Newcastle Advanced Motorists. Affiliated to The Institute of Advanced Motorists

Group Number: 4042

Group Registered Charity Number: 1049083

Website: newcastleadvancedmotorists.co.uk

“We advance driving standards in the North East”

Members Newsletter: September 2010

Events:

All events are held at:

Northumbria Police HQ, North Road, Ponteland, NE20 0BL (unless stated

otherwise) they commence at 19.30.

Sept 15th Road Safety Officer & Road Traffic Engineer

Oct 20th Special Assessment, followed by Pursuit Management (2 items)

David Heath (retired Traffic Officer—Durham Constabulary)

Nov 17th Northumberland Police Fleet manager - Keith Wilson.

2011

Feb 16th Analysis of a Collision - David Heath.

Please Note: As Events may have to be cancelled at short notice due to circumstances

outside of our control, we ask Members to check the Group website or to ring the Group

telephone 07737 204946 BEFORE coming to the Event. THE WEBSITE IS UPDATED DAILY.

2

From the Editor: James Heneghan MISM

Welcome to the smaller Edition of your Newsletter, this will now be published every two

months (depending upon News available and/submissions) at around 8 to 12 pages. In order

to “cram” as much information into the Newsletter as possible I have removed 3 pages that

we have been printing and publishing in every edition. The following pages have been

removed : Contact details for Committee, Directions to Ponteland & Members Change of

Address/Subscription Form. So I hear you ask how to I contact any Committee Member, or

change my address and renew my subscription?

If you have internet access: visit the Group website www.newcastleadvancedmotorists.co.uk

from here you will be able to contact certain Members of the Committee via the “Contact Us”

tab. Members of the Committee who do not have email facilities will have their phone

numbers listed.

We will publish a sheet with all the relevant Telephone Contact details, this should be held on

file at home until updates are issued. This sheet will also be enclosed with a starter pack

issued to new Associates as their Skill for Life forms are processed by the Membership

Secretary.

Subscription Forms will be issued in time for the annual renewal of subscriptions.

Those Members who attended the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People on 18th August had an

enjoyable and informative presentation given by Peter Brennan, he was suitably accompanied

by Islay his dog. On behalf of the Committee and Peter can I thank you all for the generous

comments you have passed on to me, and more importantly for the amount of £79-00 you

donated to this worthwhile charity.

We have made a lot of changes to the Committee recently, some new faces have appeared,

the enclosed sheet will spell out who does what (but not necessarily - when), it is hoped that

the changes will allow us to get to grips with the problem areas within our Group.

We have also agreed at Committee to extend the Subscription year until end May 2011, in

future years your subscriptions will run May-May. The reason is that if/should we ever need to

increase the Subscription, it can be discussed at the AGM, and if agreed implemented

immediately. The system we operate at present has a one year delay built in.

Issue date 10th September 2010.

3

Welcome to our Group:

Edward James McDonald

David Spoors

Louise Cairns

Harriet Aitchison

Congratulations on passing your Test:

Philip Morton - Observer - Andrew Orrick

Mathew Rance - Observer - Colin Hill

Rajendra Raman - Observer - John Craik

Charles Edward Wilkie Smith - Observer - Toby Osborn

Congratulations to a new Group Observer:

John Craik

Note: When your IAM Test result is known, we will post your name (as above)

into our Newsletter and onto the “Passes” section of our website

ONLY THE NAMES of the successful candidates will appear.

If you have any objections, you must notify the Membership Secretary.

4

1 Cuts must not halt drive to reduce road deaths, says IAM

The reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads must not

be compromised by anticipated cuts in government spending, said the IAM (Institute of Ad-

vanced Motorists) as the latest figures were released by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Neil Greig, the IAM’s Policy and Research Director, said: “The IAM is pleased to see the

continued downward trend in road deaths in the UK. As ever there is no single factor that you

can point to. We would argue that the focus on rural roads in the last two years has undoubt-

edly helped with rural road safety campaigns by the DfT and the police raising awareness that

drivers are most at risk in the countryside. “Two other factors to consider are that fewer

youngsters are taking the test due to demographic trends and we are all driving safer cars as

the old pre airbag, non crash tested bangers go off the road.”

