Stratford Group of Advanced Motorists Newsletter March 2015

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Spring Issue March 2015

Driving Safety Home The newsletter of the Stratford upon Avon Group of Advanced Motorists (3127) Registered Charity #1016119

Spring Skill For Life Course Associates Here are the current members of the associates group.

Richard Anderson, Zoe Beale, Connor Bentham, Mike Darby, Amy Langstone, Andrew Littlejohns, Matuesz Mikolajczyk, Bruna Napoleao Da Silva, Babatunde Omosolo, Martin Osicka, Malith Sumanasekera. If you know of anyone who would benefit (please be diplomatic) from the Skill for Life Course - and let’s face it, everyone could - then please ask them to contact Mike Page - email secretary@stratfordiam.org.uk or phone 01789 763732 - for more details. And of course remember to tell them what fun it is! The following have taken their Advanced Driving Test and satisfied the Examiner that they are of a standard to be accepted into the IAM: James Wilson, Tobias Astor Martyna Wiatr, Matthew Knight, Claire Matthews, Jonathon Bellman and Ian Macafee. Congratulations to you all and welcome to the world of Advanced Motoring!

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NEWS The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is warning that despite 50 years of seat belt laws, far too many drivers and passengers are still putting themselves and others in great danger by not wearing seat belts. The first seat belt law came into force in January 1965, which saw all new cars in the UK required to have seat belt anchorage points on the outer front seats – and paved the way for far-reaching compulsory seat belt wearing laws in the decades after. Statistics from the Department of Transport show that of the 232 car occupants killed in 2013 (for which seatbelt data was recorded), 45 were not wearing a seat belt – a shocking 19%, or nearly one-fifth (1). According to Safer Roads, 2,000 people a year are saved by wearing seat belts. They say in the event of an accident if unrestrained, you will hit the windscreen, or the front seat in the case of a rear seat passenger at a force of 30 to 60 times your own body weight (2). The effectiveness of seat belts as a life saving device is without question. Research has found that for drivers seat belts are 50% effective at preventing fatal injuries, 45% effective at preventing serious injuries and 25% effective at preventing minor injuries. It also found for front seat passengers, seat belts are 45% effective at preventing fatal or serious injuries, and 20% effective at preventing minor injuries (3).

PHIL KEATLEY We're sorry to report the death of Phil Keatley who was a stalwart of our Group giving his time generously to both Observing and running our Young Driver Scheme successfully for a number of years. He was one of those dependable people who quietly got on with the job in hand and was a pleasure to work with. Mike Page 4


Spring Issue March 2015

If you know of a sixteen year old who is keen to start driving now rather than waiting for their 17th birthday contact Jan Copson by email at yds@stratfordiam.org.uk or phone 07847802711

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Spring Issue March 2015

Quite apart from safety factors, drivers caught without a seat belt face on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points. If prosecuted, the maximum fine is £500. Back in 1965 all new cars sold were required to have seat belt anchorage points for the front outer seats. In 1967 the law was changed so all new cars were required to have seat belts fitted. In 1968, seat belts were required to be retro-fitted to all cars sold from 1965. The biggest development in seat belt development came in 1983 when it became compulsory for front seat occupants to wear one. This Saturday (31 January) marks the 32nd anniversary of the passing of the front seat belt law in the UK. In 1989 it became compulsory for all children under 14 to wear a seat belt in the rear, and finally in 1991 it was required that all rear seat occupants wear a seat belt. After the 1983 law was passed, there was an immediate 25% reduction in driver fatalities and a 29% reduction in fatal injuries among front seat passengers. Despite that, the 2013 statistics show there is still a section of the driving population that continues to ignore the law, despite it being in place for more than three decades. Kevin Delaney, IAM head of road safety, said: “The biggest problem is complacency. “Quite simply people feel it will never happen to them. They think if they are driving locally and at a low speed they will be OK. Statistics show that many accidents not only take place at low speeds but also within a few miles of home – so people are mistaken if they think that makes them safer.” Although putting on a seat belt is habitual to many car occupants today, evidence from the DfT’s THINK! campaign has found that people are less likely to belt up on short or familiar journeys (4). Kevin added: “The trouble is if people are not wearing a seat belt and find themselves heading towards an accident, it is far too late to do anything about it.” He called for continued campaigning by government, police and road safety bodies to ensure the issue of wearing seatbelts remains a priority message. “We need to keep spreading the message particularly on rear seat belt use. And if people don’t take heed of it, they will end up as a Department of Transport accident statistic.”

