Advance Winter 2014

Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists and Motorcyclists

www.iamdumfries.org.uk

www.iam.org.uk

JOHN F. BLACKMOTOR ENGINEERS

~Air Con ~Diesel Tuning ~Servicing ~Repairs ~Diagnostics ~Exhausts

~Tyres ~Motorhomes ~MOT testing for classes 3,4,5 & 7

6B Catherinefield Ind Estate,Heathhall, Dumfries DG1 3PQTel: 01387 267473

The weather is changing, are your skills upto the more challenging conditions that

winter may bring?

Look inside for tips on how to deal with winter conditions andsee page 8 to find out how we may be able to help.

© Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists

Group Committee Members for 2014/15

To e-mail any member of the committee, please inthe first instance, use the group contact e-mail

address: [email protected]

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What’s on?: check out events at www.iamdumfries.org.uk

8 December: South of Scotland Car Club - Roland Proudlock12 January: Rescue Dogs - Julie McMorran9 February: Colin Golphin - team Leader Moffat Mountain RescueDate TBA March: 10 Pin Bowling, CarlisleDate TBA April: Visit - Dumfries Air Museum11 May: AGM and quiz

Venue for meetings: Aberdour Hotel, 16 Newall Terrace, Dumfries, DG11LWstarting 7:30pm except where otherwise stated.

This magazine waspublished by:

Dumfries & Galloway Groupof

Advanced Motorists &Motorcyclists.

For more details of our activitiessee our web site at:

www.iamdumfries.org.uk

Contact theGroup Secretary:

[email protected]

Facebook: Dumfries & GallowayIAM (Motorcycles) Group

Magazine contributions to:[email protected]

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and notnecessarily those of the Editor, Group or the Institute of Advanced Motorists, to which theGroup is affiliated. Reg Charity No. SC 023511

For membership and all other enquiries call: 07707 035518or e-mail: [email protected]

Photography notice: Occasionally we may take photos during meetings, guidance ses-sions or at other events in order to promote the Group and its activities. Photos may bereproduced in our web sites, our magazine or through other promotions. If you wish towithhold your permission for your image to be used please contact the Group Secretary.

Copy date: Latest article submission date for the Spring 15 issue: 13 March 2015

Chair,Chief Obs

Graeme McColm 01387 720425

Vice Chair Jamie Wood 07759 260621Secretary Helen Cameron 07707 035518Treasurer Russell Wears 01387 263893M/c Coordntr Andrew Bird 07919 128305Car Coordntr Stewart Cameron 01387 264005Committee Andy Campbell

Bob SloanNeil MartyniukClint SmithChris WilsonKaren Court

07717 79810907764 34945907725 94178007952 75143307935 381722

tba

© Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists2

A message from the ChairmanWelcome to the winter edition of our Advance magazine.

We have been very lucky weather-wise and no doubt wehave all profited from the very warm, sunny days lastingright through until the end of October. Now the clockshave changed and winter is just around the cornerremember, whether a car driver or a bike rider, stay alert.

Our social events usually take place ona Monday night and this September wevisited the independent Nith InshoreLifeboat station, a well attended event,where we were found out about thelifeboat, crew and equipment after firsthaving enjoyed a barbeque. Octobersaw Duncan Livingston of MichelinTyres introduce us to the latest motor-cycle tyre technology. The evening wasalso well attended with over 25 mem-bers and friends turning out.

Please check future syllabus events on page 1 of this magazine or look on ourwebsite where we endeavour to post any last minute changes. Thanks to allthose who give up their time to help promote safety in our region.

The first weekend in November will see Helen and Stewart Cameron attendingthe IAM national conference in Birmingham. Hopefully they will learn of anynew strategies and future plans for the IAM. Andrew Bird and I are also goingalong so we can find out about any changes, new rules and regulationsspecifically affecting the bike side.

If you know anybody who would benefit from oneof our driving/biking courses please bring themalong to any of our events. With Christmas justaround the corner how about treating your lovedone to an IAM membership? It may be the bestand safest present they ever get.

