Issue 44 June 2016.indd - Cirencester Advanced Motorists

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2016 Committee
Gordon Burley
Chairman & Senior Observer
01285 654315
[email protected]
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Frank Williams
Vice-Chairman
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[email protected]
David Mellor���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 01285 643883
Secretary
[email protected]
3, Fraziers Folly, Siddington, Cirencester GL7 6HR
Robert Lang����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 01285 650735
Treasurer
[email protected]
11, The Maples, Cirencester GL7 1TQ
Gareth Zimmerman����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������01453 750884 / 07711 702384
Membership Secretary
[email protected]
Safflower House, London Road, Stroud GL5 2AT
Frank Lucas����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 01666 824999
Associate Co-ordinator
[email protected]
Rod Hodges����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 01666 822535
Committee Member
Vince Harris������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 01285 652552
Webmaster
[email protected]
Kate Tucker������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 01453 843735
[email protected]
Main Contact
June 2016 | 3
Contents
Your Committee for 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Highway code - Vehicle Towing and loading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chairmans Report,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Meetings, Useful information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Treasurer’s report, Highway code - Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Observations on Driving in Southern Turkey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Highway code - Joining the motorway / Motorway facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Membership News, Highway code - Rules for motorcyclists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
A PHYSICIST WRITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13
Highway code - Motorcyclists and cyclists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Vehicle towing and loading
The Highway Code Rule 98
Vehicle towing and loading. As a driver
• you MUST NOT tow more than your licence permits. If you passed a car test
after 1 Jan 1997 you are restricted on the weight of trailer you can tow
• you MUST NOT overload your vehicle or trailer. You should not tow a weight
greater than that recommended by the manufacturer of your vehicle
• you MUST secure your load and it MUST NOT stick out dangerously. Make
sure any heavy or sharp objects and any animals are secured safely. If there is a
collision, they might hit someone inside the vehicle and cause serious injury
• you should properly distribute the weight in your caravan or trailer with heavy
items mainly over the axle(s) and ensure a downward load on the tow ball.
Manufacturer’s recommended weight and tow ball load should not be exceeded.
This should avoid the possibility of swerving or snaking and going out of control.
If this does happen, ease off the accelerator and reduce speed gently to regain
control
• carrying a load or pulling a trailer may require you to adjust the headlights.
In the event of a breakdown, be aware that towing a vehicle on a tow rope is
potentially dangerous. You should consider professional recovery.
4 | Volume 44
Chairman’s Report
The AGM has come and gone; thank you to all who attended and
proceedings ran like clockwork. So you are stuck with the same
committee again but hopefully we can keep the Group running
smoothly.
Numbers dropped to just under the 100 post AGM but just recently we
have had a little flurry of new members after a quiet spell. I think Kate
has been working overtime to encourage enquiries to join the Group.
The Gloucestershire PCC has again offered SfL funding for young drivers and we are in
the process of signing up for our first of this new financial year. Hopefully, we should
soon have news that our current young drivers have passed the test. If you know
of anybody in Gloucestershire who qualifies, under 26 years old, and is interested in
improving their driving skills, please let me know.
On the observer front, Lawrence has cracked on and qualified as a National Observer
(NO), so congratulations to him. He has also encouraged his recent associate Philip,
who passed with flying colours, to become an observer. I believe wheels are in motion
with Lawrence training Philip for NO qualification! Any of our other observers who have
yet to qualify at National level, should start to seriously consider getting the upgrade
because the IAM has now set a deadline for all observers to be Nationally qualified by
2018. We want to avoid a last minute rush.
The roll-out of the rebranding of IAM to IAM RoadSmart had the inevitable delay but
you should have all seen that in went live on 18 April. The new website should have
also gone live on the same day but this also took a further delay. However, it is now live,
albeit with a couple of omissions, so you should be able to log on: www.iamroadsmart.
com. Have a look and see what you think.
Another update in the process of release is the new IAM Standards package. Our NOs
will be introduced to the package in June when I will be away on holiday. Consequently,
it will be down to those attending the presentation to pass the word on to the rest of
us in short time. It sounds as if it should be very good, taking any ambiguity out of the
system (not The System), simplifying and clarifying what is expected of the associate
and also ensuring that all the observers are singing from the same song sheet! Any new
associate signing up to our Group after July will be enrolled under the new system.
I think that is about all for now, a period of significant change for the IAM but hopefully
for the better.
Safe motoring, Gordon Burley.
June 2016 | 5
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Notice will be given should any of these
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Refreshments of tea or coffee and
biscuits are provided and family, friends
and visitors are always welcome as
guests.
