To all my readers & subscribers.
(* Or Mid-winter solistice, or whatever celebration you choose)
Thursday, 25 December 2008
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Christmas Decorations . . . for your car?
Remember the 'World Cup' England flags, that adorned cars?
I suppose I should be more surprised that it's taken so long for an alternative idea for the 'concept' to arrive!
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I suppose I should be more surprised that it's taken so long for an alternative idea for the 'concept' to arrive!
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A Christmas Card 'Update'
A note added to a card received from a friend:
"Got a ticket for speeding - in my 1925 Austin!"
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Sunday, 21 December 2008
Believe Your Eyes?
Do you believe your eyes?
This optical illusion shows how our eyes and brain don't always show us what's right in front of us.
Stare at one dot, but be aware of the others . . . and as you 'watch' see them fade.
[originally posted on the Google home page]
So how do you overcome this problem of your brain apparently getting 'bored' while riding and driving?
Keep your eyes moving, keep searching for information.
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This optical illusion shows how our eyes and brain don't always show us what's right in front of us.
Stare at one dot, but be aware of the others . . . and as you 'watch' see them fade.
[originally posted on the Google home page]
So how do you overcome this problem of your brain apparently getting 'bored' while riding and driving?
Keep your eyes moving, keep searching for information.
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Friday, 19 December 2008
Fluoro posts? They're like buses . . . There'll be another along in a minute!
The problem I was thinking about was that if wearing/using 'day-glo' is a requirement then there has to be a legal definition of what it is.
Doesn't there?
Probably. :)
But like buying anything from new, you're on your own as far as wear and tear goes.
There is a specification for hi-viz clothing - BS EN 471 if I remember it correctly. And that tells you what the background fabric has to be, and what size and position the reflective stripes have to be.
Hwever, when it wears out, the stripes peel, and the colour fades through age or washing, it's up to the individual user to get another. [As far as I know. I don't intend in the near future to pull up at some roadworks and ask :) ]
Interestingly (well, for me . . . ] there are various 'ways' of designing retro-reflective patterns for hi-viz clothing, although EN 471 only defines one: 'hoops and shoulder stripes'.
There's also what are known in the hi-viz trade as 'stickman' (a 'skeleton' effect) and bio-motion (where the reflective areas are positioned to identify 'human' motion.
All have their benefits and drawbacks.
"Ha!" I hear you cry "Why not cobvine them all and have the 'perfect' suit?" Lovely idea - for night-time use - but you'd have replaced all the 'dayglo' so it would be less effective in daytime.
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Doesn't there?
Probably. :)
But like buying anything from new, you're on your own as far as wear and tear goes.
There is a specification for hi-viz clothing - BS EN 471 if I remember it correctly. And that tells you what the background fabric has to be, and what size and position the reflective stripes have to be.
Hwever, when it wears out, the stripes peel, and the colour fades through age or washing, it's up to the individual user to get another. [As far as I know. I don't intend in the near future to pull up at some roadworks and ask :) ]
Interestingly (well, for me . . . ] there are various 'ways' of designing retro-reflective patterns for hi-viz clothing, although EN 471 only defines one: 'hoops and shoulder stripes'.
There's also what are known in the hi-viz trade as 'stickman' (a 'skeleton' effect) and bio-motion (where the reflective areas are positioned to identify 'human' motion.
All have their benefits and drawbacks.
"Ha!" I hear you cry "Why not cobvine them all and have the 'perfect' suit?" Lovely idea - for night-time use - but you'd have replaced all the 'dayglo' so it would be less effective in daytime.
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Anyone have a Zil limousine?
I really don't know what to make of this . . .
Part of the planning for the 2012 London Olympics is the possible (likely?) creation of VIP only lanes on motorways and trunk roads across the the UK.
Have some links, save me copying the text, and video too:
ITN (you can even buy the video if you want!)
Mail 250 miles, they say . . .
More than 250 miles of road are to be reserved for VIPs during the London Olympics.
Up to 80,000 officials, sponsors, politicians and athletes will have congestion0free lanes in London and at other venues.
Ordinary motorists face fines if they stray on to the reserved routes, which include sections of the M25. Challenging the fines could lead to a penalty of up to £5,000.
More than 250 miles of road are to be reserved for VIPs during the London Olympics - with ordinary motorists facing fines if they stray on to the designated routes
More than 200 traffic lights will be adapted to keep Olympic officials on the move in 2012.
Critics said the plans - outlined in a Department for Transport consultation paper yesterday - owed much to Soviet-style 'Zil lanes'.
In Communist times, these were used by high-ranking party and state officials to get around Moscow in their Zil limousines.
For the 2012 Games it is thought that key roads leading to the main stadium in Stratford, East London, will come under the Olympic Route Network, as are routes to and from Heathrow, under plans outlined by transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick.
The network will cover the Olympic sailing venue at Weymouth in Dorset and rowing events at Eton Dorney in Berkshire.
Hugh Sumner, Olympics transport director, said no public routes would be shut.
Thirty miles of the network might be assigned as 'Games lanes' - reserved lanes on dual carriageways and motorways. Mr Fitzpatrick-said: 'The network will be vital for transporting the Games Family and keeping our country moving during the Games.'
But AA president Edmund King said: 'The network will cause congestion for buses, taxis and other road users.
