Forward Vision #91

The Newsletter of Chelmsford Advanced Motorists

www.iamchelmsford.org.uk Issue 91 December 2011 & January 2012 IAM Group 7223 Registered Charity No 1059372

Page 2 Chelmsford Advanced Motorists Issue 91

These days are a fantastic opportunity to test your car and yourself in an

interesting and safer environment.

Members and Associates can use these days to become more familiar with their own

cars and develop skills that can be best tried out in safety and away from other

vehicles, on a test track.

You could always try doing a Figure of Eight in Sainsbury’s car park or demonstrating

the amazing potential of ABS in Chelmsford High Street – but, from our experience it

just gets a bit messy!

Over the years friends of the group have managed to procure a number of Interesting vehicles for the participants to try if they wish. You don’t have to, but in our experience, few refuse.

Above all it’s fun and cheap!

Don’t be nervous-come and give it a try. You will learn more about your vehicle and yourself than is possible on the road.

So far we have raised £2,578 for the Essex Air Ambulance at these days.

Let us know if you would like to attend one of our days next year.

Graham Lowe & Terry Joyce


Associates, Full Members & Guests Welcome

Forthcoming Group Meetings These are usually held on the 2nd Monday of each month

at the Essex Police Sports and Social Club, Which is through the Police vehicle park at the very end of St. Margarets Road,

Chelmsford.

Group Meetings start promptly at 8pm, so please arrive at around 7.45pm.

Make a note in your diary and please be there!

http://www.essexexplorer.co.uk/cam.kmz

Date Topic Speaker

Monday January 9th

Forensic Collision Investigation Unit Sgt Richard Raker

Essex Police

Monday February 13th

J D Classics Car Restoration Richard Graylen

Disclaimer—Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the individual writers and they do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, nor those of the Chelmsford and District Group of Advanced Motorists. Their accuracy has not been verified.

Notice—Data Protection Act: records are held of members personal details submitted on their application form. The information will be used solely for the Group’s administration purposes and will not be passed to any third party.


From the Chairman

Graham

It seems we are coming to the end of one of the warmest autumns on record and certainly one of the driest. Those of you moving about the county will have seen the matrix boxes on major routes asking “Is your car ready for winter”? So are we in for a bit if a thermal shock I wonder? I, like most of you, have no idea of the severity of the coming winter weather but have you seen the Goodyear tyre advert on the box for “Snow Tyres”? I can’t remember seeing ads like that in previous autumn / winters. I have also seen adverts for “Snow Slippers” for the cars’ tyres, they sound like fun. Can you imagine: the TV weather person warns of heavy snow overnight, so you leave the slippers by the fire or boiler overnight, then in the morning you grab the nice warm slippers go outside, jack the car up, pop the slippers on – job done, off you go! However, all this has left me wondering if some products manufacturers actually do know more than there’re letting on. Me, I’m just going to look out of the window.

In the recent past the Group has had difficulties with getting speakers for our Group nights. I think we have now sorted the problem and this issue contains a programme of Group night “entertainment” that should interest most. Additionally, we will be trying something new and organising a couple of visits to places of interest during the New Year. This will mean driving in Essex, so not huge mileages, and at the weekend. The theme of the visits will be cars and motoring and may well be arranged exclusively for the group, so the great unwashed (public) won’t be getting under our feet. Rather than trying to juggle publishing dates with proposed visits we intend to use our email facility as well as Forward Vision to inform members, in good time, of any outings we have planned, so please make sure we have your correct email address.

Now, a quick warning about automatics…not gearboxes, as you may have thought, but vehicle light switches. A while ago in November we had some very dense fog during daylight hours. I mean dense enough for rear fog lights. However, as the fog lifted, and the need for rear fog lights reduced, I started to see vehicles without their headlights on at all, although visibility was still very poor. Why? Well, the reason might be that so many vehicles now have automatic light switches and the “light value” required to switch on headlights at night (I think it’s measured in “Lumens” but I could be wrong) is lower that the light value on a foggy day when, although the light value is (relatively) high, visibility is poor. So, if you do have this automatic switch facility and it’s foggy, be prepared - you may need to go “old-fashioned” and switch the lights on yourself.

