ADVANCE Spring 2012

NThe official magazine of Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists and Motorcyclists

D E

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1 What’s on? See what are events are planned for the near futureEasier access to IAM web site There’s a new portal for IAM membersto gain access to the IAM web site.

2 The Chairman’s comments The thoughts of Graeme McColmRace night 2012 MC Stewart C reports on the 2012 Race Night

3 Motorcycle Chief Observer’s Diary What’s going on inside theChief’s helmet?

4 On-line version of ADVANCE Our group magazine is availableon-line - it’s bigger and all in colour - and you are reading it now!The rise of the app Peter Rodger, IAM chief examiner comments onmobile apps and driving.

5 Autolink, keeping the traffic flowing insight into maintenance of theM74: J12 to the Scottish border

6 Real Motorcycle Territory Clint Smith’s views on motorcycling tour-ism in our region.

8 Changes afoot for observers New observer training is on the cardsfor the future.

9 Annual General Meeting Info about the AGM - all welcome13 Tyres - just what do they do? Find out what tyres do (including the

obvious) and how tyre wear affects perfprmance.14 The Secretary Reports Just what it says.15 Five star cars, three star roads, one star drivers The IAM is

renewing its call on the government to make driving on rural A-roadsa mandatory part of the driving test.

16 Where, when and why are people killed on rural roads? On anaverage day, 9 people die on Britain’s roads; 6 of them on rural roads.

17 Motorway services – show them no merci Are you shelling out upto 40% more for everyday items than you would on the high street?

18 OBSERVER’S CORNER - It’s behind you! A look at how to deal withother road users who follow too closely?

20 Times are changing or are they? Time to change the clocks.Road to success Alastair Kean’s thoughts about ‘Skill for Life’

21 IAM Policy and research Find out what the IAM said at the House ofCommons on the subject of road safety.

25 Advertiser’s Wall Find out who supports us and this edition of themagazine.

ADVANCE Spring 2012 Contents













































































JOHN F. BLACK

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

MOTOR ENGINEERS

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

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

http://www.buccleucharmshotel.com

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Group Committee Members for 2011/12Group President: Tommy Jardine

To get in touch call the Secretary 07707 035518or use the group e-mail address:

[email protected]

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Chair,Chief Obs

Graeme McColm

Vice Chair Jamie WoodSecretary Helen Cameron 07707 035518Treasurer Russell WearsM/c Coordntr Phil SayersNews Dist. Christine DonaldsonEvents Stewart CameronCommittee Anne Lind

Andy CampbellNeil MartyniukAndrew BirdSheena TraillElaine PatersonClint Smith

What’s on? - check for details & late changes at www.iamdumfries.org.uk

16 April *NOTE CHANGED DATE*- Visit to Border Skoda, Heathhall, Dumfries. Time:6.30 for 6.45. We will be able to see the Skoda/Hyundai/Toyota range with specialemphasis on Toyota Hybrids. Tea/ Coffee/ Juice and light refreshments will be available.14 May - Annual General Meeting - all members & associates welcome.Meetings: Aberdour Hotel, 16 Newall Terr. DG1 1LW, 7:30pm unless otherwise stated

This magazine was publishedby the Dumfries & Galloway

Group ofAdvanced Motorists &

Motorcyclists.For more details of our activities

see our web site at:


Contact theGroup Secretary:

[email protected]

Facebook: Dumfries & GallowayIAM (Motorcycles) Group

Magazine contributions to:[email protected]

Disclaimer: The views expressedin this magazine are those of thecontributors and not necessarilythose of the Editor, Group or theInstitute of Advanced Motorists, towhich the Group is affiliated. RegCharity No. SC 023511

Easier access to IAM websiteIn response to member feedback the IAM hasrecently created a new member’s landing pageon their web site. The idea is to give easieraccess to member services including benefits,e-shop and member forums etc. You can alsouse this area to update your profile and renewyour membership. To get there go towww.iam.org.uk/members

Copy dates 2012Latest date for submissions of articles for the next issue : 10 August 2012

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© Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists2

The Chairman’s comments - Graeme McColm

Welcome to the Spring edition of Advance, our magazine.Firstly let me congratulate everybody who has passed theirtest since our last issue.

We had a good turnout at the annual Race Night in Febru-ary despite some members having commitments elsewhere. I would like tothank MC Stewart, and Helen Cameron for all their hard work and alsoeverybody else who helped out on the night.

