General information about road traffic accidents: stats and precautions

Posted on January 6th, 2012 by admin, under Driving Research and Statistics.

The multiple crash on the M5 in recent days should serve as a warning to us all of the inherent dangers of driving.  Collisions can happen to anybody at any time no matter how prepared, we can only try and legislate against catastrophe by doing our utmost to abide by safety rules and be constantly vigilant with regard to hazards.
The figures regarding road traffic accidents have showed a promising reduction of the amount of people seriously killed or injured in recent years.  Road safety groups highlight that this should not make us complacent to the dangers that are ever present.
As the government seemed to be receptive to talk of increased speed limits, the M5 tragedy has highlighted the fact that safety should always be the number one priority and we shouldn’t jump into believing that increased speed limits will make our roads safer by way of decreasing congestion or the like.
The Department for Transport collate statistics regarding RTAs and their results are heartening yet staggeringly brutal.  A tragic 24,517 people were reported killed or seriously injured in 2010, 9% less than the 2009 figure.  Despite the drop in total, this is still a staggering figure that highlights the ever present threat of tragedy.
The number of people killed fell by 16% over the years 2009 to 2010 which seems a significant drop.  This could be due to huge advances in road safety technologies and it’s the lowest figure since records began in 1926.  This should not encourage complacency.
The statistics also show that deaths through drink driving are decreasing year on year.  This is probably due to increased awareness, social stigmas, and effective advertising campaigns.  Between 2008 and 2009 total drink related casualties fell by 8%.
Driving is inherently dangerous and we are all constantly exposed to its risks so must make a concerted effort to stay vigilant. If you are however involved in a road traffic accident and you weren’t at blame, you can seek expert advice from lawyers on how to make road traffic accident claims.

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Drink Driving – Is it Worth it?

Posted on September 16th, 2011 by admin, under Driving Research and Statistics, Driving Tips.

Some car owners have ended up in that unfortunate predicament of when they’ve had one too many alcoholic beverages, and something has popped up requiring their need to step foot into their vehicle and attempt to drive. Maybe that hot date needs a lift home, and you’re all too eager to flash your skills behind the wheel? Perhaps that demanding neighbour of yours has rang you in a matter of urgency, claiming they’re locked out yet again and you’re the only person who can help.

In some cases, drivers would jump into their car without a second thought, risking their driving licenses, putting their life at risk and endangering other motorists and pedestrians. Before jumping behind the wheel consider, is your ego boost or neighbour’s dilemma worth the possibility of losing your driving license, or worst – your life?

Well, let’s first look at what the legal drinking limit is for driving. According to “Think!”; The legal maximum amount of alcohol for a driver to have is;

“35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath
80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
107 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine”

Although these facts are in place, they are just empty figures with no real indication of what the limit is. Typical thoughts include “I’m well-built, I can handle a drink” or “I ate a large dinner that should have soaked all my alcohol up”. Well, there’s no sure-fire way of calculating how alcohol will affect your body, as there’s so many different variables it depends on. But you begin to wonder whether that forgetful, locked out neighbour will ever forgive you for failing to assist? Before answering this question you have to consider whose mistake would potentially be more costly: your neighbour’s key misplacement or being stopped by the police for drink driving – no contest there.

If the Police breathalyse you and decide you are over the limit, this could result in you being charged with a drink driving offence. This not only gives you a criminal record, but could lead to you having to pay a hefty fine, or receiving a driving ban. In the worst cases, a fatal accident could lead to a prison sentence. You would definitely need to be in contact with some good motoring offence solicitors then. Also, If you have a drink driving conviction according to Think!, it could result in “career loss, strain on personal relationships and higher insurance costs”.

So instead of risking your and other’s safety, and the possibility of a criminal record amongst other consequences; DO NOT drink prior to, or whilst, driving. Not only could it affect you, it could affect those around you. Your friends and family (hot dates and ailing neighbours included) would not be impressed with you endangering your life. So if you do have an alcoholic drink and something crops up; utilise your legs (burn some of those calories from that beverage!), call a taxi, or hop on a means of public transport.

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Driving Instructor Training

Posted on September 2nd, 2010 by admin, under Driving Instructor, Driving Research and Statistics.

Driving Instructor Training: What To Look Out For

One of biggest nation-wide instructor training provider, Red Driving School, went into administration. The number of complaints from disillusioned driving instructorsunder training is soaring. Driving instructor test failure rate is jaw-dropping. – It sounds like a daunting undertaking to get a decent driving instructor training these days. Here in this post we are going to talk about getting driving instructor training in the UK and…. getting it right.

Before you shell out your hard-earned money to any driving instructor training school, it’s important that you know the reality of the industry and are able to distinguish between providers. So have some patience and do lots of research before making your choice. Read on to know what to look out for.

Don’t Watch TV

We won’t go about the realities of driving instructor industry or dispelling all of those TV advert myths from instructor training companies here. Simply check our dedicated post before you proceed.

