Drive Dynamics - Justin Wilson death: Drivers stage touching Golden Gate bridge tribute to British racer.

Wilson's teammate Marco Andretti led a procession of cars over the famous US landmark to honour the 37-year-old, who died this week from injuries sustained in a freak accident last Sunday.

Andretti drove the late racer's number 25 car in front of four other vehicles.

Wilson, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, was fatally injured after a piece of debris from a fellow racer's car bounced directly into his open cockpit.

Wilson was airlifted to hospital from the Pocono Raceway, Pennsylvania, but died on Monday after not waking from a coma.

His team, Andretti Autosport, have announced that Indycar veteran Oriol Servia will drive the Briton's Honda at Sonoma Raceway this weekend.

Servia said: "It's hard for the words to come out the right way.

"I have known and raced Justin for more than 10 years. I have an enormous amount of respect for him as a racer, but his qualities as a human were definitely an inspiration to anyone who ever met him.
"I am honoured and emotional with the opportunity of driving his car this weekend."

Wilson raced in Formula 1 in 2003, starting the season with Minardi before moving to Jaguar.

He went on to have a successful career in the United States, winning seven races in the Champ Car series and then tasting his most recent success in the IndyCar series.

F1 drivers have also paid tribute to Wilson, with former world champion Jenson Button describing him as a "great person and racing driver"

Honda have also announced a contribution to a fund established this week to benefit the two daughters of Wilson and his wife Julia.

A donation of $50 (£32) will be given for very lap completed at Sonoma by each of the 13 Honda entries - which could bring to total contribution to more than $55,000 (approximately £35,600).

For more information visit - http://www.express.co.uk/

Drive Dynamics - The world's most dangerous and safest places to drive

Eritrea - Least Safe Place to  drive

On the map above, each country is colour-coded to reflect the number of road fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants per year.
Most of the bottom 10 - including Eritrea, the deadliest driving destination, according to the World Health Organization's figures (with 48.4 deaths per 100,000 residents), Libya (40.5) and Iraq (31.5) - are unlikely to feature on the travel itineraries of most Britons. But a couple - Thailand (38.1) and South Africa (31.9) - are popular holiday destinations.
Relatively risky roads can also be found in Ecuador, Vietnam, Brazil, Paraguay, Kenya and Laos.
Other notable findings include the fact that Portugal is less safe than the rest of Western Europe and the US is twice as dangerous as Canada.

San Marino - Safest Place to drive

The safest places to drive include the Maldives (1.9 deaths, though the lack of roads probably helps), Norway (2.9), Denmark (3), Sweden (3) and Switzerland (3.4). Britain is just behind, with only 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants per year. But they are all outshone by San Marino, which recorded not a single death for the year in question (2010).

For more information visit - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Drive Dynamics - Police cars with no sirens risk response times, federation says

West Midlands Police has a fleet of 109 Vauxhall Corsa cars intended for neighbourhood policing.
The Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said the vehicles had been used for more than 100 urgent calls in the last 12 months.
The West Midlands force said the Corsas were "not intended for response work".
'Frustrating'
The Federation's health and safety official Pete Harkness said: "Officers are ordered to drive the Corsa at patrol speed and obey the rules of the road.
"But the absence of a siren means they often cannot get traffic to move out of their way and this, in turn, can delay them getting to an emergency situation.
"This is very frustrating for the officers and they feel they are letting the public down by not getting to them as quickly as possible in a crisis situation."
The union blames cost-cutting for the use of cars without sirens.
Superintendent Kerry Blakeman, from the force's operations department, said officers who respond to call-outs in cars without sirens have to follow the Highway Code and cannot break the speed limit to cut through traffic.
He said: "Incidents graded as 'immediate' are responded to as soon as possible, usually in a matter of minutes and on many occasions require the use of lights and sirens.
For more Information visit - http://www.bbc.com/