These events can only run if we get support from everybody, please attendevents as often as possible and bring along friends and family to support us.You can check the Group web site and our Facebook pages for up to dateinformation about events. If you have any ideas for events or fund-raisersplease get involved and give us your ideas.

May sees the Group AGM. I’m asking members to come along please be-cause the AGM is important to the running of the Group. Like most clubs thereis a danger that the same few people represent the group year on year. Whilstwe have a great group of people on the committee I am aware that there areother members who could join us and help make a difference. So to be clearwe not only welcome new people joining the committee but also we want tohear from those of you with ideas even if you don’t feel committee membershipis for you. Talk to a committee member or call Helen Cameron who also hasNomination Forms available - see the AGM Notice on page 11.

Advanced driving and riding is for all. Irrespective of age or ability a ‘Skill forLife’ course is a must. Please remember if you are looking for an alternativegift you can’t beat giving someone a ‘Skill for Life’ see centre page advert.

Now Spring has arrived I hope everybody will be able to get out and abouteither in the car or by motorbike, but please remember to stay safe.Race night 2012The Race Night held atthe Aberdour Hotel forthe second year run-ning was a financialsuccess. We raised inthe region of £400 forGroup funds.

All horses and races were sponsored in advance of the evening, a first andhopefully not a last, which makes the job of the organiser a great deal easier.


Disappointingly only about 40 people attended the evening although around50 had indicated they would be coming. Despitethis everyone enjoyed the event and I have to thankall the punters for putting their hands in their pock-ets to make the event a fun evening. As well as theracing a super buffet was laid on by the hotel.

The Race Night has been one of the main fundraisers for the last few years and it may be that adifferent or additional event should be consideredgoing forward to freshen up the interest of themembers of the group. Any suggestions would bemost welcome and should be conveyed to theCommittee for their deliberation.

Motorcycle Chief Observer’s Diary - Graeme McColm

First of all well done to all those associates who ventured out in the winter andcontinued to prepare for their advanced test, thanks also go to the observers.

There is not a lot to report since we last went to print, the weather has beenmild and there has been a small group of observers and members who havebeen enjoying the Sunday mornings, weather permitting. Those members whohave been enjoying the Sunday runs throughout the winter welcome beingjoined by more of you. As the nights get lighter and the weather warmer welook forward to the events planned for the coming months.

Our annual Toy Run took place again in December and was a success. Thetoys donated were handed over to the Social Work Department for localchildren of our region. The Easter Egg run is being held this year on Saturday31 March. Check our Facebook pages for further details (see page 1).

The next ride out has been scheduled for Sunday 1 April. They are plannedto continue on the first Sunday in the month until the autumn. Any suggestionsas to destinations would be gratefully received. As mentioned several eventsare being planned; as we go to print a Curry Night has been organised by theobservers and Slow Manoeuvrability events are being discussed - these arevery popular and well attended. Other events in our are being worked on - youcan check the group web site or our Facebook pages for details. The nationalIAM web site will give you details of events outwith the region.

Motorcycle observers are now meeting regularly to organise these events andto discuss ideas on promoting the motorcycle side of our group. If you haveany good ideas please don’t hesitate to tell us. New associates have beensigned up already this year but if you know of anybody who would benefit froma ‘Skill for Life’ course please get in touch.

One happy punter!


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Advanced driving and riding is for all and no matter age or ability a ‘Skill forLife’ course is a must. So get signed up or recommend us to friends and family.

Hopefully the weather will now pick up and we’ll have spring sunshine to enjoyand many more skills will be handed down by our experienced observers.

Remember to keep safe.

The rise of the appThe prevalence of new technology means millions of drivers now have accessto Apple’s new voice-controlled SIRI service but is it safe for drivers to use itbehind the wheel?

‘Confused.com’ recently asked Peter Rodger, IAM chief examiner if SIRI, orother new mobile-phone technology, poses any road-safety risks. His view isthat hands-free technology like SIRI is not the problem, it’s the driver’s attitude.

“If taking hands away from the steering wheel were the problem then manualgearboxes would have been made illegal and we’d all be driving automatics.It’s what you’re doing with your brain that’s the problem,” he says.

