The Newsletter of Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Beware of Flashers
www.iamchelmsford.org.uk
Issue 117 April and May 2016 IAM Group 7223 Registered Charity No 1059372
Oliver Streek receiving his certificate from our Chairman Steve Wright.
Mark Evans receiving his certificate from our Chairman Steve Wright.
Page 2
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
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
Monday 9th May Monday 13th June
Topic
Speaker
Casualty Reduction Manager of Essex Police. Providing an overview of road safety & road crime activity
Adam Pipe
Wills, probate & LPS's) from MW Solicitors (a speaker from 2015) returns to talk more about his work & is prepared to answer any questions members might have.
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.
Page 3
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Welcome
to our new Associate and Full Members. We look forward to seeing and talking to them at our monthly Group nights Rachel Anderson
Maldon
Michelle Harper South Woodham Ferrers
Ashley Talbot
Chelmsford
Patricia Webb
Chelmsford
Christopher Donlon
Thaxted
Iain Turton
Wickford
Steven Trotman
Colchester
David Onyons
Maldon
Brenda Derry
Chelmsford
Keith Derry
Chelmsford
Keith Derry
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 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
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Roll of Honour Congratulations to these latest Members of our Group who have Passed
‘The Test’.
Test No
Name
Test Date
Observer
1064
Robert Davidson
29th January
Scott Bannister
1065
Mark Criddle
30th January
Scott Bannister
1066
James Howard
31st January
Terry Joyce
1067
Sue Young
15th February
Scott Bannister
1068
Liz Woodhouse
14th March
Gaynor Manthorpe
1069
James Stirling
17th March
Scott Bannister
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
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
From the Chairman I find myself writing this report whilst on holiday stateside in sin city otherwise known a Las Vegas. I thought I would use this month's report to detail the experience I have had renting a car now the DVLA has stopped the use of the paper counterpart to the drivers licence. During this break I celebrated my wedding anniversary so booked a dinner to enjoy with my wife on a gondola. This was up in Henderson some 17 miles away so decided to rent a convertible car for the day. From the time I booked the car to picking it up the rental procedure had changed. Firstly my rental company made no attempt to contact me when the requirements originally changed last October. Luckily I was aware myself because the notice was only given a couple of weeks prior to my hire. I was to hire the vehicle a week into the trip so relying on this notification would have been tight. I have hired many cars abroad and have been used to just turning up with a credit card and driving licence. The first major change was the need for an international driving permit. This is not widely available and living in Braintree meant getting to a post office in Chelmsford or Colchester. The document cost ÂŁ6.50 and was produced quite quickly. My actual licence was accepted a sufficient ID an two passport photos were required. The document itself looks amateurish as my photo was just stuck in with pritt. It basically outlines what classifications of vehicle you can drive in different languages. Within 21 days of the rental I had to get a code from the DVLA website. This allows me to share my information with the hire company. This was free and straight forward. Finally you need to prove your address. I used the paper counterpart for the. The same one the DVLA recommends you destroy, your address is not on the driving permit. Once you have all this stuff you are ready to pick up the car. This completely removes the ability to be spontaneous. On arrival at the Dollar desk I discovered that they would have accepted my licence and passport without everything else. Turning up without your code and driving permit is a risk and you might be declined. I finally picked up my yellow Camaro which I enjoyed driving roof down to Henderson and up and down the strip. Regards Steve Wright Group Chair
Page 6
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
~~~~~~~~ Editorial ~~~~~~~~ Hello, I was not at the last group night because I was on holiday; in Singapore, Australia and Dubai. There are some motoring related pictures inside the back cover. Check out the article by Tony Groves, a former Editor of this newsletter. Can you help? Remember the Dash Cam article in the last edition? See the Flash for Cash article, sent to me by Mick Gilbert and his daughter, you may want to consider buying one. See Page 10 to find out more about the picture on the front cover. You should have seen the article about the IAM rebranding to IAM RoadSmart in the Advanced Driving magazine. I was hoping to publish more about it here but because the launch has been delayed until the 18th April I wasn’t allowed too. Take a look at http://www.iamroadsmart.com/ and watch the video of Sarah Sillars our Chief Executive. Is there any subject that you would like to see covered in an article? Thank you to those of you that have contributed to this edition. Please keep the letters and articles coming. 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