Hampshire
PS For those who don't know (ie aren't old enough), Chaika lanes (called after the predecessor to the Zil limousines) ran down the centre of all major Russian highways and main streets in major cities. In theory they were designed for emergency vehicles, in practice they were a perk for ministers and other high-ups in the Communist system.
In Putin’s Russia use of the Chaika lane is open to all. All, that is, who can afford the $25,000 a year rental. But, for their $25K not only do users get to use the lanes they also get a permission to have a siren and flashing blue light fitted to their own car and an escort.
Source
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Day-glo posting, the trailer? (well, it's following the tail lights . . . )
Ian's asked What's the definition of 'day-glo'? When does it fade below being of any use?
I have no idea, although I'm sure someone with a lab. full of kit could tell him.
But it is a thing that we - or us oldies at least - have some experience of, from the days when washing powder manufacturers started putting fluorescing chemicals in to their products. Anyone remember "Daz washes whiter than white"?
That 'extra white' was fluorescent 'white' - you may have seen the effect under UV lighting in shops and entertainment establishments (I don't frequent 'discos').
Unfortunately, the 'glow' effect was short-lived, and the chemicals didn't always wash out at the next wash cycle, so gradually built up leaving a grey residue.
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I have no idea, although I'm sure someone with a lab. full of kit could tell him.
But it is a thing that we - or us oldies at least - have some experience of, from the days when washing powder manufacturers started putting fluorescing chemicals in to their products. Anyone remember "Daz washes whiter than white"?
That 'extra white' was fluorescent 'white' - you may have seen the effect under UV lighting in shops and entertainment establishments (I don't frequent 'discos').
Unfortunately, the 'glow' effect was short-lived, and the chemicals didn't always wash out at the next wash cycle, so gradually built up leaving a grey residue.
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Tail lights?
Well, this is a follow-on to the 'glowing' day-glo post . . .
Ian commented about fading.
Which leads to a good point that day-glo clothing has its own problems regarding 'maintenance'.
Fading, as Ian says, is an issue. Fluorescent dyes - like all dyes - fade in bright sunlight, and if used often the clothing will lose its fluorescent effect. Indeed, Aerostich have recently recalled and replaced a number of their Roadcrafter suits which suffered from premature fading of their fluoro yellow fabric.
The average 'roadworker' dayglo vest will often have washing instructions (whether they're used or not is another matter) which warn that the item must not be washed more than about a dozen times. I wonder if 'rain' counts as 'washing'?
Which leads to another point: some retroreflective materials - such as some of the 'silver' stripes you'll see on hi-viz clothing - doesn't work effetively when wet! Exactly the occasion when you might benefit from it!
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Ian commented about fading.
Which leads to a good point that day-glo clothing has its own problems regarding 'maintenance'.
Fading, as Ian says, is an issue. Fluorescent dyes - like all dyes - fade in bright sunlight, and if used often the clothing will lose its fluorescent effect. Indeed, Aerostich have recently recalled and replaced a number of their Roadcrafter suits which suffered from premature fading of their fluoro yellow fabric.
The average 'roadworker' dayglo vest will often have washing instructions (whether they're used or not is another matter) which warn that the item must not be washed more than about a dozen times. I wonder if 'rain' counts as 'washing'?
Which leads to another point: some retroreflective materials - such as some of the 'silver' stripes you'll see on hi-viz clothing - doesn't work effetively when wet! Exactly the occasion when you might benefit from it!
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Thursday, 18 December 2008
Fluorescent - but when?
In the middle of a discussion on The Rev Counter forum, I mentioned that fluorescent colours (as seen on 'hi-viz' conspicuity 'treatments' for people and vehicles) seemed to work better in low-light conditions. That's not 'dark', but dusk/sunset levels, etc.
So in an idle moment, I wondered whether I'd made that up, or actually seen it somewhere. With hindsight, I was thinking of occasions where I'd seen 'dayglo' being particularly effective - and often they were in (relatively) low light conditions, ie not on clear, sunny, summer days (no, I won't explain what they are, ask your mum).
Now, I do know that fluorescent colours are one of the few occasions where there is a 'free lunch', as they not only work as 'normal' colours would, reflecting visible light (and scattering it - otherwise they'd be mirrors), but they also take in ultraviolet light and re-emit is as visible light.
A quick look at the light spectrum shows us that UV is some way 'past' blue on the visible light spectrum.
Note: UV is well away from the 'red/orange' end of the visible spectrum.
So perhaps a good start for my theory is to examine daylight, and try to find out whether there's a higher percentage of UV in the light coming to us through the day.
Worth pointing out here that it's UV that causes sunburn - and I guess you're all well aware of how the risk of sunburn varies through the day, so that give a hint of how the UV varies . . .
Since the light coming from the Sun – whether visible or UV – is in a constant ratio, it’s a fair guess that mid-day’s the time of day when fluorescent colours will really ‘glow’.
But is it the ‘best’ time for them to show to an advantage over ‘plain’ colours? In the heat of the mid-day Sun, the light is more ‘overhead’, and particularly bright sunshine will cast strong shadows. If there’s any reflected sunlight heading in your direction you may find it difficult to see anything, fluoro or not!
However, you may not be out in mid-day sunshine, it may be mid-day overcast or that thin, high cloud you often get in the summer (do you remember ‘summer’?). And in the same way that cloud will ‘scatter’ visible light, it will also scatter the UV. The effect of the visible light being scattered is to give a ‘flatter’ effect without strong light and shade. But UV isn’t scattered so much as visible light - so this could be a time when fluoro colours start to come in to their own.
