MAINBEAM - Safe driving and riding Newsletter of Manchester Group of RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders Since 1973 April 2012 Ladies, please don’t shoot this Messenger! Anyone who

MAINBEAM

Newsletter of Manchester Group of RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders Since 1973Newsletter of Manchester Group of RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders Since 1973

April 2012

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Group Walk, 12 May 2012 The next Group walk will be on Saturday 12th May starting from Woodley Civic Hall at 10am and returning there early afternoon.

This gentle walk is about 5 miles long and will take in river views along the Tame Valley. Bring your own lunch and refreshments. Note that the only available toilet facilities will be at the beginning and end of the walk.

For more information, contact Mike Beavan on 01625 428444.

Group Social, 8 May 2012 A Meander Through Aviation

On Tuesday 8th May, Group member David "Kenny" Kenworthy will give us an insight into his experiences of flying in both the military and civilian worlds. From RAF training aircraft, Hercules transporters and fast jets to the life of an airline pilot.

As usual, the venue is Woodley Civic Hall. The meeting will start at 7.45 for 8.00pm.

AGM Awards Peter Croft Award The Peter Croft Award is for sustained contribution in promoting the activities of Manchester Group of RoADAR.

This year’s award was given to Lee Davies, who since stepping down as Chairman, has taken on the role of group training officer. In the past 12 months he has

done a tremendous amount of work in completely overhauling the Group tutor training system, which included re-writing the training packages given to Group tutors. Amongst his many other tasks Lee also took the lead role in our presentation for the RoSPA award.

Bob Graham Memorial Shield The Bob Graham memorial shield is presented to the Group new-comer who has, in the opinion of the Committee, made

the greatest contribution to the Group over the past year.

The shield this year was awarded to Mike Perris who, since joining us in September

2011, has made a huge contribution to the tutor team, which includes provision of car section tutor training. Those Observers who recently passed their Advanced Tutor retests were certainly grateful for Mike’s coaching!

Malcolm Millington Memorial Award

The Malcolm Millington Memorial Award is a new Manchester Group trophy which will be presented to the bike section member judged by his fellows to have shown exceptional commitment to the Group.

Malcolm’s widow Christine presented the award to Daren Cox who was chosen because of the outstanding work he has done since joining us in 2010.

To keep the award special, it will remain with Daren until someone truly deserving is deemed worthy to receive it.

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HONOURS AND COMMITTEE

GROUP PRESIDENT Adrian Farrow

HONORARY MEMBERS

Syd Hinks (1975); John Holland MBE (1988); Peter Croft (1991 - 2006); Phil Harrison (1991); Neil Ashton (1995); Margaret Dyson (2004—2009); Jean Farmer (2006); Mike Beavan (2009); Adrian Farrow (2010).

CHAIRMAN Debbie McNamara, [email protected] 07968 313853

VICE-CHAIRMAN Mike Beavan, [email protected] 01625 428444

SECRETARY Chris Gandy, [email protected] 0161 355 8714

TREASURER Simon Smart, [email protected] 01565 654267

OBSERVER TRAINERS

Cars: Lee Davies, [email protected] 07966 101441

Motorcycles: Tony Brammer, [email protected]

ASSOCIATE ORGANISERS

Cars: Sheila Entwistle, [email protected] 07855 905343

Motorcycles: Dave Timmins, [email protected] 01270 610332

BIKE SECTION Daren Cox, [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Mike Beavan, [email protected] 01625 428444

SOCIAL EVENTS Hugh McAdam 0161 335 0615

PUBLICITY Becky McCabe

NEWSLETTER EDITOR Simon Smart, [email protected] 01565 654267

Paul Sykes

GROUP OBSERVERS

CAR OBSERVERS

Lee Davies, Mike Beavan, David Carter, Ian Carroll, Jean Farmer, Chris Gandy, Rod Hewitt-Dean, David Kenworthy, Hugh McAdam, Rebecca McCabe, Debbie McNamara, Mike Perris, Tony Richardson, Martin Robinson, Simon Smart, Paul Sykes.

BIKE OBSERVERS Tony Brammer, Neil Bellingham, Daren Cox, Mike Reilly, Alan Tainsh, Dave Timmins.