“There’s a distraction involved with mobile phones because they take awaythe visual element. You always see people walking about with their phone,they tend not to sit and have a conversation and there must be a reason forthat, because they’re distracted.”

On-line version of ADVANCEOur group magazine is availableon-line - it’s bigger and all in colour.If you have not received e-mailnotification about the publishing ofthis issue it may be that we do nothave a valid e-mail address foryou.

Please let Christine Donaldson([email protected])know your e-mail address and she’llmake sure you know when the mag-azine is published and also keepyou up to date about events.

There are over 20 back issues available on-line, just look for the links on ourgroup web site or go to: http://issuu.com/dandg_adv_motorists_mcyclists

See what’s on our shelves


Despite new technology sparking road safety fears Rodger says the currentlaw in the UK is sufficient: “The law already exists and actually is very good.But all sorts of laws need better enforcement. Most of us abide by the law butwe need to see action being taken against those that don’t.”

“It doesn’t matter what they invent people will find a way to use it to suit themso it’s very difficult to keep up with.” Source: Confused.com

Autolink, keeping the traffic flowingThe November meeting provided an interesting insight into maintenance of theM74: J12 to the Scottish border. Rob McLennan, General Manager at AutolinkConcessionaires spoke about the day to day duties of its contract to look afterthis 90 km section of road.

Work encompasses everything from winter gritting through maintaining bound-ary fences and crash barriers, litter picking, cleaning drains to cutting thegrass. In addition sections of the carriageway require reconstruction from timeto time and they are responsible for carrying out these works along with thetraffic management.

It has to monitor the condition of everything between the boundary fences andso have to carry out regular condition surveys of not just the road surface butsigns, structures, drains and even ditches.

Autolink, as part of its remit, is responsible for dealing with emergencies suchas accidents and all following aspects aimed at getting the road back up andrunning. Its performance is monitored by regular audits and a significantelement of the payment made for its services is calculated as a result of therecorded traffic flow through its section of the M74.


Real Motorcycle Territory - Clint Smith

I got to thinking the other day about whatconstitutes good motorcycle riding, whatmakes riding pleasurable and what to lookfor to make a better riding experience. Is itthe people, is it the roads, the bike, theweather, or is it the culture? It is probablyall of these things and more. Somethingspecial, vibrant, the exhilaration thatmakes you feel alive and free. That specialfeeling when you know that you’ve hit thesweet spot on a bend or just ridden that

perfect line. That weird thing that happens when you ride in the rain and stillhave a smile from ear to ear. That instant camaraderie amongst fellow riders.That good feeling that comes along when you have avoided a potential mishapby being alert, aware and responsive. I suppose everyone has their own ideasof what makes riding so different and so special.

My deliberations made me think that perfect riding and indeed pleasurableriding means different things to all of us at different times. It is a given thatgood riding skills are crucial and will enhance any riding experience as will theresultant confidence in the bike. On the other hand what I do know, is thatDumfries & Galloway has some of the most perfect riding territory, comparableto some of the best in the world. Wide open spaces, twisties, ups and downs,valleys, mountain ranges, passes and hundreds of miles of quiet roads.Nirvana! You bet.

It is no surprise that our region is growingin popularity to bikers throughout Europe.Check out any motorcycle (touring) forumand it won’t be long before you comeacross a mention of our area. Three orfour years ago a number of riders choseto stop at this region rather than travelfurther north, they discovered the motor-cycle bounty and have shared thisthrough the Internet. Result! We have seen motorcycle tourism growth herevirtually doubling every year. Articles can now be found in many Europeanpublications extolling the virtues of this region for the motorcyclist. This isalmost certain to increase in the years to come. We have been found out.Exposed! We can no longer keep this to ourselves. The very quietness of ourregion in general tourism terms is our strength in motorcycle tourist terms.Without doubt the motorcycle tourism product will become richer and fuller as

Enjoying what our Region has to offer

Camaraderie at the Beef Tub


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businesses understand the requirements of the motorcycling tourist and moreimportantly when they understand the profile of today’s motorcyclist.