But what if you move to either end of the day, sunrise and sunset?
You’re probably aware of the old rhyme:
“Red sky in morning, shepherds take warning,
Red sky at night, old haybarn alight”
Well, that reddening of the sky isn’t just to keep the farmers busy, it exists because of the way the Earth’s atmosphere scatters light – in particular the ‘blue’ end of the spectrum. Yup, guess where the UV is? (There’s a hint in the ‘violet’ bit) If you happen to be lucky enough to find a clear sky one day, look up and you’ll find that the sky is ‘bluest’ at 90 degrees to the Sun.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere scatters more UV than it does visible light, so it looks like my ‘dusk’ theory is really going down in [fluorescent] flames . . .
But hang on! If there’s less visible light, the fluorescent dye could still be benefitting from what UV there still is, and as our eyes adapt to the lower light levels, then the fluoro could be more apparent.
Just to add some confusion, the light we get varies in colour and content too! See this diagram for some comparisons:
While browsing I happened upon this quote:
“As we say: "to see" means "to understand", and to understand means to see clearly, not colorfully.”
In other words, it won’t matter what colour you are if the potential observer doesn’t look. Well, that’s my interpretation anyway!
Resources used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-violet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/color1.html
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So in an idle moment, I wondered whether I'd made that up, or actually seen it somewhere. With hindsight, I was thinking of occasions where I'd seen 'dayglo' being particularly effective - and often they were in (relatively) low light conditions, ie not on clear, sunny, summer days (no, I won't explain what they are, ask your mum).
Now, I do know that fluorescent colours are one of the few occasions where there is a 'free lunch', as they not only work as 'normal' colours would, reflecting visible light (and scattering it - otherwise they'd be mirrors), but they also take in ultraviolet light and re-emit is as visible light.
A quick look at the light spectrum shows us that UV is some way 'past' blue on the visible light spectrum.
Note: UV is well away from the 'red/orange' end of the visible spectrum.
So perhaps a good start for my theory is to examine daylight, and try to find out whether there's a higher percentage of UV in the light coming to us through the day.
Worth pointing out here that it's UV that causes sunburn - and I guess you're all well aware of how the risk of sunburn varies through the day, so that give a hint of how the UV varies . . .
Since the light coming from the Sun – whether visible or UV – is in a constant ratio, it’s a fair guess that mid-day’s the time of day when fluorescent colours will really ‘glow’.
But is it the ‘best’ time for them to show to an advantage over ‘plain’ colours? In the heat of the mid-day Sun, the light is more ‘overhead’, and particularly bright sunshine will cast strong shadows. If there’s any reflected sunlight heading in your direction you may find it difficult to see anything, fluoro or not!
However, you may not be out in mid-day sunshine, it may be mid-day overcast or that thin, high cloud you often get in the summer (do you remember ‘summer’?). And in the same way that cloud will ‘scatter’ visible light, it will also scatter the UV. The effect of the visible light being scattered is to give a ‘flatter’ effect without strong light and shade. But UV isn’t scattered so much as visible light - so this could be a time when fluoro colours start to come in to their own.
But what if you move to either end of the day, sunrise and sunset?
You’re probably aware of the old rhyme:
“Red sky in morning, shepherds take warning,
Red sky at night, old haybarn alight”
Well, that reddening of the sky isn’t just to keep the farmers busy, it exists because of the way the Earth’s atmosphere scatters light – in particular the ‘blue’ end of the spectrum. Yup, guess where the UV is? (There’s a hint in the ‘violet’ bit) If you happen to be lucky enough to find a clear sky one day, look up and you’ll find that the sky is ‘bluest’ at 90 degrees to the Sun.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere scatters more UV than it does visible light, so it looks like my ‘dusk’ theory is really going down in [fluorescent] flames . . .
But hang on! If there’s less visible light, the fluorescent dye could still be benefitting from what UV there still is, and as our eyes adapt to the lower light levels, then the fluoro could be more apparent.
Just to add some confusion, the light we get varies in colour and content too! See this diagram for some comparisons:
While browsing I happened upon this quote:
“As we say: "to see" means "to understand", and to understand means to see clearly, not colorfully.”
In other words, it won’t matter what colour you are if the potential observer doesn’t look. Well, that’s my interpretation anyway!
Resources used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-violet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/color1.html
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Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Mobile Phonication
Saw this a few days ago, thought it got the message across about 'doing two things'. Doubt, though, whether phone-using drivers will take any notice . . .
From the DfT 'Think' web site:
Research demonstrates that reaction times for drivers using a handheld phone are 30 per cent worse than for driving under the influence of alcohol at the legal limit.
Research shows that using a mobile phone while driving means you are four times more likely to crash.
It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while driving. The penalty is £60 and 3 penalty points. If the case goes to court, it's a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 if driving a bus, coach or heavy goods vehicle), discretionary disqualification and 3 points.
Your insurance costs could also go up.
If you reach 6 points within 2 years of passing your test, your licence will be revoked and you will need to re-sit your test to get your licence back.
You can also be prosecuted for using a handsfree phone or similar device if you are distracted and not in proper control of the vehicle. The same penalties apply. Employers could also be prosecuted if employees are distracted because they require them to use their mobile phones while driving.