Contributions to MAINBEAM are welcome and should be sent to the Newsletter Editor. The views and opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily express the views or policies of RoSPA, RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders or MANCHESTER GROUP of RoADAR

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mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.safedriversandriders.org.uk

Congratulations — Recent test passes Tom Reed— Car section, Gold. Tom is the first of our Young Drivers and Riders to attain Gold, so special congratulations to him! Scott Cowap — Car section, Gold (retest)

The following car section Observers retained their Advanced Tutor status after retest: Debbie McNamara Hugh McAdam Lee Davies Simon Smart

Jeff Kiveal — Bike section, Silver (retest) Stephen White—Car section, Silver. Stephen is the latest of our Young Drivers and Riders to take the test, so well done in attaining a Silver !

50/50 Club Draw—Recent winners 50/50 Draw, February 2011 First: No 15, John Holland, drawn by Roger Adams

Second: No 2, Mike Beavan, drawn by Adam Underdown

50/50 Draw, March 2012 First: No 4, Mike Davies, drawn by Steve White

Second: No 29, Jean Farmer, drawn by Mandy Powner

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Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude caused some confusion and

raised eyebrows during the threatened fuel tanker strike upheaval

at the end of March when he advised, “a bit of extra fuel in a jerry

can in the garage is a sensible precaution to take.”

Following this advice, TV news pictures showed motorists filling

up 20 litre capacity jerry cans; some even filling several at a time,

presumably for storage at home. One poor woman in York

tragically suffered 40% burns while she was transferring petrol

from one container to another in her kitchen.

So what are the legal implications of storing petrol at home?

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):

“The Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles etc.) Regulations 1929 and

the Petroleum Spirit (Plastic Containers) Regulations 1982 limit the

amount of petrol that can be kept in a domestic garage or within

six metres of a building (e.g. most domestic driveways). The limit is

a maximum of two suitable metal containers each of a maximum

capacity of ten litres and two plastic containers (which have to be

of an approved design) each of a maximum capacity of five litres.

These limits also apply to any containers kept in a vehicle parked in

the garage or on the driveway (but not to the internal fuel tank of

the vehicle). Under no circumstances should the petrol containers

be stored in the home itself.

Anyone who wishes to store larger quantities than this, or use

larger containers, is required to notify the local Petroleum

Licensing Authority (PLA) and to store the petrol in a prescribed

manner set out in the 1929 Regulations mentioned above -

enquirers who want further details should contact their local PLA.

Storage of more than 275 litres (60 gallons) of petrol requires a

petrol licence - again, contact the local PLA.”

Source: www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/petroleum-faqs.htm

Thank you —Simon Smart This is the last edition of MAINBEAM that I will edit. It is a real privilege and honour to have been editor these past 5 years and I take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed during that time. Your stories make MAINBEAM a great read and in terms of the quality and variety of content, one of the best newsletters amongst the RoADAR Groups. The level of support we receive from our members is truly outstanding — last year for example, 21 members contributed a total of 48 articles to 6 editions of MAINBEAM. Becky McCabe will be taking over from me as Editor and I wish her luck with that. I’m sure she’ll enjoy reading and editing the articles you submit as much as I have done.