Finally, may I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year. You are under strict instruction to eat as much as you can, drink as much as you can and spend more than you should……just drive as well and as safely as you can!

don’t forget, alcohol should be in the radiator….not the driver!!


Please remember: Do telephone both your Observer and Scott Bannister ( Associates Co-ordinator ) immediately after your test.

Congratulations to these latest Members of our Group

who have Passed

‘The Test’.

To all those people who have passed their test: It would be appreciated if you could write a few words thanking your Observer and maybe something about the process and your test, to give those New Associates an insight into the process of learning Advanced Driving.

Roll No Name Test Date Observer

952 David Jones 1st October Tony Hawes

953 Louise Simpkins 8th October Scott Bannister

954 Judith Whicker 11th November Janet Miller

955 Roger Went 11th November John Ockmore


to our new Associate and Full Members.

We look forward to seeing and talking to them at our monthly Group nights

We are a friendly bunch, so don’t be worried about coming to our Group nights if you are on your own.

Make yourself known to John who will greet you at the desk, he will find one of us to come and talk to you. John will also try to get you to part with some money for the raffle.

There will be Senior Observers, Observers and generally an Examiner at the evening and you will be able to get answers to any questions that you have.

Please come along, we’ll even give you tea or coffee and there is a bar - for light refreshments obviously!

Terry Joyce

Group Nights November Meeting Peter Hyam, a Ford Motor Company Security Engineer, gave an interesting talk on car security including anecdotes about liaisons he has had with the Essex Police on various security related matters. Peter also told us about the Ford MyKey system which will be introduced into the UK in 2012. I wrote a short article about it last issue. There were lots of questions from the members which Peter answered. Terry Joyce

