Messing-up your A-levels / BTECs won’t kill you; messing-up on the road just might!

In this video we explore the conflicting demands on a young person’s time and where ‘Learning to Drive’ is perceived in the priority ranking by our society. Colleges do Academic / Vocational, Sports Clubs do Fitness & ‘Team Player’; both organisations come together to do mourning of another 15 - 24 year old driver / passenger statistic. We delegate Driver Development to Black Boxes & Telematics, giving parents an at-a-glance view of their child’s driving on their phone screen…

Today is a torrentially rainy day, and I have woken up thankful that I no longer have to stand on a cold touch-line watching my son play football! On this rainy Saturday sport’s ‘off-side rule’ will be coached far more extensively & passionately than *driving’s ‘off-side rule’ (*Advanced).

I diligently studied A-Level Chemistry at age 17/18 yet, despite finding myself working for ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) some years later, haven’t really used this knowledge since the day I walked out of the exam hall. I have relied on my driver training almost every single day since passing my L-Test in the same year as passing my A-Levels.

Driving, a skill for LIFE!

The four young lads who tragically lost their lives in a car in Wales a few weeks ago were, reportedly, trying to drive through torrential rain conditions. Their College Principal explained that the pain their college community felt was made even more intense coming just a few weeks after the death of another student on a motorbike.


⚠️AQUAPLANING RISK⚠️

Whether by traditional ‘Academic endeavour’ or contemporary ‘nouse’ (UK definition) YouTube poster ‘Sparkles‘ had amassed enough personal wealth to find himself driving a Lamborghini Supercar. In his thought provoking post, which I would encourage all young drivers to watch, he highlights a point I make in my “Fifteen to Twenty-Four” video, namely that in driving:
“You don’t know, what you don’t know!”

My ‘Grocery Getter’ Ford Focus training car is probably more representative of the cars driven by many young drivers. ‘Sparkles’ talks about the importance of Tyre tread depth in his video, and the narrower 215mm (A-wet rated) tyres on our Focus would actually be less prone to Aquaplane than the wider tyres found on a Lamborghini, or the rear engined Porsches which tragically left that poorly drained road. At timecode 17 minutes of MY video, where I have backed off because of the conditions (and to exit), note the sheet of water which dumps a ‘bucket full’ of water onto my windscreen as the car+roofbox passes me. At higher speeds, with lower tread tyres, that is where you would Aquaplane.

Relating that back to our initial discussion on The Highway Code Rule 126, relative to Sport’s Off-side Rule, it highlights that one rule of any “game” can’t be viewed in abstract; Rule 126 needs to be contextualised by Rule 125 and the other rules relating to Driving in Adverse Weather Conditions. Something your Black Box telematics report can’t, currently, guide you on - as we illustrate in this drive which was ‘too fast for the conditions’ on occasions!

Understanding the limitations of Telematics: viewed in abstract of the dash cam footage, telematics recorded an incident-free drive of 42 miles / 1h 13 minutes. It gives no context of weather conditions, proximity to other vehicles, etc. While unquestionably a very useful driver development tool, regular in-car check-ins for novice drivers are really important.

‘Driver Development’ modules or full ‘Advanced Driving’ courses are offered, very cost effectively, by the Road Safety Charities IAM RoadSmart or RoSPA. You attend in your own car & feedback is given to you on your driving by highly trained volunteer ‘Advanced Driver’ Observers.

Amy K gives her ‘young person’ perspective on this post L-Test, ‘Advanced’ training:

Video references:

Roadcraft

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The artwork files for the, tragically titled ‘Fatal Four’, icons used in this video are available for copyright free download, along with guidelines on how A-level Colleges, Sports clubs and other community groups & events can use them for the promotion of safer road use amongst society’s highest risk group, 15 - 24 young drivers, riders & passengers.

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Celebrating ‘First Job’ interview success for my daughter this week! THANK YOU, once again, Colin her A-Level Biology coach and all the other Educators who helped her to achieve this career objective. I hope her Driver Education will keep her safe while commuting to, and for, this new role during this busy and exciting new phase of her life!
Driving - a skill for LIFE!