The public, in general, need to be enlight-ened as to the profile of the motorcyclist.Too many people out of ignorance andrecent history still believe in the dayswhen all motorcyclists were gangsters organgsters in waiting. They are often intim-idated by their very leather clad presencein the streets. This does all of us a greatdisservice which needs to be addressed.The enlightened are aware of the transfor-mation that has occurred in motorcyclingover the past 10 to 15 years, and we needto share that knowledge at every turn. Itwas only a very short three years ago thatI recall popping into an hotel in all mymotorcycle finery to be told that they werefull, whilst a very good friend of minewalked into the hotel 10 minutes later (incivvies) and booked us four rooms. Wewere the only guests in the hotel thatnight. We have all had that or similar experiences.

Whilst we have come a very long way in a very short time, I am concerned thatlarge numbers of motorcyclists walking down the streets in leathers carryinghelmets are still an intimidating sight for those not in the know. MotorcycleTourism will be fantastic for this region and we need to ensure that ourGeneral Population is ready and dare I say “prepared” for it.

The friendliness of our region, the great roads (hundreds of miles of them), thebeautiful, magnificent and diverse scenery, the wide open spaces, the cleanair and great craic. I think that is what makes riding great. That is what we canshare with fellow riders and with the public in general.

Dumfries and Galloway needs a hook, something special, something thatmakes people want to come here and stopover,something to put a halt to the tourist travellingthrough the region without stopping over.Could motorcycle tourism be that something? Ibelieve that motorcycle tourism is somethingthat we in Dumfries & Galloway can get a firmgrip of. So, enough deliberations let’s get riding!

http://www.motorcyclescotland.com


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Changes afoot for observersLate last year your group took part in a consultation on the future of observerqualifications. It is thought, by the IAM, that the time has come to revise andupdate the system for qualifying observers.

The new system’s aims are:

~To create an opportunity for those who have acquired the skills involved inobserving to obtain a qualification acknowledged outside the IAM

~To create a more positive image of the IAM as a whole, reflecting the realitybetter externally.

~To allow us to better explain the capabilities of observers, who are some-times seen as “only amateurs” .

The IAM centrally (as opposed to the groups) will pay the fee to the awardingbody for the qualification of your observers under this new scheme, removingthe existing £30 fee for the Senior Observer Test once the new scheme is inplace.

The proposal is two levels of observer qualification, which will replace theexisting two levels (Group Qualified and Senior Observers). There is a propos-al to develop a further, higher level in the future – and there is also a need torecognise that there are group members who are under training to qualify asobservers.

The new qualifications are written in the style of competency statements.Those familiar with NNQ/SVQ style qualifications will recognise the style; forthose not familiar with the format, the qualifications contain a series of state-ments each of which the candidate must be successfully assessed against.

One area will trial the new system this year to iron out any problems.

Scotspeed offer IAM Members 10% discount on many items at their Dumfries shop.This offer does not apply to sale items, special offers, workshop servicing or bikesales. See the advert inside the back cover for more information.



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Annual General MeetingNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by order of the Group Committee that the AnnualGeneral Meeting of “Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcy-clists” will be held at 19:30 on Monday 14 May 2012 at the Aberdour Hotel,Dumfries, to enable the Trustees of the Group (Registered Charity No. SC 023511)to present their Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March2012 for approval by the Group Members and to conduct an election.

Issued by: Secretary: Helen Cameron; Contact: 07707 035518; Group No6071; e-mail: [email protected] - 09 March 2012.

All Members, Associates and Friends are invited to attend but only Fully PaidUp Members of the IAM and of the Group may vote.

A Member entitled to vote at the General Meeting may appoint a proxy to votein his stead. A proxy need not be a Full Member of the Group.CURRENT OFFICERS: All Officers retire annually but offer themselves forre-election. (Group Rule 3.4)Chair: Graeme McColm - Offering to stand for re electionVice Chair: Jamie Wood - Offering to stand for re electionSecretary: Helen Cameron - Offering to stand for re election -unless anyonewishes to do it!Treasurer: Russell Wears - Offering to stand for re election