Neal Rayner Shenfield Scott Dear Hatfield Peverel

Patricia Joyce Chelmsford Glen Smith Halstead

James Griffin Ford End Edward Keeble Brentwood

Susan Carrington Chelmsford Betty Cracknell Chelmsford

Micheline Blumsom Epping Michael Line Billericay


Please contact me

by email at

[email protected]

~~~~~~~~ Editorial ~~~~~~~~

Terry Joyce

Hello,

You will have noticed the changes to the

cover of the newsletter (Paper version).

We have wanted to have colour pages for

some time and the decision was made at

a recent Committee meeting to give it a try

for a period, even though the cost is fairly

high. We are hoping to tempt advertisers

to pay for some of the additional cost.

I have just had two winter tyres fitted to the front of my Wife’s car as a trial.

The recommendation is to fit four but I felt having two on the driving wheels

will improve the performance significantly. I’ll shall let you know

how we get on with them.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Safe Christmas

Many thanks to Sue Sweetland for her patient and educated assistance in

producing this Newsletter.


Tyre labeling

A major step forward for the consumer?

REGULATION (EC) No 1222/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL requires that all tyres produced after June 2012 and on sale in the EU

from November 2012 will either need to bear a sticker or be accompanied by a label to be displayed at the point of sale.

An example of the new EU Tyre Label can be seen to the left. This is similar to labelling already in wide use for household goods such as washing machines and dishwashers.

More information about the new tyre labelling regulations as well as a list of FAQs is available from the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers' Association (ETRMA).

The scope includes tyres for cars, light commercial vehicles and heavy trucks.

This standardized tyre label will provide information on 3 specific tyre performances: wet grip performance, fuel efficiency, and exterior rolling noise. Wet Grip

The most important role of a tyre is to provide safety - in all conditions. Wet adherence or grip is one of the most important performance characteristics.

However, higher adherence and lower rolling resistance are often contradictory objectives that have traditionally required a performance trade-off. Thanks to the new labelling regulation, customers will be able to see and choose for themselves their preferred performances.

The label will display a range of 7 grades where tyres with an “A” provide the highest levels of wet grip and “G” the lowest, although G will not be used for this safety oriented performance.

The difference in wet braking distance between a car fitted with A and F class tyres is over 10 metres. Equivalent to twice the length of a car.

Continued on page 9


Tyre labeling continued

Fuel Efficiency

One of the forces influencing the fuel efficiency of a motorised vehicle is the Rolling Resistance of the tyres.

This phenomenon exists because a tyre deforms when rotating, resulting in energy losses in the form of heat. The higher the deformation, the higher the tyre rolling resistance, and consequently the more fuel required to move the vehicle forward. In other words, lower rolling resistance means lower fuel consumption and therefore lower vehicle emissions, including CO

2.

The new label will display different grades in “rolling resistance” where A is the most “fuel efficient” and G the worst in class. The black arrow (in this case B) next to the grading indicates the performance level of the product.

Exterior Noise

Traffic noise is a relevant environmental issue, determined by: • Traffic intensity and vehicle types • Driving style • Tyre-Road interaction

Exterior noise levels are split into 3 categories and measured in decibels (dB) in comparison with the new European tyre exterior noise levels to be introduced until 2016.

The regulation aims at increasing the safety and the economic and environmental efficiency of road transport by promoting safe and fuel-efficient tyres with low noise levels. It also establishes a framework for the provision of harmonised information across the industry on some tyre parameters.

Information will be available for customers through technical promotional material, including the websites of the manufacturers. Some tyres are excluded, such as re-treaded tyres, off-road tyres and racing tyres.

The expected cumulative benefits from the increased use of fuel efficient tyres will lead to saving up to 4 million tonnes of CO2 per year (depending on the speed of market transformation towards fuel efficient tyres) , and will also drive the market towards improved wet grip performance.

From Bridgestone edited by Terry Joyce


IAM Skills Day

Hi Terry, I had such a fantastic day at Silverstone Stowe Circuit back in

October and perhaps you might include it in the magazine to give the

course some more exposure?

I've been longing to put the M3 on the track and making use of its

performance but have been put off by reports of badly run track days and

concerned about some 'idiot' crashing into my car. So when the IAM

announced they were putting on a skills day at Silverstone Stowe Circuit in

