Stratford Group of Advanced Motorists Newsletter March 2015

Spring Issue March 2015

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Driving Safety HomeThe newsletter of the Stratford upon Avon

Group of Advanced Motorists (3127)

Registered Charity #1016119

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

Richard Anderson, Zoe Beale, Connor Bentham, Mike Darby, Amy Langstone, AndrewLittlejohns, 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 forLife Course - and let’s face it, everyone could - then please ask them to contactMike Page - email [email protected] or phone 01789 763732 - for

more details. And of course remember to tell them what fun it is!

The following have taken their Advanced DrivingTest and satisfied the Examiner that they are of astandard to be accepted into the IAM: James

Wilson, Tobias Astor Martyna Wiatr, Matthew Knight, Claire Matthews, JonathonBellman and Ian Macafee.Congratulations to you all and welcome to the world ofAdvanced Motoring!


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The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is warning that despite 50 years ofseat belt laws, far too many drivers and passengers are still putting themselvesand others in great danger by not wearing seat belts.The first seat belt law came into force in January 1965, which saw all new carsin 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 thedecades after.Statistics from the Department of Transport show that of the 232 car occupantskilled in 2013 (for which seatbelt data was recorded), 45 were not wearing aseat 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 timesyour 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 preventingfatal injuries, 45% effective at preventing serious injuries and 25% effective atpreventing minor injuries.It also found for front seat passengers, seat belts are 45% effective at preventingfatal or serious injuries, and 20% effective at preventing minor injuries (3).

NEWS

PHIL KEATLEY

We're sorry to report the death of Phil Keatley who was a stalwartof our Group giving his time generously to both Observing andrunning our Young Driver Scheme successfully for a number ofyears. He was one of those dependable people who quietly got onwith the job in hand and was a pleasure to work with.

Mike Page


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If you know of a sixteen year old who is keen tostart driving now rather than waiting for their 17th

birthday contact Jan Copson by email [email protected] or phone 07847802711


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Quite apart from safety factors, drivers caught without a seat belt faceon-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points. If prosecuted, the maximumfine is £500.Back in 1965 all new cars sold were required to have seat belt anchorage pointsfor the front outer seats. In 1967 the law was changed so all new cars wererequired to have seat belts fitted. In 1968, seat belts were required to beretro-fitted to all cars sold from 1965.The biggest development in seat belt development came in 1983 when it becamecompulsory 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 inthe rear, and finally in 1991 it was required that all rear seat occupants wear aseat belt.After the 1983 law was passed, there was an immediate 25% reduction in driverfatalities and a 29% reduction in fatal injuries among front seat passengers.Despite that, the 2013 statistics show there is still a section of the drivingpopulation that continues to ignore the law, despite it being in place for morethan three decades.Kevin Delaney, IAM head of road safety, said: “The biggest problem iscomplacency.“Quite simply people feel it will never happen to them. They think if they aredriving locally and at a low speed they will be OK. Statistics show that manyaccidents 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, evidencefrom the DfT’s THINK! campaign has found that people are less likely to belt upon short or familiar journeys (4).Kevin added: “The trouble is if people are not wearing a seat belt and findthemselves heading towards an accident, it is far too late to do anything aboutit.”He called for continued campaigning by government, police and road safetybodies to ensure the issue of wearing seatbelts remains a priority message.“We need to keep spreading the message particularly on rear seat belt use. Andif people don’t take heed of it, they will end up as a Department of Transportaccident statistic.”


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“If you enjoy driving you better make the mostof it now”This was the observation made by Sir Clive Sinclair in the mid 80s, andthis future he foretold is here today!Fast forward to February 2015 (30 years after the Sinclair C5 was launched) andthe UK Government announces changes to the road and car maintenanceregulations to allow for driverless electric vehicles to be tested on roads aroundBritain.

The government wants the UK tobecome a world leader in driverlesstechnology.It will publish a code of practice inthe spring which will allow thetesting of autonomous cars to goahead. Self-drive pods that will betested in Milton Keynes andCoventry have been unveiled forthe first time. The governmentpromised a full review of currentlegislation by the summer of 2017.