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: One third of the Committee (excluding Officers)must retire annually and may offer themselves for re-election. (Group Rule 3.4)A. RETIRING BY ROTATION AND STANDING FOR RE-ELECTION:Christine Donaldson and Andrew BirdB. RETIRING BY ROTATION AND NOT STANDING FOR RE-ELECTION:Maureen HewittC. COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT RETIRING & NUMBER OF YEARS REMAINING:Elaine Marshall (1 yr), Sheena Traill (1 yr), Andy Campbell (1 yr), Phil sayers(2 yrs) Clint Smith (2 yrs), Stewart Cameron (2 yrs) and Anne Lind (2 yrs).NOTE: The total number of Committee Members including the Officers must notexceed twenty. See the Nomination Form (available from the Secretary) for details,which must be returned by 9 am 2 May 2012. Group Rules and the Minutes of the May2011 AGM are available on the Group web site or may be requested, from theSecretary, at least seven days in advance of the date for the AGM.IMPORTANTThe Group belongs to its Members and it will benefit from your input at the AGM and/oryour participation on the committee, if you are able to help. Any full Member of thegroup wishing to help the group by volunteering to be a member of the committeeshould let the Secretary know in advance of the date for return of nomination papersso that a Nomination Form can be raised.

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Tyres - just what do they do?Tyres have four primary functions which have a direct impact on vehicleperformance and safety, they are:

1) To contain pressurised air. This affects most aspects of tyre performance -cornering, braking, acceleration, comfort, service life, noise and rolling resistance.

2) Transmission of braking and traction forces - the tyres are the only contactpoints with the ground and they enable you to go and slow.

3) Tyres provide directional stability letting you keep in a straight line or meetthe driver’s expectations when turning a corner.

4) Tyres when correctly inflated supplement the suspension system andshould act in harmony with the suspension. Tyres are air filled springs.

Tyres have to provide the driver with fast steering response, grip on a varietyof road surfaces and operate efficiently in all weather conditions.

That’s a tall order and some tyres are better at some aspects of performancethan others. Of course many elements of tyre performance are related tomaintenance and driving style.

Manufacturers cannot design a tyre which will perform equally well for factorsoutside their control e.g. when poorly inflated or when subject to overloading.

As advanced drivers we can ensure a vehicle is correctly maintained andoperate it within safe limits so allowing the tyre to maximise its performance.

In the past few years the British Rubber Manufacturers Association have com-missioned the Motor Industry Research Association to carry out tests on theperformance of tyres in a variety of situations and conditions to determine theeffect tyre wear has on the performance of tyres. These tests included brakingand cornering on various surfaces in both wet and dry conditions.

The results of such tyres tests can never be totally definitive because there isa difference in performance of a particular tread pattern dependant on tyresize and the type of vehicle it is fitted to. What however is more easilymeasured is the reduction in performance, as a tyre wears, for any particularvehicle.

Interestingly stopping distance increased significantly more, in percentageterms, for higher performance vehicles than say a family hatchback. Through-out the tests it was clear that below 3.5mm of remaining tread depth the rateof deterioration in tyre performance accelerates noticeably.

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Ultimately there is no easy way of determining what would be considered asafe or unsafe tread depth as it will differ according to driving style, roadconditions, driver ability, tyre size and vehicle performance characteristics.However what the tests revealed was that in wet conditions, at the legal limitof 1.6mm, the average performance of a tyre is only in the order of 55% of thatof a new tyre. At 3mm the average performance is in the order of 75%.

So once your tyres getdown to 3mm you mightwant to consider replacingthem or at the very leastdrive in the knowledgethat their performance willbe significantly reducedand getting worse as theyfurther wear.

Sources: Continental TyreGroup / MIRA report – ‘An In-vestigation into the Effects ofTyre Tread Depth on WetRoad Braking and CorneringPerformance'

1.6mm - 55% performance



New - 100% performance

The Secretary Reports - Helen Cameron

Another year has flown by and we are now entering the busy period for newmembers and associates. Recently our group numbers have fallen slightly andit is greatly appreciated that we have a good core of dedicated members tohelp keep the group afloat.

We have had a busy events winter with good speakers. Unfortunately thenumbers at meetings could be higher. We had another successful race night,thanks to all who supported it, both before the event and on the night. Myhorse is still running!

Hopefully you will get this magazine in time to see the details of the garagevisit in April, the date of which has been moved to avoid Easter. Rememberyou can always check the web site for the latest details.

We continue to process Drive Checks for young people referred to us by theProcurator Fiscal, some of whom have gone on to take ‘Skill for Life’ courses.These Drive Checks attract a fee which we are using to refund ‘Skill for Life’fees for the under 25s once they have passed the advanced test. We hope tobe able to continue this scheme whilst funds remain available.

Tread depth v Tyre Performance


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.

