Mar – May 2015 Newsletter - Darlington Advanced Motorists

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DARLINGTON GROUP MEETINGS.
Sherwoods Conference Room - Chesnut St
Tuesday 9th June - 7:15 p.m.
Liz Frankland - A partially sighted lady - Her views on how she copes
with everyday difficulties ( including vehicles being parked on footpaths etc )
Tuesday 14th July - 7:15 p.m.
Peter Barron
Editor of the Northern Echo talking about his life in the media industry.
Tuesday 11th August - 7:15 p.m.
No meeting ,see separate notice.
ALL MEMBERS, NON-MEMBERS & INTERESTED FRIENDS ARE
WELCOME!
ARTICLES IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARE PERSONAL VIEWS AND OPINIONS ONLY & NOT
NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF THE DARLINGTON GROUP OF ADVANCED MOTORISTS OR
THE INSTITUTE IN GENERAL AND THEREFORE SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS SUCH.
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Newsletter
June – Aug 2015
Darlington Institute of Advanced Motorists Group
Registered Charity Number - 1 0 5 0 3 8 2
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COMMITTEE / OBSERVERS 2015
President
Mr A.MacConachie O.B.E. - D.L. - Hon. D.B.A. - F.R.S.A.
Chairman/Meeting Organiser - Brian Day
Vice Chairman - Vacant
Secretary/Observer - Nick Rees
Treasurer & Membership Secretary & 1st Point of Contact
Doug Landers - 07765192346/ Email: dlanders@darlingtonadvancedmotorists.org
Observer Trainer & Chief Observer - Peter Atkinson (HGV)
Senior/National Observers
Allan Harwood
Brian Day
Barnaby Hunter
Observers
Nick Rees
Doug Landers
Tony Todd
Ian Gray
Rob Almond
Committee
Doug Landers
Nick Rees
Elizabeth Passmore
Peter Dillon
Website Manager
Vacant Newsletter Editor & Printing
Andrew Mason
Mercury across the sun are a different matter: I don’t know why I’ve never thought of looking into or at them before, but it turns out that they are
fairly frequent. The next one is in May 2016 – so I’ll remind you in April, in
case you’re interested.
But also, binoculars may be set up, as above, at any time (when the sun
is out) to observe sunspots. These vary in size and number from year to
year, but when visible you can see them change position from day to
day, indicating the sun’s speed of rotation (which is once in about 27
days). Again I must say: don’t look through the binoculars! And as a precaution against overheating them inside, cover the front lens for a while
perhaps every minute or so.
Let’s get back to motoring: I’m still puzzling over something that I reported here last July, namely that switching on cruise control can significantly
reduce your level of concentration on all aspects of driving, as well as (or
because of?) making you feel more tired. This had been demonstrated in
France, in experiments on 90 people in a driving simulator. The first puzzle is that I can’t uncover any previous such investigations, yet you would
think that the effects of cruise control on driving performance would have
been tested and monitored fairly extensively, over its long lifetime.
(I’ve read that cruise control in its modern form was devised in 1948 by
an inventor and engineer, in frustration at being driven in a car by his
lawyer, who kept speeding up and slowing down as he talked.)
A second question is this: if regulating my own speed is better than letting cruise control to do it for me -- presumably because I then stay more
focused on what’s happening around me – what about the other selfcontrolling systems in my car, such as auto-wipers, auto-lights and even
the auto-gears? Should I stop using these too? Are they all inducing me
to relax and take my attention off the road?
I suppose I could try to assess their effects on me somehow. But I’m not
going to test cruise control on myself, after what I’ve read and reported!
Perhaps readers who do use it would like to comment...
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
Peter Soul
Source: http://www.petersoul.co.uk
Thanks Peter, Interesting Stuff
Local: http://www.darlingtonadvancedmotorists.org/
National: www.iam.org.uk
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The second natural event was a distinct anticlimax for us: the eclipse of
the sun on 20 March reached its maximum while we were driving south,
but below a layer of cloud, alas. If there had been a clear sky, from this
part of the country we would have observed barely 15% of the sun’s area
left uncovered by the moon, and the drop in general light level would
have been striking. But the normal brightness under cloud can vary widely, and so it seemed like just a dull morning!
Not that you should try to ‘observe’ the sun, during an eclipse, by looking
at it directly. You might think that the reduced amount of light would
make this safe, but it actually increases the risk of eye damage, because
your pupils (and eyes) will be wider open, while the brightness of the uncovered bit of the sun will be as high as ever. It surprises me that I don’t
hear more of people who have injured their eyes in this way, after an
eclipse.
The easy and hazard-free method for viewing such a spectacle is to fix
up a pair of binoculars (or else just hold them as steadily as you can),
pointing at the sun and projecting its image on to a white surface or
screen. One front lens should be covered, preferably, otherwise you will
get a double overlapping image. And of course you must not look
through the binoculars yourself.
