Even F1 Drivers Can Be Distracted

 

IAM RoadSmart has taken the wraps off its latest video advising of the consequences of drivers getting distracted behind the wheel of a car.

The light hearted video stars former McLaren Formula 1 test driver and current Aston Martin GT racer Darren Turner, and shows him at the wheel of a racing simulator trying not to get distracted by a small child, a dog and a ringing mobile phone as he tackles a challenging race circuit.

IAM RoadSmart's video highlights an issue which is proving to be an increasing problem.

The new video aims to highlight a serious issue but present it in an amusing way, showing that even a professional racing driver could lose concentration and potentially have a crash.

Darren said: "I thought it would be easy to ignore a child or a barking dog, and easily be able to take a phone call and keep driving safely. But this isn't the case. Losing concentration for even two seconds could lead to pretty serious consequences."

If a professional driver can have their attention diverted, anyone can.

Figures from the Department for Transport in 2013 found 2,995 cases where distraction in the vehicle was listed as a contributory factor to accidents.

The most recent Department of Transport study shows 1.6% of  drivers in England and Scotland were observed using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving.

IAM RoadSmart surveyed 1,500 drivers with one in ten admitting to causing a crash because they were distracted.

The survey found the most common distractions were:

• Children in the car
• Changing the radio channel
• Back seat drivers
• Mobile phone use
• Satellite-navigation system
• Attractive pedestrians, drivers or passengers 

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, added: "No matter how good a driver you are, it is very easy to have your focus shifted away from the job in hand.

"We all have things on our mind, places to go and things to do. ­ It's only human. But it is so important to realise driving is a full-time task and not one to be combined with other things. 

Multi-tasking is expected in many walks of life, but it simply doesn¹t apply on the road ­ no one can do two things at once if one of them is driving.

Book an Advanced Driving Course with a discount and chance to win simulator time at Base Performance Simulators.

To book an Advanced Driving Course, normally £149, with the 10% discount call 0300 303 1134 quoting reference RACE10.

The 10% discount applies to IAM RoadSmart's Advanced Driver Course only booked by 31 August by phone.

All those booking on this course during this period will be entered into a free prize draw to win one hour of simulator time for themselves and a guest at Base Performance Simulators in Banbury. Date of session is subject to availability.

IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK¹s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart¹s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com

The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank IAM RoadSmart for this week's guest blog and encourage motorists to find out more about the Advanced Driver Course.

Good Garage Scheme Poll Matches Results

With just under half a million visitors to its website each year, the Good Garage Scheme periodically asks visitors their views and opinions on a variety of topics in our seasonal polls.

During the past few weeks in the run up to the EU Referendum, we asked visitors to tell us if they were "for" or "against" staying in the EU.

The Good Garage Scheme poll revealed the same outcome for today's referendum results with 65% who took part voting for a Brexit and 35% voting to remain.

We thank those who took part in our survey and now we will all wait to see what happens next.

Take part in our polls by visiting GoodGarageScheme.com and find a garage you can trust.

Driving to France for Euro 2016?

If you are driving to France over the next few weeks to see some live football matches at Euro 2016,
here are some handy tips from the the Good Garage Scheme:

What you'll need

All drivers, including motorcyclists, must carry a warning triangle, hi-visibility jacket and a breathalyser with them. According to French law,  you must be able to produce an unused and certified breathalyser (showing an ‘NF’ number) and it is recommended that you carry two in case one is damaged.

Seat belts and child passengers          

Seat belts must be worn if available and children under ten must travel in a car seat and not in the front passenger seat unless there are no rear seat belts, or the if the back seats are already occupied by other children under ten.
It’s the driver’s responsibility to ensure that all passengers under 18 are properly restrained.

Watch your speed

Speed limits are indicated by road signs, in kilometres per hour. These are usually 50km/h (31mph) in built-up areas, 90km/h (55mph) outside built-up areas, 110km/h (68mph) on urban motorways and dual carriages, and 130km/h (80mph) on regular motorways. During poor weather, these limits will change, so be aware of the conditions before you set off.

Before you go

Make sure your vehicle is in good condition before you set off.
Visit your nearest Good Garage Scheme member garage for a Holiday Check to ensure you arrive safely and in time for the match.

Bon voyage!

SKY TV Advertises the Good Garage Scheme

The Good Garage Scheme’s national television advertising campaign began this week with a fantastic line-up of programmes, including the popular Game of Thrones.

The message to motorists showing how easy it is to find a trustworthy garage and read reviews from previous customers will be broadcast across a range of Sky channels during the week.

If you have not seen our TV advert, please click here.

It's like having a friend in the know!

Ladies Night a Succes at Field's Car Centre

Good Garage Scheme member garage, Field's Car Centre in Woking, Surrey held a successful Ladies Night at the garage in May and  great time was had by all.

photos courtesy of Fields Car Centre in Woking, Surrey

So what happens at a Fields Car Centre Ladies night?

The evenings are designed to encourage ladies to come into the workshop environment and learn, in an informal atmosphere, about their car, but the aim is to have a bit of fun while the learning goes on.

The ladies are split into groups and they rotate around several work stations manned by the garage's ‘Friendly team of technicians and mechanics’.