We have had a quiet observing spell over the winter only coaching a fewcandidates. I would like to congratulate the following new members who havepassed the IAM test - Amelia Wears (Obs: Helen Cameron), Gordon Smith(Obs: Peter Dodds), Alastair Kean (Obs: Graham W), Karen Court (M/c team).Five star cars, three star roads, one star drivers - IAM

The IAM is renewing its call on the government to make driving on ruralA-roads a mandatory part of the driving test.

IAM research shows that 82 per cent of rural fatal and serious casualties areon single carriageway roads compared with just 18 per cent on motorways anddual carriageway roads*.

However the current driving test fails to take this into account. While goodinstructors understand that experience on a wide variety of roads in differentconditions gives young people the best chance of survival, all too many merelyeducate up to the existing test standard. Knowledge of parking, emergencystops and low speed manoeuvres is important but dealing with high speedcorners, bad weather, and overtaking are far more vital skills.

The recent report from the IAM The fast and the curious*1, found that newdrivers themselves felt unprepared for real life scenarios and would welcomeextra help.

The IAM has written to the road safety minister to outline its views on how itbelieves the government should tackle deaths and accidents of the highestrisk group on our roads, young drivers. This starts with improving the drivingtest to include training on our most dangerous roads – single-carriagewayrural A-roads.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “More than half the cars on our roadsare rated as four or the maximum five star in European safety tests, and thefigure is even higher for new cars. Our roads are also getting safer in design.

“But the roads where drivers, especially young drivers, are most frequentlykilled and injured are still not consistently part of the driving test. The minister



recently announced young drivers would be allowed to use motorways whenaccompanied by an instructor, but it is single carriageway A-roads where thereal problem lies.

“Driver and rider error is a contributory factor in two thirds of accidents*3. Wecan only improve our cars and roads so far. The challenge now is to improvethe humans that drive them, to continue our outstanding record of road safety.”

Where, when and why are people killed on rural roads?On an average day, nine peopledie on Britain’s roads; six of themare killed on rural roads. But whyare roads in the countryside thebiggest killers; what are the ingre-dients in those crashes that makethem more dangerous than roadsin towns and cities; what are thecommon factors that point to thecauses?

The IAM Motoring Trust askedroad safety researcher Jean Hop-kin to find out by looking at theofficial data of over a quarter of amillion fatal and serious injurycrashes over the six years, be-tween 2000 and 2005. Her exten-sive analysis compares all therelevant factors of crashes on ru-ral roads in England, Wales andScotland.

Two-thirds of fatal and serious ca-sualties on rural roads happen on

60 or 70 mph speed limit non-motorway roads. No matter how skilled andconscientious the driver, the determinants of death, serious or slight injurieson these roads are the impact speed, the EuroNCAP “star rating” of the car,and what the car hits.

Car manufacturers have invested heavily in crash protection so that today newcars are driven out of the showroom with 4 or 5– star crash protection ratings.But not even a 5-star car can protect its occupants in a crash on a 1-star ruralroad; most are sub-standard in safety and crash protection making thempotentially lethal when things go wrong.


But that is now changing. The new science and engineering of “road protec-tion” can make roads more forgiving when a crash happens. The road authoritysafety engineers in England, Wales and Scotland have the skills to transformthe safety of Britain’s rural roads. Without political support and the resourcesthey can’t do it, but with them hundreds of lives and ten times as manydisabling injuries would be saved every year.

The IAM Motoring Trust welcomes a debate on the facts and the issues thatJean Hopkin’s analysis presents. Please let us know what you think should bedone to reduce deaths and injuries on Britain’s rural roads.

Motorway services – show them no merci - IAM

Drivers continue to part with more cash for everyday items at motorwayservice areas, shelling out up to 40 per cent more for everyday items than theywould on the high street.

A large Snickers bar costs 90 pence from a motorway service area comparedto 68 pence from a high street branch – 32 per cent more – while a regularcoffee costs 16 per cent more on the motorway. A packet of McCoys crispswas almost 45 per cent more expensive than a shop on the high street, and apacket of Walkers crisps was marked up by 36 per cent.

With petrol prices averaging about ten pence per litre more than at off-motor-way forecourts the IAM is calling for a complete review of motorway prices,together with filling stations being forced to advertise their and their competi-tors’ fuel prices, as is the case in France.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “We must end this motorway madness.Everything from sweets to petrol have an outrageous mark up.

