Amazing so many would fail their first test, when they might not have covered an excessive mileage. Shows that the government were wise recently not to extend the time period for the first MOT to fours years duration.

John O’Roarke, managing director of LV= car insurance, said “It is alarming that so many motorists cannot correctly identify the legal speed limit on UK roads when tested. If a driver is caught exceeding the limit by just a few mph, they can still be fined and given penalty points. The police data shows that more speeding motorists are being caught each year and drivers should take care to know their limits to avoid a fine, penalty points or worse.”

Are all speeding drivers simply not  aware of the limits, or could they just not be bothered to follow the limits?

For years men have appeared to have the bragging rights for parking cars, and seemingly  last year on driving tests it appears to be true. It has been said in the past, that males are generally better at sizing up angles when reversing, whilst females have greater skills in other areas. But when it comes to driving tests, if the candidate knows a pattern/method to reverse park and gets enough practice and guidance from an instructor on driving lessons, the exercise shouldn’t be a problem on the test and afterwards as well.

So why are new drivers more at risk? It is because they do not know the road or how to control a vehicle? Possibly not, as the test is unlikely to be passed if this was true. Or is it down to lack of concentration or application to the roads? If everyone drove throughout their life with the same attitude as they do on driving tests the amount of crashes and convictions would be minimal. Perhaps more  needs to done to educate new drivers, or even introduce compulsory post-test training and additional testing.

The age gap between the youngest driving license holder and the oldest is 90 years. But contrary to common assumptions, drivers in their eighties are not dangerous. The figures show that they are in fact much safer than their more youthful counterparts. The rate of deaths and serious injuries in crashes among drivers over 80 is three times less than the rate for those aged 17-19. In 2010 almost one young driver aged 17-19 was killed or seriously injured per thousand licence holders. The rate of deaths and serious injuries in crashes among car drivers aged 20 to 24 is 36.4 per cent more than the rate for drivers aged 80 or over.

However, drivers over the age of 80 are more likely to suffer serious injuries in a car crash due to their frailty. IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Older people need their cars which give them better mobility and access to more activities and services. 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. Driving helps older people play a full and active part in society.” The number of older drivers will continue to rise as the Office of National Statistics predicts that there will be 8.7million people over the age of 75 by 2033. This will represent a increase of 81.1 per cent of over 75 year-olds since 2008 – some 4.8 million people.

From IAM

Drivers need to be educated more to the risks that mobile phones have on safe driving, as only a small distraction can lead to major incidents developing. This needs to be enforced on the roads, as drivers flout the law at present, as there is a limited chance of being caught.

A high number of incidents, that could easily be avoided by checking for other vehicles behind you before reversing.  Another way to lesson problems is to reverse into spaces or driveways, so that reversing at the start of a journey is kept to a minimum.

This is a very under-estimated problem on the roads, as amounts of any type of drugs can cause massive impairments to drivers judgements, and therefore road safety. Surely a combination of driver education to the risks and potential dangers of all types of drugs would be a start. Then backed up by tougher rules and testing as required.

It might seem like a simple, every day activity, but new research suggests parking a car can be a controversial issue, with more than one in six motorists saying they have argued with a neighbour over a parking space and almost one in five admitting they have parked illegally.

Car insurance expert Admiral surveyed 2,500 motorists to find out their habits when it comes to parking. It found that 16% of them have argued with a neighbour over a space. Regionally, motorists in the North West are the most likely to get into a row over parking, compared to those in Scotland who are least likely to.

Sue Longthorn, Admiral managing director, said, “For something we probably do every day it would seem parking can cause problems, with many motorists getting into an argument with a neighbour over it. As our roads get more crowded, we want to ensure we have our own parking space, preferably outside our own home, but this really isn’t something worth getting into a row about.” More

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