Page 7
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
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 Treasurer
John Johnston
Membership Secretary
Ken Carrington
Website Editor 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
Page 8
scott.bannister@iamchelmsford.org.uk
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
A Bird’s Eye View Hooray, the garden was showing signs of spring and I was really looking forward to Easter but instead here begins a tale of misery and woe.... Some of you know that in another life, I'm a church organist - a wonderful excuse to make a great deal of noise without being frowned at! Some of you may also know that there is a very nasty flu-type virus around. When I developed a sore throat just under a fortnight before Easter I thought nothing of it, particularly as I always have my flu jab etc, etc. Two days later, I was felled by the bug, temperature, sinus pain, headache, a dreadful cough, you name it and I had it. I'm now into the third week and just beginning to feel better. So, the church had canned music for Easter and I went through several boxes of man-size tissues at top speed - oh well, there's always next year! Susan Sweetland
Our Observers Ron Adams
Gaynor Manthorpe
Scott Bannister Pat Clements
Dr Clifford Murira
Philip Cooper
John Ockmore
Paul Crosby
Graham Robson
Jamie Drummond
Roger Spall
Tony Hawes
John Tullett
Helen Jeffries
Mark Warbey
Terry Joyce
Brian Williams
Rob Laird
Rob Wise
George Locker Graham Lowe
Page 9
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Flash for Cash Motorists are being warned about a new insurance scam where criminals flash their lights to let other drivers out of a junction, then crash into them on purpose. Anti-fraud experts are calling it "flash-for-cash". The gangs tend to target new, smarter vehicles or vulnerable road users, including older people and women with children in the car. It is a new tactic for an already well established crime, called "crash for cash", where criminals slam on the brakes for no reason so that the victim drives into the back of their car. Police investigators said the criminals will often remove the bulbs in their brake lights so other road users don't know they're stopping. However, "flash-for-cash" is more crafty, because it is harder to prove in court, often coming down to the innocent driver's word against the criminal's that they flashed their lights to let them out.
Each "accident" can net the gangs tens of thousands of pounds in a variety of ways. Firstly, they put in false personal injury claims for whiplash, sometimes including claims for people who were not even in the car. Added to that, they might charge the insurance company for loss of earnings, then they put in fake bills for vehicle storage, recovery, repairs, and replacement car hire. Detective Inspector Dave Hindmarsh from the Metropolitan Police is an expert at catching them out. He says this kind of crime costs the industry a fortune and, as ever, it's the honest, insurance-paying motorist who is footing the bill, "The problem is a growing problem. Financially it costs insurers ÂŁ392m a year - that impacts on motorists as it's an extra ÂŁ50 to ÂŁ100 on every person's premium. "[There are] emotional costs [as] if you're involved in a crash you could well lose your confidence, and if your passengers are children they may well become wary of being passengers in cars, and of course you may get injured or killed." This latest "flash-for-cash" warning has come from Asset Protection Unit (APU), a company which helps the police and the insurance industry investigate fraud. Neil Thomas at APU says the criminals pick on people who are not going to put up a fight, "Perhaps single females in the car with children in the back, perhaps doing the school run. Where they know there's going to be no resistance, no real argument at the scene. The children are going to be upset". Drivers are not meant to flash their lights to let people out onto busy roads. It is meant to be used as a warning. The Highway Code says: "Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users. Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed. Use your own judgement and proceed carefully." The reality is that most people do use it as a friendly gesture, and law-abiding motorists feel it's a shame that something that is meant to be so positive, a rare show of good manners on the road, is now being abused by criminals. The police and fraud experts believe that by raising awareness, and making people more wary, there is a good chance many drivers won't take the bait when the criminals lay a trap. See the article and video here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23717575 Page 10
