The IAM is calling on the government to introduce a national strategy of driving health checks and better information for elderly drivers and their families.

The call comes after a poll showing that forty-two per cent of the population are worried about an elderly relative driving, yet they are unlikely to do anything about it.

The IAM and Vision Critical poll of 1297 people shows that while concern about elderly drivers is evident, acting on our concerns is another issue. Fifty-eight per cent of those concerned did nothing about it.1

When we do talk to our relatives about their driving it does not always go down well. Of those that had done this, nearly half of respondents (47 per cent) were met with negative reaction.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Talking to an elderly relative about their driving is a difficult conversation to have. Driving is associated with independence, so giving up the car keys can be a very stressful process. This is especially true for drivers with dementia as they often underestimate the impact of the condition on their driving skills.

“Voluntary online and on road driving assessments will provide an unbiased view and help everyone make the right decision at the right time. We are finding while there are some elderly drivers who should not be on the road, most get it right and as many as 15% give up too early.2

“But with ever increasing numbers of elderly drivers, this is a growing mobility and road safety issue that won’t go away. The government needs to act now.”

The IAM wants:
•A government action plan for older drivers
•Widespread availability of voluntary on road driving assessments
•More car manufacturers considering older drivers in vehicle design
•Better information and online assessment tools for older drivers, their families and health professionals
•Road designs that make it easier for older drivers to keep driving

There are now more than four million drivers over 70 years old, a figure that is set to increase to 5.8 million in 2032.

Celebrating the 90th anniversary of Warr's HD, having originally opened on London's Kings Road in 1924, two of the most famous names in UK motorcycling continue their collaboration into 2014 with Warr's Harley Davidson hosting a series of Harley Nights, in partnership with Ace Cafe London, from 6pm - 11pm on the last Thursday of every month, starting Thursday 27th March! and which are designed to bring together Harley Davidson owners and potential owners under one roof in a friendly motorcycle inspired atmosphere.

Warr's HD items will be up for grabs as raffle prizes - spend £5 or more over the counter at the cafe and receive a raffle ticket. Draw will take place at 10pm.

The evening of Thursday 27th March at the cafe includes with filming HD's for TV!

To find our more about Warr's Harley Davidson, the Warr's HD Nights at the Ace, and other of their prestigious events, check out:

www.warrs.com

The Pata Honda World Superbike team has completed a private three-day test at the Circuito Cartagena near Murcia in Spain.

It is the first time that riders Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea have ridden their new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines since returning from the opening round of the 2014 World Superbike championship at Phillip Island in Australia one month ago.

The pair used the test to continue development of chassis settings on their CBR machines, as well as refining power delivery and traction control. They will stay in Spain this weekend and move further south to Circuito de Jerez for another three-day test which starts next Monday.

Round two of the World Superbike championship will also take place in Spain, at Motorland Aragon on 11-13 April.

Leon Haslam

Yeah, I’m happy with this test and we were able to make some good progress with the overall CBR package. We tested a new swingarm and some other chassis settings and we’re still waiting for one or two other elements to come through. We also worked on traction control which is a lot better now and to go 0.3s under the circuit record was a good way to finish. We’re going to do a bit of cycling before heading down to Jerez and we’ll see what the weather brings us down there.

Jonathan Rea

We’ve made some really good steps here and our test rider, Michele Magnoni, did a really good job over the first couple of days, especially on Wednesday when it was really windy. I rode with some new strategies that he was developing and I’m happy to be able to ride more aggressively on longer runs. The speed over one lap was good, too, but I was more satisfied with the longer runs. We also tried a lot of chassis settings, varying pivot points and things, and the bike is definitely steering better on tighter lines.

Pieter Breddels

It’s been a really good test. I can’t really say much more. Apart from the really strong winds on Wednesday, the weather has allowed us to get through a lot of work and both Jonathan and Leon were able to go faster than the old lap record here at Cartagena. Apart from the chassis settings, we concentrated on throttle opening and getting the traction control to catch slides more predictably. I think both riders are feeling a lot more confident about that. We have three more days testing at Jerez next week but, at the moment, the weather forecast is not looking too good for that, so I’m glad we got this time at Cartagena.

... on 30th March. It leaves Black Swan Horncastle at 10.30am and gathers up more paricipants at Holdingham roundabout Sleaford at 11.15am. Destination fry-up! Somewhere in the Bourne (ish) direction.

Politically Lembit and Leon have done very well getting the Bedford roundabout project postponed - this was going to be a roundabout with raised ridges seperating lane of traffic... imagine that in the dark and wet whilst cranked over.

Things that you don't see are MAG getting it's voice heard in the right places - we have had 3 mentions in "LTT", a publication that Leon Mannings describes as "very anoraky but read by key influencers in UK Transport Policy".

MAG had a stand at the Manchester Bike show where Lembit went down a storm and a lot of interest shown. There's yet another new branch this time in the New Forest.

This is what Lembit had to say in a recent email:

"Although it probably sounds a bit soft to say it, it's an honour to be part of an organisation which unpretentiously moves mountains when it thinks and acts in unison. While there may be a lot of frustrations - the largest one being a lack of time to do everything - I do feel extremely fortunate to be working with Doc Mannings, and for yourselves. It's alright for us to be proud of MAG - and I certainly am". 

Discover the new Dainese GORE-TEX® jackets with Valentino Rossi, Guy Martin, Andrea Iannone and Nicky Hayden. With their claim of “I'm a racer..and I wanna be”, the four Dainese riders invite you to discover the features of the GORE-TEX® jackets from the 2014 collection.

For the Touring market Dainese presents the CARVE MASTER GORE-TEX® and RIDDER GORE-TEX® jackets.

The CARVE MASTER GORE-TEX® jacket has an aggressive look and was designed for those who use their bikes for sports and medium range touring, and for whom ergonomics, comfort and functionality are important. The sporting nature of the jacket is underlined by leather covered thermoplastic pads on the shoulders and by the design that resembles race suit tops.

Made entirely from Mugello elasticised fabric and with plenty of scope for adjustment, the Carve Master jacket provides exceptional mobility. Reflective inserts are positioned in key locations to ensure high visibility and improved safety on the road.

The RIDDER GORE-TEX® jacket was designed for motorcyclists looking for a technical garment to use on long trips, but that will also protect from the rain and cold temperatures. RIDDER has been designed to offer excellent comfort; it has a laminated GORE-TEX® membrane, is waterproof and breathable and has a removable thermal lining.

At the same time it is among the lightest jackets in the category so it does not over strain the body and restrict movement. It also features a padded removable collar, ventilation on the chest and back, many fit adjustments, the possibility of including the Chest Protector and reflective inserts make this jacket an inseparable travelling companion.

For the City market, Dainese has the CONCORDE GORE-TEX® jacket, which with its laminated GORE-TEX® membrane and soft outer fabric, facilitate quick drying and reduce wind-chill. Thanks to exceptional soft Pro-Shape guards made from an innovative material that adapts perfectly to the body and offers a ratio of impact energy absorption to weight, far in excess of our competitors.

This hooded jacket offers a similar fit to non-technical garments, while maintaining contained volume near the protectors. Attention to detail includes the reflective inserts and the black metal opaque logo, which perfectly set off the look of this jacket.

For more information, or to find your local dealer visit www.dainese.com