Storage of fuel at home

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Ladies, please don’t shoot this Messenger! Anyone who drives a car should, by definition, be a Driver! Simple? Of course it is! But when has life been that simple? For I see that someone, at no less a prestigious establishment than the Driving Standards Agency, has raised the subject of ‘Them and Us’ again, or, ‘Men v Women’. In a recent report the DSA says that women are more likely than men to fail their driving test because of problems parking. What’s more, they confirm that women are more likely to fail their practical test too! Of the 1.6 million driving tests carried out each year, DSA Examiners recorded 1,660,206 errors made by candidates which were deemed serious enough for a test failure. Of these, 718,244 were by men and 941,962 were by women. In the 12-month period 2010-2011 50percent of the male candidates failed whilst 57percent of women failed, which overall, means that the failure rate is 54percent. So putting away the sexist jokes and jibes, this is not a very good return is it, for our driver training industry? Many of the errors are still evident when qualified drivers come along as Associates to join local Groups. Whilst the MSM routine is drilled into learner drivers before their test, this is one of the essentials which is soon forgotten, by both sexes, after the test. Sound familiar amongst those Associates? Both ends of the age scale We’ve known for long enough that young drivers are, statistically, the most likely to be involved in crashes and collisions, especially within the first two years of their driving lives. Reasons range from exuberance of youth, a desire to show off to their peers to inexperience. Tragically press reports support these figures. Now, I see that much press emphasise is being put on drivers at the other end of driving life: the over-70’s. Horrific stories emerge of crashes, injuries and deaths being attributed to these older drivers, and frightening they are too. Driving errors by over-70’s such as driving the wrong way on motorways abound; an 80-year old, chased for 20 miles on the M42 against the flow of traffic; an 83 year old woman who became lost on the M3 FOR 19 HOURS, and in desperation drove the wrong way for 7 miles, looking for a gap in the central reservation. Nineteen hours! So much for the recommended break after two hours! Reasons affecting this age group include memory loss, physical deterioration, poor sight and poor reactions.

Driving, for most of us, is the most dangerous thing we will undertake, regardless of age. Isn’t it right then, that the standards should be higher? A pass rate of 46% in the initial driving test just isn’t good enough! Anybody who fails to maintain even the basic standards required in the driving test should, quite rightly be deprived of the privilege, old or young. Here, we’ve looked at the 17-25 year old category and also the over-70’s, so I suppose that means the middle-age bracket of drivers are perfect then? Ha! Whilst we have such blatant imperfections in our general driving community, what are the latest suggestions? One is to increase the motorway speed limit to 80mph. Another is to free 100 miles of motorway hard shoulder to cut the jams. Really, these ideas wouldn’t be acceptable if submitted as a script for a theatrical farce! The hard shoulders were installed

for good reason, so apparent that they don’t need explaining. Generally there are three other lanes to most motorways, one of which (lane 1) is the least used. The jams referred to usually occur first in, and occupy lane 3. Isn’t this an indicator of driver behaviour? As for raising the speed limit we already unofficially allow something like 77mph before action is likely to be taken. So I’m quibbling over just another 3mph am I? Of course not, for we all know what will happen to the 80 ‘limit’, despite Government officials telling us that it will be ‘strictly enforced’. Oh yes, by whom? Let’s lift driving to a level much higher than the present basic, before we give out permission to become even more lethal. Thank goodness we have local Groups available to give up time and expertise to those willing to further their driving knowledge. You will have your own views, which could be expressed here, but these are mine, and you can probably guess which age group I’m in! Keep space!

This That and T’other — John Holland

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“Driving, for most of us, is the most

dangerous thing we will undertake,

regardless of age. Isn’t it right then, that

the standards should be higher? ”

Road safety campaign launched in wake of 75 deaths in 2011

DriveSafe and Greater Manchester Police has launched a campaign urging people not to dice with death on the roads following an increase in road fatalities last year.

Recent statistics show that 75 people lost their lives on the roads of Greater Manchester in 2011 compared to 53 in the previous year, an increase of 42 per cent.

The increase comes against a background trend of decreasing road deaths that has seen fatalities drop from 90 in 2006 to 53 in 2010 a decrease of more than 40 per cent. Officers say that though there are many factors contributing to the loss of these lives they believe that speeding, drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts and drivers using mobile phones have played a significant role in many of these deaths.

Operation Dice has been set up to tackle drivers putting their own lives and that of passengers and other road users at risk through driving dangerously and flouting speeding, seat belt and mobile phone laws. Enforcements against dangerous driving are taking place around the clock and across the county and are being supported by a hard-hitting awareness campaign featuring blood spattered furry dice urging drivers not to dice with death and informing them of the 75 road deaths in 2011.

The campaign asks drivers to slow down, belt up and switch off their mobiles and will be featured on poster, bus side and road side advertising.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Peter Fahy said: “The real cost of road collisions is the loss of precious lives and the devastation it causes to the family and friends of the deceased.

