Autumn Issue October 2014
Driving Safety Home The newsletter of the Stratford upon Avon Group of Advanced Motorists (3127) Registered Charity #1016119
Autumn Skill For Life Course Associates Here are the current members of the associates group. 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: Robert Creek, Robin Quinn, James Viggers, Chris Thompson and Finuala Kelly. Congratulations to you all and welcome to the world of Advanced Motoring!
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Autumn Issue October 2014
Tour of the BMW Mini Factory
We arrived for our 1 ¾ hour tour and were dressed up in black coats with the mini logo, plus goggles and audio equipment which made it very easy to hear what our excellent guides, Terry and John were telling us. The first impression we had as we were ushered by our guides into the gleamingly clean Press Shop of the Mini Factory, was a sea of bright orange robots, all weaving and twisting in a bizarre imitation of a modern ballet performance In all 1,300, we were told, as we stared, fascinated at this amazing sight. Each group of robots were enclosed in a “cell” of wire fencing, preparing the sheets of steel (imported from Germany) to form different parts of the chassis. These robots were manufactured in Switzerland and Germany and looked unbelievably complicated. One passage was called the Jurassic Park run, and the finished bases of the chassis were carried by huge robots, looking uncannily like dinosaurs, moving ponderously along from one area to another. These robots replaced the 2,800 workforce that was now reduced to 28 technicians. Large steel boxes contained the computers that programmed 2
Autumn Issue October 2014
the robots for the many different models that were manufactured in the factory, using a dot matrix code. About 1,500 MW of electricity are used every hour. We were then taken by a minibus to the Assembly Shop, which was more recognisable in that there were 600 humans working on putting the engines, doors, windows, lights, wheels etc on to the moving lines of chassis. There was no noise, as no pneumatic tools were used, and workforce moved quietly and efficiently around their specific areas. A few robots were in evidence here, securing the engines, and placing the windscreens. The engines are manufactured in the BMW Hams Hall site in Birmingham. Each car, once it is assembled, is put through an extensive test by computers to make sure that every part is working correctly. We liked the brand new 5 door version which is due to come out shortly. Finally we saw the lines of gleaming vehicles waiting to leave the factory. 70 % of them are left hand drives, mainly to the USA, China and Germany. 56 cars are finished every hour, and more than half are transported by train. In all, it was an excellent tour, and everyone enjoyed it.
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Autumn Issue October 2014
NEWS THE NEW OBSERVER QUALIFICATIONS With around 200 IAM Groups nationally, it’s been a continuous development to have all of them working to an agreed standard regarding Observer training (Stratford Group’s procedures were acknowledged as offering best practice from very early on in the project). The IAM have been working with The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) which is a professional association offering recognised accreditations. Starting with the IAM examiners, a pilot project was established which has now been filtered down to the Groups’ Observers. Instead of the old “Qualified” and “Senior” levels, we now have “Local” and “National”, the idea being that if a group needs extra Observers on a temporary basis, they can contact other local groups in the knowledge that they will be operating to the same standard. We at the Stratford Group already have three National Observers and are in the process of having them further accredited to become IMI Local Observer Assessors. The progression from Local to National status remains similar to the old Qualified to Senior which is done by the Staff Examiner (who is the examiners’ manager). For more information visit http://www.iam.org.uk/iam-groups/imi
Doug Keays We are sorry to report that Doug Keays died earlier this year. He was not only our Treasurer for a considerable time, but was also invaluable in setting up the initial Members’ database. He was instrumental in helping to set up our website and Powerpoint programs. Doug was generous with his time and made every effort to impart his wide knowledge to others in the group. He never lost sight of the tenet he held so dear – that the systems being put in place were so that as many people as possible could “drive safely home” – a slogan he created. He was a good friend to me and the group and he will be missed. Mike Page 4
Autumn Issue October 2014
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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Autumn Issue October 2014
The End of An Era!
Five facts you never knew about your obsolete tax disc On 1st October 2014, more than 90 years of motoring history will come to an end as car owners are no longer required to display vehicle tax discs. Road users are being warned to be aware of what the changes mean for them – and failure to take note could see you hit with a fine of up to £1,000 pounds. But the tax disc is a little more than just a receipt to show you’ve paid your dues – as is shown by the number of people who’ve said they are going to “really miss” them when they are gone. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the almost-obsolete little piece of paper – and why you shouldn’t throw yours away just yet.
