Category: Safety & Compensation

1. Drive safely in icy weather

   Posted on 9:13am Wednesday 29th Jan 2014

   Following warnings of icy weather, road safety charity the IAM is offering driving tips for the frost and ice from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger.

   IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: “Some bits of the country have already had a first taste of this year’s winter. That means it’s time for the rest of us to start thinking about how to deal with it too.”

   Rodger offers six tips to drive confidently in icy conditions:

   1) Keep to the main roads as they’re more likely to be salted. Also bear in mind that after the frost has gone, ice can remain in areas which are shaded by trees and buildings – and it forms there first, so be careful in the evening as the temperature drops.

   2) It may seem obvious to say – but every year people do forget, so ensure you have de-icer and a scraper. And don’t be one of those people, still out there, who only scrape a small area and drive looking through a slit – clear the whole screen to be able to see properly.

   3) If the road is slippery when you start off, do it in second gear, releasing the clutch and accelerating gently, avoiding high revs – this will help prevent wheel spin. As you drive, stay in higher gears to help avoid wheelspin. In an automatic be gentle with your feet, and use whatever gearbox features that the car handbook says will help in slippery conditions.

   4) It seems obvious, but cars go in ditches every winter because drivers haven’t taken icy roads seriously enough. If it’s cold outside treat wet looking patches with great care – they could be ice, not water.

   5) Stopping distances are increased by up to 10 times in icy conditions, so leave plenty of distance between your car and the car in front - plan so that you’re not relying on your brakes to stop - on ice they may not do that for you. If it is really slippery slow down early and use the gears to do it.

   6) If your car loses grip and starts to slide sideways, take your foot off the accelerator, and point the front wheels where you want to go.

   Rodger said: “These are just a few pointers to start you thinking. Being mentally prepared as well as having the right equipment is vital, so think about any problems you encountered last winter, and what you need to do to avoid them or overcome them if they recur this year. Be prepared for the worst – icy conditions will affect accelerating, steering and braking.”

2. Drive safely in the stormy weather‏

   Posted on 10:47am Monday 6th Jan 2014

   Road safety charity the IAM is offering tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger. Following severe weather warnings of storms over the coming days, the IAM is advising on how to drive in windy weather.

   In the wind

   · Strong winds can also unsettle your car and even change your direction of travel. Grip your steering wheel firmly and also be ready for the effects of the wind on other road users, particularly motorcyclists and flat-sided vehicles like lorries.

   · Plan your journey – is there a route with less exposure to the weather and less risk of fallen trees?  Choose a sheltered route if you have the option.

   · Strong winds are not constant, they are usually gusty so ensure you hold the steering wheel firmly.

   · Overtaking high sided vehicles or driving past buildings can result in a sudden gust from the side as you clear.

   · Give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room than usual.  They get blown around by side winds easily.  Even pedestrians can be blown about.

   · Watch trees and bushes on the roadside - their branches can show you how strong the wind is.  Look well ahead, that way you don’t need to take your eye off the road and you can see any windy patches before you get to them.

   · Go slow enough to cope with the gusts.  Wind can get under a car and reduce its handling and braking significantly.

   · Keep an eye on what is happening to other vehicles – where they are affected will give you a pre warning.

   · Go slowly enough to cope with the tree that has fallen right across the road, just round the bend where you can’t see it.

   · Be careful of debris, try and have space beside you in case you need to dodge it.

   In the rain

   · Before you set off, set your heater controls – rain can makes the windows mist up in seconds. You don’t want to be fiddling with controls when you should be concentrating on the road.

   · See and be seen. Put your lights on – as a rule of thumb, whenever you need to use your wipers you should also turn your dipped headlights on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting.

   · Keep your eyes on the road ahead and plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer smoothly – harsh manoeuvres will unbalance the car.

   · Slow down. In the rain stopping distance is at least doubled. Giving yourself more space also helps to avoid spray, especially when following a large vehicle.

   · If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – you need to pay more attention to the road surface conditions and alter your speed gently.

3. THINK! HIGHLIGHTS ‘SNOWBALL EFFECT’ OF DRINK-DRIVING

   Posted on 9:23am Wednesday 4th Dec 2013

   Millions of people risk losing their job or face difficulty getting work if they drink and drive this Christmas, the Government’s latest THINK! drink drive campaign has revealed today.
   
   The campaign highlights the snowball effect a drink drive conviction can have on future job prospects.
   
   Up to one million people work in jobs they could lose as a result of a drink-drive conviction, while a survey has shown that almost a third (27%) of people would have to give up their job because they rely on a car to get to work.
   
   People who drive as part of their job are particularly vulnerable but someone with a conviction could also be denied access to millions more jobs which are eligible for criminal records checks. These jobs include professional driving jobs, teachers, care workers and jobs in banks and finance.
   
   Any employer can ask to see unspent criminal convictions and research shows that three-quarters of employers admit to taking a criminal conviction into account during the recruitment process.
   
   Launching the ‘Snowball Effect’ drink drive campaign, Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said:
   
   “For many people Christmas is about spending time with friends and family and celebrating, but if drivers have a tipple they should not get behind the wheel.
   