October, I put my name down.

The IAM skills day are open to members and non-IAM members (pay

more) and are offered at a number of circuits around the UK.

I recall paying about £150 for it and went today. Fortunately, the sun came

out.

There was the usual driver briefing at 8:30 with the driving scheduled from

9-12:30. There was one instructor per two drivers which meant that an

instructor was always with you on the track. Whilst on track, the other

driver would take a rest along with the car, to cool the brakes etc. There

are no timings and you

are expected to drive at

80% capacity to be able

to learn, progress and

have a safety margin.

Teamwork (overtaking /

being overtaken) was also

emphasized.

I went out on track 5 times

for about 8-10 laps a time-

I was a little tired at the

end after the adrenalin

wore off. During each drive the instructor would give feedback and

encouragement and then a fuller debrief in the pits.

Continued on Page 11

The car under full braking activating the ABS (from 110mph

down 55mph) and notice there is only minor pitch to the

car.


IAM Skill Day continued

I was amazed at how well the M3 coped. Despite two very hard braking

areas per lap (each one activating the ABS) the brakes remained strong. I

quickly discovered (especially at the start when some parts of the circuit

were still damp) that having the softest throttle map was the fastest way to

lap as it made the car smoother to drive.

It was great to get a feeling of how much weight transfer affects the

handling and grip of a car and how important it was to be smooth, and

progressive with the throttle, the steering lock, with the brakes and clutch. I

have to admit in my first session I tried to go too fast too soon and was not

particularly smooth. After the 3rd session, it was all coming together; I had

got the progressive braking (in a straight line) and the SYSTEM of braking,

gears, steering and throttle in order was becoming natural. And despite

going faster, it felt as if I had much more time to complete each phase. I

still made the odd cock-up though like applying steering lock whilst still on

the brakes! At circuit speed this can lead to a spin, as can changing down

whilst turning into a corner.

The M3 was brilliant, the feedback through the steering wheel and the

driver's seat was superb. I was steering the car on the throttle and

managing 4 wheel slides. Oversteer was easy to control and felt very

natural. The Limited Slip Differential provided so much drive out of turns,

coupled with the power that it made overtaking very easy. The

spontaneous power delivery also made the car very easy to control and it

was brilliant fun. It's given me a real appetite to do more skill days.

The day was very well run and so professional, I can't praise the IAM

enough. Everybody behaved well and there were no spins, crashes or

arguments.

Stowe Circuit is a great little circuit and the facilities are excellent. If anyone is thinking about improving their driving skills and wanting to understand how their car behaves a speed in a safe, controlled and well run environment, then I thoroughly recommend the IAM skills day. Days can be booked via their website.

Regards

Anthony Shilson


A Life of driving In 1956, when the IAM was formed, I began my driving career.

My experience began in an old Ford van on a farm near Rugby. I was hooked and I

plagued my father to teach me to drive his Standard 10. After a few weeks I decided

that driving was what I wanted to do. I gave up my job as a bookbinder and I joined

the Womens Royal Army Corps – I would have preferred to join the RAF but I was

told there was less chance of driving permanently whilst being in that arm.

There were 17 of us on our intake and after five weeks basic training at Guildford,

were sent to Yeovil on a 13 week driver training course, which included written exams

and learning every system of the vehicles. At the end of this course only 4 of us

passed our finals. After my posting I became an N.C.O. Section Leader, in charge of 6

girls and their vehicles. I had a super sparkling Land Rover – the best in the

Company! You could eat off the engine.

Unfortunately the Suez crisis loomed and we had to drive our Land Rovers in convoy

to Colchester and exchange them for 'Champs'. These had been on manoeuvres in

Minden, Germany and were in a dreadful condition. As the exchange took place at

midnight we didn't realise just how bad they were – until daylight and we were on our

way back to camp. We all got a shock. Our Land Rovers were gone, sprayed sand

coloured and we never saw them again.

I drove 5 ton trucks and staff cars and all the top brass, including my husband's (he

was my fiancé way back then) Colonel. The Colonel spent the whole of a journey from

camp to Dover giving me reasons why Colin should take a commission and stay in

the army hoping I would be able to persuade him – no chance.

One of the most memorable days in the army was the day I drove the R.S.M.

leading a convoy of about 12 Bedford trucks and a scout Land Rover to the

Pirbright Ranges in Surrey, for manoeuvres. Upon arrival there, the scout Land Rover

