The Newsletter of Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Your Choice www.iamchelmsford.org.uk Issue 113 August and September 2015 IAM Group 7223 Registered Charity No 1059372
Congratulations Here are some of our successful members receiving their certificate from our Chairman Scott Bannister and new Chief Executive of the IAM Sarah Sillars. I would like to thank my Observer
Scott Bannister for all his patient coaching and guidance and Pat Clements for my mock test, which resulted in my recent pass. I know I am now a driver better equipped to anticipate and cope with all the situations that can occur in everyday motoring. The routes we used down surprisingly empty Essex lanes have now whetted my appetite for going off motorway on A and B class roads, where driving can be more pleasurable. Kind regards John Newstead
In the old days for good or bad they taught you how to pass the driving test, but now I believe you should first be taught how to drive a car, so if anyone is thinking of improving their Driving, go out with an Observer such as Scott, AKA Jackie Stewart. Scott gave me his time unconditionally and I looked forward each week to our drives, and I am so grateful, but all of the group observers will do the same. Adrian Emberson
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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
Speaker
Monday 14th September
Director of EMG Driver Training High Performance Course UK Ltd An Advanced Car Instructor & Trainer (Grade A), talks to us about his role.
Eunan MacGuinness
Monday 12th October
Collision investigation & the litigation process and Wills.
Tony Carter & Andy Grant
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 Sue Young
Witham
Keith Wright
Hatfield Peverel
Rosemary Cooper
Mayland
Chris Clemence
Bicknacre
Alex Barrett
Chelmsford
Frank Ferguson
Basildon
James Stirling
Witham
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 Senior Observers, Observers and generally an Examiner 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
1055
Michael Manning
18th July
Jamie Drummond
See page 2 & 23 for photos of our members receiving their certificates.
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 Scott Bannister ( Associates Co-ordinator ) immediately after your test. Page 5
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From the Chairman I am writing this report as your newly elected chairman. I have served on the committee for a number of years and have attended some events hosted by IAM central. Over the years I have picked up an overwhelming desire to change emanating from the employed staff at head office. A flavour of this new culture was given at our latest meeting where I witnessed tempers tested by both local members and IAM staff. I therefore find myself elected as chair through what looks to be a very challenging time for the group. During my working life I have lived through change and managed the process myself. Change in itself is necessary for any organisation's survival particularly during difficult market conditions as witnessed over the last few years. Our membership has been in decline as fewer have taken up our offering. This has led to the desire from HQ to extend the product range, absorb under performing branches and ensure a constant product nationally. This is all good stuff for any business to do in these tough times. A new CEO has been brought in to take a commercial view the aim is to ensure our survival and grow the business. However we are not a business. We are a group of like-minded people who have a passion for driving. Change is good but only if it is needed to improve things. We therefore need your help now more than ever. We need to evaluate the corporate strategy and translate it so as to best fit our group. For that I need as many of you as possible feeding in your views. Why not catch up with me at a group night or perhaps attend a committee meeting or two. On a lighter note it is traditionally during this report to dwell on a safe driving issue I have recently encountered. I am writing this report from Egypt where I am currently on holiday. One tip I have picked up is that turning your headlights on whilst night driving is a good idea and should be adopted here. I have holidayed here for the last 10 years. We have cruised the Nile and sat by the pool in Sharm yet for some reason it is tradition not to illuminate your car whilst driving. Not sure of the rationale but any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Steve Wright
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~~~~~~~~ Editorial ~~~~~~~~ Hello, You will see from the Committee list there have been a number of changes from the AGM. Scott has stepped down as Chairman but will continue as Chief Observer and Associates Coordinator. Many thanks go to Scott for his excellent leadership over the last three years. Steve Wright has become our New Chairman, Sue Sweetland has become Secretary and Selva Seeni is now our Group Contact. Also long time member Terry Hyland has joined the Committee. As well as the AGM we had a visit from Sarah Sillars the new Chief Executive of the IAM. For information about the picture on the front cover see Page 13. Thank you to those of you that have contributed to this edition. Please keep the letters and articles coming. Pictures on the cover from http://designershoestore.co.uk/ and http://www.shuperb.co.uk/ Many Thanks to Sue Sweetland for her patient and educated assistance in producing this Newsletter.
