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/