Mr Greig said that the IAM’s main concern is that road safety is an easy cut in the light of the

public sector spending problems. “We must maintain budgets if this downward trend is to

continue and we are to make Britain’s roads the safest in the world,” he said. Today’s DfT

figures show overall casualties down. The number of people killed in road accidents fell by 12

per cent from 2,538 in 2008 to 2,222 in 2009. In accidents reported to the police 26,096 peo-

ple were killed or seriously injured in 2009, six per cent fewer than in 2008. There were just

over 222,000 road casualties in Great Britain in 2009, four per cent less than in 2008. “If the

results continue to improve like this, we will be well below 2,000 fatalities by 2020,” said Mr

Greig.

2 Holiday drivers: know the rules, says IAM

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has today offered holiday drivers help and

guidance to make road trips abroad safe and stress-free. www.iam.org.uk/drivingabroad is a

one-stop online resource covering traffic rules and regulations abroad, and could help motor-

ists avoid unnecessary stress, fines and prosecution. Peter Rodger, IAM Chief Examiner, said:

“Roundabouts, unfamiliar road layouts and foreign signposting can make even the most ex-

perienced motorist anxious about driving abroad, but many drivers still leave British

shores without a sound understanding of the traffic regulations of the country they’ll be

driving in.

“Many countries’ rules and traffic regulations will be similar to UK conventions, but there will

be some discrepancies. Rules of the road are often enforced with greater firmness abroad,

and ignorance is no excuse – tourist or not, you will be prosecuted.” The IAM urges drivers to

5

make sure they understand all road signs before setting off, and to obey them at all times.

Local rules, such as speed limits and priorities, also have to be observed.

Mr Rodger added: “Most signs will be recognisable to you, and the meaning of unfamiliar

signs should still be fairly obvious. Remember the general rule: triangles warn, circles prohibit

and rectangles inform.”

If you’re driving your own car abroad:

# Do not drive too far without a break - tiredness can kill. Take a break every two hours and, if

possible, change drivers reglarly

# Plan your route and make sure you have an up-to-date map, even if using a satnav

# Be aware that overtaking is a difficult and potentially dangerous manoeuvre, and driving a

right-hand drive car on the “other” side of the road means you are not in the best position to

see ahead. Always remember, the decision to overtake is yours – do not rely on the judge-

ment of the passenger in the front seat

# Make sure that the car you are driving is roadworthy and, if it’s your own car, make sure

your headlights have been properly adjusted for the side of the road you’re driving on. You

may have to take the car into the dealer for this

# Insurance: most polices now include cover in Europe for a limited time but you should check

your policy details and let your insurance company know where and when you will be travel-

ling. Make sure you have breakdown cover, too, so that you know you will be able to get

home in the event of a problem

If you’re hiring a car abroad:

# f you are used to an automatic but hiring a manual, be aware that it can be difficult to adapt

to changing gear. You will need to get used to using the “wrong” hand while driving on the

“other” side of the road

3 Maintain road safety spending to save money, says IAM

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) is urging the government to maintain spending

on road safety following its first Budget. IAM research, released today, proves the value of

setting casualty-reduction targets and funding them consistently. Since targets were first in-

troduced in 1990, an estimated 31,000 lives have been saved, benefiting the UK economy by

a massive £50bn. Neil Greig, IAM Director of Policy and Research, said: “The impact of

casualty reduction targets has been enormous. If we continue at our current rate of invest-

ment, annual road deaths in the UK could slip well

6

below 2,000 by 2020 - a further saving of £4bn and 2,500 lives over the next decade. Punitive

cuts in road safety budgets will jeopardize these huge financial and social gains. “IAM research

shows that continued investment in road safety over the next few years will produce

substantial rates of return to the economy. Our message is simple: spending on road safety

saves money.

Fewer casualties mean reduced NHS bills, fewer people absent from work, less congestion and

much lower costs associated with long-term injuries.” The DfT has already announced a 27 per

cent cut in road safety revenue funding and a £17.2m cut in capital grants for road safety as

well as other cuts in major projects. Mr Greig added: “Every death on UK roads costs society

£1.68m. We need investment in safer drivers, safer cars and safer roads if we are to maintain

current trends and make Britain’s roads the safest in the world.”

