Monday, February 27, 2012
Ompton man’s dummy camera
Whether you’re in your car or walking along the pavement, it’s easy to get angry at speeding motorists who put other people’s lives at risk with their dangerous driving.
One 50-year-old man living in Ompton, Nottinghamshire, has got so frustrated by road users travelling through the village at high speeds that he has installed his own dummy speed camera. The speed limit through the village used to be 60mph, which was then reduced to 40mph. However, the locals have been campaigning for it to be reduced once again to 30mph.
The maker of the dummy speed camera states that he built it after the council failed to put up a camera itself or further lower the speed limit.
It cost him £250 to make using scrap metal, and he believes it’s just the thing to cut down on the number of people driving too fast, however, he states, “I’ve been told if someone causes an accident by obeying the legal speed limit through the village, then it’s my fault.”
The highways district manager has told the man that if anyone claimed that they had crashed due to the presence of the dummy camera, he would be liable for civil action.
Well, we applaud this man for trying to make his village a safer place, however dubious the methods may be, his intentions are good, and we hope that all the villagers see a reduction in the number of speeding motorists as a result.
Photo © Pug50 via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car, dangerous driving, dummy speed camera, motorist, Nottinghamshire, Ompton, road users, speeding, village
Friday, February 24, 2012
The siren-like call of the sat-nav
Most of us would probably be quite happy to have a sat-nav, if we haven’t got one already.
But beware!Their voices can lead you astray as surely as a siren’s call, and in total sat-navs have reportedly cost £203million in vehicle repairs in the last 12 months alone.
The head of car insurance at Confused.com stated, “Our research has shown that the sat-nav is not always the blessing it was once hailed to be and, increasingly, motorists appear to be citing the device as a source of frustration and danger.”
The problem is that a combination of out-of-date maps on the devices and drivers relying too heavily on the directions given by the gadget is resulting in crashes which could easily have been avoided.
Although it is hoped that a summit set to be held in March this year will solve a lot of the navigational errors being suffered my motorists, many sat-nav problems can be resolved by drivers paying more attention to the road and looking at their intended route on a real map before leaving.
The art of true navigation is being lost, let’s reacquaint ourselves with it.
Photo © Unhindered by Talent via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car insurance, Confused.com, crash, device, directions, gadget, map, motorists, navigational error, road, sat-nav, summit, vehicle repairs
Monday, February 20, 2012
Italian Government targets Ferrari driving tax evaders
Every year, tax evasion costs Italy around €120bn in lost revenue. To crack down on the problem, officers are resorting to an unusual tactic to catch these criminals.
Italian police have set up checkpoints across parts of the country, where they stop high end luxury vehicles and then check the owner’s details.When a driver hands over their licence and registration, their information is then passed on to the tax agency to determine if that person has paid the proper amount of income tax. The police are then able to verify if that person has been paying enough duty.
Despite the inconvenience to its citizens, the scheme is actually working. After 2,806 tax checks, the government has been able to recover more than €68m in unpaid revenue.
The success of this scheme is now seeing tax evaders returning their prestigious sports cars to dealers and buying less conspicuous vehicles.
If you’ve always wanted a cheap Lamborghini, then it’s worth noting the 20% price drop in Italy’s luxury car market. Not only will you be able to pick up a bargain, but you will be helping their economy while you’re at it.
Photo ©M 93 via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: income tax, Italy, Lamborghini, licence, luxury car
Friday, February 17, 2012
Silver drivers
As a young driver, with all your friends passing their practical tests and finding freedom on the roads, it must be easy at times to feel like young people make up a large majority of road users in Britain.
You’d be wrong though. Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency show that in fact, the number of elderly motorists over the age of 80 far surpasses the number of 17 to 19s behind the wheel!
Only about 682,000 drivers up to the age of 19 hold a full licence in comparison to the one million over 80s still negotiating the UK’s road network.
Furthermore, they drive in just as safe a manner as 25 to 29 year olds and suffer three times fewer severe injuries or deaths on the highway than the 17 to 19 age group.
A spokesperson for the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) states, “Those who wish to continue driving beyond the age of 70 should only be prevented from doing so if there are compelling reasons.
“Rather than seeking to prevent older people from driving, we should make them more aware of the risks they face and offer them driving assessments to help them eliminate bad habits.”
Your 80th birthday might seem a good long way away, but it’s nice to know that your car won’t be snatched from you when you reach the big eight zero.
Photo © Todyotter via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: 80, birthday, Britain, Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, full licence, IAM, Institute of Advanced Motorists, practical test, road, road user, young driver
Monday, February 13, 2012
Snow parking
Usually ice and snow give motorists problems because they have to try and navigate slippery roads, and deal with road closures too.
