Tag: driving

Letters: drivers should take a hard look at themselves

Dear Editor

Drivers who are moaning and groaning about a restriction on ‘them’ having to observe a speed limit should take a hard look at themselves and their reasons for objecting.

Driving in a city can be one of potential risk to pedestrians and drivers alike – except that drivers have a two ton object in their hands travelling at speed.

There are very few times whilst driving in the city when one is able to travel more than a few hundred yards before having to stop, yet some drivers feel it is their personal right to travel those few hundred yards as fast as they wish, causing hazardous conditions for all, just to save a few seconds of their precious time.

That is why I say: those drivers should take a hard look at themselves and their attitude to others.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Scotland stars kick off Father’s Day with Dad Joke Face Off

Steven Naismith and Russell Martin go head to head as they attempt to keep straight faces whilst telling terrible Dad jokes

To celebrate Father’s Day, Vauxhall Motors challenged Scotland football heroes Steven Naismith and Russell Martin to take each other on in a special ‘Dad Joke Face Off’. Continue reading Scotland stars kick off Father’s Day with Dad Joke Face Off

Driving test changes to be introduced in December

The driving test will change from Monday 4 December 2017 to include following directions from a sat nav and testing different manoeuvres.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that the driving test in England, Scotland and Wales will change from Monday 4 December 2017.

The changes are designed to make sure new drivers have the skills they’ll need to help them through a lifetime of safe driving. The changes will only apply to car driving tests to begin with.

The 4 driving test changes

1. Independent driving part of the test will increase to 20 minutes

The independent driving part of the test currently lasts around 10 minutes. During this part of the test, you have to drive without turn-by-turn directions from the driving examiner.

This part of the test will be made longer, so it’ll last around 20 minutes – roughly half of the test.

2. Following directions from a sat nav

During the independent driving part of the test, most candidates will be asked to follow directions from a sat nav.

The examiner will provide the sat nav and set it up. You won’t need to set the route – the examiner will do this for you. So, it doesn’t matter what make or model of sat nav you practise with.

You can’t follow directions from your own sat nav during the test – you have to use the one supplied by the examiner.

You’ll be able to ask the examiner for confirmation of where you’re going if you’re not sure. It won’t matter if you go the wrong way unless you make a fault while doing it.

One in 5 driving tests won’t use a sat nav. You’ll need to follow traffic signs instead.

3. Reversing manoeuvres will be changed

The ‘reverse around a corner’ and ‘turn-in-the-road’ manoeuvres will no longer be tested, but you should still be taught them by your instructor.

You’ll be asked to do one of 3 possible reversing manoeuvres:

  • parallel park at the side of the road
  • park in a bay – either driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out (the examiner will tell you which you have to do)
  • pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for 2 car lengths and rejoin the traffic

4. Answering a vehicle safety question while you’re driving

The examiner will ask you 2 vehicle safety questions during your driving test – these are known as the ‘show me, tell me’ questions.

You’ll be asked the:

  • ‘tell me’ question (where you explain how you’d carry out a safety task) at the start of your test, before you start driving
  • ‘show me’ question (where you show how you’d carry out a safety task) while you’re driving – for example, showing how to wash the windscreen using the car controls and wipers

Watch how the new test will work

This video shows how the test will work from 4 December 2017.

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Read more about what will happen during the driving test from 4 December 2017.

Pass mark, length of test and cost not changing

The pass mark is staying the same. So, you’ll pass your test if you make no more than 15 driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults.

The examiner will still mark the test in the same way, and the same things will still count as faults.

The overall time of the driving test won’t change. You’ll still drive for around 40 minutes.

The driving test cost will also stay the same.

Why the changes are being made

Road collisions are the biggest killer of young people. They account for over a quarter of all deaths of those aged between 15 and 19.

DVSA wants to make sure that training and the driving test reduce the number of young people being killed in collisions.

