Learner drivers to be taught about cyclist safety

Posted on May 24, 2013 by motorquotedirect

This week there has been a shocking news story about a woman knocking a cyclist off of their bike and then tweeting “Definitely knocked a cyclist off earlier – I have right of way he doesn’t even pay road tax.” After seeing this tweet the cyclist, Mr Toby Hockley, contacted the police and had the 21 year old Miss Emma Way interviewed by police. Furthermore, the tweet went viral around twitter, leading to Miss Way receiving backlash from a number of other users over her lack of compassion for other road users. Continue reading →

Will Hollywood make drivers safer?

Posted on May 21, 2013 by motorquotedirect

Around twenty years ago there was a massive campaign on the behalf of a number of American anti-drink driving charities and the Frank Stanton Director of the School of Public Health’s Center for Health Communication Jay Winsten to make the term ‘designated driver’ more common among the public. They achieved this by appealing to some of the most popular TV shows around at that time such as “Cheers” and “The Cosby Show” to include the phrase during their programmes, and sure enough the plan worked and it became something that most people now use on a regular basis. Continue reading →

Number of parents driving children to school increasing

Posted on May 20, 2013 by motorquotedirect

We have all seen adverts on the television and in newspapers urging parents to introduce more exercise into their child’s daily routine as there are concerns that childhood obesity is increasing rapidly here in the UK. Exercise is an important part of anyone’s lifestyle, and as most of these adverts state, there are some easy ways to increase the amount of activity you do on a daily basis, including walking to and from places that are of a reasonable distance. Continue reading →

Commuting times increase in the UK

Posted on May 16, 2013 by motorquotedirect

When looking to buy a new car most people keep in mind that the majority of the time they will be using it is for when they are commuting to work, which is why they choose a car that is comfortable, reliable and fuel efficient. Commuting to and from work can take up a large portion of a person’s day, and now it has been revealed that even more people are starting to commute for up to three hours per day. Continue reading →

Drivers to be fined £90 if caught texting while driving

Posted on May 9, 2013 by motorquotedirect

Using your mobile phone while driving is one of the biggest causes of accidents, which is why most motor insurance companies will refuse to pay out if you are found guilty of using your phone behind the wheel. Even if you are not involved in an accident, if you are caught using your phone while driving then you can be fined or even taken to court, and now it has been reported that Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has decided to double the fine for those caught texting while driving to £90. Continue reading →

East Lancaster’s senior drivers offered lessons

Posted on May 7, 2013 by motorquotedirect

At the moment there is a huge debate concerning learner drivers and how the rules may change concerning driving lessons and what a student needs to learn before they are allowed to take their test or be given a driving licence. However, Lancaster City Council has now decided to introduce a driving course for those over sixty five in order to give them more confidence on the road and reduce the number of accidents which that age demographic age involved in. Continue reading →

Different driving rules across Europe explained

Posted on May 2, 2013 by motorquotedirect

The summer holidays are just a few months away, which means that many Brits are starting to think about going on a car journey across Europe. However, even though it is common knowledge that there are different driving rules on the continent (driving on the right-hand side of the road being the main one!) there are a few that seem to be less well-known. This is why This is Money has recently published an article explaining some of the driving rules that could land you in trouble while in Europe, such as in Vienna you could get in a lot of trouble for honking your horn near a hospital. Continue reading →

Recent research shows danger of driving while tired

Posted on April 25, 2013 by motorquotedirect

We have all seen the signs while driving on the motorway warning us that ‘tiredness can kill’ and suggesting that pulling over and having a rest is the best thing to do if you feel yourself becoming sleepy while driving. However, it seems as though many people are not heeding this advice, especially as recent research has shown that one in ten drivers has admitted they that have fallen asleep while behind the wheel, and one in four have said they have felt drowsy enough that they could fall asleep while driving. Continue reading →

Voice-to-text driving still dangerous

Posted on April 23, 2013 by motorquotedirect

Texting while driving is dangerous due to the fact that it forces you to pay less attention to the road both physically and mentally, which is why it is illegal in the UK. Therefore, most road users now use a hands-free or Bluetooth kit in their cars so they can speak on their phone while still keeping their hands on the wheel. More and more companies are coming up with ways for drivers to use their mobile phones safely on the road, including the introduction of ‘voice-to-text’ software that writes out a text from what you say out loud. Continue reading →

Crouch End police car crash wrecks florist shop

Posted on April 12, 2013 by motorquotedirect

A police armed response car on an emergency call swerved off the road and smashed into a florist shop causing thousands of pounds in damage.

Witnesses said the police car which was supposedly “full of weapons and guns” careered off the road into an Audi, which caused both cars to end up inside the Crouch End shop. Although the damage to the Audi wasn’t too severe, even in these situations you need to make sure you have a valid motor insurance policy on your vehicle.

If the driver was to have Fully Comprehensive cover on his vehicle, which is the highest level of cover it would insure against the cost of repairing or replacing the car if it’s involved in an accident, regardless of blame. Whereas, if he were to have Third Party & Theft cover his vehicle would only be fully covered in the case of a fire or theft. This indicates Fully Comprehensive would have been best for the owner of the Audi.

Florist Matthew Richardson had only just started up the business and is currently abroad planning his wedding and is unaware of the incident which has occurred.

His father said: “They had orders going out for flowers which will not be able to be sent now. Structural engineers are coming round to assess the building. The damage is very bad.” The vehicle came off the road after a collision with another car and hurtled into the shop in Crouch End at 8.50pm.

Mr Richardson said last night: “According to witnesses, the collision was the police’s fault. There was a police car and a black saloon car inside the shop; however the police car was full of weapons.

“We do not the full story as we were not there. Although the police said it’s a crime scene and taped of the area off.”

Homes above the shop, The Urban Flower Company, were evacuated quickly because of potential cracks in the building. Five people were assessed by ambulance staff but none needed any serious or hospital treatment.

The driver of the Audi which was involved in the mighty collision with the police car was left startled with a graze to his hand and bruises on his body. Steven Shaw added: “I was turning right and the police car smashed into my car. I am a bit shaken up from the hit but it could have been a lot worse.”