Callers also play an important role. If you ring someone on their mobile phone who turns out to be driving when they answer, say you'll call them later and hang up.
The 'four times more likely to crash' statistic sounds a bit odd - how would anyone know? It comes from, I believe, a Canadian study, where they compared the inurance claim details and mobile phone records for a large company fleet.
Perhaps more interesting, is the additional information which came from that study, that the increased crash risk didn't stop immediately the call ended - it tailed off over 20 minutes!
It's not just the physical 'control' issues - it's the fact that we're just not as good as we like to think we are.
Interestingly, 3M have just banned their employees from even using hands-free phones in their cars while driving. Link
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Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Yo! Respect!
Ever stood beside a really busy motorway, on the hard shoulder or grass verge?
It's a very noisy, scary, place to be.
And for some people, it's their every-day working environment. And a dnagerous environment too . . .
Quite a range of workers find themselves in danger - it's quite a long list, including police, fire and ambulance (and 'BASICS' doctors), breakdown & recovery crews (such as AA, RAC, Green Flag etc. for smaller vehicles, and the 'heavy lift' teams for commercial vehicles, then there's the Highways Agency's Traffic Officers, supported by the Incident Support Units, and also the teams working on maintenance and urgent repairs.
And it's this last group, the maintenance crews, who are the subject of the Highways Agnecy's new 'Respect' campaign. You'll see one of the posters here, but the videos are worth a watch too.
HA campaign details
Video Mpeg High Quality
There are other formats & quality levels available: Video alternatives
There's also a longer video, radio ads. and posters.
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Friday, 5 December 2008
Happy Birthday!
To the M6 (aka 'The Preston Bypass') - the UK's first Motorway, opened 50 years ago today!
More info :)
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Tuesday, 2 December 2008
"Water Water" Part 2
A few posts back I mentioned that Ch 5's 'Gadget Show' would be testing PMR radios.
Well . . . I missed the prog. and can't find the results as a 'best buy' on their site, but you can find out the answer to "Is digital better?" here.
According to this site:
The Gadget Show, broadcast on the UK TV station Channel 5, recently compared two PMR446 walkie talkies, the ICOM Digital F4029SDR and the Motorola FM TLKR-T7.
The Gadget Show Wild Challenge took to the Lake District to pit old technology FM analog voice, in the form of the Motorola, against the new ICOM using the Digital PMR446 standard. As might be expected the Digital ICOM proved superior to the FM Motorola.
This particular digital technology uses 4FSK/FDMA modulation and supports both voice and data. It operates with 6.25 kHz channel spacing instead of the 12.5 kHz channels required for FM enabling twice as many channels to be carried in the same spectrum.
Icom IC-F4029SDR Transceiver for Digital PMR 446
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2008/digital_pmr_446.htm
PMR Digital Voice - NXDN™
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/october2008/pmr_digital_voice.htm
OFCOM Digital PMR446 Interface Requirement IR2009
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/tech/interface_req/IR2009.pdf
ETSI PMR
http://www.etsi.org/WebSite/Technologies/PrivateMobileRadio.aspx
CMX7141 Digital PMR Processor
http://www.spectre-online.co.uk/products/wireless/pmr/chip/cmx7141_digital_pmr_processor
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Well . . . I missed the prog. and can't find the results as a 'best buy' on their site, but you can find out the answer to "Is digital better?" here.
According to this site:
The Gadget Show, broadcast on the UK TV station Channel 5, recently compared two PMR446 walkie talkies, the ICOM Digital F4029SDR and the Motorola FM TLKR-T7.
The Gadget Show Wild Challenge took to the Lake District to pit old technology FM analog voice, in the form of the Motorola, against the new ICOM using the Digital PMR446 standard. As might be expected the Digital ICOM proved superior to the FM Motorola.
This particular digital technology uses 4FSK/FDMA modulation and supports both voice and data. It operates with 6.25 kHz channel spacing instead of the 12.5 kHz channels required for FM enabling twice as many channels to be carried in the same spectrum.
Icom IC-F4029SDR Transceiver for Digital PMR 446
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2008/digital_pmr_446.htm
PMR Digital Voice - NXDN™
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/october2008/pmr_digital_voice.htm
OFCOM Digital PMR446 Interface Requirement IR2009
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/tech/interface_req/IR2009.pdf
ETSI PMR
http://www.etsi.org/WebSite/Technologies/PrivateMobileRadio.aspx
CMX7141 Digital PMR Processor
http://www.spectre-online.co.uk/products/wireless/pmr/chip/cmx7141_digital_pmr_processor
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The Good, The Bad, and . . . well . . .
I've given the DSA some stick over the last few months over the MPTC (Multi Purpose Test Centres) and the new motorcycle test.
But fair do's, they done something good about it!
A new DVD, supplied to ATBs (that's organisations authorised to conduct training), and an information pack, about the new test.
It's not a 'training' DVD as such, more an overview to put your mind at rest, but it's worth a watch.
This site - Bedworth Rider Training - suggests you can watch the video via their site. But I can't.
A quick look on Youtube found this.
Now the 'bad'. I'm on the DSA's e-mail alert list. So you'd have thought they'd have proudly announced this great new DVD . . . No.