“Their pain and loss can be felt for decades and most people never really get over it. It can also profoundly affect people who have caused the deaths and can leave them physically and emotionally scarred. Speed is a major factor in pedestrian fatalities with research showing that those involved in a 30mph collision generally survive while those hit at 40mph do not. I urge drivers to consider this when they get behind the wheel and drive with due care and consideration to weather and road conditions.

“Mobile phones, Sat Navs and car stereos distract drivers preventing them paying full attention to driving safely and are a major cause of many collisions. Using the phone while driving, whether hands-free or not is a serious distraction and the safest option is to switch it off before you start the car.

“Drivers should also ensure that they and everyone in their vehicle is wearing a seat belt however short the journey. The increase in road fatalities in 2011 is of real concern to me and my officers and we are committed to reducing deaths and injuries on our roads in

the coming years. The penalties to dangerous and careless drivers include fines, penalty points, disqualification and up to 14 years imprisonment for causing a death. These are nothing however compared

to the lifelong suffering and anguish that the family and friends of people killed in car collisions are sentenced to by dangerous drivers.

“People can help us reduce road deaths by providing us with information on dangerous drivers, those driving while disqualified, or while under the influence of alcohol or drugs either directly on 101 the new single non-emergency number or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Motorists want fixed penalty revenue spent on road safety

Half of motorists disagree with a Government proposal to increase

fixed penalty notices from £60 to £90, according to research by the

IAM.

Under the plans, the £30 increase will be used to provide a £30m

cash boost to the fund for victims of crime and to support witnesses

– but the vast majority of those questioned in the poll think the

money should be spent on improving road safety.

Of the 1,129 respondents, 51% disagree with the current proposal,

35% agree, and 13% neither agree nor disagree.

When asked what they would think if the money was spent on

improving road safety, as opposed to victim support, 80% were

happier with this proposal. Furthermore, 80% of respondents think

that in its proposed present form the scheme could reduce drivers'

trust in the purpose of enforcement measures.

When asked what the biggest deterrent to bad driving was, 68%

identified ‘enforcement – the likelihood I will get caught’; 48%

choose ‘the fear of the consequences in terms of causing death or

injury to myself/my passengers or other road users in the result of

an accident’; and 42% said ‘the severity of the punishment if I was

caught’.

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Road safety roundup — Lee Davies

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You read through books and publications on advanced driving and look for keys to the sound knowledge of the author. One of these, of course, is to look for System. An even better indicator is how they suggest speed is reduced. But another is to seek out their views on positioning and what its basic precepts are.

It is interesting that very few writers seem to really know about this. Yes, they gleefully talk about positioning for one reason or another; and, of course, positioning for bends in which view is often considered paramount. Often a measure of stability is thrown in for good measure and probably more so if they have a rallying or racing background.

But what are the foundations on which good positioning is built? You will find them In Roadcraft, but couched in the current (1994) terminology by which it loses clarity of meaning. In fact there wasn’t a chapter specifically on positioning until the much revamped 1977 edition. Here, in the introduction to the chapter, the two main points came over more clearly. But much of this was, and still is, covered at Police Driving Schools, particularly Devizes*. There they make specific reference to safety, view and stability as the basics of positioning, particularly for bends. On top of that they go into the subject in some detail. But it is important to understand that the basic principles of positioning do not apply just to bends; they apply at any moment in time on the road.

THE BASICS

Firstly let's look at positioning for stability, because in many ways this is the simplest to deal with. At a rough guess a vehicle travels in

a straight line for perhaps 50% of the time; for the rest it is on some sort of curved path with the associated forces acting upon it. A vehicle is also in its most stable configuration when travelling in a straight line and the basic rules of acceleration and braking are also ‘in a straight line’. So it certainly makes sense to look for situations where the vehicle can be kept in, or close to, it’s most stable configuration for as much of the time as possible. There are also less stresses on the suspension, less wear on tyres and it is generally more comfortable for the passengers. Where the performance of a vehicle is concerned then stability is a factor the driver should be conscious of all the time and that is related to the

important subject of 'Forces acting on a vehicle in a curved path'. Of the three stability is perhaps the easiest to deal with because it is always subservient to the other two.