Our ‘Skill for Life’ courses come with one years FREE RAC roadside andrecovery assistance. Their patrols fix 4 out of 5 vehicles at the roadside, sothere has never been a better time to become a better driver! The 'Skill for Life'package costs just £149 however the IAM Christmas Shop is now openoffering discounts on both car and bike ‘Skill for Life’ courses.

Give a ‘GIFT FOR LIFE’

Nith Inshore Rescue boat


New observer scheme rolling out nationwideFollowing a trial period, the new IAM Observer Qualification process, verifiedby external verifiers, has now been signed off. The IAM Observer qualificationis now externally accredited by IMI Awards (the Institute of the Motor Industry).

There are two levels of qualification:

Order by 16 December for guaranteed delivery for Christmas. To give a 'giftfor life' this year and save £14 go to http://www.iam.org.uk/sflvouchers orphone the IAM on 0300 303 1134.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable Christmas and a Happy New Year. All thebest for 2015.

Country Roads safety campaign launchedMotorists in rural areas are being urged to slow down before approachingbends as part of a new Government backed road safety campaign.

The 'THINK!' campaign also calls on drivers to anticipate potential hazards,drive at a speed that allows them to stop within the distance they can seeahead and to give cyclists and horse riders plenty of space when overtaking.

Department for Transport statistics show that an average of three people dieevery day on rural roads, accounting for 60% of Britain’s total road fatalities.The fatality rate of rural roads is nearly 11 times higher than that of motorways.

The wheel goes full circle!Members of the public in Devon are poised to begin training in the art of minorhighways maintenance. The County Council is enlisting volunteers, nominatedby local communities, to carry out small pothole repairs and fill surface defects.It hopes that the ‘road wardens’ will take charge of minor repairs in someresidential streets or on unclassified roads, as well as help to clean road signsand clear vegetation.

This is similar to the job of a roadman who in the past was allocated a specificsection of local road to look after, carrying out minor jobs like pot hole filling,hedge trimming, minor drainage and the like. The use of such people waslargely phased out by the 1970s in the UK, being replaced by mobile gangs.The number of people involved in minor/routine maintenance has considerablyreduced by the introduction of new working practices and now it is thought thatthe labour force is about one fifth of what it was in the 1960s.

Under the scheme Devon County Council only covers public liability insuranceand will not provide any other form of insurance cover for maintenanceactivities which must be undertaken at the volunteers own risk.

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Local Observer (the standard Group Observer role)National Observer (roughly equivalent to the former Senior Observer role).

The scheme follows the same process for both driving and riding observers.Our group was involved in the trial period and we already have two NationalObservers, Graeme McColm and Andrew Bird, in the motorcycle section.

The new scheme is now going ‘live’ to all regions across the country and yourgroup will be working on the new scheme over the coming months.

In time all existing observers will have thechance to become a 'Local Observer',alongside new observers who, in future,can all be trained under the new scheme.

Observers learn a lot more, not just about helping other drivers/riders reachthe standard they have achieved, but through a greater understanding of theprinciples and application of advanced driving/riding techniques. This will alsohelp the observer improve their own standard of driving/riding. On top of thisa recognised qualification is achieved, approved nationally by IMI Awards.

Find out more at the IAM web site - http://www.iam.org.uk/motorcyclist/after-the-iam-test299/111-become-an-iam-group-observer-

FULL CONTROLThe IAM recommend motorcycle observers readthe Full Control document which describes an effective andprecise riding technique while also helping you to understandthe essential physics of a motorcycle.

The document is based on the original Norwegian book which has beentranslated into four languages with over a quarter of a million copies published.

This link will take you to the document:http://www.iam.org.uk/images/stories/riders/full-control.pdf

Update - Winter tyres, the motor insurance commitmentThe latest motor insurer’s Commitment on the use of wintertyre is now on line covering the period to September 2015(https://www.abi.org.uk ).