Attendees learn to do for some things for themselves, like checking levels and changing bulbs.  changing a wheel and also learn about warning lights, the underside of the car and what’s involved in an MOT inspection.

There is an “Ask any question you like” policy and some great questions come up.

The willingness and dedication of the team make the evening a success. They give of their time and enthusiasm and the ladies were appreciative of how the guys patiently demonstrated, answered questions and tried to explain things simply and clearly.

By holding these evenings  Fields are trying to break down the ‘man’s world’ image of the garage.  A huge proportion of current customers are ladies. In fact we probably see more woman bringing their cars in or the ‘family's’ car, than we do men!

However, a garage is seen as a male dominated world where ladies tell us they often feel patronised and spoken down to.

These are some of the feedback comments our lovely ladies had to say...

"Brill evening - really useful! Relaxed atmosphere, gave plenty of encouragement to ask questions, will recommend others"


"Very fun evening! I know a lot more and feel more comfortable now, the atmosphere was great - just the right length."


"All the staff were friendly and extremely patient in answering all our questions. I would definitely recommend any lady to come"


"Wow what a fabulous evening! I had no idea what to expect but it exceeded all expectations. A friendly bunch and I learnt so much, thank you!"


"Brilliant, brilliant evening. Thank you guys for a very informative, fun evening. Very helpful for new drivers like me. Kudos to you guys for coming up with the idea. Highly recommend it to every new driver, will see you soon!"

Fame for Richard Field...

Richard Field had a call, out of the blue a couple of weeks ago from BBC RADIO SURREY.
  
Richard said, "I received a phone call from BBC Radio Surrey's Breakfast Show a couple of weeks ago asking if I would I come into their studio and tell their breakfast listeners about the Ladies Night we are running at Field's Car Centre.  
Apparently their Saturday cleaner had seen one of our flyers and gave it to the producer who thought it was a brilliant idea and why hadn't other garages thought of it?"
  
So it was an early start to Guildford BBC for Richard where he had to demonstrate to the breakfast host, Suzanne Bamborough, how to change a light bulb.  This was filmed as well as broadcast. Click here to see Richard in action.


With thanks to Mike Field of Field Car Centre for sending the Good Garage Scheme this update.
The next  Ladies Night is planned for July 7th from  6:30 - 8:30 pm.
Limited space available, so please book a place now if you are in the Woking area.
Bring a friend, come as a group or on your own. Either way you will be made very welcome. 
And it’s free!

To book a place please contact lynne@fieldscarcantre.co.uk

Hayfever? Some Advice for Drivers from IAM RoadSmart

A runny nose, headache and constant sneezing – these are just a few of the symptoms hay fever sufferers deal with during the summer. These symptoms can affect motorists in a number of ways.

Here’s some advice from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman, about what you can do to better cope with it before taking to the road.

• Try to minimise the effects by ensuring your car is clean and dust free and that you operate the air conditioning or ventilation to your advantage, making use of air recirculation where possible.

• For anyone who hasn’t been diagnosed with hay fever and is feeling under the weather, avoid driving or riding and arrange to see your GP as soon as possible. What you might think is just a slight cold can become a major distraction – so get it checked before it gets worse.

• While over-the-counter medicines will help with a runny nose and sneezing symptoms, a lot of these tend to contain codeine, which can blur vision and make you feel drowsy – check with your GP what the best course of action is.

• Your GP may advise you to take anti-histamines to control the symptoms, but make sure you take the non-drowsy ones. If you’re unsure, read the leaflet or speak to your pharmacy for more advice.

• If you need to get somewhere but don’t feel well enough to drive or ride, then see if someone you know can take you and drop you back. Whatever you do don’t take yourself - you may just end up sneezing and travelling up to 50ft with your eyes closed and losing control of your vehicle!


Richard said: “If you are stopped by the police after taking a hay fever remedy and driving whilst impaired you could find yourself falling foul of drug driving regulations.

“Be sure to check the medication thoroughly and see if it is suitable. But most importantly, concentrate on your route to recovery so you can get back onto the road sooner rather than later.” 




For more information, please check the link on the GOV website.

The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank IAM Roadsmart for this useful information.
Visit IAM Roadsmart website for more advice.

Musty smell from your Air Conditioning?

The warm weather has finally started to make an entrance and this has had many of us turning on the car’s air conditioning unit for the first time this season. Have you noticed a musty smell or worry that it might not be blowing clean air into the cabin of your vehicle?

The Good Garage Scheme, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, recommends that air conditioning systems are checked, especially if they have been inactive over the winter. It has been proven that harmful mould and bacteria can grow in the ducts while the system remains unused over many months. Drivers can be blissfully unaware of the dangers it can pose when switched back on.

Breathe easy with the Good Garage Scheme 

There is good news for motorists looking for a garage to check their car’s air conditioning. Simply visit your nearest Good Garage Scheme member garage and ask them to sterilise and deodorise your car’s air conditioner. It is a simple way to ensure you and your passengers are breathing healthy air.

Now widely accepted as a mark of quality for independent garages across the UK, Good Garage Scheme member garages are recognised as providing exceptional service to their customers based on a rigorously monitored mandatory Code of Conduct.

Find your nearest member garage using the easy-to-use search facility on the Good Garage Scheme website www.GoodGarageScheme.com.

The Good Garage Scheme – it’s like having a friend in the know.