The further you can position them from the screen, the bigger will be the
image. Ideally you want the binoculars slightly out of line with the sun –
shifting the image sideways and allowing you to move the screen into a
nearby shadow (which by the way will be deeper, and so give you a
brighter-looking image, if you are able to be indoors with the sunlight
coming through a window) Finally, adjust the focus to achieve the sharpest picture.
Why am I telling you all this now, when the next significant solar eclipse
in the UK doesn’t occur until 2026? Well, I was going to suggest first that
you look out for a transit of Venus, in which the planet appears as a black
dot slowly crossing the face of the sun: I vividly remember using my binoculars for this in 2004. But I’ve just discovered that the next one visible
here isn’t until the year 2247, sorry!
From The Chairman …..
Here we are halfway through the year already, doesn't time fly !
Group members attended an Open Day recently at Bishop Auckland
Community Fire Station. It was the usual thing however in that we
were there with the Mobile Display Unit, kindly loaned to us once
again for the day by Sherwoods, but without very much interest from
the general public.
At the time of writing I can reveal that a few of us will be attending an
Open Day at R.A.F. Leeming at the invitation of the I.A.M. Northallerton Group on 6th. June. Fingers crossed for a better public response.
You've probably noticed that the price of fuel is on the up again at the
filling stations. It didn't stay down very long did it ? Typical, sorry for
ranting on but I think you know what I mean.
Our Group Committee has recently finalised the arrangements for
three of the Durham and Darlington Fire Service Driver Training
Team's Instructors, Bob, Wayne and Chris, to join our Group's team of
Observers, They qualify as I.A.M. members following accreditation by
one of the I.A.M. Staff Examiners. They will certainly become invaluable members of our team. I hope that the weather picks up soon ( its
wet and cool today, this day in May, as I compile this article ) but you
can blame me if it doesn't as our caravanning season has started !
Regards,
What about Mercury, then? Because its orbit is closer to the sun, normally it is a much more elusive planet in the sky: I have only ever seen it
twice, in morning and evening twilight (once each). However, transits of
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Brian
A PHYSICIST WRITES . . .
FUNNY CORNER
The Perfect Son.
A: I have the perfect son.
B: Does he smoke?
A: No, he doesn't.
B: Does he drink whiskey?
A: No, he doesn't.
B: Does he ever come home late?
A: No, he doesn't.
B: I guess you really do have the perfect son. How old is he?
A: He will be six months old next Wednesday.
Patient: Doctor, I have a pain in my eye whenever I drink tea.
Doctor: Take the spoon out of the mug before you drink.
Teacher: Why are you late?
Student: There was a man who lost a hundred dollar bill.
Teacher: That's nice. Were you helping him look for it?
Student: No. I was standing on it.
A: Why are all those people running?
B: They are running a race to get a cup.
A: Who will get the cup?
B: The person who wins.
A: Then why are all the others running?
On a crowded bus, one man noticed that another man had his eyes
closed.
"What's the matter? Are you sick?" he asked.
(April 2015)
Last month Mrs S and I experienced a couple of natural events, as you
might call them, on roads in North Hants (though they needn’t have happened to us there, particularly). On the first occasion I was driving from
Hartley Wintney towards Reading on the B3011, just after dark. I can see
now from the map that the road soon passes through Hazeley Heath,
which is partly woodland.
In the headlights I detected a couple of animals crossing, some way
ahead, and so I braked gently. Then suddenly they were all around us,
perhaps a dozen of them, streaking across the road as fast as we were
rolling along it, or so it seemed. As you will have guessed, they were
deer – and the large variety. I have no idea how we missed them all (or
vice versa). You could say that if I had braked harder, this would inevitably have put us on a collision course with one or more.
Certainly I didn’t remember spotting a red-triangle sign warning of deer,
either then or on previous journeys that way. But I wanted to check, so
back home I started to track the road in Google Street View... and there
was the sign, barely out of Hartley Wintney. Moral: even if you think you
notice every sign you pass, notice harder! I can only suppose that as I
had never (I think) seen deer on or near any road before, my brain had
given up registering the warning. But then, what could I have done in
these circumstances even if I had taken it in?
(I wonder if I risk becoming similarly blind to horse-and-rider red triangles, because when I encounter horses on the road, it’s rarely near a
sign. Probably the reason for this is that they tend to be placed at exits
from stables and bridle-paths, logically enough I suppose – whereas
you’re much more likely to see a horse somewhere else on its outing.)
"No, I'm okay. It's just that I hate to see old ladies standing."
Cont. on Pages 10 & 11
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Road works need not leave you worked up
This week’s driving tips from the Institute of Advanced Motorists' head of driving standards
Peter Rodger are looking at safe driving on the motorway during roadworks. With ongoing
repairs taking place this coming Bank Holiday Monday, here’s how you can make your motorway journey a safe one.