These changes are being made because:

  • most fatal collisions happen on high-speed roads (not including motorways) – changing the format of the test will allow more of these types of roads to be included in driving test routes
  • 52% of car drivers now have a sat nav – DVSA wants new drivers to be trained to use them safely
  • research has shown that new drivers find independent driving training valuable – they can relate it to driving once they’ve passed their test

Changes are supported by the public

The changes follow a:

  • public consultation that over 3,900 people took part in
  • trial of the changes involving over 4,300 learner drivers and over 860 driving instructors

The proposals were widely supported by the public. The results of the consultation show that:

  • 88.2% agreed with increasing the length of the independent driving part of the test
  • 70.8% agreed with asking candidates to follow directions from a sat nav
  • 78.6% agreed with the plans to change how the reversing manoeuvres are test
  • 78.4% agreed with asking the ‘show me’ question while the candidate is driving

Helping you through a lifetime of safe driving

Transport Minister, Andrew Jones, said: “Our roads are among the safest in the world. However, road collisions are the biggest killer of young people.

“These changes will help us to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads and equip new drivers with the skill they need to use our roads safely.”

DVSA Chief Executive, Gareth Llewellyn, said: “DVSA’s priority is to help you through a lifetime of safe driving.

“Making sure the driving test better assesses a driver’s ability to drive safely and independently is part of our strategy to help you stay safe on Britain’s roads.

“It’s vital that the driving test keeps up to date with new vehicle technology and the areas where new drivers face the greatest risk once they’ve passed their test.”

https://youtu.be/lI08tzIfo4c

Hang up: crackdown on phone use while driving

Motorists using a phone while driving will receive 6 points on their licence and a £200 fine

Drivers caught using a phone within two years of passing their test will have their licence revoked under new rules which come into force today. Penalities for using a phone at the wheel will also double to six points and a £200 fine. Continue reading Hang up: crackdown on phone use while driving

Road rage in Auld Reekie!

EDINBURGH IS HOME TO SOME OF THE UK’S MOST IMPATIENT DRIVERS

  • Poll of European motorists reveals a third of Scots regularly feel angry when driving, with Edinburgh home to the third most impatient drivers in the UK
  • Drivers across the UK say they are angrier, more stressed and more impatient than many of their European neighbours
  • Swedish motorists say they are least likely to feel angry at the wheel, whilst Italians say they are the most likely to suffer road rage reveals Ikano Bank

Angry Man Looking Out His Car Window Pointing

Two thirds (69 per cent) of drivers in Edinburgh confess to feeling impatient when driving, while more than half (55 per cent) said they regularly feel stressed. Almost a third (30 per cent) also admit to regularly suffering from road rage, according to new research released today by Ikano Bank.

The Swedish bank commissioned the Europe wide survey to explore the differences between attitudes to driving in different nations.

Just under half (45 per cent) of Scottish drivers say they’re stressed behind the wheel and over half (57 per cent) saying they feel impatient.

The survey also covered the UK’s 14 biggest cities. Drivers in Newcastle declared themselves the angriest with four in 10 (41 per cent) drivers admitting to regularly feeling cross, followed closely by Sheffield (40 per cent) and Manchester and Cardiff (both 39 per cent) tied for third.

Liverpool led the way as the calmest driving city, with one in six (16 per cent) regularly feeling angry, followed by Bristol (27 per cent) and Nottingham (31 per cent).

Sweden topped the Europe wide table for the least angry, impatient, anxious and stressed drivers. A third of Swedish drivers (30 per cent) said they regularly got angry in the car and less than half (48 per cent) said they sometimes felt impatient. Stress levels are also lower, with half of women and just a third (37 per cent) of men affected.

This is despite Swedish drivers spending the most amount of time stuck in traffic than any other nation. Almost half (46 per cent) of Swedish drivers said they spent more than four hours in traffic jams each week and one in ten (11 per cent) said they spend more than 10 hours. This compares with just 13 per cent and one per cent respectively in the UK.

Italy’s drivers admitted to being the angriest (45 per cent), most impatient (67 per cent) and most stressed (60 per cent). The UK was second in the table with Spain in a close third.

Simon Ripton, Head of Direct to Consumer at Ikano Bank, said: “In the UK, we have long been famous for our capacity for waiting patiently in queues, but these results show that we could learn something from Sweden.

