Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
In the past year, drivers in Merseyside were fined more than £1.2m for using their mobile phones while driving.
The Liverpool Daily Post reported that between April and September this year, police gave out tickets to more than 20,000 drivers for using handheld mobiles while in charge of their vehicles.
Even a driving instructor was among those hit with an £60 penalty and three points on their licence. The driving instructor was teaching a learner driver at the time!
Merseyside Police warned that the number of killed or seriously injured on the road could potentially increase unless they enforced the law. The cause of accidents while driving is not recorded, so there is no available data for how many people may have perished on UK roads because of mobile use.
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Tags: Driving distractions, Driving instructor, Driving Law, Mobile phones, Police, Road casualties, Road deaths, Road Safety, Texting and driving
Posted in Road Safety, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
We are officially 8 years old today! Latics Driver Training was launched on 5th November 2001 by business partners Claire Wilmot and Glyn Crossley who have more than 25 years experience in driver training between them. The company has expanded steadily over the years to become Oldham’s biggest and best driving school and has helped thousands of happy customers pass their test. Our team of dedicated instructors and our happy customers have been paramount to the success of Latics Driver Training.
Over the last 12 months, we have been busy expanding and offering new products. Director Claire Wilmot has visited local schools to give presentations and deliver road safety messages, our new ‘Pass in a Week Crash Course’ has been launched, and all the vehicles have been signwritten with the fantastic new Latics Driver Training branding.
Over the next 12 months, we aim to deliver the same high standard of driving instruction and customer service. We will also be launching our new and improved pupil progress system and updating our instructors with some of the new breed of extremely successful coaching methods being introduced to the driver training industry.
The driving school provides driving lessons in Middleton, Ashton, Rochdale, Oldham, Saddleworth, Hyde, Manchester and most surrounding areas. See our website for more information.
Tags: birthday, Claire Wilmot, Crash course, Driving Lessons, Driving School Ashton under Lyne, Driving School Chadderton, Driving School Failsworth, Driving School Lees, Driving School Manchester, Driving School Middleton, Driving School Oldham, Driving School Rochdale, Driving School Royton, Driving School Saddleworth, Glyn Crossley, Head Start Programme, Latics Driver Training
Posted in Latics News, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Wannabe motorist Cara Griffiths, 28, from Romford, has been driven to despair after passing her driving test, only to be told hours later that she hadn’t because the examiner didn’t conduct her test properly.
According to the Romford & Havering Post, Cara cruised through her driving test first time with only five minor driving faults, observed by two examiners from the Hornchurch Test Centre.
She was presented with her driving test pass certificate and was so pleased that she immediately phoned family and friends to tell them her fantastic news. But Cara’s celebrations were short-lived when examiners contacted her four hours later to tell her that the pass certificate was invalid because the examiner had made a mistake during the test.
“I got home chuffed to bits as I’ve wanted to do this for years, only to be told I had failed,” said Cara, who has spent more than £600 on lessons and tests. “I drove exactly how I was instructed, but the examiner had only done one manoeuvre and forgotten to do a second one. Now I’m being penalised and have failed the test.”
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Tags: Cara Griffiths, Driving examiner, Driving Lessons, Driving Standards Agency, Driving test examiner, Driving Tests, DSA, Practical driving test
Posted in Industry News, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Make sure your driving test car is clean!
There are many reasons that driving tests get cancelled, but this one really takes the biscuit!
Learner driver, Jack Hyde had his test cancelled when the driving test examiner refused to conduct the test due to his car being too dirty. The teenager alleges that he had only cleaned the car that same morning having returned from France the night before, and that there were only a few croissant crumbs on the passenger seat and a dog biscuit in the footwell.
Jack, from Wallingford in Oxfordshire, said: ‘As soon as the examiner opened the passenger door he said: ‘I can’t take you out in this’. I couldn’t believe it.
‘He said he came to work in suit trousers and expected to sit on a tidy seat. He could have at least given us five minutes to clean it, but there was just no negotiation. It wasn’t even particularly dirty. There were old stains that you get in any car, but they wouldn’t come off on anyone’s clothes.
‘I know I may not have passed, but it has ruined my summer because it’s a big thing to be able to drive.’”
It certainly wasn’t third time lucky for Jack as his previous two tests had also been cancelled due to examiner illness and standing water from heavy rain.
See the photos and full news story here
Tags: Cars, Clean cars, Driving examiner, Driving Tests, Practical driving test
Posted in Industry News, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
Source: Manchester Evening News
TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular teenage schoolboy killed in a car crash.