“Our advice for tired motorists is always to take your rest break and have acoffee to help you freshen up. The danger is that rip-off prices will discouragepeople from getting the rest they need. Parking fines for drivers who sleep forlonger than two hours put people off taking rest breaks.”

Product High St Price Motorway Ser-vice Difference

Regular cafeAmericano £1.90 £2.20 15.8%

Regular hotchocolate £2.40 £2.80 16.7%

Walkers cheese &onion 70p 95p 35.7%


It’s behind you!One question observers are often asked is how to deal with other road userswho follow too closely?

It may well be that as a driver progresses through their advanced drivingcourse he or she starts to hone their observation skills, becomes more awareof speed limits, their speed and the actions of others. Maybe before theystarted the course they were happy with an occasional glance in the mirror butnow with a more systematic mirror regime they are more aware of drivers whofollow too closely.

There could be two as-pects to the identifica-tion of a vehiclefollowing too closelybehind; firstly the psy-chological effects onyou and secondly thepractical course of ac-tion you can take todeal safely with the sit-uation. Whilst manypeople’s reactionmight be to hold theirspeed and line and notgive way to bullying tactics, sometimes it might be best to do just that - wouldyou rather have the errant driver in front or behind you?

In all probability the following driver is just unwise, inattentive and not antici-pating what could happen and hence does not bear a personal grudge againstyou. If from watching their demeanour this appears not to be the case then itmight be time to consider pulling off and letting the other driver pass - even ifyou do ‘lose your rightful place’. Don’t be tempted to build up your speed, younever know where a speed check or camera might be in action, if there is thenthe following driver would probably be grateful to you for showing restraint!


On a practical front, if necessary, you could gently ease off the speed toincrease the gap in front of you because you now have to think and plan forboth yourself and the driver behind. Try not to fall into the trap of concentratingmainly on the vehicle behind but ensure good forward observation (up andout) is maintained. When you anticipate the need to slow you could startearlier than normal. Perhaps you might also consider starting with very gentleapplication of pressure on the brake pedal (so displaying brake lights as awarning) but without, at first, actually slowing significantly. When you do needto brake start early and very gently, so giving the following driver the maximumamount of time and distance to react. You should avoid the natural temptationto sharply dab on the brakes or use unofficial hand signals since this maycause upset and aggravate the driver behind.

If the actions and/or the demeanour of the following driver really concerns youthen when possible why not move aside - after all isn’t the space between twovehicles shared safety space? On a motorway or dual carriageway you mightbe able to move over quite easily and anyway who wants to be travelling at70mph, in lane 3, with a car just a couple of metres behind?

On a single carriageway, depending on the circumstance, you might be ablepull over to facilitate the following vehicle to overtake or maybe you could turnoff. In rare circumstances you might have a high level of concern about thefollowing driver in which case you might consider choosing to pull off into abusy road or place such as a fuel station or supermarket.

The bottom line is that it is up to you to assess each situation. In most casesthe following driver probably does not recognise the potential consequencesof their actions. After all if there are never any consequences to driving tooclose there might be little incentive to change their manner of driving.


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Times are changing or are they? - Ed

It’s that time of the year again when the tedious bi-annual business of chang-ing the clocks takes place. How long will it be before you manage to work outhow to change the clock in your car, or do you just leave it at the same timethroughout the year? Maybe you don’t need to take any action at all becausemagically your car clock is now correct having been 1 hour out for the previous6 months!

Surely car designers could make changing clocks a little easier? Invariably itis not a simple job and requires perhaps pressing a series of buttons thenover-shooting the required time and having to go through the process onceagain or just accepting that it will be a few minutes out!

I don’t know about you but usually when getting in the car it tends to be for thepurpose of going from A to B. Do you really have time to ponder on the innerworkings of the dashboard or get out the handbook just to change the clock?It is all too easy to put the job off until later and anyway does it really matter ifthe clock is 1 hour out for half the year?

Road to success - Alastair Kean

When I first set off on thisAdvanced Drivingcourse, I thought that myfifty years driving experi-ence without accident orprosecution, both on mo-torcycle and motor car,would make the coursepointless, but I veryquickly realised my skills were lacking to a great extent. After the first observeddrive I was left feeling disappointed with myself - but with the Observer'sperseverance, patience and knowledge, eventually after some months I start-ed to GET THE HANG OF IT - leading on to the passing of my test of 17November 2011.