Safety and view, however, cannot be taken as separate entities. In

fact the subject could be a perennial one because of the interwoven

affair between these two. It’s a sort of love/hate relationship. Each

one may have a good reason for taking priority at any moment of

time; but the only certain thing is that safety will always win if there

is a clash of interests. There are, however, many situations when

getting the view will assist safety because we can then see and plan

further ahead, but we must always remember that this has the

proviso of safety added to it. And so it goes on. Do we maintain

good view here or sacrifice our position for safety? Should we

position for safety here and loose our view together with the

observation and planning which goes with it?

You have the ‘heavy’ parked on the nearside blocking off view

down the road. You will have to go over the centre line in order to

overtake it. Do you go closer before trying to get view or, do you

get view earlier which enables you to get a better assessment of

road conditions further down and make an earlier decision on

whether to wait or go?

Ahead is a blind junction on the left; no pavement to give you a

buffer zone so lets be well away from this, in fact up to the centre-

line would be good. That will be the safest position and also the

view into the junction will open up that much earlier. Ah, but now

you see the cyclist coming the other way and the on

coming traffic setting up to overtake it and overstep

the centre-line. What is your decision now?

FOLLOWING

A particularly good example for the relationship between safety and view is found in the following position. The further back one is from the vehicle in front the better the view for both observation and planning. But equally, if not more importantly, the

better the chance of pulling up safely if the one in front does an emergency stop. Of course being further back means you have a chance of seeing in good time what the driver in front pulls up for at the last moment. In this case it's a good example of safety and view complementing each other.

* Devizes Police Driving School is no longer in existence. It was the original ‘regional’ police driving school which was started in 1946. This first regional school should not be confused with the first police driving schools, Hendon, Preston and Chelmsford, which were started prior to WWII.

S.V.S. The keys to positioning— Nigel Albright

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Nigel Albright, outgoing GAP rep for the South West, has kindly given permission for MAINBEAM to publish this article on Safety, View and Stability. The article will be presented in three sections, this being the first. The next part will appear in the next edition of MAINBEAM.

“it is important to understand that the

basic principles of positioning do not

apply just to bends; they apply at any

moment in time on the road”

My SAAB has gone. For the first time in 24 years, I no longer own a SAAB. That isn't any form of record, but it does represent a personal milestone in my motoring life. If I stretch a point, I think I can say that I have driven SAABs for 25 years.

When I passed my driving test in September 1977, my ambition was to own my own car and I had been saving for some time towards that goal.

My dad, Derek, who some members may remember from his time as an Observer, generously insured me to drive his car - the then top-of-the-range one year old SAAB 99GLE. But he was not about to let a newly-licensed schoolboy loose in what was then a high performance saloon without some conditions; before I was allowed to take the car unaccompanied, I had to clock up 1000 miles with dad sitting next to me in the passenger seat!

Those 1000 miles were like a mountain at first, but I was into the drivers seat as my dad's chauffeur at every opportunity and they soon disappeared in the rear view mirror.

Meanwhile, my savings grew but my ambitions of a sleek and shiny sports car were moderated by my daily scouring of the classified ads and depressing insurance quotes, so that when I spotted an unloved, K-reg (1972) SAAB 96 on a local garage forecourt in the summer of 1988, I was quickly parted from my cash.

I cleaned, polished and admired my pride and joy. The persistent fishy smell was traced to a kipper tied to the heated seat element, that made me very curious about the previous owner (or someone he had upset!)

But with the car fettled, spick and span, I jumped at the chance of a family run to the seaside shortly before my departure to university. And dad offered to fill her up with petrol for the trip.

However, due to what was, later diagnosed as a blockage in the carburettor jet, there was an engine fire as dad drove the car off the forecourt and both he and I spent a frantic couple of weeks climbing over scrapyards and experimenting with DIY spray painting with the result that I very quickly learned a great deal about car repair and maintenance but was still able to drive off to university in a car that was very much my pride and joy in which my dad and I had invested a lot more than my cash!

The repairs lasted and I had great fun with the 96, which was joined

some years later by a rather tired limited edition P-reg 'Silver Jubilee model, purchased from a doctor, I think. It was one of 300 made, but despite my best intentions, restoration to its former glory was beyond my skill, wallet and the dreaded rust and the Silver Jubilee eventually had to be towed away.