Christopher Dale, 15, was hit by a car as he walked across a main road in Oldham. Police confirmed that he suffered serious, multiple injuries and was pronounced dead later at the Royal Oldham Hospital.
In a statement Christopher’s family said: “We are devastated at the loss of Chris.
“He was a wonderful son and brother who will be very much missed by all who knew him.”
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Tags: Road casualties, Road deaths, Road Safety
Posted in Road Safety, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Latics bans hands-free
In light of the latest research into the use of hands-free mobile phone equipment whilst driving, Latics’ directors Claire Wilmot & Glyn Crossley have banned their use by Latics instructors in all training vehicles.
Research has consistently found that driving whilst using a mobile phone (whether hand-held or hands-free) is extremely dangerous. One test by the the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) found that motorists who talk on hands-free phones are more dangerous than drink-drivers, finding that they were 30 per cent slower to react than those slightly over the legal alcohol limit. The report also found that drivers reflexes remained dulled for up to ten minutes after a conversation.
Claire Wilmot said: “I am glad we have taken this step. Very few of our instructors use hands-free equipment anyway, and none of our instructors are allowed to answer their phone during lessons. But we want to ensure that not only are all our instructors safe on the roads, we also set a good example to our pupils and members of the public. Whilst we appreciate that driving instructors have very little time to run their business effectively between lessons, it is important that we stay safe and set a professional image”.
Tags: handsfree, Latics Driver Training, Mobile phones, Road Safety
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, May 4th, 2009
What would happen if all traffic lights were suddenly switched off? Would there be chaos and traffic gridlock or would the queues of frustrated drivers miraculously disappear?
Well, in a brave attempt to find out if removing traffic lights will ease congestion, Ealing Council are putting the theory to the test! For 6 months, traffic light signals at up to seven junctions in Ealing will be concealed by orange bags and drivers will be left to negotiate their way across by establishing eye contact with pedestrians and other motorists.
Council officials believe that instead of improving the flow of traffic, traffic lights lead to unnecessary delays and may even increase danger, with drivers racing towards green lights to make it through the junction before they turn back to red.
(more…)
Tags: Ealing Council, Induction loop, Traffic light sensors, Traffic lights
Posted in Driving Law, Road Safety, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
Art student Sara Watson with her invisible car. Photo: PA
Sara Watson, an art student from Ashton under Lyne, has found the ultimate way of avoiding traffic wardens – by making her car invisible.
The 22-year-old student at the University of Central Lancashire spray painted a battered Skoda Fabia to match the car park and entrance to her art studio.
Her work, created as part of her drawing and image making course at the university, creates the illusion that the car is see through. She was given the car from a breakers yard and worked for three weeks to ensure that it blended perfectly with its surroundings.
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Tags: Invisible car, Traffic warden
Posted in Cars, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
When was the last time you checked your licence properly? Have you applied for a replacement due to a change of name or address? Have you checked the back of your licence to check that the DVLA haven’t mistakenly added full motorcycle entitlement and removed your car entitlement? Or if you’re a motorcyclist, has your entitlement been removed for no apparent reason?
BBC’s Watchdog (which aired on 27th April 2009) broadcast a feature in which several members of the public pointed out that these things had actually happened to them. “The DVLA know where we live, when we got our licence and most importantly they know what we’re entitled to drive – or do they?”
Watch the full story here
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Tags: BBC, Driving licence, DVLA, Licence categories, Motorcyle News, Watchdog
Posted in Driving Law, Uncategorized | 10 Comments »
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Results of the DSA Learning to Drive Consultation
On 7th May 2008, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) issued a Consultation Paper setting out wide-ranged proposals intended to make Britain’s roads safer by getting newly qualified drivers to cope with the challenges of driving unsupervised in today’s modern driving conditions. The Government’s preferred approach to achieving this is through education and incentives, encouraging young people to participate in more effective and efficient learning.
The four key elements of the proposed programme were:
- An improved learning process
- Improved driving tests
- Better information about driving instructors and improved driving instructor training
- Further options for qualifications and learning
Today (21st April 2009), the DSA published its report on this consultation. Having read the document this evening, I have listed the main changes that will happen, changes that may happen and proposals that have been rejected or indefinitely postponed.
(more…)
Tags: 3D driving test, Abridged theory test, Changes to the driving test, Consultations, Driving Law, Driving Lessons, Driving Test changes, Driving Tests, DSA, Independent driving, Latics Driver Training, Learning to drive, Learning to drive syllabus, Motorcyle News, Pass plus, Practical driving test, Pre-driver qualification, Road Safety, Supervising drivers, Theory test, Van driver qualification
Posted in Driving Law, Industry News, Road Safety, Uncategorized | 9 Comments »