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Autumn Issue October 2014
1. Your tax disc could be worth up to £1000 If your tax disc is in good condition and its colour hasn’t faded, you may want to consider holding onto it in a safe place. “Velologists” – that’s tax disc collectors – are on the lookout for pristine examples of the last ever discs. In particular, a run of very recent emergency-issue, non-perforated discs – produced in the last month or two when supplies of special perforated paper ran low – could appreciate significantly in value. The most expensive disc ever sold is one of the first, from December 1921, and went for £810.30. One expert told the Telegraph that a pristine example of such a disc could sell for £1,000. At the moment, your disc is not likely to go for anywhere near that much. But velologists predict that the market for novelty, rare and vintage discs will boom now that millions of drivers have nothing to put in their windscreen holders. So watch this space.
2. Replacement tax discs cost drivers up to £7 million a year It seems that many of us are set to benefit from the change to an all-digital system for vehicle tax – because we’re so forgetful and careless. According to new figures released by the DVLA, in the three years from 2011 more than one million duplicate tax discs have been ordered after originals were lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. Replacements cost £7 each - though officials say the fee is waived in some circumstances. Alan Mason, director of the IT services company Ricoh UK that obtained the figures from the Government, said scrapping tax discs “has the potential to save time and money”, and represents a “significant milestone in the journey towards digital by default”.
3. It pays to go vintage As well as generally looking fantastic, classic cars that are more than 40 years old are actually exempt from vehicle tax altogether. The exemption originally applied to any vehicle over 25 years old on the basis that they would be incapable of racking up much mileage. It was frozen in 1997 as the longevity of cars improved – and now only applies to vehicles built before 1 January 1974. The DVLA has always insisted that these so-called “historic vehicles” still need to be “taxed” – that is, registered and displaying a “nil value” tax disc. Even 7
Autumn Issue October 2014 though tax discs are being scrapped, historic vehicles will need to be registered so they show up in police systems.
4. The police don’t actually need to display tax discs – though many do The change to the law will provide at least one added bonus for police, removing once and for all the accusations of hypocrisy they face about not even paying their own car tax. As “Crown vehicles”, police cars don’t actually need to pay vehicle tax – but that doesn’t stop people “snapping police cars with out-of-date tax” and complaining if they don’t display a disc at all. As a result, many display them anyway. From Wednesday, police can expect fewer arguments when they stop people to “check the system to see if they have paid their own tax” – it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as: “Where’s your disc, then?”
5 Tax discs don’t give car owners any more of a right to the road The first tax discs were issued in 1921. Then, vehicle tax was used as a way to make the UK road system self-financing – meaning all proceeds from it were ring-fenced and put towards maintaining and building roads. In the 1920s, Winston Churchill is said to have described this system as a privilege for road-users that was “an outrage upon common sense”, and in 1937 the law was changed to make car tax proceeds go straight to the Treasury. Despite this, car owners have historically often referred to their tax disc as proof of paying “road tax” – thinking it means they have directly paid for the road system in a way that, for example, cyclists or pedestrians have not. This is nonsense – and referred to as being like smokers saying they were more entitled to the NHS because they had paid “hospital tax”. Now, if a driver tells a pedestrian or cyclist that their “car tax” paid for the roads and therefore gives them right of way, they’re talking nonsense. And perhaps, as another positive, the removal of tax discs will also take away a little of this sense of entitlement.
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Autumn Issue October 2014
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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Autumn Issue October 2014 Upcoming events:
October 11th Sat..
Toddington Steam Railway with fish and chips on board. ÂŁ19. To Cheltenham and back. Special Carriage for wheelchairs. To be confirmed
November 28th
Skittles with hot meal
PLEASE BOOK IN FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE EVENTS. Tel: (01789) 730276 Email Address: events@stratfordiam.org.uk
Position
Holder
Chairman
Don Rushton
Secretary
Mike Page
Treasurer
Dot Holtom
YDS
Phone
Email chairman@stratfordiam.org.uk
01789 763732
secretary@stratfordiam.org.uk
Jan Copson
07847 802711
yds@stratfordiam.org.uk
Events
Lindsay Rushton
01789 730276
events@stratfordiam.org.uk
Membership
Sarah Brook-Taylor
Observer Training
Pete Thornett
Publicity
Mike Heath
press@stratfordiam.org.uk
Newsletter
Keith Madderson
editor@stratfordiam.org.uk
Committee
Colin Upchurch
members@stratfordiam.org.uk
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