Terry Joyce Please contact me by email at terry.joyce@iamchelmsford.org.uk
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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.
Committee Chairman
Steve Wright
Secretary
Susan Sweetland
Treasurer
John Johnston
Membership Secretary
Ken Carrington
Website Editor
Jon Ward
Newsletter Editor
Terry Joyce
Events Organiser Publicity
Sally Langley John Stone
Group Contact
Selva Seeni
Committee Member
Dr Clifford Murira
Committee Member
John Ockmore
Committee Member Committee Member
Ken Howard Malcolm Kentish
Committee Member
Anthony Shilson
Committee Member
Norman Smith
Committee Member
Terry Hyland
Observer Examiner
Gaynor Manthorpe
Associates Co-ordinator & Chief Observer
Scott Bannister
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The Official Highway Code The Official Highway Code new edition was published on 1st June. This 2015 edition includes the new drugdriving laws, HGV speed limit changes on single and dual carriageways in England and Wales and updated drink-driving limits in Scotland and general rule changes.
Rule 96 has been updated.
You MUST NOT drive under the influence of drugs or medicine. For medicines, check with your doctor or pharmacist and do not drive if you are advised that you may be impaired. You MUST NOT drive if you have illegal drugs or certain medicines in your blood above specified limits. It is highly dangerous so never take illegal drugs if you intend to drive; the effects are unpredictable, but can be even more severe than alcohol and result in fatal or serious road crashes.
Illegal drugs have been specified at very low levels so even small amounts of use could be above the specified limits. The limits for certain medicines have been specified at higher levels, above the levels generally found in the blood of patients who have taken normal therapeutic doses. If you are found to have a concentration of a drug above its specified limit in your blood because you have been prescribed or legitimately supplied a particularly high dose of medicine, then you can raise a statutory medical defence, provided your driving was not impaired by the medicine you are taking. Laws RTA 1988 sect 4 & Law RTA 1988 sect 5A
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Driving Shoes? I have raised this issue before but reading this article prompted me to raise it again. I personally think you don’t have to buy a pair of driving shoes to drive in but they do need a reasonably thin sole for feel, however driving shoes may have their merits. Have a read and see what you think. It's not often that the worlds of fashion and road safety intersect, but since driving shoes started to become fashionable a few years back, that's exactly what has happened. And about time too, because far too many drivers are making bad footwear choices.
A poll by the AA found that 27 per cent of respondents had encountered difficulties while driving because of the shoes they were wearing, with 5 per cent claiming that their footwear had actually led to them driving dangerously, losing control or having an accident. If those figures are representative of the 37 million licence holders in the UK, about 1.8 million drivers could potentially be wearing unsuitable – even dangerous – shoes. The act of driving – especially in traffic conditions that involve constant use of the pedals – can take its toll on your feet and ankles. Wear the right shoes and your feet feel relaxed, your car control improves, you can react faster to changes in traffic or road conditions and you can become a smoother driver. Yes, all because of the shoes you wear. Soles and heels are key. Thick soles mean that your feet can't feel the pedals properly, so you can't accurately judge how much pressure to apply, making braking and accelerating more abrupt and jerky. Quite apart from the effect it has on your passengers, this will do nothing to reduce the wear and tear on your car. Soles should be a maximum of 10mm (1cm) thick, but something along the lines of 4mm is even better (you can feel the difference if you compare the two). You also need to avoid wide soles, which could mean you pressing two pedals at the same time. The important thing is that you can feel the pedals to gauge how much pressure to apply. Moving on to heels, high ones are a definite no-no. The heel of your foot needs to be on the floor to achieve the correct pedal action: high heels elevate it and distort the ability to measure how much pressure needs to be applied. The only thing worse than high heels is platform wedges – a double whammy of high heels and thick soles. Continued on page 11
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Driving Shoes? continued