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Spring Issue March 2015

“If you enjoy driving you better make the most of it nowâ€? This was the observation made by Sir Clive Sinclair in the mid 80s, and this future he foretold is here today! Fast forward to February 2015 (30 years after the Sinclair C5 was launched) and the UK Government announces changes to the road and car maintenance regulations to allow for driverless electric vehicles to be tested on roads around Britain. The government wants the UK to become a world leader in driverless technology. It will publish a code of practice in the spring which will allow the testing of autonomous cars to go ahead. Self-drive pods that will be tested in Milton Keynes and Coventry have been unveiled for the first time. The government promised a full review of current legislation by the summer of 2017. That review will involve a rewrite of the Highway Code and adjustments to MOT test guidelines, potentially taking into account whether a higher standard of driving should be demanded of automated vehicles. It will also look at who would be responsible in the event of a collision and how to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians. The Department of Transport report acknowledged that true driverless cars may be some way off and that current tests of the technology will need to include a qualified test driver to supervise the vehicle. "Driverless vehicle technology has the potential to be a real game-change on the UK's roads, altering the face of motoring in the most fundamental of ways and delivering major benefits for road safety, social inclusion, emissions and congestion," said transport minister Claire Perry. The government is providing ÂŁ19m to launch four driverless car schemes in four UK locations. To mark the launch of the review, Ms Perry and Business Secretary Vince Cable highlighted some of the trials that they are funding, including a fully autonomous shuttle in Greenwich and a BAE System-developed Wildcat vehicle, which will be

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Spring Issue March 2015 tested in Bristol. Self-drive pods that will be tested in Milton Keynes and Coventry were also unveiled for the first time. Prof Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "These trials are not just about harnessing technology to make our travelling lives easier and safer, they also involve getting the regulation right. "Alongside the hi-tech innovation you need policy decisions on long-term, low-tech matters such as who takes responsibility if things go wrong. As and when these vehicles become commonplace, there is likely to be a shift from personal to product liability and that is a whole new ball game for insurers and manufacturers." But the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) said that it was concerned that, while the government is pushing ahead with making driverless cars a reality, the service and repair sector did not yet have the skills and infrastructure in place to deal with the new technology. IMI chief executive Steve Nash is calling on businesses to take steps to address this sooner rather than later. "We believe the government is yet to fully [realise] the pressures we are under," he said. Back in November 2012 the IAM reported that 40% of motorists at that time would not consider using a driverless car. Opinions seems to have changed, and apart from feeling a little ‘weird’ about being in a moving vehicle without a human in control most people felt that it was a good thing during the launch in February this year. What do you think about using driverless cars? Let us know by emailing editor@stratfordiam.org.uk.

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Spring Issue March 2015

NEWS GROUP

OBSERVERS WANTED As you all know, the people who sit alongside new associates are called Observers, and these Observers are volunteers, giving up their time for no reward other than the knowledge that they are helping to make our roads safer by encouraging better driving techniques. Unfortunately we don’t have enough of them. This means that the Observers we have are being asked to attend every Sunday and sometimes to carry out 2 check drives each Sunday Morning.

To reduce the demands placed upon our dedicated Observers we are asking for more Advanced Drivers to step up and join our merry band of Observers. With more Observers to call upon each Observer will be asked to carry out fewer check drives - spread the load! If you are interested please contact Pete Thornett by email observer@stratfordiam.org.uk - or why not drop in on a Sunday morning and speak to him in person? You can now find out which Sundays the course is being run by checking our Events Calendar on our website www.stratfordiam.org.uk.

Social Media As well as our website - www.stratfordiam.org.uk - you can now follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have a Facebook account type in https://www.facebook.com/editorstratfordiam then click on Like. On Twitter look for @stratforddriver and click on Follow.

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Spring Issue March 2015 Upcoming events: Date

Event

Details

09/04/2015 JCB guided tour Includes 2 course meal, tea and biscuits. Cost £25. Minibus extra £8 02/05/2015 Guided tour of Lunch in the Cathedral. Cost £5 (donation to Lichfield Cathedral. Cathedral 20/06/2015 Donington Park Cost £10, £8 concessions. Lunch at Bull’s Head, Grand Prix Wilson. Optional visit to East Midlands Aeropark. Collection 22/08/2015 Museum of GWR With introductory talk. Cost £8.50, concessions Swindon £7.00. Minibus extra cost £7.00.

PLEASE BOOK IN FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE EVENTS. Tel: (01789) 730276 Email Address: events@stratfordiam.org.uk

Position

Holder

Phone

Email

Chairman

Don Rushton

Secretary

Mike Page

Treasurer

Dot Holtom

YDS

Jan Copson

07847 802711 yds@stratfordiam.org.uk

Events

Lindsay Rushton

01789 730276 events@stratfordiam.org.uk

Membership

Sarah Brook-Taylor

membership@stratfordiam.org.uk

Observer Training

Pete Thornett/Ian Gibbins

Observer@stratfordiam.org.uk

Publicity

Brian Feely

press@stratfordiam.org.uk

Newsletter

Keith Madderson

editor@stratfordiam.org.uk

Committee

Colin Upchurch

chairman@stratfordiam.org.uk 01789 763732 secretary@stratfordiam.org.uk

Mark Langstone

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