went off 'scouting' and didn't return. It began to rain heavily and the R.S.M. sent me

off to find the rogue Land Rover. I found it stuck in the middle of a quarry. After hook-

ing up the tow rope and pulling it out, I set off up a 1:5 hill and during the climb my

windscreen motor packed up! I had to turn it by hand and steer with the other one as I

towed up this steep hill. Upon reaching the convoy, the R.S.M. said that since the

scout vehicle was now defunct I would have to 'scout' covering the course the trucks

were waiting to manoeuvre over. Continued on page 13


Ron Adams

Scott Bannister

Pat Clements

Philip Cooper

Paul Crosby

Jamie Drummond

Max Ford

Tony Hawes

Helen Jeffries

Terry Joyce

Rob Laird

George Locker

Graham Lowe

Gaynor Manthorpe

John May

Janet Miller

Dr Clifford Murira

John Ockmore

Roger Spall

Lawrence Tattersall

John Tullett

David Wall

Brian Williams

Rob Wise

Our Observers

Continued from page 12

The idea was that if the Land Rover couldn't do it, there was no way the trucks would

be able to. It was tremendous fun, even though at times I thought my bonnet was

going over the roof in a flip over and the ruts of thick oozing mud challenged me to

stick fast. However I beat the elements and reached the end of the course to the

cheers of the men! There were many such days of driving endurance tests and I

enjoyed them all.

After 3 years in the forces, I was demobbed and I became an ambulance driver in

Coventry, my home town. I then married and came south again and got a job as a

chauffeuse to a peer of the realm in London. He was an architect and a member of

the Fine Arts Council. From time to time I drove some of its prominent members, in-

cluding Sir John Betjeman, Sir Henry Moore, Sir Basil Spence and Dame Peggy

Ashcroft, to name but a few. It was during my employment with His Lordship that I

took my Advanced Driving Test, in his Mercedes 220Se – that was at Hendon. Then I

did a high performance course at Brands Hatch using the same car.

I gave up the job in order to start a family and didn't own my own car until I was 34,

yet I hadn't stopped driving since 1956! I reckon I had earned it.

Jan Ovendon (Ex Observer)


Spatial Awareness

After we held the manoeuvres in the car park at our July group meeting I thought that we all need to improve these skills. It is an area that doesn't get much attention in our day-to-day driving.

Personally, the only manoeuvres that I carry out on a regular basis are to reverse into a parking space and the occasional turn around in the road.

We need to spend a little time gaining spatial awareness in and around our cars. Roadcraft mentions situational awareness in relation to what is happening as you drive. The gathering, interpreting and using of any relevant information to make sense of what is going on around you and what is likely to happen next, mean that you can make intelligent decisions and stay in control. Therefore if we can improve our spatial awareness, it should help our situational awareness in tighter situations.

Spatial awareness is an organized awareness of the objects in the space around us, and also an awareness of our body’s position in that space

Situational awareness is using all your senses to build up an accurate mental picture of your environment.

As with other aspects of our driving, manoeuvring is largely a mental task. It obviously would not work without the physical part but being aware of the dimensions of our cars improves the chance of getting it right.

From the Driver Experience Days it has become clear by the number of cones that get moved during the slalom (steering) section that not everybody is aware where their back wheels are in relation to the track of the front wheels.

To make us more spatially aware we need to take a little time to have a look at our car and estimate dimensions and the position of our wheels.

Take the front wheel in the picture, initially put your hand on the centre of the top of the tyre to see how wide it is. Then place your hand on the bodywork above, in relation to the wheel and see what the inside of the tyre lines up with.

On this car it is somewhere near to the edge line of the bonnet. Then sit back in the car and look at that point.

This will give you an awareness of where the inside of the centre of the wheel is, in relation to where you are sitting.

Continued on page 15


Spatial Awareness continued

Then think how wide the wheel was and you will have a better mental picture of where the outside of the wheel is when you are driving or manoeuvring. You may need to do this several times. You can then repeat this procedure with the nearside wheel.

The rear wheels are a little more difficult to assess. It depends on the shape of your car and how much you can see in your mirrors. It is possible as with this car that you will need to move the mirrors for reversing. Don’t forget to reposition them when you have finished.

I have used a piece of white pipe in the picture to represent a kerb.

Do the same as you did with the front wheels to give you a mental picture as to their position but the picture that you need to have most is where the bottom line of the tyre is and how far behind the wheel is the back of the car.