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The most common cause of Brake ‘Failure’ is getting something wedged beneath the brake pedal*. Top Tip: Secure sports drinks bottles securely, and keep your car tidy!
*Source: ‘How to Drive’, Ben Collins (A.K.A. ‘The Stig’), p. 245

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‘The habit of driving too close to the vehicle in front, or tailgating, shows why we tend not to recognise or change risky behaviour. This is one of the commonest causes of vehicle collisions. But because risky actions like this don’t always end in a collision, they quickly become bad habits which increase the chances that one day the driver will crash’. Roadcraft, the Advanced Driving Handbook (2013 edition) page 8.

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“This is an awful tragedy but we know of many others very similar, ” said Lucy Straker, campaigns manager for the road safety charity Brake. “But we don’t have any movement from the government. If you know there’s an issue, why aren’t we doing something to stop it?”

The statistics are stark. In 2022 in Britain, about a fifth of all fatal or serious injury crashes involved young people. Young male car drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured than over-25s.

“We want to make sure the age group isn’t blamed, because it’s not their fault, ” said Straker. “There’s a lot of work on brain chemistry around that age – you are taking risks. Coupled with not having the driving experience, it’s a perfect storm. Too many young people are losing their lives. It’s a tragedy for their families, for communities, for colleges, for everyone.”

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Playing team sports 🏉 ⚽️ 🏏 🏑 🏀 can be helpful at developing hand & feet coordination. Also “eye glancing behaviour” and wide angle scanning, rather than a fixed position stare, essential transferable skills which can be applied & hones to Driving’s Hazard Perception.

However, be aware of the risks associated with travelling with multiple team mates, both in terms of the Driver Distraction they bring to the car, and also the effects of their physical weight on how a small first car handles. Check your tyre pressures before every Away Game, and check the correct pressure for carrying multiple passengers in your car’s owner’s Handbook.

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⚠️ AQUAPLANING RISK ⚠️
Whether by traditional ‘Academic endeavour’ or contemporary ‘nouse’ (UK definition) YouTube poster ‘Sparkles‘ had amassed enough personal wealth to find himself driving a Lamborghini Supercar. In this thought provoking post, which I would encourage all young drivers to watch, he highlights a point I make in my “15 to 24” video, namely that in driving: “You don’t know, what you don’t know!”

We will never know how ‘Sparkles’ would have driven that stretch of Autobahn had he been first out of the hotel car park that morning; but his knowledge-gap could have proved costly in more than just, insured, monetary terms!

My ‘Grocery Getter’ Ford Focus training car is probably more representative of the cars driven by many young drivers. ‘Sparkles’ talks about the importance of Tyre tread depth in his video, and the narrower 215mm (A-wet rated) tyres on our Focus would actually be less prone to Aquaplane than the wider tyres found on a Lamborghini, or the rear engined Porsches which tragically left the poorly drained road.

At timecode 17 minutes of my video, where I have backed off because of the conditions (and to exit), note the sheet of water which dumps a ‘bucket full’ of water onto my windscreen as a car passes me. At higher speeds, with lower tread tyres, that is where you would Aquaplane!

I hope you find this information useful.

Relating it back to our initial discussion on The Highway Code Rule 126, relative to Sport’s Off-side Rule, it highlights that one rule of any “game” can’t be viewed in abstract; Rule 126 needs to be contextualised by Rule 125, and the other rules relating to Driving in Adverse Weather Conditions. Something your Black Box telematics report can’t, currently, guide you on - as we illustrate in this drive which was ‘too fast for the conditions’ on occasions.

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As I demonstrate in THIS video, Black Box telematics take no account of prevailing weather conditions, nor proximity to other vehicles, as long as the inputs are smooth. And yet contemporary research encourages us to think differently to engage TODAY’S 15 - 24 year olds:

Elizabeth Box, research director at the RAC foundation, said young driver safety was as serious a public health concern as drug abuse or knife crime.

“The research tells us there are many ways in which we can reduce death and serious injury within this at-risk group, and they have been shown to work in other countries. The issue now is not analysis but political will. We need decision makers to take action.”