OK, perhaps they'll have e-mailed details of their latest consultation on motorcycle test fee rises, and making the two-part test 'modular' (ie splitting it in to two parts taken separtely, rather than the on-road immediately after the off-road). But no . .
Oh well . . .
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Thursday, 13 November 2008
Video Cameras
One of my 'imaginary friends' on 'The Rev Counter', an internet forum, recently asked for details of very high quality video cameras.
I was able to point him to Frosty Gear
They supply a couple of variations (see pics above and the site for full details.
Had an email today:
"Video results are awesome!"
He's using the 'Pro' system, I believe with a 'bullet' camera.
If you decide that 'awesome' is the only quality you'll accept, please mention where you read about the system!
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Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Things I have Seen . . .
. . . In the last couple of days:
A car with a bullet hole. Well, that's what it looked like; a small hole, a few millimetres across, punched through the bodywork, not sure if an airgun pellet would do that . . .
A cyclist with a light on his head. Now I've seen cyclists with 'torch'-type headlights fixed to their helmets, but this is evening I saw one with a flashing light on his head; it showed up well over the tops of oncoming cars . . .
An X5 BMW driven off-road. Not just off-road, this was across the grass strip between a slip road and motorway. Yup, not just cutting across the 'hatched' area - the driver never reached that far along the slip road . . .
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A car with a bullet hole. Well, that's what it looked like; a small hole, a few millimetres across, punched through the bodywork, not sure if an airgun pellet would do that . . .
A cyclist with a light on his head. Now I've seen cyclists with 'torch'-type headlights fixed to their helmets, but this is evening I saw one with a flashing light on his head; it showed up well over the tops of oncoming cars . . .
An X5 BMW driven off-road. Not just off-road, this was across the grass strip between a slip road and motorway. Yup, not just cutting across the 'hatched' area - the driver never reached that far along the slip road . . .
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Saturday, 8 November 2008
It's A Small World . . .
. . . But I wouldn't want to paint it.
Can't claim any credit for that - it's a Steven Wright original.
I've been meaning for some time to write a blog post about the parallels between different types of teaching, then happened today to visit this blog - which mentions similarities, and now I've just seen this on the BBC news site!
And octave range doesn't just come down to physical attributes and technique, it's about the psychological as well.
"People can have a fear of using their voice," says Ms Edwards.
"Teaching someone is not only about getting people to use their body properly and breath right, it is also about giving people the right attitude to free their voice. You have to look at the voice from all angles."
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Can't claim any credit for that - it's a Steven Wright original.
I've been meaning for some time to write a blog post about the parallels between different types of teaching, then happened today to visit this blog - which mentions similarities, and now I've just seen this on the BBC news site!
And octave range doesn't just come down to physical attributes and technique, it's about the psychological as well.
"People can have a fear of using their voice," says Ms Edwards.
"Teaching someone is not only about getting people to use their body properly and breath right, it is also about giving people the right attitude to free their voice. You have to look at the voice from all angles."
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Water, Water, Everywhere . . .
Well, that's what a typical training session often ends up like :)
So I was interested to note that Channel Five's 'Gadget Show' will be testing the waterproofing of personal radios for next week's show.
Guessing, they'll be PMR radios of the type most likely to be used by trainers.
And for the budget-conscious, I dropped in to Tchibo this morning, and they're selling a four-pack of radios for £17 (if I remember correctly). I don't need any more, so didn't look to see what they were exactly, but that's almost a proce that you can give them away to the trainees! [joke]
Gadget Show
Results will be on their site.
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So I was interested to note that Channel Five's 'Gadget Show' will be testing the waterproofing of personal radios for next week's show.
Guessing, they'll be PMR radios of the type most likely to be used by trainers.
And for the budget-conscious, I dropped in to Tchibo this morning, and they're selling a four-pack of radios for £17 (if I remember correctly). I don't need any more, so didn't look to see what they were exactly, but that's almost a proce that you can give them away to the trainees! [joke]
Gadget Show
Results will be on their site.
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Friday, 7 November 2008
Observation Links
'Observation Link' is a term that most people who've taken some sort of post-test training will be aware of, it means you 'observe' something, then 'link' it to a possible outcome. Being pessimistic*, you could look for a selection of outcomes and plan for the worst.
There are a few variation on the term, the MSF in the USA used the term "What if?" to develop this idea of following through from a possible risk to an actual danger. The phrase was more recently adopted by the DSA for its hazard perception video.
I suggest to trainees that they should ask themselves "How could that affect me?"
Sometimes the train of thought which makes up one of these links can seem quite tenuous!
A couple of days ago I was riding back through Oxfordshire, in a long stream of traffic including some HGVs, on a road liberally splattered with '50' limits. In other word, not travelling too briskly! Keeping a good following distancefrom the car in front (there was little chance of overtaking, and on that road little or no chance of passing the whole row) I had plenty of time to look around.
On one particular section, the road made a gentle 'left-right' and as it curved right it went up over a gentle hill. The field on the right hand side of the road was open, and allowed a good view up to the hill creat.
So the first 'affect me' was that I could see there wasn't a sharp 'right', and could also see there were no side turnings hidden in the hedge.
But I could see a row of trees along the hill crest running perpendicular to the road. Now fields often have hedges between them, but rarely rows of trees - especially not trees which were evenly-spaced, and alternated between two distinctly different types of tree.
A quick bit of thinking suggested that what I was actually seeing wa an avenue, with one type of tree on one side, and a different type on the other.