This is not just for reversing but when you are turning into a junction, negotiating a bend/roundabout or like at the Driver Experience Day, driving around cones.

In the picture below I have marked (not that well) a suggested arc as the line of travel of the rear wheels. In this situation it is not the line of the front wheels we need to be so concerned with, as we have a reasonable idea where they are. We want the off-side wheel to be just left of the centre line depending whether there is an oncoming vehicle or not. You might have noticed a few cars driving around with a scuffed offside

bumper, possibly an indication of someone getting this wrong.

Once you have the mental picture where you want the rear wheels, it will help you decide where you want to steer the front wheels and how much steering input you need to achieve that.

Once you have this mental picture of the rear wheels, when reversing, pick a point on your rear wheel arch as a guide to the distance you are away from the kerb and making very small adjustments to the

steering wheel reverse around a corner and see how it feels.

I hope this helps.

Terry Joyce


To Cruise or Not?

There are emails circulating that you should not use cruise control in wet conditions

because if the vehicle aquaplaned it could accelerate and fly through the air.

Certainly, using your vehicle's cruise control in wet or icy conditions could be

dangerous. It almost goes without saying that aquaplaning can occur regardless of

whether cruise control is engaged or not. Aquaplaning occurs when a tyre's grooves

cannot remove water quickly enough and the tyre therefore loses contact with the

road surface and skims across the top of the standing water, so if the tyres have lost

contact with the road could the cruise control cause the vehicle to accelerate further?

That said, if cruise control is engaged when aquaplaning occurs, the driver's

subsequent reaction could make the encounter worse than it may have otherwise

been. For example, the driver may hit the brake heavily to disengage cruise control

and this could lock up the wheels completely. Furthermore, drivers often move their

feet away from the pedals when cruise control is engaged and they may also be a lit-

tle less attentive than normal. In an aquaplaning situation the small delay caused by

these factors could equate to the difference between a safe recovery and a serious

accident. Also, an inattentive driver could hit the accelerator instead of the brake to

disengage cruise control.

Modern cars take their speedo reading from the driveshaft or transmission. This

means the cruise control bases its responses on the speed of the driven wheels, not

the car itself. This is an important distinction and fail safe position.

If the driven wheels skid because they lose grip, the spinning wheels will cause the

speedo to show a higher reading which will force the cruise control to release the

throttle faster than most drivers.

Regardless of whether the car itself slows down or speeds up, the cruise control will

always reduce the throttle no matter what until the driven wheels slow down back to

the pre-set speed but would it respond quickly enough?

I would suggest that if you have cruise control, you do not use it in very wet or icy

conditions, just rely on your skills as an advanced driver to adjust your throttle to

whatever information you are taking in from the road ahead.

Please check your car’s manual if you have cruise control fitted.

From various internet sources, edited by Terry Joyce


Group Enquiry number: - 01245 264962

If you leave a message, please use a landline number for Sue to ring you back on, not a mobile.

Chairman Graham Lowe

Secretary Colin Snow

Treasurer John Johnston

Membership Secretary David Wall

Associates Co-ordinator & Chief Observer

Scott Bannister

Website Editor Jon Ward

Newsletter Editor Terry Joyce

Events Organiser Jamie Drummond

Publicity John Stone

Committee Member Dr Clifford Murira

Group Contact Susan Sweetland

Committee Member Steve Wright

Hon. Committee Member Ken Howard

Committee

Honorary Life Members Mr Mike Corbett, Mr Glyn Jarrett, Mrs Ruth Jarrett, Mr Dave Travers

Observer Examiner Gaynor Manthorpe

36,371

That is the total of people that were killed on Britain's roads between 1999 and 2010.Britain has one of the best records in the world for road casualties, however, hundreds still die on the roads every year. In 2010, the police recorded 1,850 deaths, 22,660 people seriously injured and 184,138 who received light injuries. The BBC have a created an interactive map which plots every road collision in which someone has died.

See their website http://bbc.in/sE66hx


Changes in the New Highway Code (2007)

© Crown copyright 2007

Highway Code

228

Driving in adverse weather conditions

Icy and snowy weather In winter check the local weather forecast for warnings of icy or snowy weather. DO NOT drive in these conditions unless your journey is essential. If it is, take great care and allow more time for your journey. Take an emergency kit of de-icer and ice scraper, torch, warm clothing and boots, first aid kit, jump leads and a shovel, together with a warm drink and emergency food in case you get stuck or your vehicle breaks down.