4 Older drivers refresher courses benefit all, says IAM

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has welcomed the new RAC report on older

drivers which finds that 84% of drivers aged 70 or over acknowledge the value of a refresher

driving course. Neil Greig, IAM Director of Policy and Research said: “With ever-growing num-

bers of older drivers looking to stay safe and maintain independence, it is encouraging to see

that there is a high degree of support for refresher courses.

“Older drivers have most of their crashes on high speed roads, particularly on slip roads and at

junctions and roundabouts. Updating their skills to deal with these hazards and helping them

to stay mobile for as long as possible should be the key aim of refresher courses. The IAM

provides a Drive Check 55 refresher course which specifically address these issues. “The IAM

does not support compulsory retesting or medicals as we believe they will force many

perfectly safe drivers to give up driving too early. This loss of mobility makes them a far

greater financial burden on society and less able to access services and support. GPs need

more training and information to help them advise patients on giving up driving and refresher

courses.”

5 Give drivers the skills to tackle Britain’s most dangerous roads, says IAM

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) today welcomed the publication of new crash

risk tables for Britain’s roads, part of the Road Safety Foundation annual survey. Neil Greig,

IAM Director of Policy and Research said: “Information on high-risk locations will help any

driver stay safe on our most dangerous roads. Saving as many lives as possible within poten-

tially limited budgets is going to become very important in the next few years, and the IAM

7

supports using this information to target investment where it will bring most benefit. “While

the IAM supports continued investment in the roads with the highest risk, the long-term

answer still lies in driver improvement. The first step should be to equip young drivers with

experience of rural ‘A’ roads by including these in the driving test. Government support of a

lifelong learning driver culture would make motorists better able to cope with dangerous

roads.” Mr Greig added: “By being alert, processing the environmental information around

you, recognising the hazards and taking safe driving seriously, anybody can handle even the

most dangerous of Britain’s roads.”

6 Pedals and Pimms don’t mix, says IAM

If you’re planning to have a few drinks at a barbeque this summer don’t cycle home,

warns the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists). Although drink-driving is socially unaccept-

able, many people wouldn’t think twice about cycling home after consuming more than the

legal blood-alcohol limit for driving. Neil Greig, IAM Director of Policy and Research said:

“Cycling crashes are underreported, and we need more research into hospital-based records

to see how big this problem really is. A lot of cyclists that fall off under the influence just go to

A&E, meaning the police never record the incident.

“Many people will have a bit of a wobble on the way home, but while you may be of less risk

to other road users than when in a car, you could easily fall into a dangerous situation or

cause someone else to swerve and crash to avoid you. If your cycling does result in a collision

you are likely to come off worse. “It is often the case that people who have had a couple of

extra drinks will be cycling home in the dark increasing the danger involved.”

Drink-cycling can also cost you financially. Anyone riding a cycle under the influence of drink

(or drugs) to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of it on either a road

or other public place, can be fined up to £1,000. So if you’re planning to use any public right-of

-way with excessive levels of alcohol in your body this summer, then you are better off in a

cab, or getting a lift.

7 IAM Drive & Survive urges Lord Young to focus on road safety at work

IAM Drive & Survive is calling for Lord Young of Graffham to make driving for work a tar-

get area, after it was announced last week that he would be reviewing the operation of health

& safety laws. Simon Best, Chief Executive at the IAM, said: “Around a third of all UK road

deaths are of those driving on business, so it’s common sense that this should be considered a

priority area to be addressed in the review.

8

“Company-provided driver training and risk management can prevent work-related road

deaths, and organisations including IAM Drive and Survive can provide practical support in

improving driving safety at work. “The IAM willingly offers the Government expert advice on

driver training, and will assist in any way possible.”

8 Crossing case should serve as reminder

Following an incident where a pedestrian was knocked down due to overgrown shrubs,

the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has called for councils and motorists to play their

part in preventing accidents caused by overgrown trees and hedges. A little publicised legal

decision last month [Yetkin v Mahmood and Another] has emphasised the responsibility of

councils to keep foliage clear, maintaining good sightlines and road safety.

