Observation on Roundabouts

It is not uncommon to come across drivers who go out of their way to avoid certain roundabouts. Even experienced drivers consider them to be “high risk” locations, and feel uncomfortable with them, no matter what size the roundabout is.

The single most common mistake at a roundabout is only looking to your right as you approach, because that is where you expect traffic to come from. But what about the car ahead of you – can that driver see something that you can’t?

It is better to gather as much information as you can – start to check to your right, straight ahead, to your left, and all your mirrors as you approach the roundabout. By carrying out your observations in this sweeping/scanning motion, you are more likely to pick up if the car in front decides not to go for some reason.

The classic rear end shunt, caused by the driver ahead not going when you think he’s going, can thus be avoided. Help yourself further by keeping a good gap between you and the vehicle waiting to get on, so if he changes his mind half way you have room to stop without compromising yourself.

Drivers often approach the roundabout with the plan to continue unless they have to stop because of other traffic. The problem here is that you may notice another car just as you get close to the roundabout, but you are more likely to speed up, opting to “take a chance” because it is difficult to change your mind at the last moment.

A slightly different, but very much more effective mental outlook is to approach the roundabout thinking “plan to stop but look to go”.

As you scan, remember you are looking for gaps, as well as vehicles.

And once you are on the roundabout, remember not everybody will position themselves correctly to get off: you could find somebody sweeping cross you to get to their exit. Remember that the lorry or bus needs lots of room, and try not to be actually alongside it.

On a mini roundabout, if you are approach at the same time as an oncoming vehicle, clearly indicate you intention and then do a visual check – try to catch the driver’s eye and send a message to avoid the ambiguous situation when nobody is quite sure who should go first.

This article has been reproduced with the permission of the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists)

Posted in Motoring & Driving Tips

Road Markings and Paint

Drivers tend to ignore all but the most basic of road signs. A red light will still (thankfully) get most drivers to stop, most of the time. But a junction marking stating “STOP” in large capital letters is often ignored; at best it will be treated as a “give way” and then only by the locals who know the dangers well, but still opt to downgrade the risk in order to save a moment or two.

This may be because we all suffer from “signage overload”: there are so many instructions, official and unofficial, and so many direction signs and road signs competing for our attention that we already have our head full of information coming at us at eye level. That makes it easier to miss the ones painted on the tarmac beneath us.

Road users often seem totally unaware of the relevance of road markings, even when they see them.

But as a rule of thumb, the more paint there is on the road surface, the more potential danger there is. Nobody has chosen to go to the time and expense (not to mention the considerable risk) of putting paint on the road without a reason.

Sadly even experienced motorists seem to be ignorant of the markings. I was recently told that a double white line down the middle of the carriageway was there to “stop us turning right across it.”

This is worrying, because those particular markings are there for quite a different purpose: to prevent vehicles crossing onto the other carriageway at that point.

Some cross-hatchings are no-go areas (those that have a surrounding solid white line). You should not use these areas unless it is a serious emergency or you are directed there by a police officer.

As well as the official marking on the road surface, there are the unofficial ones which can also serve to remind the observant driver of potential danger. The classic these days is the long, snaking skid mark. That means some unfortunate has had a crash, or a near miss, or certainly taken drastic action for some reason.

When you see these, ask you self what might have happened, and see if there is anything you can do to prevent getting into the same situation.

This article has been reproduced with the permission of the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists)

Posted in Motoring & Driving Tips

Personalised Number Plates: Know The Rules

For those who have chosen to buy a cherished number plate, finding the ultimate registration is extremely important. However, in the excitement of it all, one may forget to take into consideration some important rules.

Some purchasers of private number plates continue to break the law, but the rules have been put in place for justifiable reasons. Therefore, anyone thinking of buying a plate, perhaps to display their name or the football team they support, should be familiar with today’s regulations.

The Most Common Law Breakers
It’s fairly commonplace to spy an italicised font, or a Betty Boop logo on a vehicle registration. In fact, many members of the public may not even be aware that these are illegal. However, it is now more important than ever to have clearly visible plates. It is crucial that witnesses of accidents and crime are able to identify a registration. Those who alter the standard font and spacing of characters may potentially be causing problems that could have been avoided.