Meanwhile, in the mid-1980's, I bought the 99GLE from my dad when he bought his first turbo. I think my recollection is right that I

passed the 96 on to my sister, who ran it for a while. By now, I had become involved with the SAAB Owners Club and had begun to edit the club magazine.

I progressed on to a B-reg 4-door saloon, 16-valve 900 turbo in black. A bit of a "Q" car, because there was very little outward hint at its performance, which was stunning. It handled well, too.

This is when I went truly mad, because I was seduced by the idea of a 2-door version of the all-bells-and-whistles 16S 900 turbo, complete with bodykit

and spoilers. Well, I was the SAAB Owners Club chairman by now and I had a Nigel Mansell-style moustache!

The dealer, SAAB Manchester, had built a demonstration model, which they sold and was back up for sale. It was metallic gold with multi-spoke BBS-style alloys and a sports exhaust that I used to drive through the airport tunnel with the windows down just to listen to. It had been 'chipped' and belonged on a track, not the road.

I loved that car, but couldn't part with the black 4-door, so ran them both for some time.

But then the SAAB 9000 came along. It was more modern, refined and was next on my wish list. I travelled car and wide looking at used models. One dealer looked at my beloved 2-door 16S and uttered the words "you'd have to have a sense of humour to drive that!" I was not impressed not least because the 16S had been featured in a Practical Classics magazine photoshoot at Lyme Park in my ownership!

Eventually, I sold both 900's in part-exchange to a dealer in Yorkshire for a metallic green 9000 2-litre turbo, which was a great car, but not very exciting, but was much more modern and suited my changed circumstances.

After my dad died in 1998, I could not bear, for a number of reasons, to part with his 9000 Aero. It had been his dream car and was another understated performance saloon - a 5-door hatchback

Swedish saga — Adrian Farrow

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Adrian with his 16S 900 Turbo and Mansell-style moustache!

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with a 2.3l turbo engine producing over 200bhp, riding on lowered, stiffened suspension and by far and away the smartest SAAB so far. It had been another top-of-the-ranger and the obvious replacement for my own car which had by now comfortably passed 100,000 miles. The next owner of my 9000 turbo put on another 100,000 miles, I believe.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Aero; in particular its overtaking ability. Third gear acceleration was such that there was virtually no overtake that could not be accomplished easily and safely.

I had gone go collect the Aero from a service about five years ago when I spotted a 2002 9-3 convertible in the garage. I had been hankering after a soft-top for some time and this bright red model with a black roof just fitted the bill. The Aero went in part-exchange and I settled in for wind-in-what's-left-of-the-hair motoring.

The Aero went to a rock climber, who took out the rear seats so he could sleep in it and I know that it has just changed hands again with well over 200,000 miles under its wheels. They last well if you look after them, these SAABs.

So why has the convertible gone? Well, we've had a change of working and a Mini Cooper S convertible has arrived on the drive. It's not mine, but it replaces the 1997 model Peugeot 406 coupe, which has a marvellous 3-litre V6 engine and still turns heads with its Pininfarina styling. The trade reckons it is worth next to nothing, but I think it has plenty of life yet. So economics and sentimentality dictated the Peugeot stayed and the SAAB had to go.

Now for the first time ever in my motoring life, I have no SAAB . But I do like the look of those 9-3 saloons, so maybe it won't be for ever....

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Swedish saga — Adrian Farrow (continued)

When I was involved as a trainer at the West Yorkshire Police Driver Training School I often used certain sayings and expressions during training sessions. Some I had made up and some I had unashamedly stolen from the speeches or writing of other people. Drivers so often fail to capitalise upon opportunities that present themselves, opportunities that may well afford the potential for maximising ‘progress’. I would say to the trainee when he or she failed to exploit potential, “Remember that the opportunity of a lifetime only lasts the lifetime of the opportunity”. In other words ‘get your finger out mate, and get on with it!’. Drivers also have a habit of closing their minds to new ideas. It has to be said that as ’advanced drivers’ we often come across those of our association who are guilty of being pedantic. The ‘we have always done it that way’ brigade. Here I always asked trainees to remember, “The mind is like a parachute, it only works when it is open”. Embrace new ideas if they are right for you. But in any case, open your mind to their existence. Remember that the advanced driver is the driver that pulls down the sun visor before they turn into the sun. The advanced driver therefore is the driver who is, as the word advanced implies, ahead of the game. The driver who sees what ‘is needed’, not what ‘was needed’. Those of MAINBEAM readership new to advanced driving and as I understand it who find the thought of “taking the test” too much to