Earlier this month, Box published research setting out some of the challenges faced by young people who have recently passed their tests. New drivers, for example, tend not to have the “eye-glancing behaviour” – spotting potential hazards – that more experienced ones have. And newly qualified drivers are up to four times more likely to die in a crash when carrying passengers of the same age than when driving alone.

Box’s research concluded that a traditional road safety campaign that included “shock” tactics could be counter-productive, prompting defensive or hostile responses, especially in boys. It detailed other measures that could help protect young drivers, such as “black boxes” that alert insurance companies and parents to poor driving.

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As a young driver you will inevitably make ‘Rookie Errors’ of judgement on: speed, distance, severity of bend, weather & road conditions, etc.

In this video we used the term “Running-out-of-Road”, in relation to ‘the 2 second rule’ safe following distance (HC Rule 126). Running-out-of-Road describes the situation where you are at maximum braking but realise that you don’t have enough distance in which to stop the car; maybe due to poor observations meaning you started your braking too late, or maybe you were driving too fast for the prevailing road conditions*

At this vital moment in your LIFE, you may discover that you have already made another ‘Rookie Error’ when buying your First Car, or at the Tyre Fitter. As your brakes lock, and you become a ‘passenger’ passively watching as your car slides towards an articulated lorry / tree / child in the road, how much money would you be prepared to pay to buy an 5 extra meters of road in which to stop?!!!

Industry standard braking tests conduct scientific tests on stopping distances in both Dry & Wet conditions. Reading these reviews before investing your money when buying tyres is time well spent; it’s an investment in your safety on the road.

This is the review we referred to having bought our MX-5; the (Chinese) tyres it came fitted with ranking 40 out of the 50 tested!! As the reviewer commented: ‘The bottom ten tyres were deemed UNSAFE by AutoBild, and not recommended for use.’

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Puncture Sealant & Inflator (A-level Chemistry!) review:
In fairness & respect to my inspirational A-level Chemistry Teachers, and my Formulation Chemist ex-colleagues from ICI days, my use of A-level Chemistry didn’t entirely end at the exam room door, as I implied! A cursory retained understanding of Alkanes helped me during the evaluation of these puncture repair sealants, for example, but you wouldn’t want me driving the chemical plant!! This is the point I was making: ‘A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing’, particularly in relation to cars & driving. Or, as I put it, “You don’t know, what you don’t know”. For many years post L-test I drove around in what can best be described as a state of ‘blissful ignorance’ unaware of the potential risks I was driving past, until some ‘Advanced Drivers’ opened my eyes & mind. In much the same way ‘Sparkles’ in his Lamborghini candidly shares his blissful ignorance of Aquaplaning until witnessing tragedy first hand.

Roadcraft, the Advanced Driving Handbook, illustrates this on page 8 of the current edition: ‘The habit of driving too close to the vehicle in front, or tailgating, shows why we tend not to recognise or change risky behaviour. This is one of the commonest causes of vehicle collisions. But because risky actions like this don’t always end in a collision, they quickly become bad habits which increase the chances that one day the driver will crash’.

For the A-Level Chemists in the audience, a deeper explanation of liquid latex and Propane / Butane in a can:

Formulation Chemist explains how Tyre Weld TYPE inflator cans work:
‘The latex emulsion destabilises upon contact with air, coagulating and plugging the hole. The butane / propane propellant inflates the tyre to between 10 and 30psi usually, depending on the size of the puncture and how much leaks out before it seals. The remaining latex in the tyre will remain liquid for quite a time but will eventually form a latex ball in the tyre that will clunk around. It is extremely flammable but risk is extremely low without an ignition source and you should always inform tyre fitter that you have used one. I’m a chemist who has formulated these for other brands which is how I know.’


The finite amount of butane / propane within these cans highlights the importance of rotating the puncture to the bottom/road when using this format product to ‘plug’/block the hole 🕳️ as much as possible to minimise the re-inflation gas escaping before the latex sealant has had chance to seal the hole. Many unsuccessful / negative video reviews show the user not doing this.

The alternative sealant & inflator kits which come with their own air pump clearly give you the option of adding more air to the tyre once a seal has formed over the hole; if you have space to carry these larger/heavier kits.