It lists the various insurers and their requirements regardingthe fitment of winter tyres. Most insurers have no specialrequirements but some require you to notify them so it isworth checking the document if you do use winter tyres.

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MotoGoLoco Mapping - Reuniting you with your GPSDave Smith (Managing Director of MotoGoLoco)

The advent of paper maps has inspired and guidedtravellers and adventurers for centuries. From thehumble X marks the spot, paces, palm trees andtreasure right through to contour lines and the loading up of maps withinformation such as distance, forests, rivers, fuel stations and twisty roads.

The only real game changer being the arrival of computers and specifically thedevelopment and evolution of the - not so humble and very much maligned -GPS or electronic navigation systems. Love them or hate them they are hereto stay and will continue to have an ever growing influence in the way we planour method of travel and routes. Some of us will continue to avoid them basedon historical anecdotes of going over cliffs, into dead ends, and gettinghopelessly and totally lost. Many of us are happier believing these stories inthe same way we resisted computers and smart phones. “Got a long withoutyou before I met you, gonna get along without you now!!!” Sound familiar?

But slowly and surely we now play with GPS apps on our phones (and dare Isay are amazed – even if it is secretly). Slowly but surely we are gettingfamiliar with the GPS terms, styles and language. Slowly, but even moresurely, we are converting over to dependence upon these gadgets. Very soonif you are not using these things directly you will be side-lined to the fringe andthe quality of your life will no doubt be reduced to an untenable level. We willnot even talk about the enlightened ones and there patronising pitiful looksand attitude towards the diehards.

I was chatting to a group of classic car rallyists the other day and they referredto themselves as Map people!! They said this with pride and qualified thestatement with an explanation to the effect that maps show true intelligenceand give an understanding of time and place, of rationale and intelligence, ofgeography and direction. That the map stirs the imagination and sows theseed for adventure and travel. They did go one step further to castigate thelowly traitorous and subversive uncleans. To trash the mutinous souls who aredoomed to bring death and destruction to the map and a way of life. To label

Did you know?In 2012 there were just over 1.2 million licensed motorcycles in GB and 2.8billion miles were travelled by motorcycle (DfT 2013). But motorcycle theftrates remain high, about 22/26,000 machines are stolen annually, down from35,000 stolen in 2001 and well below the 45,000 annually stolen in the 1970s.

So now might be the time to review your security measures, especially if yourmachine is likely to be left unattended for longer periods during the winter.


the cretins that are bringing down the curtain on academia and the ability tothink for oneself and be inspired.

You know, in the same way that the calculator has stopped the developmentof maths, science and space travel because it was the demise of learningtables and long division, algebra, logarithms and trigonometry. You know -how the computer would stop us thinking and take away all our jobs. You know– how the digital camera was kind of nice to take holiday snaps but couldnever ever replace a “real camera”. The GPS is not that far removed. You areaware that it is kind of nice to key in a post code and say go. Let it find thequickest direction.

But build a real route. Plan it. Work it out. Bend it. Twist it. Snap it. Separate avia point from a point of interest? Check it out on Google Earth. Incorporatethings to do and see. Visualise it being created and we all turn to GPJ’s(gadget - phobic jelly’s)!

Why o’ why can’t the people (I resisted saying devil’s incarnate) who buildthese sites use proper everyday English. Why can they not simply say whatthey mean? Why can they not just guide us simply without using hieroglyphicsand computer speak that only 16 years olds and under can understand? Whyo’ why o’ why!

I suspect, nah - I know, that the guy (guys) who wrote up the software(MapSource and BaseCamp) for Garmin will go down in history along with theinventor of the white plastic chair as two of the world’s great evils.

The big questions are – can we rid ourselves of the evil rulers? Can we breaktheir stranglehold? Can digital route building and direction finding be allowedto become the domain of the common people.

Enter MotoGoLoco. More specifically enterMotoGoLoco mapping.

You have got to do yourself a favour and lookup MotoGoLoco (www.motogoloco.com) - go totheir mapping section and build a route. Nextstep - Lose your fear and start playing.