Flip-flops are also a bad choice: they come off too easily and can get jammed under a pedal, or distract the driver while trying to put it back on their foot. A common alternative is to drive in stockinged feet or barefoot. However, tights and socks don't allow the foot to grip pedals, and bare feet become damp with perspiration, making them slippery. In short, it's not a solution. So what are the safer options? A bona fide driving shoe has a sole that extends from the underside to the heel, preventing scuffing and aiding grip, so look for something along those lines. The classic option is the moccasin, a soft, thin-soled shoe – or, in the case of the classic examples made by Italian shoemakers Tod's, with a series of little rubber "nubs" attached to the suede/leather. The advantage of the moccasin – apart from its qualities as a driving shoe – is that it doesn't look out of place in or out of the car: the downside is that sometimes the sole is so thin that it isn't the most practical shoe for walking any distance in. However, moccasins are easy to slip on and off, and can be stowed and left in the car for driving. The sportier alternative to the moccasin is the racing boot-style trainer, variations of which are available from sportswear giants Adidas and Puma, plus motorsport brands such as Sparco and Alpinestars. They're comfortable and very effective, but wearers must be unafraid to cut a dash outside the car. Buying a pair of shoes for driving is not an affectation: there are sensible reasons for thinking about what you wear on your feet when in the car. And if you look fashionable at the same time, well, that's just a bonus. Shoes and the Highway Code Rule 97 of the Highway Code states that: Before setting off on a journey in your car, you should ensure that "clothing and footwear do not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner". See http://bit.ly/1sqPTzG for the full details of Rule 97. The absence of footwear isn't specifically mentioned, so technically speaking, it's perfectly legal to drive barefoot. However, driving barefoot can be unsafe. Try using a clutch, for example, that requires heavy pressure to depress it. It's a relatively small pedal and so it exerts a lot of pressure on the ball of the foot, whereas, the sole of a shoe distributes that pressure more evenly. Repeated use of the clutch could end up being painful, causing cramp or other spasms in the foot, which could result in the driver losing control of the car and a potential prosecution for driving without due care and attention.
Driving shoes should have a thin sole and not be too wide. I did an internet search for driving shoes and found that the price varies quite dramatically. The cheapest were £18 but the most expensive were a lot more. I won’t tell you because you might start to feel faint. Article from the Telegraph see http://bit.ly/1u6UqN6 Comments by Terry Joyce Page 11
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Roadcraft Chapter 5 continued
If you drive an automatic car it makes it more important to get the speed right for the hazard. Every car has its own characteristics so you need to know how your car will respond in different situations, whether its manual or automatic. Adjusting the accelerator to deal with the road conditions you are seeing is known as Acceleration Sense". The official definition is “The ability to vary vehicle speed in response to changing road and traffic conditions by accurate use of the accelerator". Acceleration should be applied gently and progressively to get a smooth, yet progressive drive (making progress). A more aggressive use of the accelerator could result in loss of grip and affect your steering and of course fuel consumption. I talked about the tyre grip trade off stating that when you turn the wheel to steer the car you will lose some grip, so when you are leaving the hazard and you are straightening the steering wheel, more grip should become available, meaning you should then be able to increase acceleration smoothly. To use acceleration sense effectively you will need to see further ahead, so that you are able to make small adjustments to your right pedal. There is a big but to my last statement, you must not stare in the distance because if you do you will miss something close to you, even a large vehicle. We must continually scan the environment around our vehicle to build a picture that allows us to plan our journey, whether it be a short trip to the shops or driving to Scotland. See chapter 3 for more information..
Also in chapter 5 there is a section on the Accurate use of the gears, it is as follows: Your vehicle can only increase speed if the engine can deliver the power and it can only do this effectively if you are in the correct gear. Aim to 1. Be in the correct gear for every road speed and traffic situation 2. Make a gear changes smoothly 3. Engage a chosen gear without going through an intermediate gear first 4. Know the approximate maximum road speed for each gear 5. know the most efficient point at which to change up The main effect of the gears is to transform engine revs into usable power.
6. In a low gear, the engine is able to rev more freely, which allows the vehicle to accelerate rapidly and climb slopes 7. In a higher gear, lower revs deliver more speed but less ability to accelerate or to climb slopes 8.