contemplate, and therefore undergo all the coaching, but don’t go in for the test, I say this: Take on board the advice of the tutors, ensure that your driving advances, and that you can see that advancement. Then grasp the opportunity to take the test with both hands. Take the opportunity to show yourself that you can perform to advanced level whilst under scrutiny. Because then you know that you can do it every time you get behind the wheel. To take an advanced test is the “opportunity of a lifetime”. Grasp it!

Don’t be pedantic, don’t continue to be happy with the way you have always done things. ‘Open your mind’ to the benefits of continually putting your driving

to the test. When it comes to your test, “don’t pull the plug”,

instead “pull the rip-cord”. You will I am certain float to success!

Andrew Hamilton. RoDAR Examiner E 038.

The advanced test, a frame of mind — Andy Hamilton

“the advanced driver is the driver who is,

as the word advanced implies, ahead of

the game. The driver who sees what is

needed, not what was needed”

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April 2012

My first recollection of these routes was in 1952 when I was introduced to Road Craft on my first advanced motorcycle course, riding a Triumph 500cc Speed Twin under the ever watchful eye of my Instructor, Goldie Goldsmith. First of all, our clothing was not up to present day standards with warm heated gloves, boots, leathers, etc. In 1952 we had the most modern equipment available, flat police caps with a very strong leather chin strap, leather Spitfire goggles, thin leather gauntlet gloves, police uniform under a very uncomfortable set of waterproofs, a good black scarf to keep the rain from dripping down the neck, and army boots or wellies. There was also a need to carry spare parts in case of a dreaded enforced breakdown, so within the squad of four we carried four fibre clutch plates, oil for the primary chain case, clutch cable, throttle and front brake cables, bulbs, ignition points, spark plugs, rotor arm, sand paper, puncture repair kit and perhaps an ignition coil, magneto brush and various pieces of wire, a small tin of Swarfega and old police shirts with which to make a n attempt to clean our hands, finally a good strong tow rope. If a machine did break down it was important not to leave it at the scene but at all costs either perform a temporary repair, take to bike to the nearest police station or tow it back to the school. For some reason Goldie only took a packet of fags and his lighter. We would leave the driving school prompt at 9am and head north on the A6 towards the Lake District full of anticipation that the weather would be fine and in our favour. After a quick brew en route we would soon be in Ambleside and then into the Langdale valley over Wall End and riding up our first hill climb just before Blea Tarn. Not a difficult climb but a good introduction to the roads ahead, into the Little Langdale valley and up the notorious Wynrose Pass with a huill start just prior to the summit, then a quick stop at the Three Shire Stone to check our machines and of course admire the fantastic mountain top views. Then downhill with little or no throttle but plenty of good firm braking on the short straight sections, remembering never to slip the clutch otherwise it was pay for tea or even to change the clutch plates. We were nearly in sight of our lunch stop at Cockley Beck farm located at the junction with Seathwaite Road. Here we tucked into the standard special of the day, a large portion of ‘ham, eggs and chips’ followed by a big strong mug of good Lakeland tea. Cockley Beck farm is located in a picturesque spot adjacent to a small narrow pack horse bridge with the fast flowing beck underneath; this picture is complemented by a background of