I have often heard the most abused word “intuitive” only to find that it isintuitive to the likes of old Alb (Einstein), Stephy (Hawking) and the boys. Solet’s not use the word and just say this is really simple. Even your computerilliterate and phobic Dad and Auntie Jean can do this one. It actually tells youin plain speak what to do. Heresy I hear in the background. How original isthat! Heaven forbid that this approach should catch on! Heresy in the IT worldhere we go. Bill Gates, Steve jobs and Mark Zuckerberg – rock on.

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You got to give thisa bash. What fun Ihave had playingexplorer. I am noteven going to tryand tell you how todo it. You have gotto go to the siteand play. Simplystart by putting in astart point. Thentell it where youwould like to finish

up and then tell it if there is anywhere in between that you would like to visit.

Then look at your route, if you like it – great. If you want to change it just dragthe road where you want it. It is that easy peasy. Try it. www.motogoloco.com

MotoGoLoco Mapping - Creating, Saving, Sharing and Uploading

Andrew Bird doingit ‘old school’ way

Clint Smith of MotoGoLoco showing howthe mapping and GPS works

Photos courtesy: Jonathan Cosens Photography (Moffat)

Group Members and Associates can get a free basic car wash, or two jet washtokens when you fill up. Just show your membership card, or for Associates your IAMconfirmation letter. Let the staff know you would like the free bike/car wash beforeyou pay for your fuel. This offer may be withdrawn at any time.

Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC 023511

DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY GROUP OF ADVANCEDMOTORISTS & MOTORCYCLISTS

Invite you to get a ‘Skill for Life’ and become an

We have helped hundreds of people hone their abilities to make their driving or ridingmore skillful, more enjoyable and safer. Our passion is to help you improve your drivingand riding standards leaving you with the ability to make good progress whilst maintain-ing the highest standards of skill, safety and responsibility... it really is a ‘skill for life’.Interested in improving your skills? Get in touch, find out more. Visit our web site,e-mail or call us on 07707 035518 - see page 1 for our contact details.

Consulting hours:Weekdays9:00am - 9:30am By Appointment3:30pm - 6:00pm Open SurgerySaturday9:00am - 10:30am - Open Surgery

24hour emergency cover

Call us on01387 259111

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We are a friendly, local practice offering acontinuity of case management from ourexperienced principal Veterinary Surgeon.

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www.braidwoods.com1 Charlotte Street, Dumfries DG1 2AG

Telephone: (01387) 257272E-mail: [email protected]

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· Discounts available for IAM and Curvy Riders· We have an outdoor seated area and arelaxing indoor seated area with Sky TV

· Refreshments available

· MOT’s · Servicing · Repairs· Parts · Accessories · & More

We offer the following services for your motorcycle needs:

· Fully trained mechanics· MOT’s · Servicing

· Van available for collection/deliveryor recovery of your motorcycle· Repairs · Diagnostic testing

· Parts · Tyres· Accessories

· Helmets · Clothing

www.dngmotorcycles.comTel: 01387 320312

[email protected]

From the Edinburgh Road roundabout /A75 Dumfries bypasstake A701 north. After 0.5 miles take 2nd exit at the round-about (by Esso/Tesco Express) onto Tinwald Downs Road. In0.4 miles take left into Downsway Industrial Est. then firstright behind Downsway Garage - we are at the end on the left.

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The Secretary reports - Helen Cameron

By now you should all have received your Membership Renewal Forms (andif applicable, a Standing Order Form) for the 2014/15 membership subscrip-tion, along with the year’s syllabus. The forms are available on our web siteshould you have misplaced any of them, go to: http://www.iamdumfries.org.uk/and look for the ‘Group Documents’ tab.

Our first 2 events have been excellent and we have had a good attendance.Thanks to all who turn out on the second Monday of the month to support thegroup and enjoy the varied topics on offer. As always if you are able to talk ona subject, know of someone who could, or if you have a specific topic in mindthen please let a committee member know.