An avenue = side turning, but likely to be residential/farming access lane (which it was), rather than a 'signed' road.
And that's the sort of information you need if you're looking to overtake!
Look for reasons not to overtake, rather than looking to see if you can.
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There are a few variation on the term, the MSF in the USA used the term "What if?" to develop this idea of following through from a possible risk to an actual danger. The phrase was more recently adopted by the DSA for its hazard perception video.
I suggest to trainees that they should ask themselves "How could that affect me?"
Sometimes the train of thought which makes up one of these links can seem quite tenuous!
A couple of days ago I was riding back through Oxfordshire, in a long stream of traffic including some HGVs, on a road liberally splattered with '50' limits. In other word, not travelling too briskly! Keeping a good following distancefrom the car in front (there was little chance of overtaking, and on that road little or no chance of passing the whole row) I had plenty of time to look around.
On one particular section, the road made a gentle 'left-right' and as it curved right it went up over a gentle hill. The field on the right hand side of the road was open, and allowed a good view up to the hill creat.
So the first 'affect me' was that I could see there wasn't a sharp 'right', and could also see there were no side turnings hidden in the hedge.
But I could see a row of trees along the hill crest running perpendicular to the road. Now fields often have hedges between them, but rarely rows of trees - especially not trees which were evenly-spaced, and alternated between two distinctly different types of tree.
A quick bit of thinking suggested that what I was actually seeing wa an avenue, with one type of tree on one side, and a different type on the other.
An avenue = side turning, but likely to be residential/farming access lane (which it was), rather than a 'signed' road.
And that's the sort of information you need if you're looking to overtake!
Look for reasons not to overtake, rather than looking to see if you can.
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You Never See . . .
Insect traffic jams. Do you?
Here's why:
Ants can teach us how to beat city congestion, claim scientists
Motorists can learn a thing or two about dodging traffic jams from the humble ant, claim scientists.
Researchers believe that the insect is better at managing congestion than humans, helping each other move around their colony much more efficiently.
That is why you never see the tiny creatures backed up and idling along a scent trail as they busily go about their chores in an organised and directed way.
Ants are the most numerous type of animal on Earth with brains that contain about 250,000 cells - the largest among insects.
Now collective intelligence expert Dr Dirk Helbing says understanding more about ants could help solve one of the banes of modern life - road congestion.
His team set up an "ant motorway" with two routes of different widths from the nest to some sugar syrup. Soon the narrower route soon became congested.
But when an ant returning along the congested route to the nest collided with another ant just starting out, the returning ant pushed the newcomer onto the other path.
However, if the returning ant had enjoyed a trouble-free journey it did not redirect the newcomer.
The result was that just before the shortest route became clogged the ants were diverted to another route and traffic jams never formed.
The researchers also created a computer model of more complex ant networks with routes of different lengths.
The team found that even though ants being rerouted sometimes took a longer route, they still got to the food quickly and efficiently.
Dr Helbing, of the Dresden University of Technology in Germany, who reported the research in New Scientist, said the efficient distribution of limited resources by decentralised, individual decisions is still an open problem in many networked systems.
He said: "This is one of the most challenging problems in road traffic and routing of data on the internet."
He said that while you cannot allow cars to collide with vehicles coming in the opposite direction as a form of traffic control, you could do the next best thing and allow them to communicate.
His plan is to force cars travelling in one direction to tell oncoming vehicles what traffic conditions they are about to encounter - so they can take evasive action if necessary.
.
Here's why:
Ants can teach us how to beat city congestion, claim scientists
Motorists can learn a thing or two about dodging traffic jams from the humble ant, claim scientists.
Researchers believe that the insect is better at managing congestion than humans, helping each other move around their colony much more efficiently.
That is why you never see the tiny creatures backed up and idling along a scent trail as they busily go about their chores in an organised and directed way.
Ants are the most numerous type of animal on Earth with brains that contain about 250,000 cells - the largest among insects.
Now collective intelligence expert Dr Dirk Helbing says understanding more about ants could help solve one of the banes of modern life - road congestion.
His team set up an "ant motorway" with two routes of different widths from the nest to some sugar syrup. Soon the narrower route soon became congested.
But when an ant returning along the congested route to the nest collided with another ant just starting out, the returning ant pushed the newcomer onto the other path.
However, if the returning ant had enjoyed a trouble-free journey it did not redirect the newcomer.
The result was that just before the shortest route became clogged the ants were diverted to another route and traffic jams never formed.
The researchers also created a computer model of more complex ant networks with routes of different lengths.
The team found that even though ants being rerouted sometimes took a longer route, they still got to the food quickly and efficiently.
Dr Helbing, of the Dresden University of Technology in Germany, who reported the research in New Scientist, said the efficient distribution of limited resources by decentralised, individual decisions is still an open problem in many networked systems.
He said: "This is one of the most challenging problems in road traffic and routing of data on the internet."
He said that while you cannot allow cars to collide with vehicles coming in the opposite direction as a form of traffic control, you could do the next best thing and allow them to communicate.
His plan is to force cars travelling in one direction to tell oncoming vehicles what traffic conditions they are about to encounter - so they can take evasive action if necessary.
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Monday, 3 November 2008
Sunday, 2 November 2008
MCITA
In October 2008, the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) launched the Motor Cycle Industry Trainers Association (MCITA) – an Association dedicated to serving the diverse needs of motorcycle rider trainers and companies engaged in all types of training, including off-road and track days.
