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.

Please note the above information is aimed at car drivers. Riding in such weather can be highly dangerous and not advised.

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

Originally posted on  6th Jan 2014

Michael Dunlop is set to race the all-new GSX-R1000 in 2017, the 13-time Isle of Man TT winner signing for the new-look Bennetts Suzuki team for the forthcoming season.

Dunlop will race the new machine at the 2017 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy as well as the North West 200, the Southern 100 and the Ulster Grand Prix road races. The Northern Irishman will also contest the opening round of the MCE British Superbike championship at Donington Park in April.

The 2016 Superbike and Senior TT winner and current out-right lap-record holder will get his first ride on the new GSX-R1000 he will race this season at a shakedown test at the team’s Mallory Park base today [Wednesday], before heading to Spain for tests at Cartagena and Almeria.

Dunlop said,

"I was chatting with Steve [Hicken - team manager] for a while, and obviously we’ve worked together a lot before. With the new bike coming it’s been a bit different and we had to gather up exactly what was happening. We just needed to see what was going to be able to happen and to see where we were both going to be at this time. I know Steve and I know Stuart though, as people, and I know they can take a new bike and get it right. This is a good team and there’s a good link with Yoshimura. It’s going to be interesting this year. I’ve been helping the team build my own bikes and it’ll be good to have a run around at Mallory for a shakedown before we go to Spain.”

Bennetts Suzuki team manager, Steve Hicken, added,

"We've known Michael for a long time and always wanted to work with him again this year, so we're really pleased we've been able to put a deal together. We've made good progress already with the development of the new GSX-R1000, and we know the potential is there with the bike. With a proven winner like Michael onboard, there's no reason we can't be winning races right away. That's got to be the aim."

The Bennetts Suzuki team will now head to Cartagena for the first of two preseason tests, before the first official BSB test at Donington Park on 22 March.

When bikers get together there is a great deal of talk about their motorcycles, motorcycle maintenance and even possibly the latest pro auto detailing done on a favorite vehicle. 

Cars and motorcycles both require routine maintenance as well as cleaning and detailing.

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

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

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.

www.iam.org.uk

Article first posted 25th Oct 2013

Large Hall, live bands and Marquee Games. Snatch It Back Rock playing Friday night and Smokeroom on Saturday. Giant Jenga in Marquee. Real Ales and Ciders. Prize for Maddest HAT Ride-out Saturday lunchtime. 

venue: Eastington Community Centre, Eastington, Stonehouse, Glouestershire, GL10 3SG price: Pre-book: £12.50. OTG: £15. Free patch for first 100 prebooks. £10 car charge. 
tel: 0117 9442490 
website: western-region.mag-uk.org 
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