Four committee members attended the IAM Car and Motorcycle Conferenceat the beginning of November where they were updated on the five year plan.There was also a lot of information regarding the new IMI awards for Observ-ers. All presentations are on the IAM web site if you are interested, you shouldfind them here: http://www.iam.org.uk/iam-groups/2014-group-conference

Since the last newsletter we have had 7 advanced passes:Car - Kieran Wood, Liam Wood and Ian MurrayMotorcycle - Jonathon Coupland, Allister McGregor, Derek Mitchell, Jackie Rae.

Congratulations to all of them and also well done to our observers who give uplots of hours to help make our roads safer.

I would like to ask that everybody returns a completed Membership RenewalForm to Russell, even if they pay by standing order, as this is the only way wecan keep keep track of our membership.More than half of child car seats are incorrectly fitted!According to ‘Good Egg Safety’ around 54% of child seats are incorrectly fitted(from almost 11,000 checks between 2010 and 2013).

This year saw a new national initiative to raise awareness of common fittingerrors and how to rectify them to improve in-car child safety.

The campaign demonstrated ‘common faults’ found from the child car seatchecking events and a video has been produced to demonstrate how easy itis to rectify these. These can be found on their campaign site;http://www.goodeggcarsafety.com/

Common mistakes include loose or twisted harnesses, padded clothing,buckle crunch (where the adult belt rests on the child seat and can shatter onimpact) and incorrect seat belt routing.


Driving in poor visibilityPoor visibility is more likely to be encountered in the autumn and wintermonths. It is not just fog and mist that can affect the view from the driver’s seat,spray, falling snow and low sun can also seriously affect visibility - and someof these have added challenges because they affect the road surface itself.

Poor visibility can reduce a driver’s perception of speed because the usualvisual references cannot be seen. You should, of course, drive in accordancewith the conditions so you’ll likely have to slow down. Follow the golden ruleand make sure you can stop safely and comfortably in the distance you cansee to be clear.

If visibility is severely affected you won’t be able to see what is in front of thevehicle ahead so maintain a greater distance between you and the car in front…. especially if the vehicle ahead is using its high intensity rear fog lights.Avoid the temptation to ‘latch’ onto the lights of the vehicle in front or you couldend up driving too close and too fast for the conditions.

The Highway Code says:

▪ Rule 226 says you must use headlights(dipped in fog) when visibility is seriouslyreduced, generally when you cannot seefor more than 100 metres.

▪ Rule 226 also says you may use frontand rear fog lights but you must switchthem off when visibility improves.

▪ Rules 114 and 236 says you must notuse front or rear fog lights unless visibilityis seriously reduced.

Top tips:

▪ Use dipped headlights and certainly not main beam when behind anotherdriver in fog.

O B S E R V E R’ S C O R N E REvery driver should assess each scenario and plan the best

course of action. This sections aims to help that process.


▪ Make sure your windows are clean inside and out before you set out, thishelps prevent misting up.

▪ Use the heater and/or aircon to clear the windscreen and keep them on asnecessary.

▪ Be aware that rear fog lights can mask brake lights because of theirintensity – allow more distance between you and the car in front.

▪ Rear fog lights can also mask your brake lights from those behind - so thinkabout the pros and cons of using them in a particular circumstance.

▪ Do not accelerate way from a vehicle that is too close behind you.▪ Beware other drivers may not be using their lights.▪ Check your mirrors before you slow down. Then use your brakes in order to

warn vehicles behind you that you are slowing down.▪ At junctions in poor visibility, stop, lower your windows and listen for traffic.▪ Parked cars, pedestrians and cyclists will be hard to see so pay extra

vigilance.▪ Beware fog density changes so adjust your speed and lights accordingly.▪ Straining to see through thick fog will quickly make you tired – take regular

breaks.

Don’t underestimate the effect fog has on what you can see or how easily youcan be seen by other road users. Adjusting to the weather conditions is vitalnot only taking into account reduced visibility but also how the road surface isaffected, for instance in wet, snowy or freezing conditions.

