Many drivers have either witnessed or heard of people reading a book, doing their makeup and worse still, eating their breakfast cereal out of a bowl balanced on a steering wheel while driving, these are obvious and dangerous activities but they’re many more subtle distractions that lots of drivers do not consider impedes their ability to drive in a safe and controlled manner.
Most drivers like to think that they can multi task whilst driving but any activity that’s dissipates a drivers concentration is a danger to themselves, their passengers and other road users. In the majority of incidents drivers only have a few seconds to react to avoid a collision, taking your eyes of the road to adjust the radio station or looking out of the vehicle’s side window at something that has caught your eye may only take a few seconds but those seconds are precious when confronted by a car that’s jumped the lights or a child who runs out from behind a parked car in front of your vehicle. It is a terrible burden to live with the knowledge that you caused the death of a child because you gazed at a dress or suit in a shop window instead of fully concentrating on your driving.
How many times have you driven home from work or a well-travelled route and can’t remember anything about the journey?. Was it because there was nothing memorable about your journey, or was it that you were whiling the time away by talking on the phone or mentally making a shopping list or thinking about your forthcoming holiday. Countless drivers have experienced the phenomenon of not remembering their journey and sadly for some they paid the ultimate price for this lack of concentration.
Lots of cyclists and motorcyclists have experienced or heard the well-used phrase, I didn’t see you coming, for many drivers this is because they failed to look and look again before proceeding possibly because they were distracted or they were just not paying sufficient attention which is necessary to drive safely.
Please look at the enclosed graphic kindly supplied to Roaddriver by Bolt insurance, it lists the main reasons and activities for driver distractions.
It is always difficult to know where to spend your hard earned cash. When purchasing a car it is not only about getting a good deal, just as important is the customer service you receive after you have driven your car off the forecourt. So many dealerships ensure that their time and effort is spent on selling you a car but once sold, they neglect their responsibilities towards the car buyer. This week, RoadDriver’s managing director Charles Dunn himself had first hand experience of how a dealership ought to treat its customers. He received excellent after care service from Lifestyle Europe Ltd http://www.lifestyleeurope.co.uk/ Well done Lifestyle Europe!
Let us know what sort of after-care service you have received from your car dealership
Why should motorists have to pay an additional toll to use the road network when they already pay for this use via exorbitant fuel duty. RoadDriver is totally against yet another tax imposed on motorists. What are your views on this government proposal?
When driving do you have an urge to overtake the vehicle in front of you?
RoadDriver would like to explore how many drivers have an overwhelming need to be in front of the vehicle they are following, regardless of road conditions and the speed of travel.
Do you feel an urge to always be in the lead? If so please tell us about it.
Video shows a Road Rage bus driver using his bus as a weapon to knock over a cyclist he had an altercation with.
Around 8.30am on April 5 last year, Gavin Hill got into an argument with keen cyclist Phillip Mead after cutting in front of him onto St James Barton roundabout in Bristol.
When the bus stopped Mr Mead parked his bike against the front of the bus, and tugged at one of its windscreen wipers, he then got back on his bike and cycled off chased by Mr Frome who then deliberately swerved his bus to knock him off his bicycle.
Driver Gavin Hill, 29, of Frome, had previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm. Sentencing Hill to 17 months in jail, Judge Mark Horton said his action was not an accident, it was an assault, deliberate dangerous driving.
The following video shows what can happen when a perfectly normal driver loses all control. Mr Hill’s normal passive character completely evaporated when he entered a heightened state of anger commonly referred to as the red mist effect.
Sadly Mercedes Benz have seen fit to install an in-car system where you can update your Facebook page while driving. This system is called MBrace2. It is being fitted in the S class Mercedes in the US this year and in all Mercedes in the US and Europe next year. RoadDriver is appalled that yet again a reputable car manufacturer believes it appropriate to install another driver distracting device.
RoadDriver and many other road safety organisations believe that this type of driver distraction should be banned. Please support our stand on this issue.
Read what RoadSafety GB and others have said on this issue.
A man appeared in court before the Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Clement Goldstone, QC, via video link from Walton jail, charged over the fatal stabbing of a motorist in broad daylight on the 27th of January 2012.
Steven Branscombe faced a further charge that he had been in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, a black handled kitchen knife. A bail application was not made and he was further remanded in custody to await a preliminary hearing on February 20.
Steven Branscombe, 42, of Boswell Street, Birkenhead, is accused of murdering Marc Clarke a father of four, also aged 42. The victim was taken to hospital following the incident in Bebington, Wirral, on Friday but later died. A post-mortem examination showed Mr Clarke, of Bebington, died from multiple stab wounds.
According to local reports, two vehicles had been involved in an accident in Teehey Lane shortly before an altercation at the scene just after 3pm. The incident took place in a built-up area and police believe several witnesses may have captured the circumstances on their mobile phones.
This blog post explains what happens in an accident if you hit a tree at 55 miles per hour without wearing a seat belt.
This article was written by American Paramedics concerned about the futile waste of life due to car accidents. RoadDriver has decided to publish this article as a warning to those who do not wear seatbelts and for those who drive irresponsibly.
Latest figures show only 27,000 drivers were prosecuted for using hand-held mobile phones while driving yet the government calculates that of the 10million drivers using UK roads daily; One percent are using mobile phones, in other words 100.000 drivers are breaking the law and putting their life and other road users at risk.
The vast majority of the motoring public complies with the law and is aware of the significant road safety risks of trying to drive and use a mobile phone at the same time. However, Police forces say that there are still a significant number of persistent offenders who use their mobile phones when behind the wheel despite the risk of causing a collision and the implications of getting points on their driving license.
It is illegal to hold a hand-held device to speak, send or receive electronic communication while driving; this includes text and picture messaging. The law still applies when waiting at traffic lights or stuck in traffic jams. In other words, if you are behind the wheel of a car with the engine on, in a public highway this legislation applies to you.
The following video illustrates what can happen if you text whilst driving.
The video clearly shows that drivers need to apply all their powers of concentration to the task of driving, RoadDriver would discourage the use of any communication while behind the wheel.
If you’re involved in an accident while on the phone (hands free or not) the police may consider charging you with driving without due care and attention, careless or dangerous driving. The penalties on conviction for such offences include heavy fines, endorsement, disqualification and in serious cases such as in this video, a lengthy prison sentence.