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Megan’s Story: On Thursday 20 February 2020, 22-year-old Megan Byrne was travelling to her hometown in her car. She had been staying with her boyfriend in Manchester and was on her way to visit some friends for lunch, and then see her mum. Megan had just qualified as a primary school teacher, and this week was half-term.

The weather on Elton Road at Belthorn was poor, with high winds, sleet and rain. As Megan approached a left-hand bend, she lost control of her car, crossed into the opposite lane, and collided with a large family car. Emergency services, including Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Lancashire Constabulary were in attendance but the impact of the crash was so severe Megan died at the scene.

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The paragraph highlighted in yellow highlights 5 key areas that RAC Foundation Research (November 2023) identified as being key to helping young drivers ‘Learn to Drive Safely’. Very useful to understand this on your own driver development journey:

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1. The human brain, and particularly the area of the brain which processes ‘risk’, isn’t fully developed until around age 25. Possibly no surprise, therefore, that 17 - 25 remain the highest risk demographic for KSI collisions (Killed or Serious Injury).

2. Acquisition of substantial driving experience
You can life hack ‘Passing the L-Driving Test’, you can’t life hack ‘Learning to Drive Safely’, that takes time & miles. Book some time with your Accompanying Driver, before rushing to book a test date!

3. The cultivation of essential cognitive skills, such as hazard perception and learning to avoid distractions.
You probably laugh-out-loud if I suggested sitting at the front of the bus and ‘viewing the journey as if you were driving’ to develop your hazard perception skills. Every bus journey engaged in this way is an invaluable, yet FREE, driver development opportunity! My YouTube channel also has hours of FREE dash-cam footage you can watch, as if driving, to develop this skill - either with commentary on listening to me describing the risks I am managing, or volume off THINKING about the risks for yourself:

I regularly hear how ‘kill-joy’ some parents are for only allowing their newly qualified son / daughter to carry one passenger in their car. Call me ‘Mr Kill-Joy’ too, it’s better than killing ‘Joy’, Sally, or Karen in your passenger seat! Refer to Points 1, 2 & 3 above: you don’t know what you don’t know, and will not perceive the very real ‘risks’ in the same way; see also Point 5 below on self-preservation instinct at the wheel.

4. Vehicle Choice & Telematics
I cover my thoughts on choosing a car that suits your individual needs in a fair bit of detail in this video, which also covers my thoughts on Telematics:
The video also highlights how fitting quality A-Wet Rated Tyres to your first car, and maintaining them regularly, can go some way to off-setting your inevitable ‘Rookie Errors’ of judgement on Speed, Distance, Severity of Bend, Weather & Road conditions.
We also talk about ABS braking systems and Electronic Stability Programs, as well as Euro NCAP crash ratings for the day things really don’t go to plan!

5. ‘The Fatal Four’
In the confessional of the L-training car, I get to hear about “the friend, of a friend, who drunk / drug drove home from the party” and didn’t crash….. …..that time!
Or the young-gun who knows the hack to switch-off their Black Box so they can point the speedometer needle at the bigger numbers without ‘the spy in the car’ knowing!!

’Passing the L-Test’ broadly involves: ‘drive in accordance with The Highway Code’s guidance for circa 40 minutes, dealing with the prevailing events you encounter during that time safely’.

As this research highlights, Learning to Drive SAFELY is a little bit more complex and far reaching, and requires an investment of time to truly develop this Skill for LIFE!

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90 seconds future along the road was a patch of standing water deep enough to cause any on those vehicles to lose control (Timecode 17m). Could any of us have stopped in time / DISTANCE if that, wholly foreseeable, scenario had played out? On this occasion, we all ‘got away with it’.

‘The habit of driving too close to the vehicle in front, or tailgating, shows why we tend not to recognise or change risky behaviour. This is one of the commonest causes of vehicle collisions. But because risky actions like this don’t always end in a collision, they quickly become bad habits which increase the chances that one day the driver will crash’.
Roadcraft, the ‘Advanced Driving’ Handbook, 2013 Edition, page 8.