Drive Dynamics - Everton footballer Darron Gibson due in court on drink-driving charge

Everton star Darron Gibson will appear in court accused of crashing his sports car into a cyclist while drink-driving.
Gibson, 27, is alleged to have been behind the wheel of his black Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo car when it hit the bike before driving away.
Irishman Gibson is alleged to have then pulled into a petrol station nearby and collided with a petrol pump.
Police were called and charged the Premier League footballer with driving without due care and attention, driving with excess alcohol and failing to stop after a road traffic collision, near his home in Altrincham, Cheshire, on the evening of August 16.
Gibson, a Republic of Ireland international who plays in midfield, began his career at Manchester United before joining Everton for around £1 million in 2012, but his career has been ravaged by injuries.
He is currently out of action due to a groin injury.
Gibson will appear at Trafford Magistrates' Court later today.
For more information visit - https://uk.news.yahoo.com/

Drive Dynamics - Justin Bieber stopped by police for unsafe driving in his new Ferrari and ticketed for overtinted windows

Justin Bieber got pulled over by cops in Beverly Hills on Saturday night while tooling around town in his brand new Ferrari.
A passer-by counted four squad cars with lights flashing lined up behind the sports car on a residential street.
The singer, 21, was cited for unsafe passing on the right, according to TMZ, and also given an equipment violation for his darkly tinted windows.
The unsafe passing ticket means a fine of $238 for the pop star and he'll also have to pay $25 for the equipment violation infraction.
His traffic stop comes in a busy weekend for the Canadian who will debut his new single What Do You Mean at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night.
But his late night encounter with the police clearly didn't phase the young superstar.
He started posting photos on his Instagram account early Sunday morning showing himself during rehearsals at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
In one pic he's seen drawing on his photo that was being used to show his seat placement and making comments to some of the other celebrities pictured in the auditorium.
In another he's seen 'flirting' with Britney Spears' image and kissing her seat photo.
Justin has a history of vehicular issues, including an arrest for allegedly driving under the influence and drag racing in Miami, Florida, in January 2014.
In June, he pleaded guilty to assault and careless driving stemming from a collision with a photographer in his hometown of Stratford, Ontario, in August 2014.
Justin, who at the time was on a 'peaceful retreat' with then girlfriend Selena Gomez, was arrested after the incident in which a mini van collided with an ATV.
After pleading guilt, he was given a $750 fine for careless driving and an absolute discharge on the assault charge.
For more information visit - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Drive Dynamics - British racing driver Justin Wilson dies after IndyCar disaster.

Tributes are being paid today to Justin Wilson, the British IndyCar driver, who was declared dead this morning after being hit by debris during a race on Sunday.
Wilson, 37, had been in a coma since a large piece of bodywork from another driver’s car struck his helmet during the race in Pennsylvania.
Friends and family of the Sheffield-born racer had flown to be at his bedside at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown.
For more information visit - http://www.thetimes.co.uk/

Drive Dynamics - Great-grandmother celebrates 101st birthday by driving tank

A feisty great-grandmother who is blind in one eye has celebrated her 101st birthday by driving a tank.

Hilda Jackson was determined to drive a 100,000 FV432 tank, even for just a few metres, to celebrate her big day.

The former nurse, who has 11 great-grandchildren, finally completed her dream at the Tank School in Usk, South Wales - and celebrated by sipping on a glass of sherry in the cockpit.

Hilda Jackson at the Tank School in Usk, South Wales (Caters)

Mrs Jackson's 72-year-old daughter Margaret Austin said her mother had wanted to do it for her last few birthdays and would not be deterred by health issues.

Mrs Austin, from Abergavenny, South Wales, said: "Mum was very thrilled about it all. I thought it would be great for mum to get a chance to sit in the tank. But she told me 'I'm not going to go all the way there without going into the cockpit' she's quite feisty.