Read Between the Lines

Get it? When a driving instructor school promises a guaranteed placement, it doesn’t mean anything near job security, salaried employment or steady supply of work. What they really offer is to take out a franchise with them. Taking out the franchise means you will pay a fee on a monthly basis to a driving school in exchange for the right to use their name, company logo and often a vehicle. Franchise typically involves the responsibility of a franchisor to supply a franchisee with pupils, handle advertising and provide business-related services. The problem with franchise thing though is that you have to pay your franchise fee whether you earn it off your pupils under franchise deal or not. And fees can be high enough to leave you working just to cover the amount. So make sure you fully understand your franchise offer and it is economically viable.

ORDIT or Not?

Once you start looking for a driving instructor provider, you will surely come across the acronym ORDIT. It stands for The Official Register of Driving Instructor Training. The Register was set up by DSA to ensure standards of driving instructor training are met and maintained. It’s voluntary. However, one of the good things about DSA approved providers is that you can complain to DSA if there is a problem with your training. Typically DSA requires ORDIT registered driving schools to establish clear refund and complaint procedures.

Word of Mouth

There are a great many of organisations out there, small and giant, offering a driving instructor training. And it’s a minefield to walk on. The best way to get informed is to ask other approved driving instructors for advice or visit professional internet forums where people speak from their experiences. Below is a link to driving schools reviews:
http://www.drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/forum/index.php/board,296.0.html
You may also wish to consider what Surepass Driving School has to offer. If so, please, go to our previous post here.

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The Importance of Insurance for Driving Schools

Posted on August 27th, 2010 by admin, under Driving Research and Statistics, Driving Schools.

The number of vehicles on our roads is growing by the year. Every single day, more and more budding drivers are booking lessons with their instructors, eager to be part of the vehicular revolution. However, there is also a down side to all of this; the more cars that we have on our roads, the more accidents will occur…

Anyone who makes their living by teaching others how to drive will be fully aware of the many hazards on our roads. Tailgating, speeding and overtaking on bends are all frighteningly common problems. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how gooda driver you are, if you are unlucky enough to meet someone driving their vehicle recklessly, then you may well be involved in a collision. Even driving instructors will need to make car and accident claims if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time!

And this is why it is so important to have a good standard of protection in place. Many people will simply see insurance as being a legal requirement and a rather expensive necessity; but this is an unhealthy way to think. In the wake of an accident, the quality of your cover really can make all the difference to how quickly you are able to get your life back on track. And if you run your own driving school, then this will be doubly important! For a driving instructor, a car is the singularly most important item to have. And if it is off the road, then your income will immediately grind to a halt.

Of course, anyone will want their vehicle repaired/replaced as quickly as possible after an accident, but if your livelihood depends on it, then it is so much more serious. Some insurance companies will deal with claims far quicker than others and it is well worth looking around. This is where the internet proves to be very useful; not only can we use it to get quotes, but it will also provide us with plenty of information about each insurer!

Many people will make the mistake of trying to find the very cheapest insurance, but this is often a bad idea. There are plenty of companies out there who will offer you cover for a really low price, but at what other cost? Just how comprehensive will your policy be? And how quickly will they deal with any claims? Finding the right insurance isn’t simply about tracking down the lowest quote, there is far more to it all than that.

We all like to find ourselves a bargain whenever we can, but vehicle insurance is very much an exception. So save your ‘penny-pinching’ for other products and concentrate on the quality of your cover instead! Your vehicle is very important to you and keeping it adequately protected is of paramount importance; especially if you are using it to shape the drivers of tomorrow!

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Motorists Should Go Back To Driving School

Posted on November 6th, 2009 by admin, under Driving Research and Statistics.

It is funny how rapidly learner drivers’ knowledge of Highway Code may deteriorate after they have passed their theory test with flying colours. Only three per cent of driving license holders would re-pass their theory test, if they had to take it tomorrow, according to a new road safety research.

The research in question was carried out by one of the biggest price comparison sites moneysupermarket.com. It was based on an online poll of more than 1,500 British drivers. The poll exposed really worrying road safety picture with only three per cent of those polled able to recognise the simplest rules and signs from the Highway Code.

As far as road signs are concerned, only half of British drivers were aware that 30 mph speed limit sign indeed means the driver has to slow down and adhere to the limit. 65 per cent of polled motorists failed to correctly identify the sign for ‘no vehicles’. 39 percent of them had no idea about the meaning of the sign and 21 percent understood it as ‘obey next warning sign’. About 7 per cent of drivers were unable to recognise the sign ‘oncoming vehicles have the right of way over you’.

The poll further found that 23 percent of drivers did not know pedestrians should be their main priority when turning into a side road. One of the most worrying unawareness of rules was how motorists would perform U-turn. 23 per cent of drivers would look over their shoulder first! Only a quarter of motorists would do signalling so other drivers can slow down.

It seems that after obtaining their driving license drivers never brush up on their knowledge of the Highway Code. This may wind up causing accident on the road or worse. Motorists are required by law to conform to the rules from the Highway Code, or otherwise they could be fined, given penalty points or disqualified from driving.

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