“With one in 10 Swedish people saying they sit in traffic for more than 10 hours per week, it’s obvious that they are not having an easier time of it on the roads – so it’s clearly something to do with the Swedish attitude towards driving.

“Sweden is often cited for offering an excellent work-life balance with fewer people working long hours and more of an emphasis on family life as a priority, and this could have a lot to do with the way people feel when they get behind the wheel.

“At this time of the year, when the new car registrations are released, we see an increase in applications for personal loans from those looking to buy new cars. With our Swedish heritage, we want to make things as simple as possible for our customers, hence we were interested in comparing the experience our customers are having on the roads.

“We think there’s a lot to be said for the Swedish way of life. With that in mind, we’ve launched our ‘Drive Like a Swede’ competition, where we’re giving away advanced driver courses to 100 motorists with the aim of making their experience on the road just that little bit better.”

For more details on how to enter to win one of 100 advanced driver courses with IAM Roadsmart, please visit www.ikano.co.uk/like-a-swede.

Research overview:

UK Cities

Liverpool Nottingham Dundee Sheffield Aberdeen City Leeds Edinburgh
Angry 16/100 31/100 36/100 40/100 36/100 31/100 30/100
Impatient 60/100 46/100 59/100 62/100 67/100 62/100 69/100
Stressed 47/100 49/100 44/100 43/100 47/100 51/100 55/100
Anxious 35/100 47/100 39/100 35/100 31/100 37/100 30/100
Average 39.58% 43.22% 44.49% 44.64% 45.14% 45.44% 45.70%

 

London Birmingham Cardiff Greater Manchester Bristol Newcastle upon Tyne Glasgow
Angry 34/100 33/100 39/100 39/100 27/100 41/100 35/100
Impatient 62/100 59/100 68/100 66/100 70/100 68/100 71/100
Stressed 50/100 56/100 52/100 52/100 61/100 59/100 64/100
Anxious 40/100 43/100 37/100 41/100 41/100 40/100 40/100
Average 46.39% 47.67% 48.81% 49.33% 50.00% 51.84% 52.60%

 

 

 

Dundee Edinburgh Cardiff Sheffield Glasgow Liverpool Aberdeen
Relaxed 95/100 94/100 92/100 95/100 87/100 92/100 86/100
Happy 97/100 94/100 92/100 88/100 96/100 90/100 94/100
Average 95.76% 93.75% 92.06% 91.67% 91.56% 90.83% 90.28%

 

 

Bristol Greater Manchester Leeds London Newcastle upon Tyne Birmingham Nottingham
Relaxed 88/100 87/100 85/100 86/100 87/100 80/100 80/100
Happy 89/100 89/100 91/100 87/100 81/100 82/100 81/100
Average 88.28% 88.00% 87.96% 86.11% 83.82% 81.01% 80.51%

 

 

Countries

 

Sweden Germany Netherlands France Spain UK Italy Wales Scotland
Angry 30/100 30/100 31/100 38/100 43/100 38/100 45/100 31/100 33/100
Impatient 48/100 56/100 52/100 61/100 57/100 62/100 67/100 59/100 57/100
Stressed 43/100 46/100 35/100 43/100 51/100 50/100 60/100 45/100 45/100
Anxious 18/100 18/100 19/100 35/100 37/100 41/100 47/100 36/100 34/100
Average 35.13% 37.76% 39.06% 44.51% 47.05% 47.92% 54.53% 42.89% 42.15%

Bus Lanes: all change!

Life in the fast lane? Changes trialled to make life ‘simpler’ for city drivers

bus lane

Changes to the city’s bus lanes are to be trialled from TODAY.

One trial will see most all day bus lanes changed to peak period lanes in order to standardise operating hours while another will open the majority of bus lanes to motorcyclists at all times.
Changes follow a review of Edinburgh’s 65km of bus lanes, 60% of which are currently peak period only, which took into account the views of a variety of organisations representing bus lane users.
Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “The different operating hours that apply to bus lanes can cause confusion. We are therefore running a trial to have 90% of bus lanes operating at peak periods only. The purpose of this is to see if standardised operating hours will make it simpler for drivers, without impacting adversely on bus journey times or compromising the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.