"Only one person can be in it at a time so once she was in the driver seat she asked how to switch it on. The instructor said that wouldn't be the best idea, but she turned it on anyway. She was surprised and pleased because she was afraid that the noise would be too loud for her."

Mrs Jackson has always been fascinated with driving and even went on a five-month car drive around Europe in the 1950s with her visiting relatives from Australia.

Alastair Scott, owner of the Tank School, at Little Trostrey, near Kemeys, said: "It was a great pleasure and honour to have Hilda visit us last Sunday and get her at the controls of a tank.

"Hilda was by far our eldest tank driver the youngest was nine she won all our hearts and admiration."

For more information visit - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Drive Dynamics - Young U.K. Drivers So-So on Safety, Advocates say

A U.K. road-safety organization is concerned that a survey shows young drivers choosing a new vehicle are less concerned about safety than about the brand.

Brake says drivers, especially the young, should put safety first when it comes to buying a new vehicle.

A survey conducted for Brake found safety technologies are third on a list of decision-making factors for all drivers, behind reliability and fuel economy.

Only 48% of 1,000 drivers surveyed named safety as one of their three most important considerations. But among drivers aged 17-24, just 37% named safety, while 39% chose brand.

Brake says the survey also found infotainment systems, which allow access to social media and other functions unrelated to driving, are becoming an increasing factor in young drivers’ decision-making.

Some 21% of drivers aged 17-24 said they wanted such a system, and 17% said it is one of their most important features in choosing a vehicle.

The survey also showed a lack of driver interest in industry safety standards such as Euro NCAP. Only 23% of those surveyed said a 5-star Euro NCAP rating is something they look for in a new vehicle.

Brake deputy CEO Julie Townsend says all drivers should put safety features at the top of the list when choosing a new vehicle, opting for a 5-star Euro NCAP rating wherever possible.

“Vehicle-safety technology has come on leaps and bounds, and a large part of the casualty reductions we have seen in recent decades are likely to be attributable to this,” Townsend says in a statement. “It is important that all drivers take advantage of these advances as much as possible, to protect both themselves and the people around them.”

Brake wants the government to regulate the use of systems that let drivers perform tasks straight from the dashboard that have nothing to driving, such as checking social media and emailing, saying they are potentially as distracting and dangerous as using a cellphone.

For more information visit - http://wardsauto.com/

Drive Dynamics - Driving digital productivity in the UK

In the coming months, the government is due to publish a Digital Transformation Plan that will form part of Chancellor George Osborne’s focus on improving the UK’s poor levels of productivity.

With an eye on the prize, the government’s plan to narrow the productivity gap with the US would raise the GDP by 31%, which equates to about £21,000 a year for every household in the UK.

The government’s aim is for a widespread approach, ranging from supporting the EU’s Digital Single Market to shaking up regulatory frameworks that would otherwise inhibit the adoption of emerging technologies. The good news is that the UK starts from a good position.

The UK is one of the most digitally-ready countries, ranking fifth out of 17 countries in Accenture’s Digital Density Index. Also, the UK has the largest ICT sector in Europe at 6.7% of GDP.

However, the study reveals a number of paradoxes that could become obstacles to meeting Osborne’s goal. And rather than pinning the blame on government, there is, in fact, a need for British businesses to improve their adoption of digital technologies.

For example, UK households are among the best connected in Europe, but UK companies lack investment in superfast internet. The UK’s consumer markets are among the most digitised in the world, but companies’ ability to digitally source and manage labour, capital and other business inputs lags behind that of European counterparts.