This rule has been expanded.

229 Before you set off • you MUST be able to see, so clear all snow and ice from all your

windows

• you MUST ensure that lights are clean and number plates are clearly visible and legible

• make sure the mirrors are clear and the windows are demisted thoroughly

• remove all snow that might fall off into the path of other road users

• check your planned route is clear of delays and that no further snowfalls or severe weather are predicted

[Laws CUR reg 30, RVLR reg 23, VERA sect 43 & RV(DRM)R reg 11]

This rule has been expanded.


Changes in the New Highway Code (2007)

© Crown copyright 2007

Highway Code

230

Driving in adverse weather conditions

When driving in icy or snowy weather • drive with care, even if the roads have been treated

• keep well back from the road user in front as stopping distances can be ten times greater than on dry roads

• take care when overtaking vehicles spreading salt or other de-icer, particularly if you are riding a motorcycle or cycle

• watch out for snowploughs which may throw out snow on either side. Do not overtake them unless the lane you intend to use has been cleared

• be prepared for the road conditions to change over relatively short distances

• listen to travel bulletins and take note of variable message signs that may provide information about weather, road and traffic conditions ahead

These rules have been expanded.

231 Drive extremely carefully when the roads are icy. Avoid sudden actions as these could cause loss of control. You should

• drive at a slow speed in as high a gear as possible; accelerate and brake very gently

• drive particularly slowly on bends where loss of control is more likely. Brake progressively on the straight before you reach a bend. Having slowed down, steer smoothly round the bend, avoiding sudden actions

• check your grip on the road surface when there is snow or ice by choosing a safe place to brake gently. If the steering feels unresponsive this may indicate ice and your vehicle losing its grip on the road. When travelling on ice, tyres make virtually no noise


JACKSON ENGINEERING

STATION GARAGE HIGH STREET. ONGAR. CM5 9HH

Telephone: 01277 363707

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I was just about to start my usual light-hearted couple of paragraphs when news

came through of the multi-vehicle collision on the M5 near Taunton. The Christmas

plans of so many people have been totally disrupted and for some of them, life will

never be the same again.

A nearby firework display is being seen as a possible cause but were the HGVs

travelling too close to each other or come to that, were drivers going too fast for the

conditions? I'm not trying to apportion blame – that will be left to the courts – but it's a

lesson for all of us: keep our distance, make sure our lights are working properly and

whatever we do, watch our speed.

Right, I'll stop the serious stuff now and let's all have a safe, peaceful and Very Happy

Christmas – just make sure that someone has ordered the

turkey, the pudding, the cake, the crackers......

Susan Sweetland


Restraint I feel that knowing when to show restraint is the real key to safe driving. I

emphasise it in my observed drives with associates, by telling them to imagine a lorry

or pink elephant is around every bend and a child is going to run out from behind

every parked car or driveway. By doing this it helps to assess the speed that you need

to negotiate these hazards safely.

On the night of the 3rd December I believe this saved a pensioner’s life or at the very

least, prevented serious injury. I had arranged to pick up my daughter from work as

she was going out to celebrate her birthday. It was dark and I had my headlights on

as I drove into Rayleigh town centre. There were none of the half hour parking spaces

available so I turned off from the high street into an access road that goes to an area

behind the shops.

There was a red van parked on double yellow lines to the right hand side obscuring

my view of the pavement. I slowed to a few miles an hour and as the nose of my car

passed the front of the van, a man, followed by a woman, strode out in front of my car.

A small dab of my brake

pedal stopped the car. I did

not hit him but he was

shocked and overbalanced

slightly, placing a hand on

my bonnet to steady him-

self. To my amazement he

didn't say a word and

carried on walking,

followed by the woman

who I assume was his wife.

By the time I'd parked the

car to go and see if he was

alright, they had gone.

I hate to think what would have happened if it wasn't me or another advanced driver.

Terry Joyce



CHELMSFORD ADVANCED MOTORISTS

LIBRARY LIST

DVDs

Drive Smarter, Essential know-how for your driving career (2 copies) By Gem Motoring Assist

Roadcraft, The Police Driver’s Course on Advanced Driving By The Police Foundation

PC CD-ROMs

The Interactive Highway Code HMSO/ Interactive Driving Systems

Hazard Perception Test HMSO/Oasis

BOOKS