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centre of the village of Daglingworth, approximately
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Forthcoming Meetings
June 1 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Highway Code Obscure Items and Driving Licence Anomalies – Q&A Session
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July 6 @ 7:45 pm - 9:30 pm
‘The Blue Lamp’ My Life in the Met - Richard Dickinson’s talk covers his 25 years with the Met Police
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September 7 @ 7:45 pm - 9:30 pm
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Mobile Phone Forensics
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Useful Information
This Newsletter is published by the Committee of the Cirencester and District Group of
Advanced Motorists. The Group is an official provider for IAM RoadSmart.
The views and opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the Individual
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contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the Group Committee or the IAM.
Please note: Articles submitted for publication may be edited for content or length.
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Please send any contributions for publication, articles, letters or pictures to the Chairman,
Gordon Burley via email at: [email protected].
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Copy date for the Autumn issue is 14th August 2016
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with an anticipated delivery date of
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1st September 2016
ww.grcc.org.uk/village-hall-database/village-hall/daglingworth-village-hall
6 | Volume 44
Page 1
Treasurer’s Report
At the time of writing (4th May), the balances of the group’s deposit and current accounts
amount to £2,949.
Renewal of Subscriptions for 2016
78 members from 2015 have renewed their subscriptions for 2016; with 47 and 31 payments
being received by Standing Order and cheque/direct bank credit/cash respectively.
11 Concessions have been allowed for 2016; one being applicable to the joiner between
1st September 2015 and the year end – and 9 to those Skill for Life Associates who joined
earlier during 2015, and as at the year-end were expected to take the IAM Advanced
Driving Test during 2016. The remaining Concession is for our Honorary Member, Mr
Brian Watkins, a founder member of CADAM in 1980 and the long standing holder of
various group committee offices; Brian is currently a long standing Senior Observer with
Blackpool & Fylde Advanced Motorists (BAFAM).
31 members from 2015 did not renew their subscriptions for 2016, with resignations being
received from 4; the membership of the remaining 27, from whom no renewal payment
has been received, was deemed to have lapsed at the AGM in March.
Cheque Payments
Please make any cheques for the group payable to: CADAM
Robert Lang, Group Treasurer
Lighting
The Highway Code Rule 113
You MUST
• ensure all sidelights and rear registration
plate lights are lit between sunset and
sunrise
• use headlights at night, except on a
road which has lit street lighting. These
roads are generally restricted to a speed
limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise
specified
• use headlights when visibility is seriously
reduced(see Rule 226)
Night (the hours of darkness) is defined
as the period between half an hour after
sunset and half an hour before sunrise.
June 2016 | 7
8 | Volume 44
Observations
on Driving in
Southern Turkey
Having recently returned from a guided tour to
northern Cyprus and southern Turkey, with a week
at a resort, I thought members might be interested in
how the driving there compares to the UK.
Firstly, our coach drivers were top rate, as were their vehicles, very safe and
considerate.
We used the dolmuses, which apparently used to be rather dodgy, but which are now
clean, comfortable minibuses, where passengers pay as they leave! No tickets or any
real check as to where one boarded, but the Turks seemed to be very honest people.
The main roads were good, but there are also some gravel roads once one starts
venturing into the interior. One magnificent road suddenly petered out into gravel, but
continued to the town marked on the map.
Fortunately, a young fellow passenger on the coach had introduced us to Galileo,
a phone app that operates without the internet. This app helped us out of several
problems while driving a rental car, as the maps showed only the basic information.
The traffic lights have a system found in some other countries, where a light counts
down the number of seconds before that colour changes, but like all good systems,
it is open to abuse! When red, the count-down gets to about 4 or 5 seconds at which
time most traffic starts moving off.
Unfortunately, the green countdown is letting the other traffic know that there are
only 3-4 seconds before amber appears, so they will accelerate to get through before
the change! We agreed that it wasn’t mandatory to stop at a red light. Miraculously
we witnessed no crashes, as they also tend to look out for each other, and road rage
hardly exists!
However, while driving, I ensured that nobody was close behind when approaching
a green light with less than 10 seconds remaining, while also checking for the quick
getaways to left and right!
Gareth Zimmerman
June 2016 | 9
Joining the motorway
The Highway Code Rule 259
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it
from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should
• give priority to traffic already on the motorway
• check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic
flow in the left-hand lane
• not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
• stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
• remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before
considering overtaking.