And while the environment is highly welcoming to digital enterprise, UK firms are often slow to adopt new digital processes such as cloud and RFID, or crowdsourcing. The UK may have the largest financial centre in Europe, but could do better to encourage crowdfunding to improve access to finance.
Steps to take

As part of this push, the Chancellor plans greater collaboration between the public and private sectors. But there are a number of steps companies can take to increase the digital density of the entire economy for the common good:

For more information visit - http://www.computerweekly.com/

Drive Dynamics - The Stig and Dermot O'Leary in new BBC driving show

Dermot O'Leary and The Stig will join forces on a Saturday night BBC driving show. No, it's not Top Gear.
The Getaway Car, presented by Dermot and featuring Top Gear's "tame racing driver", will see families and friends compete in a set of driving challenges.
Dermot presented The X Factor for eight years on ITV, but left after the last series.
The Stig's not commented yet, but Dermot says he's excited about the show.
"We all think we are great drivers, but what tickled me most is seeing how people, who obviously love each other very much, speak to each other when they are behind the wheel of a car.
"It brings out the worst in all of us... but in a fun way."

The show will be broadcast next year on BBC One. The announcement comes less than two weeks after former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May unveiled a deal to work for Amazon Prime.
Clarkson, whose BBC contract was not renewed after he punched a member of staff during a "fracas", is also teaming up with former Top Gear producer Andy Wilman to make three, 12-episode series of the new show.

For more information visit - http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Drive Dynamics - How to pass your driving theory test

Getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time after passing your driving test is an exciting thing. The prospect of endless freedom to go where you want is great, but to get there in the first place, you need to pass your driving theory test.

The theory test must be taken and passed in order for you to be able to book and take your practical driving test, so it’s essential to pass with flying colours first time around if you want that freedom of not relying on mum and dad for lifts everywhere.

In short, the driving theory test is made up of two components - a multiple-choice section and the hazard perception test. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you pass your driving theory test first time - explaining what it is, what you need to do to pass and what happens next once you've aced it. There’s also a separate guide on the hazard perception test, too.

• How to get your driving licence

What is the driving theory test?
The UK driving theory test is the first part of gaining your full driving licence. It must be taken before the practical test and aims to test your knowledge of the Highway Code and driving in the UK. Questions are based on official DVSA guides: The Official Highway Code, Know Your Traffic Signs and The Official DVSA Guide To Driving.

There are plenty of mock theory tests available online, the majority of which are free, so it’s a good idea to take a practice theory test to get used to the structure of the test and know what to expect.

• Practical driving test: top tips for passing

To take a theory test, you must book in advance at an approved driving theory test centre. At the end of the test, you will receive your results and, if you pass, a certificate, which is valid for two years. If you do not pass your practical driving test within two years of passing your theory, you will have to retake the theory test again.

Driving theory test fees stand at £25 for a standard car theory test but as of October 2015, it will be reduced to £23.

At the test centre, you will need your photocard driving licence with you. If you have a paper licence, you need to have your signed driving licence and a valid passport in order to take the test. If, for some reason, you don't have these, either update your licence to a photocard licence or get a passport. If not, you won't be able to take your test!

In terms of pass rates, the driving theory test currently sits at 50.7 per cent, a figure that’s decreased consistently in recent years.
For more information visit - http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/

Drive Dynamics - More than 500,000 motorists are STILL driving while using their mobile phones and the numbers are increasing

More than 500,000 motorists are still using their mobile phones while driving each day, according to shocking new figures.
And the number of phone-related crashes is rising despite dozens of deaths being caused each year by drivers using handheld devices.
Drivers aged under 30 are the biggest culprits with more than one in 20 (5.2 per cent) being caught flouting the law, the study found.
The research revealed that using a handheld device is more distracting than alcohol or drugs, with drivers twice as likely to have their head down and eyes off the road while texting or using the internet.
Campaigners today urged ministers to impose tougher penalties and boost traffic police numbers, which have suffered a 23 per cent cut over the last five years.
Edmund King, AA president, said: 'The only way to counter the addiction to mobiles is to have more cops in cars and for employers to take their duty of care more seriously. If not they could face corporate manslaughter.'
He said a 'hardcore' number of drivers 'still believe there is nothing wrong with their behaviour' and are putting lives at risk.
Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said the figures were 'a worry'.
He added: 'In 2013 the use of a mobile at the wheel was a factor in 22 fatal accidents and this is likely to be underreporting of the true figure.