That review will involve a rewrite of the Highway Code and adjustments to MOTtest guidelines, potentially taking into account whether a higher standard ofdriving should be demanded of automated vehicles.It will also look at who would be responsible in the event of a collision and howto ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians. The Department of Transportreport acknowledged that true driverless cars may be some way off and thatcurrent tests of the technology will need to include a qualified test driver tosupervise the vehicle."Driverless vehicle technology has the potential to be a real game-change onthe UK's roads, altering the face of motoring in the most fundamental of waysand delivering major benefits for road safety, social inclusion, emissions andcongestion," said transport minister Claire Perry.The government is providing £19m to launch four driverless car schemes in fourUK locations.To mark the launch of the review, Ms Perry and Business Secretary Vince Cablehighlighted some of the trials that they are funding, including a fully autonomousshuttle in Greenwich and a BAE System-developed Wildcat vehicle, which will be


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tested in Bristol. Self-drive pods that will be tested in Milton Keynes and Coventrywere also unveiled for the first time.Prof Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "These trials are notjust about harnessing technology to make our travelling lives easier and safer,they also involve getting the regulation right. "Alongside the hi-tech innovationyou need policy decisions on long-term, low-tech matters such as who takesresponsibility if things go wrong. As and when these vehicles becomecommonplace, there is likely to be a shift from personal to product liability andthat 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, theservice and repair sector did not yet have the skills and infrastructure in placeto deal with the new technology. IMI chief executive Steve Nash is calling onbusinesses to take steps to address this sooner rather than later. "We believethe 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 timewould not consider using a driverless car. Opinions seems to have changed, andapart from feeling a little ‘weird’ about being in a moving vehicle without a humanin control most people felt that it was a good thing during the launch in Februarythis year.What do you think about using driverless cars? Let us know by [email protected].


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NEWSOBSERVERS WANTED

As you all know, the people who sitalongside new associates are calledObservers, and these Observers arevolunteers, giving up their time for noreward other than the knowledge thatthey are helping to make our roads saferby encouraging better driving techniques.Unfortunately we don’t have enough ofthem.This means that the Observers we haveare being asked to attend every Sundayand sometimes to carry out 2 checkdrives each Sunday Morning.To reduce the demands placed upon ourdedicated Observers we are asking for

more Advanced Drivers to step up and join our merry band of Observers. Withmore Observers to call upon each Observer will be asked to carry out fewercheck drives - spread the load!If you are interested please contact Pete Thornett by email [email protected] - or why not drop in on a Sunday morning andspeak to him in person? You can now find out which Sundays the course isbeing run by checking our Events Calendar on our websitewww.stratfordiam.org.uk.

GROUP

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


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Upcoming events:

PLEASE BOOK IN FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE EVENTS.Tel: (01789) 730276 Email Address: [email protected]

Position Holder Phone Email

Chairman Don Rushton [email protected]

Secretary Mike Page 01789 763732 [email protected]

Treasurer Dot Holtom

YDS Jan Copson 07847 802711 [email protected]

Events Lindsay Rushton 01789 730276 [email protected]

Membership Sarah Brook-Taylor [email protected]

ObserverTraining

Pete Thornett/IanGibbins

[email protected]

Publicity Brian Feely [email protected]

Newsletter Keith Madderson [email protected]

Committee Colin Upchurch

Mark Langstone

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 ofLichfieldCathedral

Lunch in the Cathedral. Cost £5 (donation toCathedral.

20/06/2015 Donington ParkGrand PrixCollection

Cost £10, £8 concessions. Lunch at Bull’s Head,Wilson. Optional visit to East Midlands Aeropark.

22/08/2015 Museum of GWRSwindon

With introductory talk. Cost £8.50, concessions£7.00. Minibus extra cost £7.00.

Documents

Stratford Group of Advanced Motorists Newsletter March 2015