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Driving for (others’) freedom When I retired some six years ago, I wanted to ensure variety in my life, so I drew up a list of activities which interested me - some indoors, some outdoors, some physical and others mentally stimulating. Increasing my involvement in village activities was also a priority. I live in Danbury, and I knew that we had a village minibus which did trips around Danbury and Little Baddow on two mornings each week to bring mostly elderly and physically challenged people to the centre of the village. It was an obvious candidate for my list. After a brief familiarisation and assessment drive, I joined the team of drivers and I have been doing it ever since. Driving the bus is fun and very satisfying as you realise that many of the passengers would be almost house-bound without it and would find shopping, the post office, bank and collecting prescriptions much more difficult. The higher driving position gives a better view of the road ahead and the door mirrors are so much better than those on a car. Below the main mirror is a smaller convex one, which gives a wide angle view and enables you to reverse the vehicle using just the mirrors. On the other hand, the centre of gravity is higher, so body roll is greater and the extra width means that you need to constantly observe the oncoming traffic and the road width, and be prepared to slow or stop in a suitable place to allow the other vehicle to pass. Our passengers are mostly elderly and usually have shopping on the return journey. That puts a premium on smooth driving - the floor is the modern equivalent to linoleum, so unless you brake gently before each bend and apply the power carefully through the bend, their shopping bags will skate across the floor! Last year, the Danbury bus became part of Chelmsford Community Transport. They operate several slightly larger mini-buses using both paid and volunteer drivers, plus a larger number of volunteer car drivers who use their own cars. Together, they provide a door-to-door service throughout the Chelmsford council area for those who cannot access public transport. All the minibuses are equipped with wheelchair lifts, which are also useful for those who can walk but cannot manage the steps - minibuses do not have the low-level floors of full-size buses. The Danbury mini-bus requires only a normal car licence, but the others need a category D1 on your licence. This was given automatically before 1997, but since then it has required an additional test. However, those who have converted from a paper to a plastic licence may have accidentally lost the D1 entitlement if they did not ask to retain it. To maintain the service, we need more volunteer drivers, both for the minibuses and driving your own car. It’s an ideal use of your driving skills, so please visit our website www.chelmsfordct.org and fill in the form on the “Volunteer” page. Tony Groves Page 11
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Roadcraft Chapter 7 covers Maintaining vehicle stability. This is something we are keen to do as failure is likely to be very expensive. In the last edition we talked about skidding and mentioned electronic stability program units. Following on from that we now look at how these safety devices work and what they are. If you activate a safety device, you are losing control of the vehicle. Safety devices are NOT a replacement for advanced driving competencies. Manufacturers are constantly seeking to improve vehicle stability with active safety features that can help safety and stability during braking, acceleration or steering but we should not rely on these systems but our skill to observe what is happening on the road around our vehicle and do something about it. I was reminded recently about the acronym OAP: Observation – what can you see, Anticipation – what may happen, Planning – what am going to do about it. The active safety systems explained in Roadcraft are:
Anti-lock braking systems Traction control systems Electronic stability programmes
If an active safety system is fitted to your vehicle, you will see an icon light up on the dashboard when you turn on the ignition or start the engine. If more than one device is fitted, they may be displayed separately or combined in a single. Have a look at you car and let me know what systems you have fitted. See what your manual says about them. Vehicles fitted with active safety devices, behave differently from vehicle without Skid control in a vehicle fitted with one or more active safety systems will depend on the exact features fitted. Different systems intervene at different points and some models have a deliberately delayed point of intervention. I have tried the stability management on my car and that allow the back end to go a little way before it takes control (rear wheel drive, tested at Millbrook testing ground). If you drive different vehicles, you must take note of the manufacturers advice and guidance in the driver’s vehicle handbook, so that you fully understand how each vehicle is likely to behave in extreme circumstances. ABS Anti-lock braking systems are fitted on most modern cars The main use of ABS is to allow you to steer the car during harsh or emergency braking. If you haven’t tried it, the brake pedal vibrates alarmingly and it can get noisy in some cars. Continued on Page 13
Page 12
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Roadcraft continued