Membership Fees
Membership fees are calculated according to DSA category and are charged annually in advance.
Approved Training Bodies £348
Track & Off Road Trainers £348
Post Test - If on RPMT £99
Post Test - If not on RPMT* £198
I'll leave you to decide whether it's worth the money!
Link
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Cargo #2
If you've just read my post about the Olypia Phantom suit, you'll have seen mention of the 'cargo' pockets.
For those of you who also carry around substatial quantities of junk, you may find this of interest.
It's called the Grab-It Pack, and is a bolt-on (well, 'belt on') cargo pocket.
Probably not particularly waterproof for UK all-day biking, but could be useful for touring or for instructors.
Might also suit pillions if it's accesible while on the move.
Edit: AlistairL has asked me to clarify whether it's me in the pic. I am happy to confirm it is
not
:)
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Cargo! #1
Earlier this year I bought a new bike suit.
My old 'every day' Weisse over-trousers had bitten the dust (when I sliced open the lining to see, the 'waterproof' coating on the outer had flaked away in tatters), and my 'heavy duty' BMW suit (actually 1.5 suits as I had 'summer' and 'winter' jackets as well as single pair of trousers) had gone off to the Beaulieu Autojumble.
So I'd been looking for a reasonably-priced replacement for both suits.
The AeroStich Roadcrafter one-piece attracted, but despited the [then] favourable exchange rate they're still expensive. And unlined. And not fully waterproof.
There are other one-piece suits. But the best candidate, the Rev'It Infinity, seemed to be ever-delayed, and increasing in price with every delay.
In the two-piece style I came close to the Halvarssons, but at the budget end of their range.
But, eventually, I stumped up the courage to order an 'unknown quantity' suit from the USA.
After a few e-mails to Bob's BMW in the USA, and an evening phone call, an Olympia Phantom suit would be mine!
A few days later, and a cheque for VAT, import duty, and fees later, and there it was! Total for the suit was under £400. (Although I made the mistake of browsing their 'shop' pages and ordering some other odd bits . . . like a camera tripod!)
Rather than me tell you all it, here's a link to the manufacturers:
Olympia MotoSports
If you've just clicked the link, and your eyes now hurt, I'll both apologise :) and explain that I bought the 'gunmetal' not 'yellow' option!
So does it do what it says on the web site?
In short: 'Yes' - I'm really pleased with it!
Waterproof? Yes
Warm? Yes - with the liner in, use from 0C-10C, depending on your own thermal properties, take the liner out above 10C, and undo the vent zips from 20C upwards - and get a lovely cool (or warm on the occasional hot days!) breeze.
I had to do 120 miles one day last week with early-start temperature of 1C, so wore my heated waistcoat. Now, this is a conundrum: how to get a cable through the two main zips . . . Aha! Double-ended zips! So I had a friend make up an extension which meanders throught the bottom of the zip, up over the gusset, down under the inner zip, and up over the inner gusset. Toasty!
But why 'cargo'? I usually stuff my pockets full of assorted rubbish (wallet, phone, pen, cash, hankerchief, first aid gloves & facemask pack, and other odd bits and bobs). The Phantom has two large 'cargo' pockets on the thighs - ideal for carrying all the stuff - like pens - that you shouldn't really put near vulnerable ribs, lungs, etc.
And talking of pockets:
1. I've managed to loose stuff, there's so many pockets
2. One day I thought "Hand warmer pockets would be nice" . . . and checked, yep, there they are!
It's not perfect, and I doubt it'll have the longevity of a 'Stich. But at half the price I'll accept that!
PS Not me in the pic!
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Friday, 24 October 2008
New Cartoons!
The European motorcycle manufacturers organisation ACEM has released the first in a series of cartoons aimed at highlighting the risks to riders posed by the infrastructure of the road on which we ride.
The first cartoon strip deals with hazards posed by junctions.
In the coming weeks, new strips will be released regularly dealing with issues like road surfaces, traffic calming and the hazards that can pose to motorcyclists, and decreasing radius curves. You can register on the site to be kept up to date with each new release as it appears.
They are downloadable as PDFs so can be printed out by trainers and bike clubs.
Thanks to Kevin Williams of Survival Skills Rider Training, for:
1. Bringing them to my attention
2. Actually doing the research they're based on
3. Posing for the pictures
NB One of those statements is not true ;)
#1: How To Avoid Problems At Junctions
http://www.acem.eu/cartoon/pdf/nr1_en.pdf
There's a 'sign up' here to be emailed when the new cartoons are released.
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Thursday, 23 October 2008
A Joke
My lad's school is compiling their annual joke book. This one caught my attention:
Q. How does a Yeti get to work?
A. He rides there on a motoricicle!
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Q. How does a Yeti get to work?
A. He rides there on a motoricicle!
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Wednesday, 22 October 2008
"The Tree Jumped Out In Front Of Me!"
That's supposed to be one of the old insurance report chestnuts.
But I've found a place where the tree's jumped in front of a sign . . . Well, almost.
Narrow lane, leading to houses, then a tight, blind, bend. No footpaths, apart from the one that joins from the side just by the tight bend.
However, just a few yards around the corner is the entrance to an infants school, so you'd expect to see a warning sign.