Intermediate gears allow progress from one extreme to the other. Continued on Page 13
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Roadcraft continued
Read chapter 5 for more detail. Picking up on point 4, the maximum road speed for each gear on my car are 1st 43mph, 2nd 72 mph and third 102 mph (checked on a unrestricted German Autobahn). I didn’t worry about 4th and 5th. I did get to 140mph for a while, the concentration required is phenomenal as I had faster cars coming up behind me. The point of this is that if I was in a higher gear and needed to have great control, if I was under 43mph I could actually change down to 1st gear. It is unlikely that this will ever happen but I know it is possible. The previous points of Acceleration Sense and changing gear smoothly do require feel and unless you are incredibly good, the right footwear is important. Hopefully you have read the article on driving shoes. Something with a thin sole is best to allow you make very small changes to the accelerator, not thick soled trainers or boots. Sometimes I just bend my toes slightly to make a very minor adjustment. Let’s talk about Economic progress. It sounds a bit odd talking about making progress and now economy as they really don’t go together. As advanced drivers we should consider everything that we do and get a balance that is progressive but take the opportunity to make systemic decisions that take into account economy. Acceleration sense obviously goes a big way towards economic driving because braking is very bad economically as the engine is still trying to go. In future all new vehicles in the EU will be fitted with a gear shift indicator to show you the most fuel - efficient point at which to change gear. I have driven a few vehicles with this fitted and most of the time it is fine but there are occasions when you need the most responsive gear and that does not match what the gear shift indicator is telling you. Roadcraft asks the question, Are you always in the correct gear? I can’t answer the question for you but what I will say is when you think that you want a different gear have one last look at the tarmac in front of you and ask yourself the question what is the best gear for this piece of tarmac? Another statement from Roadcraft, Never drive so fast that you cannot stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear on your own side of the road. We as advanced drivers are told above all else we need to be safe. Do you know the braking capabilities of you car? If not come to one of our Driver Experience Days. Another statement, In narrow and single track lanes, (if you drive with me you will see a lot of these as I believe they help you to learn restraint) allow twice the overall stopping distance that you can see to be clear to allow room for any oncoming vehicle to brake too. Does anyone else have a problem with this statement? Answers in an email please. My ramblings are only my opinion read Roadcraft and make you own. From Roadcraft with comments by Terry Joyce
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A Bird’s Eye View I’m writing this on 30th July, not long after the hottest July day on record and the wettest day for a very long time, complete with thunder and lightning, so by the time you read this (and I hope you do), we’ll probably be knee deep in snow! I’m still amazed by the number of drivers who can’t find the light switch at this time of year, even if it is raining cats and dogs. Technically, this is summer, the season of salads and ice cream but the way things are it hardly seems worth buying a whole lettuce when we’ll probably only eat half of it before the temperature drops to freezing again. Therefore I have made a resolution: I’m going to grow mixed salad leaves (much more interesting than just lettuce) in a seed tray on the kitchen windowsill. I’ve bought the seeds and the trays and I’m really looking forward to seeing the different shapes and colours on my plate. I’ll let you know if it all works out. Susan Sweetland
Our Observers Ron Adams
Graham Lowe
Scott Bannister
Gaynor Manthorpe
Pat Clements Philip Cooper
Dr Clifford Murira
Paul Crosby
John Ockmore
Jamie Drummond Tony Hawes
Graham Robson Roger Spall
Helen Jeffries
Lawrence Tattersall
Terry Joyce
John Tullett
Rob Laird
Mark Warbey
George Locker
Brian Williams
Graham Lowe
Rob Wise
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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 ÂŁ25. 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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Greenpower IET Formula 24 Ford Dunton Technical Centre hosted the Essex regional heat on Saturday, July 18, which attracted around 250 students and more than 20 cars. The IET (The Institution of Engineering and Technology) annual Formula 24 competition provides teenage students with the opportunity to build an electric car from scratch, and then push it to its limits in an endurance race. The top three teams were the Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School, Tendring Tornedoes and The Royal Greenwich University Technical College. They automatically qualify for the international final, to be held at the Rockingham Motor Speedway on October 10th. Other awards included the Portfolio Award, the Best Presented Team, Spirit of Greenpower, Best Newcomer, IET Engineering Award and the Siemens Digital Award. Presenting the awards, Chris Taylor, Powertrain Testing Chief Engineer from Ford of Europe, said: “Ford is delighted to be hosting the Greenpower F24 competition at Dunton once again. These young engineers show amazing skill, enthusiasm and potential and we at Ford are proud to help them develop their technical and