magnificent Lakeland mountains. The isolated farmstead is now converted into self-catering holiday units for those people who enjoy the great pleasures of mountaineering. Suitably refreshed, we now continue our homeward journey either by taking the short route via Seathwaite Road or continue climbing and over Hard Knott Pass,, perhaps one of the most difficult in England, the road climbs steeply with a large number of tight bends and only just room for one vehicle; this means that if someone is coming towards you, those going uphill should be given preference but as usual some thoughtless drivers demanded preference all the time thereby causing big problems to all those travelling through the passes. Advanced car students were obliged to complete a severe hill start on one of the few straight sections whilst the motor cyclists kept going and sometimes made a shortcut of the corners by riding over the grass just to make life a little more exciting. On the descent we travelled alongside the famous Roman ruins of Hard Knott Castle and into the Esk valley, passing the narrow gauge Eskdale to Ravenglass railway, eventually turning left at the village of Boot and then over the high Burker fells to Ulpha. This high road is a delight to ride along with very good views of the road ahead and ample opportunity to practice the rules for cornering (or is it the rules for bending?) but on these open fell roads the sheep and lambs appeared at the sound of motor cycle engines and they were an unpredictable hazard as they crossed the road in front of us and never behind, oblivious of the danger to themselves and others. For many years this circuit was used as the advanced car test

route with a break for refreshments at Blea Tarn; on test we always took a spare car in case of a breakdown. Also in summer on a good fine day one of our two vintage/veteran cars was given a run out by an Instructor who had to remember to take extra petrol and water for the radiator in case of overheating of the cooling system. There was always someone eager to drive the old cars and to call in at

Bowness to purchase fresh meat and potato pies as an extra item of refreshment for the Instructors. When purchased, the Instructor then took a short cut to Blea Tarn, parked the car and placed the pies on top of the hot rocker box cover to await the arrival of the test cars, when the pies were consumed with enthusiasm! in their day, these pies were the best in the Lake District. Both these vehicles were sold at auction in 2003. The 1922 Blue Label Bentley raised £55,000 and the 1937 Lagonda LG45 (pictured) sold for £42,000. This indeed was a sad day for all at Hutton.

Those were the days — Phil Harrison This article was submitted by Group honorary member Phil Harrison, ex Chief Inspector at the Police Driving School at Preston (Hutton). The following is an extract from a letter he sent in 2003 to Lt Cmdr (Rtd) Geoff Thompson, one time Chairman of Manchester Group RoADAR and his wife Karen. Geoff and Karen had been retracing the Blea Tarn Advanced car test route and the Cockley Beck Farm route for advanced motorcyclists.

Photo courtesy of Phil Harrison

10 MAINBEAM

HIGHWAY CODE 1. What are the Highway Code rules for towing and loading a vehicle? (Highway Code Rule 98) 2. Coasting relates to a vehicle traveling in neutral or the clutch depressed. What effect does this have on vehicle

control? (Highway Code Rule 122) 3. When is it permissible to drive or park in a cycle lane?

(Highway Code Rule 140) ROADCRAFT 1. What advice does Roadcraft give about reversing? (Page 81 Roadcraft) 2. What is meant by aquaplaning and what causes it? (Page 97 Roadcraft) 3. What are the key safety points to be considered before overtaking? (Page 130 Roadcraft) For the answers, please refer to the latest edition of the Highway Code and Roadcraft on the pages indicated. Remember—you may be asked one of the above questions on your next Sunday visit!

New safety motorcycle helmet ratings published

An extra 14 motorcycle helmet ratings from the Department for

Transport’s Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme

(SHARP) have been published by Mike Penning, road safety

minister.

The ratings take the total number of helmets rated by SHARP to

261. All helmets must meet minimum legal safety standards to be

sold in the UK, but the SHARP scheme uses a wider range of tests to

provide riders with more information on how much protection a

helmet can provide in a crash.

The objective advice, which includes important guidance on how to

select a good-fitting helmet, will help riders to choose the safest

helmet suitable for them.

Mike Penning said: “I would urge anyone thinking about buying a

new helmet ahead of the start of the summer season to check out

the SHARP website sharp.direct.gov.uk before making their

decision. A properly fitted helmet with a high SHARP rating will

provide you with the best possible protection in the event of an

accident so it’s well worth checking the advice on the site before

you buy.”

The SHARP tests, which award ratings of between one and five

stars, show that the safety performance of helmets can vary by as

much as 70%.

Tony’s quiz — Tony Richardson

MAINBEAM


April 2012

Motorcycle helmet ratings — Lee Davies

Documents

MAINBEAM - Safe driving and riding Newsletter of Manchester Group of RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders Since 1973 April 2012 Ladies, please don’t shoot this Messenger! Anyone who