively, forms may be obtained from the YDS Organiser. Nicola Hyland, 67 Main Road, St Lawrence Bay, Southminster, CM0 7NA Dedicated Mobile number 07847 645632 or yds@iamchelmsford.org.uk
Notification of Events There has been a lot of positive feedback from events organised by the Group. If you would like to be kept informed of any up and coming events please make sure that l have your current email address.
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Dates for 2017 Monday 17th July 1 week later than normal
AGM + Fun in the Car Park
Tuesday 18th July
Committee Meeting
Monday 14th August
DABS Forensic Murder investigation & Forensic science
Monday 11th September
Track Racing
Tuesday 19th September
Committee Meeting
Monday 16th October 1 week later than normal
Ford Vehicle Evaluation & Verification Projects, Dunton Technical Centre
Monday 13th November
Group Night
Tuesday 21st November
Committee Meeting
Monday 11th December
Group Night
John Norrington
Skid Pan The group have decided to significantly subsidise the skid pan this year. The cost will be ÂŁ35.
Sunday September 3rd Please contact Graham Lowe to book your place. See him at our group night or contact via email. lowe.graham@tiscali.co.uk Page 19
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What can you see?
I thought I would share some information about a road that I use for my observed drives. Actually it is two roads. They link Hullbridge and Battlesbridge. The picture above is in Watery Lane at the Hullbridge end. Combined they are 1.72 miles long (according to Google), at just over half a mile Watery Lane becomes Beeches Road.
As you can see from this picture there is no centre line. It is a two way, mainly national speed limit road and the thing that I wanted to highlight is the groove cut in the hedge by different vehicles. If you use the red car as a guide you will notice that the groove is mainly cut by the door mirrors from larger, higher vehicles. There is a weight limit of 3Tonne mgw (maximum gross weight) on this section of road because of a weak bridge but that doesn’t seem to stop some very big vehicles attempting it and causing chaos. You will have noticed at this time of the year hedges all around our county are encroaching on to the carriageway. In this picture you can see the hedge on the right actually covers the white line.
Continued on Page 21
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What can you see? Continued
Looking at the picture on the previous page you get an idea that the bend is very tight, in fact it is around a 90 degree bend and it prudent to use second gear with fairly low revs to allow for any oncoming traffic. Advanced drivers have an advantage here because even at this time of the year if you look to your left across the field there is a gap in the hedge to see any vehicle movement allowing you to time your arrival at the bend.
I have seen several minor collisions here because both of the opposing vehicles go over the white line. See photo on the next page as an example of this.
Not all bends on this road (s) are as tight as this one, in fact a lot of them are much more forgiving. The bends are very diverse and allow any Associates that I have the opportunity to practise on the way out for their drive and towards the end of their drive in the opposite direction. The picture at the bottom of the next page is the most open bend along the length of these road. It is in Beeches Road on the return journey. Driving it in the opposite direction is not quite as easy. If you are able to see the limit point and approach the bend systematically it is possible to drive around it at over 50mph. Why not give it a try if you are in the area. Continued on Page 22
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What can you see ? continued
Terry Joyce Page 22
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Congratulations Here are some of our successful members receiving their Certificate. John Plumtree
Receiving his certificate from Chairman Steve Wright.
Steve Hedges Centre receiving his Certificate from Steve Wright on the left and Pete Doherty, Area Service Delivery Manager for IAM RoadSmart Mark C gave me all the tips and guidance to greatly improve my driving, giving up part of his weekend in the process, so very much appreciated Mark. I couldn't have done it without you. Cheers Steve Hedges
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Don’t forget to check When cleaning my car and carrying out what was called POWDERY checks (Petrol, Oil, Water, Damage, Electrics, Rubber and You - now called Pre-Drive checks), prior to a trip, I noticed that one of the tyre valves had cracked/perished. Unfortunately it was a Bank Holiday Monday, so I had to change cars. Don’t forget to check yours. The new Advanced Driver Course Logbook doesn’t include the YOU part of the checks that should be carried out prior to driving. We should question whether we are fit to drive before considering the other checks. There is an Acronym that Pilots use. I AM SAFE
Illness - Do I have an illness or symptoms that might affect my ability to drive? Attitude - How do I feel about this Journey? Am I fully focused on the driving task? What human factors do I need to take account of?
Medication - Am I taking any medication that might affect my performance? Sleep - Am I suffering from lack of sleep/fatigue? Alcohol - Have I had a drink? Am I still affected by alcohol? Food - Am I hungry or thirsty? Could low blood sugar or dehydration affect my judgement?
Emotion - Am I angry, depressed or stressed? Could this lead me to take risks? Terry Joyce