teamwork talents.” Nicola Gregory, Ford Community & Outreach, said: “This was the biggest and best Greenpower event Dunton has hosted. With 22 cars registered, every student had a part to play on the day, making this a marvelous STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Maths)initiative that also encourages young women to consider an engineering career.” Greenpower Challenge encourages involvement in science and maths subjects from an early age. Ford is committed to engaging with young people through activities such as ‘bring a child to work day’, Lego challenge, and initiatives connected with National Women in Engineering Day, and encouraging the study of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects. This supports the pledges made by Ford to the ‘Your Life’* campaign, to inspire the next generation of engineers. From Newspress Page 16
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New Tyres in 2015 Michelin has launched a new tyre, which it claims offers the braking performance of a conventional summer tyre despite being certified for winter use. Traditional winter tyres don’t perform well on hot asphalt. Meanwhile summer tyres offer limited grip on snow and ice, and conventional all -season tyres fail to provide optimum grip in any conditions. However, the new Michelin CrossClimate is said to feature a new tread pattern and compound that solve these problems, potentially bringing an end to the hassle of switching tyres for the colder months of the year. Thanks to its official certification, the CrossClimate could even be used all year round in countries such as Germany where winter tyres are a legal requirement. However, Michelin believes the new tyre is especially relevant to drivers in the UK where winters are generally mild with a few days a year of snow thrown into the mix. A 2014 study found that 65 per cent of European motorists use summer tyres all year round, jeopardising their safety in treacherous conditions. And another found that 4 in 10 European motorists view the seasonal tyre swap as a constraint and leave it until the very last minute to change. There are a number other manufactures that produce ‘all season’ tyres such as Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons, Vredestein Quatrac, Bridgestone A001 and Pirelli’s new P3000 Cinturato M+S. Do you know of any others? Using this type of tyre saves changing tyres every October and March and having to have and store a spare set of tyres or wheels when they’re not in use. These Michelin tyres were available from May 2015. Approximate price on a well known tyre website between £58 - £142 each. More technical information here http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/2015-02/michelin-crossclimate-tyres/
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As many as 65 per cent of drivers on long journeys do not to stop to take rest breaks on the motorway because they don’t feel they have any need to. While 79 per cent of drivers will only choose to stop and take a rest if a motorway service area is located in a convenient place on their journey. The findings come from a recent survey conducted by road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), in which 1,753 people took part during June 2015. The poll asked to what extent keeping hydrated and taking a break between long journeys is Important to drivers and found many respondents did not consider taking a rest break essential unless they had a pressing reason. Findings further reveal that while many drivers prepare for a long journey beforehand – filling up their cars with fuel (85 per cent) or programming in a destination into their satnavs (over 60 per cent), only 50 per cent of drivers will plan to make arrangements to stop at a service station, and as little as two per cent fail to do any planning at all. An existing driving simulator study conducted by Loughborough University showed that even mild dehydration can be hazardous to drivers, suggesting it can have the same effect on someone that is driving while under the influence of drinks and drugs in terms of driver errors made – affecting mood, mental functioning and changes in level of concentration (1). The IAM’s survey findings suggest that many drivers fail to prioritise their wellbeing and alertness
when they are behind the wheel simply because they don’t take regular breaks on long journeys. Other major reasons as to why drivers do not consider taking a motorway break include: deeming the price of fuel at service stations too expensive (56 per cent) or citing that food, drinks and snacks at service stations are considerably overpriced (45 per cent). For drivers who do have a reason to stop at a motorway service station, over 94 per cent have said they only stop to use the toilet facilities. In fact, over a third of respondents consider a toilet break very important on long distance routes and 75 per cent would welcome more frequent continental style picnic and toilet only rest areas across motorways and main road networks. Sarah Sillars, IAM’s chief executive officer said: “Where drivers avoid taking rest breaks at a motorway service station, simply because they want to reach a destination quicker, raise the risk
of making several mistakes and being involved in an incident. “Although participants have expressed an interest towards self-serving picnic and toilet sites, drivers must be encouraged to take regular breaks every two hours at any type of service station. “Take a bottle of water with you before embarking on a long journey, keep hydrated throughout and allow for some much-needed rest.” 1. Loughborough University study: http://bit.ly/1zGtySO See more about the study on page 22.