Additional information about motorways
The Highway Code Rule 275
If your vehicle develops a problem, leave the motorway at the next exit or pull
into a service area. If you cannot do so, you should:
• pull on to the hard shoulder and stop as far to the left as possible, with your wheels
turned to the left
• try to stop near an emergency telephone (situated at approximately one-mile intervals
along the hard shoulder)
• leave the vehicle by the left-hand door and ensure your passengers do the same. You
MUST leave any animals in the vehicle or, in an emergency, keep them under proper
control on the verge. Never attempt to place a warning triangle on a motorway
• do not put yourself in danger by attempting even simple repairs
• ensure that passengers keep away from the carriageway and hard shoulder, and that
children are kept under control
• walk to an emergency telephone on your side of the carriageway (follow the arrows on
the posts at the back of the hard shoulder) – the telephone is free of charge and connects directly to an operator. Use these in preference to a mobile phone (see Rule 283).
Always face the traffic when you speak on the phone
• give full details to the operator; also inform them if you are a vulnerable motorist such
as disabled, older or travelling alone
• return and wait near your vehicle (well away from the carriageway and hard shoulder)
• if you feel at risk from another person, return to your vehicle by a left-hand door and
lock all doors. Leave your vehicle again as soon as you feel this danger has passed.
10 | Volume 44
Membership News
Current totals remain fairly steady, as the expected exit of a few members has been
counterbalanced by a few new associates.
We congratulate our newest 2 full members:
• William Argo, observed by Gordon Burley, passed on 7 February,
• Philip Parkinson, who was observer Lawrence Moss’s first candidate, passed on
29 March
We now have 71 full members, 7 associates, 5 group associates, 9 friends and 1
honorary, making a total of 93.
Gareth Zimmerman, Group Membership Secretary.
Rules for motorcyclists
The Highway Code Rule 85
You MUST NOT carry more than one pillion passenger who MUST sit astride the
machine on a proper seat. They should face forward with both feet on the footrests.
You MUST NOT carry a pillion passenger unless your motorcycle is designed to do so.
Provisional licence holders MUST NOT carry a pillion passenger.
June 2016 | 11
A Physicist writes . . .
Since 2010, apparently, opticians have been required to use – on behalf of the DVLA – a
specific model of vision-analyser for testing the eyesight of drivers who have been diagnosed
with such problems as glaucoma. But a few months ago, it was reported that this model
had been giving incorrect results, consistently recording eyesight as worse than it was. And
some 600 people had been identified as possibly having been wrongly told not to drive.
Of these 600, it seems that 180 had (at the time of the reports) applied to be retested, and
that the pass rate was about 80%! But that’s just the ‘good’ news. About 190 replied to
the DVLA not wanting to reapply for the licence, and 230 did not even respond. All these
people must have been put to great inconvenience, in having to sell their cars and find
alternative means of transport. And how many of them cannot now face the cost and stress
of reapplying and then (with luck) resuming driving? Yet the chances of anyone getting
compensated for the error seem slim.
It all came to light after the DVLA had signed an exclusive contract with Specsavers to
do this critical eye-testing: their accumulated data from many branches soon revealed the
problem. But again, that’s just the good news. The drawback is that not everyone is within
easy reach of a branch! For example, in Scotland, there’s at least one town where residents
could previously have taken the test at a local optician if required, but must now make
something like a eight-hour round trip to the nearest Specsavers. And all so that the DVLA
can save a little money in administering the tests...
Last July I said that my GP had offered me statins to lower my cholesterol level. It was 5.7,
and I don’t know if the figure had actually been rising, or if it was static and the ‘goalpost’
had been falling (with age), but I was now in the high-risk category. I volunteered instead to
improve my diet and take more exercise. The GP looked dubious, but said: OK, let’s give it
three months, and see.
So I reduced my intake of ‘fatty’ things by around half (giving up only chips totally, not that
I ate them often anyway), and set out to walk a couple of miles briskly every day – well,
nearly every day. I measured my speed to be 4+ mph, if that gives you an indication of
the briskness. And at the end of the three months, not only had I lost most of the weight I
recently put on (around the tum) but also my cholesterol reading was down to 4.6!
Not another word from my GP about statins, either. The beauty of it is that if I want to indulge
in some naughty foodstuff, or else if I’m feeling lazy, I can tell myself that it’s probably the
other factor that is doing me good, really. And there’s also leeway for me to ‘improve’ a little
further under both headings later, if necessary.
I must say that the feeling of being extra walking-fit, at my age, is most satisfying. (It also
means that when Mrs S and I are out walking together, we must clasp hands even more
tightly, otherwise our different natural walking speeds would cause us to part company
rapidly indeed.) But why not, you might ask, try cycling or jogging to raise my fitness further?
Well, on a bike I think I would have to exceed the 30 mph limit, in order to exert myself even
as much as when I walk – and also I would be free-wheeling for half the time, probably. As for
jogging, I doubt if I could keep going for long enough to do any good! Anyway, I hope all this
has been some encouragement to any readers who find themselves in a similar situation.