Motorcycle Chief Observer’s Diary - Graeme McColm

Well it has been a busy few months, with many riders signing up for a skill forlife course. Lockerbie Open Day at Lockerbie Police Station was a greatsuccess. Between the police, Blood Bikes and Institute of Advanced Motoristsit was a fun, no holds barred day full of helpful information from all parties. Atthe end of the day we signed up 9 people for advanced training. A brilliantresult and to date most have started training with a couple of riders havingalready passed. Congratulations to everybody who has passed their tests andgood luck to some who are just about to sit their tests.

We currently have vacancies for motorcycle observers, and as this goes toprint there are 5 members undertaking observer training. This will lighten theworkload of current observers and help out during events too. Hopefully somenew blood will generate more associates.

Talking about ease of workload. May I take this opportunity to welcome Les


Kirkpatrick as our additional local examiner. I am sure Mike Stevens will beglad of the extra pair of hands. Thanks Mike for your continued hard work,experience and efficiency.

As I mentioned in my Chairmans’s report Andrew and I along with Helen andStewart are attending the IAM conference in Birmingham. Hopefully this willgive us an insight into the latest strategies and organisation changes.

November 1st and 2nd was the annual ‘All Year Biker’ event. Preparing yourbike for the winter weather is a must for riders who use their bikes in all seasons.

Remember the social events have started for this season so please checkyour syllabus for details. See Facebook and website for last minute changes.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for all their efforts overthe last year and wish you all a merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

My road to advanced riding - Jackie Rae

Myself and several of my mates attended the joint Police and IAM Bike SafeDay at Lockerbie Police Station earlier this year. We met up with some of theIAM Team who offered to take us out on an observed ride. On the observedride we travelled over many classifications of road and on return to LockerbiePolice Station we were given a debrief. Bearing in mind that I had riddenmotorbikes from the age of 8 and competed for a number of years in EnduraRacing it highlighted for me, at the age of 50, the skills I was lacking to keepme and others safe on the road. It was at this point that I decided to enrol withthe IAM to be guided to advanced motorcyclist standards.

I started this process by attending the observed ride training sessions inDumfries, meeting at St Michaels Street Garage every Sunday at 10am. At theend of each session we would have a debrief, over a coffee, discussingstrengths and weaknesses identified. During these sessions I was taken outby several observers but most frequently by Jamie. I would have mid weektraining sessions with Jamie, who would meet me in Newton Stewart, and thishelped me to progress on the areas needing work. After 5-6 weeks of trainingsessions it was recognised that I was at a level of competence to be observedby the Senior and then the Chief Observer. This lead to me taking my testwhich I passed on Friday 31 October this year.

Without the dedication, patience and support shown by Jamie and the rest ofthe IAM Dumfries team this level of achievement would not have beenpossible. I feel these guys have given me the knowledge to be a safe,progressive and considerate motorcyclist using the IPSGA method and mak-ing my motorcycling experience safe and fun in all road and weather conditions.


How did roads get their numbers?Ever wondered how roads got their numbers? Well the government started tothink about this before the first world war as a method of classifying roadsaccording to their importance (and location). This would be useful in determin-ing the grant funding for road improvements. The grant funding rates at thetime were 75% for ‘A’ road improvements and 50% for ‘B’ roads.

The system of road numbering was published inthe 1920s based on a series of zones radiatingaround London and Edinburgh. The boundary ofthese zones was formed generally by the 9major ‘A’ roads i.e. A1 - A9. These were the mostimportant roads at the time.

Other roads were then numbered according towhere they started so that all routes originatingin a zone, were given numbers commencing withthat zone number, no matter where the roadended or how many other zones it might passthrough. The more major roads were designatedwith 2 numbers, less important roads were given3 or 4 numbers.

Of course the system has had to be ‘fine tuned’over the years but remains largely in accord-ance with the original proposals with the excep-

tion of the motorways which came along from the 1950s - they didn’t fully fitthe parameters of the existing system so a revised system had to be intro-duced for motorway numbering. In the case of mo-torways the rule that a road, starting in a zone, usesthe zone number still applies (England and Wales).