Come along to one of our Driver Experience Days and you will be able to try it on the test track. ABS cannot increase the grip of the tyres on the road, nor can it fully prevent the possibility of the vehicle skidding. A standard Anti-lock Braking System uses four wheel speed sensors, a hydraulic pump, four hydraulic valves (assuming it is a 4 channel setup), and a controller. The controller in the ABS system monitors the speed of each wheel using the wheel speed sensors, which are usually hall effect sensors. If the controller sees that one wheel is decelerating at a rate that couldn't possibly correspond to the vehicle's rate of deceleration, it actuates the hydraulic valve in that wheel's brake line to reduce the brake pressure applied to that wheel. This allows the wheel to turn faster. Once the wheel is back up to speed, it uses the pump to introduce the pressure back into that brake line, applying that brake again. When the controller sees rapid deceleration again, it activates the valve and the cycle repeats about 15 times per second. Electronic stability control (ESC) is a computerized control system that applies brakes to individual wheels and reduces engine power to ensure that drivers maintain control of their vehicles. It was introduced in the mid 1990’s by Mercedes, has been shown to drastically reduce the risk of collisions. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the USA claims that one third of all fatal accidents could have been prevented had this technology existed sooner. The six main components of an ESC system are: wheel speed sensors, a control module, a steering angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, an accelerometer, and the hydraulic modulator. Note that the hydraulic modulator is the same one used in an ABS system, meaning that ESC adds only the yaw sensor, an accelerometer, and steering angle sensor to a standard ABS system. To understand how this system works, imagine you are driving down the road at 60 miles per hour. You swerve left to avoid hitting a fox. What happens in the short duration to follow? The yaw rate sensor determines where your car is pointing, the steering angle sensor determines where your front wheels are pointing, the accelerometer determines if your vehicle is sliding, and the wheel speed sensors monitor each wheel’s speed. If you turn your wheel very abruptly to the left, your vehicle will initially under steer. Since the front tyres do not yet have enough traction, they slide and the car continues to move forward. The control module recognizes the discrepancy between the intended path (communicated by the steering angle sensor) and the actual path (communicated via the yaw rate sensor) and sends a signal to the hydraulic unit, directing it to increase braking power to the left rear wheel. This causes the car to rotate left (the desired response). If necessary, the control module will also reduce engine power by sending a signal to the throttle actuator. For more about this follow the link below. This all seems very complicated, keep it simple drive safe. Remember OAP. Excerpts from Roadcraft and comments by Terry Joyce ABS and ESC information from http://bit.ly/1Mhdfb1 Page 13
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Dates for 2016 Monday 9th May
Casualty Reduction Manager of Essex Police highlights the work of Roads Policing in the force providing an overview of road safety & road crime activity.
Tuesday 17th May
Committee Meeting
Monday 13th June
Andy Grant (wills, probate & LPS's) from MW Solicitors (speaker from 2015) return to talk more about their work & come along to answers any questions members might have.
Adam Pipe
Andy Grant
Visit to Essex Police Museum - ÂŁ3 each June 27th
LIMITED TO 30 PEOPLE ONLY. You must pay & book in advance with Sally Langley. See Page 8.
Monday 11th July
AGM/Scott Bannister hosts driving round cones (etc!!) night in the car park
Tuesday 19th July Monday 8th August
Committee Meeting Site & Operations Manager of Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome talks about wildlife. He will show Russell Savory, slides & a film & discuss how he captures the various images.
Monday 12th September
Group Night
Tuesday 20th September
Committee Meeting
Sunday 2nd October
Driver Experience Day
Monday 10th October
Keith Lovell gives us a talk, subject T.B.A (he has a long list with various options!).
Monday 14th November
A talk on House History by an archivist from the Essex Record Office
Tuesday 22nd November
Committee Meeting
Monday 12th December
Group Night
Page 14
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
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.
Page 15
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Events 2016 As a group we are able to put on subsidised and low cost events to help you to improve your driving skills and have some fun. On Sunday 10th April we held our first Driver Experience day of the year and didn’t fill all the places, so offered them to other groups. The next Driver Experience Day is on Sunday 2nd October. Contact Scott Bannister for your place. £15 donation to the Essex Air Ambulance. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to drive around the Dunton Test Track.