“By allowing motorcyclists to use bus lanes we will also be making their journeys both safer and quicker, with little or no impact on buses. Both trials will be closely monitored throughout to assess the impact on all road users.” 

Since the 1990s, the Council has invested heavily in bus lanes, which improve journey reliability and save time for buses, encouraging people to travel by bus rather than car.

However, following the introduction of bus lane camera enforcement in 2012, it was found that many drivers were confused over operating hours of bus lanes in the city.

Proposals for the trials are based on a subsequent review of Edinburgh’s bus lane network, which took into account the views of a variety of organisations representing bus lane users.

The review proposed allowing motorcycles into bus lanes and changing around a third of the city’s bus lanes from all day to peak period operation.

Final plans were approved by members of the City of Edinburgh Council’sTransport and Environment Committee last month, making Edinburgh the first city in Scotland to allow motorcycles in bus lanes.

Under the trial, all day bus lanes, which currently operate: 

  • 7:30am – 6:30pm on Mondays to Fridays; and 
  • 8:30am – 6:30pm on Saturdays.

Will be changed into peak periods bus lanes which operate:

  • 7:30am – 9:30am and 4:00pm – 6:30pm on Mondays to Fridays.

All vehicles will still not be able to use 24 hour bus lanes and bus gates (stretches of road which only buses, taxis, cyclists and emergency vehicles can use).

These trials are expected to last at least nine months. This will allow comprehensive data to be collected to assess the actual impact of the changes on all bus lane user groups prior to making any decision on permanent changes.

Further consultation with major user groups will be undertaken as part of the assessment of the trials. A report on the outcomes of this assessment will be presented to the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee in Autumn next year.
 bus_lane_edinburgh

Young drivers urged: pay attention and save lives

texting_driving_060815Between the 8 and 14 June Fire and Rescue Services across the UK are coming together to raise awareness of the dangers to young drivers of driving whilst distracted.

Driving can be dangerous – it requires our full attention at all times. Distracted drivers significantly increase their risk of causing an accident. A survey of 1,000 young people in the UK found that 62% had read a text whilst driving and 44% had sent one.

The campaign focuses on young drivers and passengers because although becoming distracted whilst driving is a significant risk for all drivers, when combined with the inexperience of a newly-qualified driver, it becomes an even more hazardous.

Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay, Director of Prevention and Protection, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “Our crews are often called to the scene of road traffic collisions to release trapped people inside. Sadly, we far too often arrive to the scene of a tragedy.  In fact, road collisions are the biggest cause of death for young people aged between 15 and 19. This is why fire and rescue services are keen to raise awareness of the dangers to this group and help save lives.”

Activities that might draw our attention away from the road may include using a mobile phone, texting, and eating. Using in-vehicle technologies such as navigation systems can also be a source of distraction.

The campaign will also highlight how passengers can be a source of distraction and have an important role to play in helping the driver to be able to concentrate on driving safely.

For more information on staying safe on the roads, visit the

CFOA Road Safety Week website.

Did you witness D Mains hit and run?

policecarPolice are appealing for witnesses following a hit and run incident in Davidson’s Mains last Sunday (30 November).

A thirteen-year-old boy was on a push-along scooter in Main Street at around 8.10pm when the collision occurred after the car mounted the pavement. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

The vehicle failed to stop at the scene of the incident and was last seen heading towards the Drylaw area, and anyone who can assist officers with their ongoing enquiry is asked to come forward.

The vehicle is described as a dark-coloured people carrier type similar to a Citroen C4 hatchback.

Inspector Chris Scobbie said: “Fortunately, the boy was not more seriously injured as a result of this incident, but he still required treatment at hospital. The driver failed to stop and we are conducting local enquiries to trace this individual.

“We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the collision and who may have information relevant to this investigation. In addition, I would urge the driver to come forward as soon as possible.”

Anyone with any information regarding these incidents should contact Police Scotland immediately on 101 or through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.