12 | Volume 44
In January, my VW Golf (2010 vintage, 43K on the clock) passed its MOT as usual, but with
a warning note: rust on the front discs was causing the pads to develop grooves, and both
the pads and the discs would need to be replaced soon. But why was this not happening
at the rear ones? And isn’t it mainly the result of my driving style, thinking ahead so as to
minimize use of the brakes? It seems to me that the fuel I’ve been saving by doing so will be
far outweighed by the cost of having the new brake components fitted...
Finally, news from New Zealand (and no, it didn’t arrive on April 1st): visitors to this country
can now take a test on a driving simulator. It includes such hazards as bright sunlight and
cows wandering across the road. If you accept the test, and then pass it, you will be able to
hire your car at a discounted rate.
It’s all in response to a spate of accidents caused by foreigners, many of whom apparently
are tourists from China who are accustomed to driving on the right in LHD cars. To us Brits,
however, the vehicles and the rules of the road should seem familiar enough, down under:
even the strange rule that you must give way when turning left has been reversed!
Peter Soul
Motorcyclists and cyclists
The Highway Code Rule 211
It is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are coming
up from behind, coming out of junctions, at roundabouts, overtaking you or filtering
through traffic. Always look out for them before you emerge from a junction; they could
be approaching faster than you think. When turning right across a line of slow-moving
or stationary traffic, look out for cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic you
are crossing. Be especially careful when turning, and when changing direction or lane.
Be sure to check mirrors and blind spots carefully.
June 2016 | 13
Quiz
FIRST QUESTION: YOU ARE A PARTICIPANT IN A RACE. YOU OVERTAKE THE SECOND
PERSON. WHAT POSITION ARE YOU IN?
ANSWER: IF YOU ANSWERED THAT YOU ARE FIRST, THEN YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY
WRONG! IF YOU OVERTAKE THE SECOND PERSON AND YOU TAKE HIS PLACE, YOU
ARE IN SECOND PLACE!
TRY TO DO BETTER NEXT TIME.
NOW ANSWER THE SECOND QUESTION,
BUT DON’T TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU TOOK FOR THE FIRST QUESTION, OK?
SECOND QUESTION: IF YOU OVERTAKE THE LAST PERSON, THEN YOU ARE....?
ANSWER: IF YOU ANSWERED THAT YOU ARE SECOND TO LAST, THEN YOU ARE.....
WRONG AGAIN. TELL ME SUNSHINE, HOW CAN YOU OVERTAKE THE LAST PERSON??
YOU’RE NOT VERY GOOD AT THIS, ARE YOU?
THIRD QUESTION: VERY TRICKY ARITHMETIC! NOTE: THIS MUST BE DONE IN YOUR
HEAD ONLY. DO NOT USE PAPER AND PENCIL OR A CALCULATOR. TRY IT.
TAKE 1000 AND ADD 40 TO IT. NOW ADD ANOTHER 1000 NOW ADD 30.
ADD ANOTHER 1000. NOW ADD 20 .. NOW ADD ANOTHER 1000.
NOW ADD 10. WHAT IS THE TOTAL?
DID YOU GET 5000?
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS ACTUALLY 4100 ...
IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IT, CHECK IT WITH A CALCULATOR!
TODAY IS DEFINITELY NOT YOUR DAY, IS IT?
MAYBE YOU’LL GET THE LAST QUESTION RIGHT.... MAYBE...
FOURTH QUESTION: MARY’S FATHER HAS FIVE DAUGHTERS:
1. NANA, 2. NENE, 3. NINI, 4.. NONO, AND ??? WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE FIFTH
DAUGHTER?
DID YOU ANSWER NUNU?
NO! OF COURSE IT ISN’T.
HER NAME IS MARY! READ THE QUESTION AGAIN!
OKAY, NOW THE BONUS ROUND, I.E., A FINAL CHANCE TO REDEEM YOURSELF:
A MUTE PERSON GOES INTO A SHOP AND WANTS TO BUY A TOOTHBRUSH. BY
IMITATING THE ACTION OF BRUSHING HIS TEETH HE SUCCESSFULLY EXPRESSES
HIMSELF TO THE SHOPKEEPER AND THE PURCHASE IS DONE.
NEXT, A BLIND MAN COMES INTO THE SHOP WHO WANTS TO BUY A PAIR OF
SUNGLASSES; HOW DOES HE INDICATE WHAT HE WANTS? IT’S REALLY VERY SIMPLE
HE OPENS HIS MOUTH AND ASKS FOR IT...
14 | Volume 44