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Chelmsford Advanced Motorists Library List DVDs Drive Smarter, Essential know-how for your driving career (2 copies) By Gem Motoring Assist Roadcraft, The Police Driver’s Course on Advanced Driving By The Police Foundation
PC CD-ROMs The Interactive Highway Code HMSO/ Interactive Driving Systems Hazard Perception Test
HMSO/Oasis
BOOKS Roadcraft Human Aspects of Police Driving The Tyre Digest (2 copies)
TSO Scottish Police College Michelin
Driving Abroad
Robert Davies
The Official Highway Code Rev. 2007 Edition
HMSO
The Official Guide to Accompanying L-Drivers
DSA
Sideways to Victory
Roger Clark
The Myway Code
Ian Vince/Dan Kieran
Paul Ripley’s Expert Driving
Daily Telegraph
The Inner Game of Tennis
W Timothy Gallwey
Mind Driving
Stephen Haley
Older Drivers – Safe or Unsafe? Traffic– Why we drive the way we do Boreham, A History of the Racing Circuit
IAM Tom Vanderbilt Bryan Jones & John Frankland
CDs Awake, Driver Reviver
THINK
Advanced Road Craft
Bespoke Driving Training
The Driving Test – Your Licence to Drive
IAM/Safety on the Move
If you have any books etc from the Library can you please contact Clifford Murira
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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. I really enjoyed using the Skill For Life gift voucher that my husband and children bought me. I even enjoyed my test!
My observer, John Ockmore, was great at subtly rapping my knuckles when my hands weren't in the right place and I'm sure he has eyes in the back of his head!!! I'd like to say a big Thank You to John for his time - he made the drives good fun and I now know my way around parts of Essex I didn't even know existed! I have a few particular favourite bendy roads that I like to go to when I want a chance to push my skills! Cheers John! Cheers Jo Ellis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I would like to thank my observer Scott Bannister for all his patient coaching and guidance, and Pat Clements for my mock test, which resulted in my recent pass. I know I am now a driver better equipped to anticipate and cope with all the situations that can occur in everyday motoring. The routes we used down surprisingly empty Essex lanes have now whetted my appetite for going off motorway on A and B class roads, where driving can be more pleasurable. I failed my first test in half a mile on the M25, towards the end of the route, when I was comfortably in the pass mark zone. I reduced speed to 60 mph, as indicated by an overhead gantry, and waffled on so much in the commentary about traffic coming up the A127 slip road, that I failed to observe the speed limit was down to 40 mph when approaching the next gantry. A breach of a compulsory speed limit is an automatic fail and a hard lesson to learn. Add on that my engine management light came on halfway through the test and it then went into "limp home mode" on the return up the A12, my stress levels were fairly high. I chose to have the same examiner on the second test, which I passed without incident and thanks to encouragement and further coaching from Scott, I achieved some higher scores." Kind regards John Newstead ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Letters & emails
continued
Receiving my Certificate from the IAM is a milestone in my life, which caused me to look back at how things have changed. I passed my test very easily 1st time at 17 in 1963 . The Driving school from Wickford had the new Mk1 Cortina in quite basic form, Carburettor Engine, before Cross flow had been thought of. Four forward gears , radial tyres. Can’t remember exactly the cost of a one hour lesson but I think it might have been 10/. He offered a two hour lesson for about 19/6d, I only had 11 hours including the test. Cortina’s were the big new thing, Heater was probably an option, and it had Screen wash which was a new idea and I can’t remember if it had seat belts. At 17 in 1963 you would go out and buy an old banger, my mate and I bought a Singer Bantam 9 hp overhead Cam between us and we had to buy a screen wash kit and an Indicators Kit from Halfords . Think back a minute and you may remember that screen wash kits and indicator kits were very welcome Christmas presents in the early sixties . At that age I was no different to any other bloody annoying 17 year old, you could pick up your mates and drive to the pub, have a couple of pints and then go to Southend on the pull or The Blinking Owl Cafe on the A127 to mix it with the Bikers of which I also was one. Egg and Chips was two shillings, with a sausage it was 2/-6d and if you put sixpence in the Juke Box and you could listen to Del Shanon, Bobby Vee, Buddy Holly and the rest of them. Young and free and scared of no one. No rule on the Roundabout, No Theory, No Hazard Perception or planning. Just pedal to the Metal and get stuck in. Teenagers think they are Kings of the road, been there got the T-Shirt. No accidents apart from a couple of minor shunts in over 50 years and still here to tell the tale . Then we got Barbara Castle in 1965 ( she introduced the Breathalyser and made the 70 MPH speed limit permanent ) The Gatzo Camera, Tyre tread regulations, Rolling Road for the MOT, They used to put a Testing gadget on the floor and drive your car up the road, and slam