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As winter
approaches, motorists fear new drivers more than rain, snow and ice
AS the Met Office warns we
could be facing one of the wettest winters ever, you may be
surprised by what motorists are most concerned about when it comes
to driving in winter months. Rather than hazardous weather
conditions; black ice; getting stuck in snow or being stranded, a
new study from Halfords Autocentres reveals that when it comes to
winter driving, the thing motorists fear most is new drivers!
The survey by Britain's leading independent garage chain found that
29.2% of motorists rank inexperienced drivers as the most worrying
hazard when driving in winter. This was followed closely by skidding
on surface water or ice (28%) and driving in fog (27%).
The ability of new drivers to deal with adverse weather conditions
is such a concern that 85% of those surveyed think that winter
driving techniques should be part of the practical exam for learner
drivers. 67% said aquaplaning on surface water and skidding on ice
posed the biggest threat to new drivers who have no experience of
dealing with such situations.
The behaviour of other road users plays a big part in how confident
motorists feel about driving in poor weather. 64% said people take
more risks driving during winter and 38% said inconsiderate and
aggressive driving actually increases at this time of year which can
be extremely intimidating for new drivers.
Halfords Autocentres' Stefan Warhaftig said:- "Winter road
conditions can be challenging for motorists but it seems that other
road users rather than deteriorating weather conditions is what
causes drivers the most concern. Driving in heavy rain, snow and ice
can be daunting, especially for those with no experience of driving
in such conditions. And it's not just new drivers that this affects,
last year's mild winter means that even people who passed their test
in the last couple of years may not have experienced driving in
severe weather conditions before. But even the most
experienced drivers fear winter motoring with 48% of people surveyed
saying they are anxious or genuinely frightened about driving in the
winter and 17% said they reduce the amount of driving they do or
even stop completely."
To help motorists face the challenges of the changing weather we
have once again produced a Winter Survival Guide which combines SAS
survival tactics from John 'Lofty' Wiseman with technical
knowledge from a range of experts including:- Team Dynamics, MIRA and
St John Ambulance. The updated guide also has several new sections
including one from RED Driving School which offers tips and advice
for new drivers who have never driven in wintery conditions before.
The Winter Survival Guide is an accessible, jargon free format that
makes for an easy yet informative read. It is free to download and
contains different chapters tackling scenarios involving ice and
snow as well as good general advice on subjects such as
administering first aid and how to safely pack your car.
To download a free copy of the Winter Survival Guide or read the
advice in full visit:-
online.
To watch the films in Halfords Autocentre Survival Series visit:-
YouTube. |
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Liverpool's car
club scheme continues to grow
LIVERPOOL is welcoming a
new pay-as-you-drive vehicle as part of the development of the
City's innovative car club scheme.
The expansion of the scheme, run by City Car Club, comes just after
it celebrated an encouraging 12 months since its launch. The
introduction of a new vehicle has been announced to cater for the
increasing number of car club members within the City. There are
already more than 200 City Car Club members in Liverpool using seven
low emissions vehicles.
From Wednesday, 26 November 2014, a brand new Vauxhall Corsa located at a
new bay in Duke Street, will be available for use for Car Club
members .The new location will benefit those living and working in
this part of the City, which is a short walk from Liverpool ONE
Shopping Centre and just a stone's throw from the City's iconic
Baltic Triangle.
Managing Director of City Car Club, James Finlayson, said:-
"When we launched in the City we were aware that Liverpool City
Council, like many authorities across the country, wanted to
proactively tackle issues surrounding City Centre parking and
increasing congestion. It's great to see the positive impact our car
club has had in these concerns. We're hoping that the arrival of the
new vehicle on Duke Street will see this figure increase as more
people are able to experience the benefits of car clubs for
themselves."
The popularity of City Car Club not only stems from its eco-friendly
credentials, but its ability to save members considerable amounts of
money. This is due to the fact that as a member you only incur a
cost when actually using the vehicles. Hourly rentals fees then
start from just £3.45 and cover insurance, tax, fuel, servicing and
a host of other motoring expenses.
Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, Liverpool City Council cabinet member
for regeneration and transport , praised the impact of City Car Club
in the City:- "City Car Club has proved to be an intelligent
way to cut costs and reduce the environmental impact of motoring in
our City. The scheme compliments Liverpool's existing transport
infrastructure, and the new bay on Duke Street offers local
residents and businesses a mix and match approach to getting around
the City. I very much hope we can build on the good work of the past
year and providing residents and businesses with better access to
car club vehicles is a great start."
The addition of the new vehicle reinforces Liverpool City Councils
ambition to emulate the success that City Car Club has had in 16
other cities across the UK. The progress of sustainable transport
projects like the car club will then play a large part in helping
the City reach its air quality objectives by reducing congestion and
levels of CO2 emissions.
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