Views of a pedestrian crossing were obscured by foliage, and the claimant sued the driver and

the London Borough of Newham as the highway authority. IAM Chief Examiner Peter Rodger

said: “At this time of year the issue is at its height, with road signs all over the UK being

obscured by foliage, and little or no indication of any maintenance work being done. “While

the IAM would expect a driver to take account of the obstruction to their view, and encourage

all road users to look for clues other than traffic markings, the council is legally obliged to keep

signs and crossings well visible, and this case should serve as a reminder to both drivers and to

local authorities.”

9 Road rage makes us worse drivers

Results from an IAM poll have found that most drivers regularly suffer some form of road

rage, and nearly a third admit that anger with other road users makes their own driving worse.

Of the 1,400 respondents to the online poll, 70 per cent stated that they got angry with other

road users and 28 per cent felt that getting heated behind the wheel affected their own

driving competence.

Tailgating was the behaviour most irritating to drivers, with 28 per cent classing it as the most

provocative, while 22 per cent felt that others taking a call while driving was the biggest irrita-

tion. Centre lane hogging was also mentioned by 15 per cent and drivers also reported a long

list of other irritants including aggressive driving, failing to indicate and bad lane discipline.

IAM director of policy and research, Neil Greig, said: “It is good to see motorists disapproving

of bad driving, especially mobile phone use which is on the rise, but it’s worrying that so many

still suffer some form of road rage. With long commutes and increased congestion making

driving particularly stressful, drivers must learn to manage the ‘red mist’.”

9

Worryingly, many drivers are ignorant of the law, with the poll finding that 33 per cent of driv-

ers would read or send a text message while waiting in a queue of traffic. Almost 30 per cent

would instigate or pick up a phone call, even though research suggests that this is just as dis-

tracting as using a hand held phone.

Over a third of drivers found passengers most distracting with more than 60 per cent saying

they would be more likely to be distracted with passengers in the car.

The IAM survey revealed that the top distractions were:

• Passengers ((30 per cent) • Billboards and other advertising (24 per cent) • Watching out

for safety cameras (21 per cent) • Mobile phones (13 per cent) • In Car Entertainment (Five

per cent) • Sat navs (Four per cent)

Mr Greig added: “It’s all about control – good drivers spot the signs of potential road rage and

do everything they can to steer clear of it. If you feel yourself getting provoked by other peo-

ple driving badly, remember that rising above it is an act of safe driving.

If you feel you’re reaching boiling point:

• Pull over and separate yourself from the cause of your anger – usually another driver •

Never react with a gesture or use your car as a weapon of retaliation

If you are the subject of road rage:

• Pull over to a safe, public place if you feel threatened • Apologise for your own mistakes – a

cheery wave does a lot to diffuse tension

10 Crossing case should serve as reminder

Following an incident where a pedestrian was knocked down due to overgrown

shrubs, the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has called for councils and motorists to play

their part in preventing accidents caused by overgrown trees and hedges.

A little publicised legal decision last month [Yetkin v Mahmood and Another] has emphasised

the responsibility of councils to keep foliage clear, maintaining good sightlines and road

safety. Views of a pedestrian crossing were obscured by foliage, and the claimant sued the

driver and the London Borough of Newham as the highway authority.

IAM Chief Examiner Peter Rodger said: “At this time of year the issue is at its height, with road

10

signs all over the UK being obscured by foliage, and little or no indication of any maintenance

work being done.

“While the IAM would expect a driver to take account of the obstruction to their view, and

encourage all road users to look for clues other than traffic markings, the council is legally

obliged to keep signs and crossings well visible, and this case should serve as a reminder to

both drivers and to local authorities.”

11 Car club provisions a road safety bonus, says IAM

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) today welcomed the announcement that an

additional £40,000 in extra funding will be made available to support the development of car

clubs.

Neil Greig, IAM Director of Policy and Research, said: “Car club schemes offer many in urban

areas access to cars, providing opportunities for those who couldn’t otherwise afford or find

room for them, and they reduce congestion and free up parking for other residents.