Skid Pan Saturday 21st May. A wonderful experience, driving different vehicles and exploring the slippery world of the Skid Pan and a bargain at £50. Contact Scott Bannister. See page 8
Page 16
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
The Chelmsford & District Group of Advanced Motorists Annual General Meeting – Monday 11 July 2016. The Group’s Annual General Meeting is scheduled to be held at the Essex Police Sports & Social Club on 11th July 2016. The business will commence at 8pm and is expected to last for about 30 minutes. Agenda
1. Apologies for absence. 2. Minutes of the last meeting (AGM on 13 July 2015). 3. Matters arising from the Minutes. 4. Reports from the Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary and Treasurer. 5. Adoption of the Accounts. 6. Election of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee members. Any Other Business. Election of Group Officers & Committee Members Under rule 3.3.4 the following Group Officers retire:Steve Wright – Chairman – Group Secretary John Johnston – Treasurer Steve Wright is standing for re election & John Johnston offers himself for re-election. Nominations for the positions of Chairman, Group Secretary and Treasurer are invited. Also under Rule 3.3.4 the following Committee Members retires by rotation and offer themselves for re-election:- Terry Joyce, John Stone and Ken Howard. (Committee nomination form See Page 18) Nominations are invited from Full Members to stand for the Committee. The Nominee must be willing to stand for the Committee and sign the Nomination form. By signing the Nomination form, the Nominee is affirming his / her ability and intention, if elected, to attend Committee meetings regularly. All officers and one third of all other Committee Members must retire annually by rotation and may offer themselves for re-election by Group Full Members (Rule3.3). Please note: Those elected become Charity Trustees of the Group. You must not stand for Committee if the law debars you from being a Charity Trustee. Only fully paid-up members of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and of the Group may nominate Committee Members or be nominated as Committee Members. The nomination form must be returned to the Group Secretary no later than 20 June 2016. Note: The number of Committee members including the officers must not exceed twenty. PLEASE consider standing for the committee, we only meet 6 times a year. Steve Wright Group Chairman
Page 17
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
Minutes for the Chelmsford Advanced Motorists AGM held at 9.49pm on 13th July 2015 at the Essex Police Sports & Social Club Sue Sweetland sent her apologies. Due to illness she was unable to attend. Minutes of the previous year’s meeting were published in the recent FV. There were no questions raised and these were unanimously accepted by a show of hands – proposer Colin Snow (CS), seconded by Pat Clements (PC) Reports of the chairman, treasurer and secretary for the past year were published in the recent FV. There were no questions raised and these were unanimously accepted by a show of hands – proposer CS and seconded by PC. Accounts for the year ended 31st March were published in audited form in the recent FV. There were no questions raised and these were unanimously accepted by a show of hands – proposer CS, seconder PC.
SB noted that having completed his 3 year term he was standing down from the role of chairman and also from committee. Steve Wright has put his name forward for the position of chairman. There being no other candidates, the motion was put to the members and was proposed by CS and seconded by PC. Motion unanimously passed by a show of hands. Since Steve Wright is taking over as Chair, this left a vacancy for Secretary. In her absence Sue Sweetland was proposed by CS and seconded by PC. Motion unanimously passed by a show of hands. John Johnston has indicated that he is prepared to continue in his role of Treasurer. Proposed by CS and seconded by PC, the motion was unanimously carried by a show of hands. By rotation, three committee members are standing down. They have all indicated their willingness to continue on committee. Proposed by CS and seconded by PC, the motion was carried unanimously by a show of hands. An open invitation to any members willing to join the committee resulted in a volunteer – Terry Hyland. This was proposed by CS and seconded by PC. The motion was unanimously carried by a show of hands. There being no other business and no questions raised the meeting was closed at 9.53pm.
Committee nomination form Name
Page 18
Position
Nominated by
Seconded by
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Signature of Nominee
Issue 117
Who is the biggest menace on the roads? Thank you to Malcolm Kentish for sending me this article from the Daily Telegraph. You probably have your pet hates on the worst drivers you see on the roads but this article contains data based on analysis of ‘accident’ claim figures for 2015. The list of supposed villains of the road seems never ending. There is the caricature of the “boy racer” flying down the road ignoring the speed Limit; the “yummy mummy” applying her make-up at the wheel; the elderly hatwearing lady going the wrong way up a one-way street and of course the classic “white van man” cutting across three lanes of traffic. New figures suggest that the group most worthy of the title of Britain’s worst drivers are none of the above. Based on analysis of accident claims figures for 2015, the insurer 1st Central has concluded that the drivers the rest of us would be best advised to give a wide berth are typically middle class, middle aged, professional and in all likelihood - male. Accountants top the league of shame with the highest number of claims by profession, responsible for 16,000 last year, according to the company, which used industry wide data. The findings suggest there could be some truth in the classic Monty Python sketch in which a chartered accountant reveals his wild side, wishing to cast off the humdrum of daily office life to become a lion tamer. Other seemingly sober professionals are not far behind, including solicitors - said to be responsible for 15,000 accident claims. Worryingly for commuters, train drivers are number ten on the list.