Drive Dynamics - THE RISE OF 24-HOUR PARKING RESTRICTIONS

A NORTH London borough is to become the first in the country to enforce widespread parking restrictions on residential streets 24 hours a day. The move means that residents and visitors must display permits at all times, or risk being ticketed by wardens.
Islington council says the move is aimed at simplifying parking rules, but critics claim it is intended to generate revenue. Motoring groups say the council is just one of many across the country using resident parking zones to raise money since the ban on CCTV cars earlier this year, which is expected to result in a reduction in parking fines being handed out.

Parking permits can cost more than £100 and are typically issued to residents on an annual basis, allowing them to park outside their home without fear of penalty if it is within a controlled parking zone (CPZ). Residents must usually buy parking vouchers to give to visiting family or friends who wish to park on their road.

Drive Dynamics - Lorry driven wrong way on M6 Toll motorway; both drivers banned

Two men have been banned from driving and given suspended prison sentences after they travelled the wrong way down the M6 Toll in Staffordshire.

Police were notified on the evening of Sunday 12 July that a white HGV was travelling the wrong way down the M6 motorway, proceeding south on the northbound carriageway.

Not only had the van been driving in the opposite direction to oncoming traffic, the drivers had also performed numerous U-turns and been speeding. The HGV was eventually stopped near junction T4 at Weeford near Shenstone.
The two men in the vehicle were arrested by officers from the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) and charged with driving a motor vehicle dangerously.

CMPG Chief Inspector Jed White said, "On this occasion these two individuals were clearly putting lives at risk, including their own.

"The sentences imposed by the court are to be welcomed. Although the men did not receive a custodial sentence they have been disqualified from driving and are off the roads."

For more information visit - http://www.independent.co.uk/

Drive Dynamics - Could YOU pass the driving theory test?

Two in three experienced motorists would fail.. and the biggest stumbling block is basic road signs 

• Half of drivers in the study failed the multiple choice section of the test 
• More than a third failed the hazard perception section of theory exam
• Experts said the findings showed a worrying level of 'road illiteracy'
• Novices taking the test scored higher than experienced drivers on average

Two out of three experienced motorists would fail the driving theory test if they took it now, a study found.

And the biggest stumbling block? Basic traffic signs, according to researchers who gave 50 drivers a real copy of the test.

Only 33 per cent of them scraped through, compared to 51.6 per cent of novice drivers who pass their theory.

More than a third (34 per cent) failed the hazard perception test while half (50 per cent) did not answer enough of the multiple choice questions correctly.

Candidates need a pass in both parts to demonstrate basic knowledge and progress to the road test.

Drive Dynamics - Look no hands: Self-driving cars on a road near you?

Close your eyes and I'll take you there is what they sang in the musical, West Side Story. Fifty-eight years later, that proposition is the promise of the 21st Century automobile.

The self-driving car has long been the stuff of science fiction. Now it may soon be here, on the streets of Britain and other places.

The British government is interested, and putting money into the proposition. Three consortia of consultants companies and universities are revving up trials in places such as Greenwich, Bristol, Coventry and Milton Keynes.

But they have some catching up to do. For the past six years, Google cars have been cruising the roads and streets of California and Texas with a human driver ready to take over from the autonomous machine in an emergency.

They have racked up more than one million miles of autonomous experience, 14 accidents (mainly being rear-ended by distracted drivers), and vast amounts of data about this sort of transport.

To outsiders it appears as if Google has cracked the future of car, and even parked one of the first prototypes in the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Silicon Valley, California. I sat in it (static) last summer.

A Google Lexus driverless car

Google's driverless cars have already driven over one million miles

Autonomous vehicles do indeed have huge potential. In theory taking human beings out of the driver's seat altogether could cut accidents to close to zero. People who cannot drive for some reason could use car transport.