Roadcraft TSO Human Aspects of Police Driving Scottish Police College The Tyre Digest (2 copies) Michelin

Driving Abroad Robert Davies

The Official Highway Code Rev. 2007 Edition HMSO

The Official Guide to Accompanying L-Drivers DSA

Sideways to Victory Roger Clark

The Myway Code Ian Vince/Dan Kieran

Paul Ripley’s Expert Driving Daily Telegraph

The Inner Game of Tennis W Timothy Gallwey

Mind Driving Stephen Haley

Older Drivers – Safe or Unsafe? IAM Traffic– Why we drive the way we do Tom Vanderbilt

CDs

Awake, Driver Reviver THINK

Advanced Road Craft Bespoke Driving Training

The Driving Test – Your Licence to Drive IAM/Safety on the Move


Notification of Events

There has been a lot of positive feedback from events organised by the Group. If you would like to be kept informed of any up and coming events please make sure that David Wall has your current email address.

Young Driver Scheme

Do you know of anyone who is not 17 years of age, but wants to learn how to drive?

In partnership with DICE ( the Driving Instructors Club of Essex), our Group has launched a road safety scheme to give people the opportunity to learn basic car control skills in Driving School Dual Controlled cars on private land before they go on the public Highway.

getting behind the wheel (again, or for the first time).

Full details of the scheme, a letter from Essex Police and a map may be viewed, and the application Form can be downloaded, from

www.youngdriverscheme.org

Lessons, lasting for one hour, are run on the third Sunday of most months at Earls Colne (near Coggeshall). There is an initial Registration Fee of £28 which covers registration and the first one hour lesson. Subsequent lessons cost £24. Lessons must be booked in advance.

The scheme is intended primarily for 16 year-olds but, if vacancies permit, places may be offered to 15 year-olds or even to older people who are nervous about

Alternatively, forms may be obtained from the YDS Organiser.

Nicola Hyland, 67 Main Road,

St Lawrence Bay, Southminster,

CM0 7NA

Dedicated Mobile number

07847 645632 or

[email protected]


Dear Mrs Manthorpe, Thank You. We were delighted to receive your kind donation of £220 following your Driver Experience Day.

On behalf of all the people who have assisted, we would like to say a big and heartfelt thank your- your support is very much appreciated.

The Essex Air Ambulance is a vital life-saving Helicopter Emergency Medical Service for the County. It costs in the region of £250,000 per month to cover all charitable costs and aircraft operations. In this current economic climate when fundraising contributions have declined, it makes it even more difficult for us to reach this essential monthly figure.

Every day, volunteers, the public and local businesses work tirelessly to help raise the required amount to keep your lifesaving helicopter flying seven days a week.

The introduction of Doctors on board means that we can now provide enhanced critical care at the scene, The doctors work alongside the Paramedics bringing two sets of skills to the benefit of patients, enabling lifesaving procedures to be carried out which would not otherwise be possible so early in the treatment process.

For all our latest news, please visit EssexAirAmbulance.uk.com - it’s a great way to keep in touch and to find out about our new and exciting plans for the future.

If you would like to receive our twice yearly newsletter or would welcome news of events via text or email, please check our website.

Once again, on behalf of us all, a very sincere thank you. We hope you will continue to support us.

Yours sincerely

Jessica Prestney

On behalf of the Aircrew and Fundraising Team.


Group nights 2012

We were unable to get the second Monday of the month for all of our Group nights in the Olympic year.

Please make a note in your diary

Monday January 9th

Forensic Collision Investigation Unit

Sgt Richard Raker Essex Police

Monday February 13th

J D Classics Cars (Maldon) Richard Graylen

Monday March 12th

Humanoid Expectations of Automotive (Orthopedic) Ergonomics

or Numb Bum Syndrome

Dr Clifford Murira

Monday April 23rd

Meguiars Car Polish Products Tom Clarke

Monday May 14th

TBA

Monday June 11th

Driving Games with Cars (in the car park) Group observers to be marshals (weather permitting)

Monday July 9th

TBA

Monday August 13th

TBA

Monday September 10th

Protyre-Tyre Specialists

Monday October 8th

TBA

Monday November 12th

TBA



The links below are to websites that you may have an interest in. Please

let me know if any of them are not working. Email me if you think of any websites that may be of interest.

IAM DrivingAdvice & Tips

http://www.iam.org.uk/driving_advice_and_tips

Online Highway Code

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/index.htm

Know your traffic signs

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_191955.pdf

Tyresafe

http://www.tyresafe.org

Drive Alive

http://www.drive-alive.co.uk

This is the A13/A130 Junction improvements at Sadler’s Farm, Benfleet

Photo by T.Joyce

Forward Vision #91

Documents

chelmsford high street

iam group

snow slippers

car ready

snow tyres

essex police sports

sainsburys car park

police vehicle park