“The environmental and congestion-busting benefits of car clubs are clear, but the club’s

frequent car renewal means better road safety as more drivers will be using newer, safer cars

with the latest in modern crash protection and collision avoidance features.

“Car clubs, government and individuals should also be aware that this could mean an influx of

inexperienced drivers on the roads. Driver training or drive-checks should be offered as part of

the package to ensure car club members stay as safe as possible.”

This space left intentionally blank

I could not find an article small enough to fit in here!

Come along to the Events and support your Group.

11

Did you know?

* That the first driving lesson took place 100 years ago (1910) in Peckham (home of Del Boy)?

* That the person who gave the first driving lesson was a doctors son, Stanley Roberts.

* He realised that the motor car was the future and that more and more would be on the

roads.

* He set up his own driving school and named it... the British School of Motoring.

* He was a motoring fanatic and owned a Dutch built Spyker

* His lessons were offered as “Popular Course of Mechanism and Driving”

* His lessons cost about 10 shillings (50p) per hour, today they cost between £20-£30 per

hour.

* His first pupil was fittingly a former coachman!

* As he expanded the business he moved to Coventry Street in Piccadilly, before expanding

nationwide.

* His courses lasted for four days (as opposed to an average of 52 hours today).

* He placed a lot of emphasis on “correct procedure, discretion, and behaviour”

* Drivers did not have to pass a test, they simply had to prove that they had undergone

instruction, and the licence was issued automatically.

* In 1910 there were only 53,196 cars on the British Roads compared to 28.5 million today .

* The 25 minute L-test was introduced in 1935, five years after the 30mph speed limit.

* The first person to pass the test in 1935 was a Mr Beene of Kensington, this earned him

Pass Certificate 000001, this followed a course of lessons with BSM.

* Other pupils of BSM include the Queen, Twiggy, Mary Quant.

* Today the practical test is 40 minutes long, with a theory test taking 57 minutes and further

20 minutes for the hazard perception test.

* In 1935 the test for Mr Beene cost 7 shillings 6d (37.5p)

* Today the cost of the test costs £62 for a weekday practical test and £75 for the weekends,

and £31 for the theory test introduced in 1996

* There are currently 46,600 driving instructors across Britain.

Are you learning someone to drive? Read on……

If you are teaching someone to drive you are deemed to be the person in charge of the

vehicle? So if you have decided to take a nap on a long journey, read the newspaper, make/

receive a call on your mobile whilst the learner is at the wheel you are committing an offence.

Why? Because you can not be in control of the vehicle whilst doing any of the above.

12

Administrative Information:

Disclaimer:

Articles within this newsletter are personal opinions only, and are not necessarily the views of the New-

castle Group of Advanced Motorist or the Institute of Advanced Motorists in General and should not be

so interpreted.

The Data Protection Act:

Details relating to our Group are held on a computer database. The Data Protections Act 1988 requires

the holder of such data on a database to be registered, although non profit making organisations such

as our Group are exempt from this requirement providing that the individual members consent to the

data being kept.

If you have any objections, please contact the Membership Secretary.

Information is used to run the Group and consists of various details such as class of membership, date of

joining for associates and subscription expiry dates. It is also used for the production of address labels

and lists for the distribution of Newsletters.

This list/information will not, under any circumstance, be passed on to any third party.

No financial records are held on the database.

Articles for the Newsletter:

The Editor is always pleased to receive articles for inclusion in the Newsletter but reserves the right to

edit any article, and is not obliged to use any article.

Unless you state your objection, articles may be posted to the Group Website.

Assistance required:

From time to time the Newcastle Group require assistance from Members and Associates to help with

recruitment at shows and events. If you would like to assist the Group, please give your name and con-

tact details to any member of the Committee.

Committee Membership:

The Group is managed by your Committee, we periodically have vacancies on the Committee.

If you would like to become involved as a Committee Member, please contact any present

Committee Member. To serve on the Committee you MUST be a FULL Member of the Institute of Ad-

vanced Motorists, and you must subscribe to the Local Group (Newcastle Advanced

Motorists).

Thank You.