•
Check for road status and traffic updates before you travel. If you know of any roadworks that will affect your journey consider avoiding this route if you can – even if it means
covering a few more miles; it could well be faster. Current motorway roadwork information is
easily available on the internet.
•
Changing when you travel can help avoid queues as well – most people will be
trying to travel on Friday evening, so Saturday morning may well be much quieter and less
stressful.
•
Give yourself more time and make sure you have plenty of fuel in case roadworks
increase your journey time. Running out of fuel is one of the most common breakdowns on
the motorway and sitting in queues obviously uses fuel, so don’t risk running on a low tank.
•
The ‘roadworks ahead’ sign will give you instructions to follow particular safety
measures and a temporary maximum speed limit may be in place. The signs usually start
well before you reach the road works. Also be aware of road workers and works vehicles.
•
Look as far ahead as possible as one or two motorway lanes may be restricted and
marked off by cones. If it is safe to do so, or when lanes are not too congested, merge in
turn if vehicles are travelling at low speed.
•
Watch in your mirror, and if the traffic behind seems to be slow to react to what you
are doing as you approach a queue slow down earlier, so that they have more time to deal
with it.
IAM ANNUAL EVENING OUT
Our annual night out,
Tuesday August 11th. 7.30p.m.
At
George and Dragon, Heighington.
Will anyone wanting to go please inform
Brian or Doug
By
Friday July 24th.
•
If traffic is building up avoid switching lanes often – changing lanes increases your
chances of being involved in a collision, especially where there is little space between vehicles that are queued behind one another. Always check your mirror and blind spot when
changing lanes in a queue – motorcyclists may be filtering through between the lanes.
•
Take extra care when driving close to motorcyclists as they are vulnerable and may
need to avoid debris, potholes or grit caused by road works. Give them plenty of room, and
have a good gap between you and a bike in front of you.
•
In narrow lane sections expect HGVs and other large vehicles to straddle the lane
markings. They have no choice, so never force your way past.
•
Average speed cameras are now common in many long term road works and they
are very effective at smoothing traffic flow and protecting the workforce. Most drivers are
very compliant so be prepared to slow down throughout the works and take care when returning to the original speed limit.
Peter said: “With extra signage, temporary speed limits, narrow lanes and extra lighting it’s
easy to see that motorway road works can cause confusion and frustration. But keeping a
clear head, staying alert and planning ahead will ensure your journey goes like a breeze.
And enjoy your Bank Holiday break.”
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WARNING to drivers not aware of impending changes
to scrapping of driving licence counterpart in June
You will be expected to pay your fine in the normal way however.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is warning people to be aware of
the changes that will take effect in just over two weeks’ time as the paper
counterpart for the driving licence is scrapped.
Another change is how to provide proof of your driving record to an employer or car hire firm, as your photocard or paper licence will not be enough in
itself any more.
As was the case with the abolition of the paper tax disc last October, the
IAM fear many people are still confused or unaware of the implications of
the scrapping of the paper counterpart on 8 June.
You will need to access the DVLA’s Share Driving Licence service, which as
of Tuesday (19 May) is now up and running (reference 1 again).
The counterpart was introduced alongside the photo card driving licence in
1998 to include details that could not be included on the card itself, such as
any endorsements and which category of vehicles you are entitled to drive.
However this information will now be stored electronically and not be shown
on any written documentation you will have. These details can be only be
obtained via the DVLA driver record system, and be checked online
(reference 1) or in writing by post.
As of 8 June the paper counterpart, or an old-style paper driving licence
cannot be relied upon to carry correct or-up-to-date information about endorsements or categories of vehicle someone can drive.
The counterpart will carry no legal status, and the DVLA recommends you
destroy it after 8 June.
You will be expected to access the details yourself and print those off for
submission to a car hire firm or employer. Or you can call the DVLA and
give a third party permission to check your driving record verbally.
If you are hiring a vehicle, it is important to check with the car hire firm beforehand what information they need. Other than downloading the information as detailed above, you can also obtain a special code
from www.gov.uk which allows the hire firm access to your record for 72
hours to make the necessary checks. This applies to both holders of photocard and paper licences.
Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “People are not aware of
how many of the current procedures are changing. Similar to the abolition of
the tax disc, they assume much of what has happened before will continue.
“The onus is very much on the individual to obtain the information they need
beforehand. So we very much hope people will not be caught unawares,
especially if they don’t want a nasty surprise when arriving to collect their
car at the start of their holiday.”
What is also changing is the procedure if you have to surrender your driving
licence to a court in the event of an endorsement. The court will take your
photocard and if you include the paper counterpart with your submission,
the photocard will be returned to you but the counterpart will not.
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