For one thing the motorways then become the majorroutes and these don’t tend to focus just on Londonand Edinburgh, they are much longer and potentiallypass through more than one of the old zones.

In Scotland the motorway numbering system ismore simple however, with a few exceptions. SinceScottish motorways, in the main, run alongside theold ‘A’ road they just use the existing number of theadjacent main road. E.g. the M8 runs adjacent to A8and so uses its number.

Road numbering zones - nts

Motorway zones(England & Wales) - nts

1

2

6

4

5

3


Don’t be idleFleet operators are now starting to train their drivers in the dangers of idling,both to the environment and to the bank balance. This is in line with policiesbrought in by major cities worldwide, which suffer from vehicle derived pollution.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that if the UK’s drivers switched off theirengines for one minute rather than idling on every journey they make, thiswould reduce annual emissions by almost 1 billion kg of carbon dioxide everyyear and save over £500 million in fuel costs.

This is why so many vehicles are now fitted with stop/start technology sincethere are significant savings to be made, over and above the cost of thetechnology. Payback calculators are available which estimate the potentialsavings in both cash and pollution. For instance take a 2hr urban journeywhen a vehicle is held up for just 10 mins (jams, traffic lights etc) then over 230days per year a light van or car could waste around 64 litres of fuel, just idling,whilst a 40t lorry would use 116 litres idling in the same conditions.

Operate that 40t articulated lorry 300 days per year, 8 hrs per day in a city withjust 10% hold-ups wastes around 600 litres of fuel and emits 1600 kg of Co2.In reality, for city travelling, idling can account for about 40% of journey time,which for that lorry equates to 2400 litres of wasted fuel and 6400 kg of CO2annually, enough too fill 1.3 Olympic-sized swimming pools!

Islington, in London is cracking down on idling vehicles in what is thought tobe the first campaign of its type in the UK. Enforcement officers are tacklinghotspots in the borough, informing and educating drivers about the advantag-es of turning off their engine but will also issue on-the-spot fines for thosedrivers who do not switch off their engines when asked.

Britain’s happiest drivers live near youBritain’s happiest drivers are likely to be called Daniel or Wendy, live inDumfries and Galloway and may well drive a Teal Blue or Yellow Škoda –that’s according to independent customer car review site, WeLoveAnyCar.com.

Using data supplied by more than 650,000 motorists who have independentlyrated their cars, WeLoveAnyCar.com has been able to identify not only themodels that British drivers are happiest with overall but also who the driversare and where they come from.

According to the statistics the most frequently seen name for a male motoristhappy with his car is Daniel, closely followed by Jack; while for female driversit’s Wendy and Jane that lead the way in the happiness stakes. So if you seeDan or Wendy, on the road, you now know why they are smiling!

St. Michael’s ServicesSt. Michael ’s StreetDumfries, DG1 2QDTel: 01387 254304

more performance, less pollution

Wigtown Road ServicesWigtown Road

Newton Stewart , DG8 6JZTel: 01671 403157

~ BP ultimate fuels & BP Autogas

~ Jet wash ~ Snack bar/ coffee machine

~ Large Mace convenience shop

~ Air/Screenwash/Vacuum/fragrance machine ~ Nectar Points

~ Special offers for Dumfries Group Members

~ BP ultimate fuels & BP Autogas

~ Car wash ~ Jet wash

~ MACE convenience store

~ Nectar Points


Benmar GarageStat ion Road

Moffat , DG10 9ELTel: 01683 220010

~ Esso Energy and Energy Supreme Fuels

~ Jet wash

~ Mace convenience shop

~ Air/Screenwash/Vacuum ~ Cash point


CrossflagsAt Crossflags we strive to create the best customer experience in the area.Please come and see us when you are considering your next vehiclepurchase.

York House, Annan Road, Dumfries DG1 3AW01387 253473 Fax: 01387 253472www.crossflags.co.uk