Drive Dynamics - How new road tax rules could affect you.

Changes to the vehicle excise duty (VED) system announced earlier this month by Chancellor George Osborne mean that many makes of car will pay more road tax in future.

The reforms, which are due to come into effect in April 2017, are in response to falling revenues.

Lower tax take

At present, VED is low or zero for a large number of low-emission vehicles including many petrol or diesel-only cars.

But as new model have become increasingly environmentally friendly, Treasury VED takings have been dwindling, with fewer and fewer motorists paying the tax.

The changes will only apply, however, to cars bought as brand new and registered after the reforms come into effect. 

Your current rate of VED will apply to your existing car until you sell it and buy another model.

Drive Dynamics - Driving tips for UK's visitors

The most famous aspect of driving in the United Kingdom, for most foreign visitors at least, is of course that the British drive on "the wrong side" of the road - i.e. on the left hand lane, and the driver sits on the right hand side of the car.   It takes some time to "reprogram" the mind to think in the opposite sense at junctions and on roundabouts and motorways, so the main thing is not to drop your guard 2 or 3 days into your visit, as this is when most accidents involving foreign drivers happen. You can also do some online practice before you arrive to familiarise yourself with driving in the UK, try some practice learner driver theory tests. If you are from the USA or Canada - bear in mind that most cars are manual transmission which can further complicate matters - your car rental company will give you a "stick shifter" unless you specifically ask for an automatic when you make a reservation.

Drive Dynamics - How to Drive Manual

Have you ever wanted to learn at least the basics of how to drive a manual transmission? Luckily, the basic concepts of starting to move a manual transmission car and shifting through the gears is a process anyone can learn. This guide will help you out.

1

Try to get on level ground. Put your seat belt on once you get in. While learning, it's better to roll down the windows. This helps to better hear the engine sound and adjust the gear changes accordingly.

The one on the far left is the clutch , the middle one is the brake, and then the gas/accelerator is on the far right (CBA). This layout is the same for both left hand drive and right hand drive vehicles.

Benefits of Taking Automated Driving Tutorials

Everybody has their own ability to learn when it comes to driving and when it’s about learning how to drive then large amount of precious time has to be devoted while learning how to control the car. It is likely that you will need many driving lessons to reach the test standard in an automatic than in a manual. Most of the learners struggle with clutch control when they are at learning stage so opt or go with automated driving test and the automatic driving lessons.

With Drive Dynamics automatic driving tutorials reaching test standard is quicker and convenient. Initially it requires less driving lessons and it’s cost effective too. It is certain that the learners will find synchronizing the clutch and gear as a challenge and many learners will stop the car because of the difficulty in controlling the clutch and gears. Automatic driving is safer and convenient as there is no need to concentrate and to change gears and clutch. Drive Dynamics effective driving lessons are often advanced for those who may have complexity getting the grips of the manual gear box.

Learning driving with Drive Dynamics automated driving tutorials is fun as simply choosing a gear press the accelerator release the handbrake and there you go. Most of the learners are prefer automatic driving tutorials as most of the leading UK car manufacturers have only automatic technology. Driving tutorials with Drive Dynamics is very easy and safe as driving in busy town requires pressing the clutch and clutch control and constant gear changing with manual transmission, our professional drivers offer driving lessons with much patience. Automatic driving lessons are certainly quicker and are easy to reach to the level of driving test standards. Many drivers who are in problem and have difficulty to control clutch and gears are successfully driving their vehicles because of automatic vehicles.

Drive Dynamics provides tips and lessons to help you pass the standards of reputed UK practical driving test whether you are currently a learner or an experienced driver. Drive Dynamics driving test tutorials are detailed and comprehensive which are designed and written by experienced and qualified driving instructors. Drive Dynamics is a benchmark for automated driving tutorials and they make learning how to drive full of fun by providing invaluable source of tutorials.