On the day of the test I was nervous but quite confident that I could carry outthe drive to the standard to which I had been coached. The Examiner startedwith an eye test, carried out so thoroughly that I thought the test was going tostart and end at Cuckoo Bridge! However we got underway and the driveresulted in test success.

My thoughts since the test are that the course has raised my powers ofobservation and has assisted me in anticipating the actions of other drivers. It


Are We New To You?If you are reading this magazine for the first time you may be a new memberof the Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists and Motorcyclists(DGGAMM) or you may know nothing about us. We are a local group affiliatedto the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

DGGAMM is a charity devoted to promoting road safety through its advanceddriving and riding courses. We are a regional organisation with qualifiedAdvanced Driving and Riding Observers who provide guidance to assistdrivers and riders to improve their skills on the road. We also work with andreceive support from other road safety organisations and local businesses.

Our aim is to help drivers and riders improve their skills on the road and sohelp reduce collisions, injuries and deaths on our roads. We promote the IAM‘Skill for Life’ courses throughout the year and you can find out what is entailedby visiting our web site. Well over ninety percent of people who sit the

21

has also led me to have a better working knowledge of the Highway Code androad signs and road markings. Importantly now when faced with a hazard Ihave the tools to more effectively do something about it.

I would recommend an advanced driving course to anyone who wishes toimprove their skills and who wants to ensure that the actions they take whilstdriving are the ones best suited to the circumstances!!

Every time that I get into my car the memory of the course coaching isconstantly with me and hopefully contributes to a safer standard of driving onmy part.

IAM Policy and researchCheck out the Policy and Researchsection of the IAM web site if you wantto know how the IAM get involved inroad safety at a national level.

The House of Commons TransportCommittee (it is charged with scrutinyof the Department for Transport andits policies) has been taking evidence from road user groups and road safetycampaigners as part of an inquiry into the Government’s Strategic Frameworkfor Road Safety. The IAM has been involved and you can see what was saidby viewing the video on the IAM’s web site at: www.iam.org.uk/hearing.

The video is quite long but a transcript can be found www.parliament.uk/.

http://www.iamdumfries.org.uk/index.html


Advanced Test with us are successful. Once a candidate has passed the IAMAdvanced Test, we offer further driving and riding courses leading to qualifica-tions as Observers.

The Group run social nights most months of the year at the Dalston HouseHotel, Dumfries or other nearby locations. These meetings are free to mem-bers and open to anyone who wants to come along and find out more aboutwhat we do. At these meetings we often invite guest speakers to talk on ageneral theme often related to driving or riding and the like. Details of ‘What’son’ can be found on our web site or on page 1 of this magazine.

We are a non-profit making organisation, run entirely by volunteers who givetheir time freely to help achieve our aims. To find out more contact the GroupSecretary or visit our web site - see page 1 for details.

About the IAM1. The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) directly influences the driving andriding of around 100,000 full members in the UK and Ireland. Established in1956, the IAM is today best known for the advanced driving test and theadvanced driving course, which is available to car, motorcycle and commer-cial licence holders.

The IAM has grown to become the UK’s largest independent road safetycharity, dedicated to raising driving standards, engaging with the road-usingpublic and influencing road safety policy. The commercial division of the IAMoperates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive.

2. The IAM is supported by over 200 affiliated volunteer groups around thecountry, that help to provide valuable advanced driver and rider coaching inpreparation for the Advanced Test. They also provide a strong local voice topromote road safety.

3. A 2010 report from Nottingham University found that IAM trained motorcy-clists adopted safer road positions, but still maintained faster progress throughbends than non-IAM trained riders.

4. A 2006 report by Brunel University, following an 18-month study, concludedthat “advanced driver training produces safer drivers and lower accidentinvolvement”, with measurable improvements in knowledge, skills and attitude.

5. The IAM now embrace cyclists and has a cycling membership categoryalongside those of motorists and motorcyclists. In 2010, the IAM introduced acycle training programme including a new guide “How to be a Better Cyclist”.

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http://www.iam.org.uk

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ADVANCED DRIVING & RIDING - IT’S A SKILL FOR LIFE

Interested in improving your skills?We can help, why not find out more?Visit our web site, e-mail or call uson 07707 035518 - see page 1

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ADVANCE Spring 2012