The following alterations to number plates are not permitted by law:

• Fancy or decorative typefaces, such as italic fonts
• Altering of characters. For example, placing a bolt in the middle of the number 11 to give the illusion of the letter H. This prevents the human eye, as well as roadside cameras, from recognising the true character
• Sporting emblems and religious symbols
• Honeycomb or any other background designs

Stay Legal
A cherished number plate is a great way of making a vehicle unique and personal to the buyer. Purchasing one can be a very effective, but it really is sensible to stay on the right side of the law.

Listed below are rules that should not be broken:

• Only the ‘Charles Wright 2001′ font, a simple, clear typeface, is allowed
• Excepting the letter I and the number 1, characters must be 79mm high and 50mm wide. The width of each character stroke must be 14mm and one must be able to measure 11mm between each character in the same grouping. Additionally, character groups must also be 33mm apart
• Front plates must have a white background with black characters, while rear plates are also required to have the black characters, but on a yellow background.

However, there are certain alterations that are optional:

• A coloured, non-reflective border
• A 3D effect on the typeface
• Older/vintage cars (those manufactured prior to 1973) can display the old-style, black plates. They have the option of having white, silver or grey characters, as well as a choice of either a plastic plate or a traditional metal one
• Number plates may display one of the following national emblems on a blue panel: British Union Flag with “GB” legend, English Flag (St. George’s Cross) with “ENG”, Scottish (St. Andrew) with “SCO”, Welsh (green dragon on green/white field) with “Wales” or “Cymru”, or Euro Flag (circle of stars) with “GB”.

Apart from the Euro Flag option, national emblems are not officially recognised in the regulations. However, the government has said that they are permitted. It is expected that the law will soon be revised to reflect the current de facto acceptance of these flags. The expected amendment of the regulations will not allow other graphics or emblems.

The Registration Itself
When choosing a number plate, one important rule must be remembered:

A registration that would result in one’s vehicle appearing newer than it actually is, is not permitted

Therefore, if Jenny wanted to purchase the prefix plate J34 NNY, she would need to be aware that it could not be placed onto a vehicle that was manufactured before August 1991. Fortunately, the majority of drivers are purchasing newer cars, so this isn’t a huge problem, as it is not breaking the law to put an older plate on to a newer vehicle.

Additionally, dateless plates are also available and this means that the problem is completely avoided.

Cherished number plates are the most effective way of making a vehicle unique, as every single one is different. However, don’t be the one to get caught out – stick to the rules.

Private Number Plates

Posted in Motoring & Driving Tips

Too Tired to Drive

A simple yawn can mean a few things – you’re stuck in a boring meeting or it’s time for an early night, for example.

But a recent survey by the Department for Transport (DfT) said that motorists who ignore that innocent yawn are putting themselves and other road users at risk if they press on regardless.

As many as one in five of all crashes on major roads are caused by tired drivers.  And it may be even more – because those drivers that survive a crash (or a near miss) are unlikely to admit that they were too tired to drive when it happened.

The DfT said that we all want to finish our journeys as quickly as possible but being tired at the wheel is a “proven killer” that we cannot ignore.   Those who drive for work are particularly at risk.

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) said that although falling asleep straight away while you’re driving is very rare, it is surprising how many people ignore the signs of fatigue beforehand.  The IAM advises:

• Don’t start a long trip if you’re already tired.  Remember that a working day away from the office will involve extra travelling time that could leave you exhausted by the time you are heading for home.

• Plan your journey to include at least a 15 minute break every two hours, even if you feel you don’t need it.  You will be refreshed.  Use the break away from the car to catch up with phone messages.

• If you feel drowsy, don’t press on regardless.  Find a safe place to stop (but not the hard shoulder). If you have a nap, take the keys out the ignition and lock the car doors.

• As an emergency measure drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeine drink and have a rest for 10-15 minutes to allow time for the caffeine to kick in.

Lastly, don’t rely on what some drivers admitted to as their solution – slapping themselves in the face!  Other non-solutions reported to the IAM include turning up the radio, singing, shaking the head vigorously and opening all the windows.

This article has been reproduced with the permission of the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists)

Posted in Motoring & Driving Tips