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Why does driving faster make my windshield catch more rain? ☔️

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DVSA L-Test Tyre ‘Tell Me’ Questions:

DVSA Question: ‘Tell me how you’d check the tyres to ensure that they have sufficient tread depth and that their general condition is safe to use on the road’.

DVSA Answer: ‘No cuts and bulges, 1.6mm of tread depth across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tyre, and around the entire outer circumference of the tyre’.

DVSA Question: ‘Tell me where you’d find the information for the recommended tyre pressures for this car and how tyre pressures should be checked’.

DVSA Answer: ‘Manufacturer’s guide, use a reliable pressure gauge, check and adjust pressures when tyres are cold, don’t forget spare tyre, remember to refit valve caps’.

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DEAD WEIGHT
‘We sometimes forget that the most burdensome - and distracting - weight in the car is the passenger. Up to the age of twenty-five, every time you add one, you double the likelihood of having an accident….. …..in small hatchbacks, standard issue as a first car, the combined weight of your passengers has an exponentially negative effect on the vehicle’s ability to handle a corner, or to stop….’

Ben Collin’s words, not mine, published a decade ago ‘How to Drive’, page 189.
Please listen to ‘The Stig’, if not your Driving Instructor, some say he REALLY knows what he is talking about!

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Happy New Year, 2024!

We must all live in our current time and navigate the world as we find it at that moment in time; arming ourselves with enough knowledge to avoid becoming ‘victims of current circumstance’. A car or motorbike remains the thing most likely to end a young person’s life prematurely, or do them Life Changing Injuries (KSI).

Road Safety Campaigner Dave Taylor, MBE, highlighted what was needed to make a difference in the high-risk years of my own novice driving:

1. Compulsory Basic Training for Car Driving
2. A stiffer driving test
3. P-Plates (‘Probationary’ period)

30 years on this November 2023 Guardian Article, in response to 4 teenage deaths in one car, summarises contemporary Road Safety research / collective wisdom highlighting essentially the same points (albeit within the context of modern technology):

1. A a minimum learning period (minimum number of ADI hours as required in other countries).
2. More extensive training & testing, including high-risk rural roads.
3. A Graduated Driving License system, which could include a probationary period when new drivers are not allowed out late at night, & restrictions on the age of their passengers. (i.e. a ‘P’-plate PROBATIONARY period, because newly qualified drivers are up to four times more likely to die in a crash when carrying passengers of the same age than when driving alone).
RAC Foundation Research 2023:
“A phased approach to licensing, with a minimum learning period and passenger and night-time rules for young drivers, could reduce casualties from collisions involving teenage car drivers by as much as 20%.”
The AA, said it believed the government should restrict passengers for about six months after a driver passes their test. It highlighted research from the AA Charitable Trust showing that 71% of fatal car crashes involving young drivers took place on rural roads. “There needs to be much more of an awareness about the dangers of rural roads, ” Edmond King said. “We advocate that even learners in cities take a couple of lessons on rural roads.”


The statistics are stark: In 2022 in Britain, about a fifth of all fatal or serious injury crashes involved young people. Young male car drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured than over-25s.

RAC Foundation Research, published November 2023:


In a turbulent political environment policy change & implementation is unlikely within your driver training period, although the Insurance Industry does seem to be changing their policies on ‘Black Boxes’, Curfews, Limited Passenger Numbers, etc.

You can, however, address these 3 points for yourself, if you chose to:

1. Seek out a driving instructor who refuses to teach you how to ‘Life Hack’ your Driving Test; it’s your LIFE you are hacking with this approach!


3. Set your own Passenger Limits & Curfews, and embrace the Telematics feedback your insurance ‘Black Box’ can give you. Pride yourself on achieving high-scores reflecting smooth application of the major controls and functions: smooth steering/cornering, braking & accelerating. Though understand thier limitations, ‘Black Boxes’ don’t see the full picture and make no judgement on your (‘legal’) speed being appropriate for the prevailing weather / traffic conditions; something we demonstrate in this video:

If, like me, you are dyslexic and find reading a bit of a chore, in this video I cover most of the points made above:



As we begin 2024 you have life’s journey ahead of you and, as young adults, must decide for yourself the road you chose to travel!

Drive Safe, Always!