However, some drivers in Chiswick, West London, had some rather different problems with snow and ice.
A large snowball was taking up a parking bay for much too long – without paying we might add – and was quite rightly given a parking ticket for it.
Now, when I say ‘large’ you may imagine something about the size of a football. No – this was a 4-foot high monster snowball – and someone wasn’t very happy that it was taking up precious road-side space.
A spokesperson for Hounslow County Council stated, “It's good to see people support our efforts to keep our roads clear for traffic. However, removing a penalty charge notice from a vehicle, unless you are the driver, is an offence.
“This could lead to the driver unfairly missing out on the chance to pay early at the lower rate through no fault of their own.”
Hopefully the person who was meant to get the ticket did receive it before their fine was increased.
We wonder whether the snowball vacated the space after being penalized for its offence, or whether it is still sat resolutely on the tarmac attracting odd looks from passers-by.
Disclaimer: Attached photo is not of offending snowball. Photo was posed by model.
Photo © chatirygirl via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: Chiswick, fine, ice, London, motorist, offence, parking bay, parking ticket, road, road-side, snow, tarmac
Friday, February 10, 2012
Could personalising your car be dangerous?
A recent survey published by a UK car insurance company showed that the average British motorist spends nearly £100 personalising their car with accessories, but these extras could potentially increase their chances of being involved in an accident and might raise their insurance premiums.
Apparently, 57% of motorists accessorise their cars; typically choosing options such as floor mats, air fresheners, stickers and even on some rare occasions... fluffy dice.Around one in ten of these drivers modifies their car to express aspects of their personality, but a third said they just wanted to make their vehicles more comfortable.
However, 70% of those surveyed had placed accessories which obscured or blocked their view.
Modifying a car should never be carried out at the risk of safety.
A spokeswoman for the insurance company said, “You can understand why so many of us want to make them more comfortable or individual, but car accessories should never impede the driver’s vision in any way.
“If you are going to adorn your rear window with stickers or soft toys, make sure they don’t obscure your view.”
The research also revealed that young drivers are more likely to accessorise their vehicles which, depending on the level of customisation, could increase their insurance premium. To find out how much your extras could set you back, click here to get a quote.
Photo © yortw via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: accident, car insurance, insurance premium, young drivers
Monday, February 6, 2012
Double delight for teenage test takers
Twins often share similar experiences of life's defining moments. Many enjoy their first day at school together, some move out of the family home at the same time, and in one special case twins from Bristol passed their driving tests on the same day.
What makes this story even more extraordinary is that that each sister had taken exactly the same number of one hour driving lessons, and they both began their practical tests at 3pm on January 20th.
The girl's chosen driving instructor said, “Everything seemed to fall in together – they started the same day, they had exactly the same number of lessons, they passed on the same day.”
It's traditional for twins to grow up wearing identical sets of clothes and be treated to shared birthday parties. However, the girls’ parents went to extra lengths by rewarding them with a blue Ford Ka each.
Their Mum said, “They both felt that they were under a lot of pressure, and they were worried that one might pass and one fail. They would have rather both failed than one pass and one fail.”
After joint celebrations the youngsters are expected to turn their minds to what they can do together next. Perhaps they'll both achieve the same A level marks, go to the same university and even begin same course next year.
Photo © samantha celera via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: Bristol, driving lessons, driving test, Ford Ka, instructor, practical test, twins
Friday, February 3, 2012
Image more important than cost for singing star Harry Styles
Obviously keener to impress the girls than save money, One Direction singer Harry Styles has splashed out on a luxury Range Rover Sport.
Having successfully passed his driving test, Styles was apparently eager to maintain the trend of young celebrities buying high status vehicles.
Perhaps unsurprisingly he ignored the warnings of his older and more experienced management team regarding the high cost of insuring such a plush vehicle.
A source said, “Harry was told by his management that it was his decision if he wanted to buy an expensive motor, but he would have a tough time insuring it.
“He still got a surprise when the quotes stated coming in. It was a big whack.”
However, the starlet probably had little trouble finding the money, having taken his fair share of profit from sales of the One Direction album Up All Night.
And he won't have to worry about the prospect of making a young persons car insurance claim, because the Range Rover will remain in a UK garage while he and his band mates tour America over the next few months.
Photo © donkeyjacket45 via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: claim, driving test, garage, Harry Styles, insure, money, motor, One Direction, Range Rover Sport, UK, vehicle, young persons car insurance