on the brakes, remember that? Loads of new rules and parameters, we now have ANPR Cameras, and when did you last see a Bobby on a Bike ? As you grow through life the perception of where you are in life changes , you start to think about if you park with two wheels on the path, will a young Mum with a pram get by OK, Give Pensioners a little more time and be more caring of Cyclists and you mellow and appreciate life more. Now that I also am a pensioner, lifestyle and attitude has changed so much. In the old days for good or bad they taught you how to pass the driving test, but now I believe you should first be taught how to drive a car , so if anyone is thinking of improving their Driving, go out with an Observer such as Scott, AKA Jackie Stewart. Scott gave me his time unconditionally and I looked forward each week to our drives, and I am so grateful, but all of the group observers will do the same. What I didn’t like was the cost of the test which was one reason why I left it for a year. I think the IAM test is an expensive item which is why they have trouble attracting new or younger members. The IAM has a task in hand with that one. Still the executives need to be paid fat salaries, shame about that. Now I hope that my Customers in my Wedding Cars are in safer hands, and that the new system will improve their experience with us on the Big Day . Adrian Emberson
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Dehydrated drivers make the same number of mistakes as drink drivers A Loughborough University study has revealed that even mild dehydration is equivalent to being over the drink driving limit in terms of driver errors. Researchers at Loughborough University carried out a range of tests over two days on male drivers, using a laboratory-based driving simulator. During the normal hydration test there were 47 driving incidents, but when the men were dehydrated that number more than doubled to 101 – a similar number to what might be expected of someone driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. These included lane drifting, late braking and touching or crossing the rumble strip or lane line. Professor Ron Maughan, Emeritus Professor of Sport and Exercise Nutrition at Loughborough University and Chair of the European Hydration Institute Science Advisory Board led the study. He said: “We all deplore drink driving, but we don't usually think about the effects of other things that affect our driving skills, and one of those is not drinking and dehydration. “There is no question that driving while under the influence of drink or drugs increases the risk of accidents, but our findings highlight an unrecognised danger and suggest that drivers should be encouraged to make sure they are properly hydrated. “To put our results into perspective, the levels of driver errors we found are of a similar magnitude to those found in people with a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, the current UK legal driving limit. In other words drivers who are not properly hydrated make the same number of errors as people who are over the drink drive limit.” With driver errors accountable for 68% of all vehicle crashes in the UK, the European Hydration Institute, who sponsored the research are urging drivers to be cautious and ensure they are adequately hydrated before setting off on journeys, especially during the warmer summer months. The level of dehydration induced in the study was mild and could easily reflect that of individuals with limited access to fluid over a busy working day. Jane Holdsworth, Director of the European Hydration Institute (EHI), said “Anecdotal evidence suggests that many drivers avoid drinking on long journeys to minimise bathroom stops, yet we know that even mild hydration can cause symptoms such as headache, tiredness and lethargy. Driver error is by far the largest cause of road traffic accidents and the EHI wanted to test whether mild hydration had an impact on the incidence of common driver errors.” The research has been published in the medical journal Physiology and Behaviour. The study was led by Phillip Watson, Andrew Whale, Stephen A. Mears, Louise A. Reyner and Ronald J. Maughan from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. See the video about the study. http://bit.ly/1zGtySO
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Congratulations Here are some of our successful members receiving their certificate from the Chief Executive of the IAM Sarah Sillars. I would like to say that doing the IAM course has enhanced my enjoyment of driving by simply making me much more aware of the road and other road users and also my car. I feel so much more alert now when behind the wheel as well as confident. I still have a few bad habits of momentary lapses if concentration but am more able now to work on them. I am really very pleased that I took the course which has enhanced my whole driving experience. I would like to thank Scott Bannister being brave enough to iron out my anomalies. Philip James
I would highly recommend the IAM Skills for Life course and would like to thank John Ockmore for his time and excellent advice. As well as gaining invaluable new skills, it was a very enjoyable and challenging experience. Kind regards Jill Craymer
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