   “Just one drink can put you over the limit and the consequences are devastating – not only will you be cuffed and put in a cell, but if you’re convicted you will lose your licence and, as this research shows, you could even lose your job.”

   Edmund King, Automobile Association president, said:

   "Drink drive convictions have dramatic and traumatic snowball effects. One third of people will lose their jobs and experience years of hiked insurance premiums. A snowball might melt away quickly whilst the effects of a driving ban last way beyond any winter thaw.

   "If you are going to drive - don't drink. If you are going to drink - don't drive."

   
   Simon Edwards, head of logistics at recruiting firm Manpower, said:
   
   “In this highly competitive job market a drink drive conviction puts you at a serious disadvantage. It is very common for a client making a decision between two otherwise equal applicants to favour the individual without a drink drive conviction.
   
   “And with the boom in ecommerce and the exponential rise in the dot.com delivery market a conviction rules candidates out from a new and growing industry.
   
   “Everyday I see the devastating impact of a conviction on a candidate’s ability to get or retain a job and the limits this puts on future opportunities”.
   
   Meanwhile a recent survey by Drink Driver Education has shown that 28% of people with convictions worry about applying for jobs in case they conduct a criminal records check.
   
   A third of respondents said not being able to drive limited their choice of job while 47% said their social lives had been affected because they were unable to visit family or friends.

   Roger Singer, Head of Drink Driver Education said:
   
   “I help hundreds of drink drivers every year, and they all say the impact of their conviction is much more severe and far-reaching than they imagined.
   
   “Everyone I meet has been given at least a 12-month driving ban. For many this meant instant dismissal from their jobs, for some it meant resigning because they couldn’t get to work. Many haven’t applied for future roles they want because of the conviction and have got stuck in careers they hate.”

   IAM response to Think!'s drink-drive campaign‏

   IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: "Drivers must understand that drink driving wrecks lives in all sorts of unexpected ways. For some it’s having to live with the guilt of causing a totally avoidable death or injury but for most it’s the economic impact that comes with a criminal record and a driving ban."

   "A prosecution can cut off access to certain jobs and limit your chances of promotion. The total cost of losing a job, car and increased insurance can be as much as £50,000.”

4. Drive safely in the coming storms‏

   Posted on 10:17am Friday 25th Oct 2013

   Road safety charity the IAM is offering tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger.

   Following severe weather warnings of storms over the coming weekend, the IAM is advising on how to drive in windy weather.

   • Plan your journey – is there a route with less exposure to the weather and less risk of fallen trees? Choose a sheltered route if you have the option.
   • Strong winds are not constant, they are usually gusty so ensure you hold the steering wheel firmly.
   • Overtaking high sided vehicles or driving past buildings can result in a sudden gust from the side as you clear.
   • Give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room than usual. They get blown around by side winds easily. Even pedestrians can be blown about.
   • Watch trees and bushes on the roadside - their branches can show you how strong the wind is.  Look well ahead, that way you don’t need to take your eye off the road and you can see any windy patches before you get to them.
   • Go slow enough to cope with the gusts.  Wind can get under a car and reduce its handling and braking significantly.
   • Keep an eye on what is happening to other vehicles – where they are affected will give you a pre warning.
   • Go slowly enough to cope with the tree that has fallen right across the road, just round the bend where you can’t see it.
   • Be careful of debris, try and have space beside you in case you need to dodge it.

   Rodger said: "If the weather is really bad, consider whether you could postpone your journey until it settles down."

   www.iam.org.uk

5. Stronger penalties needed for texting drivers, says IAM‏

   Posted on 8:57am Wednesday 18th Sep 2013

   Drivers convicted of causing death by dangerous driving should be given stronger and more consistent penalties, according to road safety charity the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists).

   An IAM analysis of eleven recent prosecutions involving mobile and smartphone use revealed that the average sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is four-and-a-half years in prison and a disqualification from driving for seven years.  In all of the cases analysed, the convicted drivers were found to have lost their concentration due to using their mobile phone.

   Loss of concentration caused:
   • Six incidents where vehicles ran into the back of a stationary or slow moving queue of traffic or a broken down vehicle
   • Three incidents where vehicles drifted across the road and hit another vehicle head-on
   • Two incidents leading to the death of a pedestrian

   The vast majority of the public agree that that using a mobile phone while driving is clearly unsafe. Yet, since 2006, 750,000 fixed penalties have been issued to drivers for this very reason.1

   IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “The maximum sentence available to the courts is fourteen years, so there is still scope for an even stronger road safety message that drivers who kill whilst distracted on their phones will be caught and jailed for a long time.

   “The lesson here is obvious: never use your phone while driving. Whether you have a hands free kit or use loudspeaker, it doesn’t matter. Using your phone in any capacity reduces your attention from the task at hand – driving.”

   1. 90 per cent of respondents disagreed that it was perfectly safe to talk on a handheld phone while driving according to British Social Attitudes survey 2011: Public Attitudes towards Transport:
   2. IAM analysis of penalties for causing death by dangerous driving due to using a mobile phone covers the time period 2006-2011.
   3. The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving, motorcycling and cycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. The IAM has more than 200 local volunteer groups and over 100,000 members in the UK and Ireland. It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving, motorcycling and cycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.