The worst for accident claims
Groups with fewest claims
1. Accountant
1. Roofer
2. Solicitor
2. Farm worker
3. Doctor
3. Builder
4. Financial Advisor
4. Lorry driver
5. Letting Agent
5. Cleaner
6. Airline Cabin Crew
6. Carpet fitter
7. Bank Manager
7. Factory worker
8. IT Manager
8. Mechanic
9. Pharmacist 10. Train Driver
9. Butcher 10. Painter and decorator From the Daily Telegraph article by John Bingham
Page 19
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
IAM and Under 17 Car Club form partnership Driving charities the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and the Under 17 Car Club (U17CC) have combined efforts, allowing young drivers a unique pathway to safe and enjoyable driving before even passing their test. The partnership, which was launched this week (18th March 2016), will make the Under 17 Car Club Charitable Trust an IAM approved training organisation. The U17CC celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. It is dedicated to ensuring young people get the best grounding in driving skills before they reach their 17th birthday. Its members meet most Sundays at a variety of locations around the UK including Bovington Camp, Dorset; Castle Combe circuit; Caerwent in Monmouthshire; Devon Drivers' Centre in Clyst-St-Mary; Long Marston Airfield, Warwickshire; Moretonin-March, Worcestershire and Throckmorton Airfield, Warwickshire, where they learn to drive in a safe off-road environment from the age of 11. Paul Silverwood, president of the Under 17 Car Club, said: “This is a remarkable opportunity for the leading young driver charity to work alongside the leading charity for experienced advanced motorists. “We will offer the IAM the very best of a younger generation of enthusiastic advanced drivers. We will provide opportunities for existing IAM members and their families to get involved in driving in a safe environment. “And we will share the experience of the best specialist instructors and proven learning methods developed over decades.” Shaun Cronin, IAM regional quality manager, said: “For a young person getting behind the wheel years before they can legally take to the road is a one-off opportunity. But this is about having fun too – our members get the opportunity to spend their Sundays driving a wide variety of cars, lorries and buses – and even learning advanced skills on a race track. “The bottom line is this: working together with the IAM, the Under 17 Car Club can prevent a lot of crashes and, hopefully, we can save young lives.” The IAM has long campaigned for greater resources to be put into initiatives targeting younger drivers, who are the most at-risk group on our roads. Road accidents remain the biggest killer of young people in the UK. In 2013 there were 191 people under 24 killed and 20,003 injured as drivers and riders of cars and motorbike In the past five years (2009-13) there were 1,037 people under 24 killed and 120,958 injured on UK roads as drivers and riders (1). For more information about the Under 17 Car Club and its Pathfinder project visit the following websites: www.under17-carclub.co.uk and www.under17driver.co.uk Page 20
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
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.
Dear Terry, I’ve just read the latest copy of the Chelmsford Advanced Motorists Newsletter and wanted to congratulate you and your team on a great read! Some of the guest speakers you have arranged look like being really interesting evenings – perhaps I will try to get along for one or two as you are my local group. Mark Lewis IAM Director of Standards ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, I took my test with Derek Weddon today, and passed. I would like to thank to Scott Bannister for being brave enough to be my Observer whilst improving my driving. It was interesting and enjoyable at the same time, and it really opens your eyes to driving on our roads. Thank you. Kind regards from Sue Young
Page 21
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
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
Page 22
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
‘Holiday Pics’
Here are a couple of pictures from my holiday in Australia
This is the road on Sydney Harbour Bridge into the city, taken from one of the towers. Pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and trains on the iconic bridge. Our hotel and one of the best pubs in Sydney are both to the left centre of the picture. Dyslexic road sign in Cairns. This page is usually for pictures of our Associates when they receive their certificates for passing the test but very few turn up at our group nights to receive them, so I’ll try and find some pictures that may be of interest. Terry Joyce Any suggestions?
Page 23
Chelmsford Advanced Motorists
Issue 117
.