You'd expect to see it - but at the point this one is visible your attention is likely to be towards the tight bend. It's not visible sooner because of over-hanging trees.
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Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Garbled, Mangled, or Just Half-Baked?
I like to think I can write understandable English.
But today I happened across some of the most mangled and confusing explanations I've ever seen in bike training paperwork, apart - perhaps - from some of the more unusual 'explanations' of counter-steering.
So what do you think?
First:
'the inability of being unable'
And my particular favourite:
'particularly on left hand bends with 23% of manoeuvres leading to a fatality'
My, perhaps twisted, English reads that as "23% of times riders attempt to go around a left hand bend they're involved in a fatal crash".
Sadly, this is from a DSA production, 'explaining' the background to motorcycle casualties.
It continues:
'It is very important that we understand where things are going wrong'.
With 'explanations' like those quoted, I wonder whether a real understanding is understandable.
.
But today I happened across some of the most mangled and confusing explanations I've ever seen in bike training paperwork, apart - perhaps - from some of the more unusual 'explanations' of counter-steering.
So what do you think?
First:
'the inability of being unable'
And my particular favourite:
'particularly on left hand bends with 23% of manoeuvres leading to a fatality'
My, perhaps twisted, English reads that as "23% of times riders attempt to go around a left hand bend they're involved in a fatal crash".
Sadly, this is from a DSA production, 'explaining' the background to motorcycle casualties.
It continues:
'It is very important that we understand where things are going wrong'.
With 'explanations' like those quoted, I wonder whether a real understanding is understandable.
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Tuesday, 14 October 2008
No Title Necessary
Isn't the Internet wonderful?
Browsing around, and within a minute or two found these two pictures . . .
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Thursday, 9 October 2008
Helmets
I was musing yesterday about helmets have 'changed' in the time I've been riding.
For instance, back 'then' - I bought my first bike in September 1976 - 'full face' helmets were still something of a novelty, and open face, or 'jet' helmets were still common.
One of the major innovations since then has been the 'flip front' pioneered by BMW with their 'system' range of lids. 'System 1' was never sold in the UK, but '2' was available from about 1988.
Other major improvements have been with visors, with abrassion and misting resistant coatings, rather than just cut from a sheet of plastic.
Then today I happened across some photos of helmets . . .
Eek!
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Techno, Techno, and More Techno!
I liked the BMW C1 because of its quirkiness. At times it wasn't particularly 'practical', from using its convoluted stand arrangement to not being able to see traffic lights when you're at the front of the 'grid' because of the roof!
But it was innovative in may ways, particularly the frontal crash performance, equal (with the rider seat-belted in) to that of a small car.
However, it wasn't a sales success, and rumours of a big-engined BMW super-scooter haven't made it in to the metal at the recent Euro bike show. Instead, BMW's 'new' bikes were the previously exhibited World Superbike contender, and cc hikes for the K1200 up to 1300. Ho hum.
However, a new Concept machine from Peugeot, the HyMotion3, takes things to a whole new level, by combining features from a number of vehicles:
BMW 'cell' shape
'MP3'-style 3 wheel leaning front end
'Prius'-type hybrid drive
Electric motors within the front hubs, with driven rear wheel
ABS
Read more here from Peugeot
"Fantastic!" Is my low-hype view :)
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Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Superstitions Can Kill You
Sometimes a simple question can set your mind off on a trail of its own.
Well, that's the way mine works (and I use the term loosely)!
One simple question from a colleague set off a train of thoughts.
Read the full account here on UKBike's new blog.
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Well, that's the way mine works (and I use the term loosely)!
One simple question from a colleague set off a train of thoughts.
Read the full account here on UKBike's new blog.
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New Situational Awareness Test
Situational Awareness.
Scenario:
You are riding your motorcycle at a constant speed within the speed limit.
On your left side is a deep valley,and on your right side is a fire engine travelling at the same speed as you.
Directly in front of you is a galloping horse which is the same size as your bike and you can't overtake it.
Behind you is a helicopter flying at ground level.
Both the horse and helicopter are travelling at the same speed as you.
What must you do to get out of this dangerous situation??
Get off the childrens merry go round, you are drunk!
.
Scenario:
You are riding your motorcycle at a constant speed within the speed limit.
On your left side is a deep valley,and on your right side is a fire engine travelling at the same speed as you.
Directly in front of you is a galloping horse which is the same size as your bike and you can't overtake it.
Behind you is a helicopter flying at ground level.
Both the horse and helicopter are travelling at the same speed as you.
What must you do to get out of this dangerous situation??
Get off the childrens merry go round, you are drunk!
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Friday, 3 October 2008
Another Uncrashable Car!
. . . Although this one's a little way from being roadworthy!
I've posted before about in-car technology which aids drivers (to get a good sleep?), but the Telegraph has news of this:
The concept car, called BR23C and created by Nissan Motor alongside the University of Tokyo, has been fitted with a sophisticated sensor system enabling it to avoid obstacles it encounters in its path.
The technology mimics the skills of the compound eye of a bumblebee which has a bio-mechanism enabling the insects to instantly avoid approaching obstacles.
As a result, the Biomimetic Car Robot Drive is able to detect an object up to two metres away in a 180-degree radius before instantly swerving away to avoid crashing.
Toshiyuki Ando, the Nissan engineer leading the research, said: "The split second it detects an obstacle, it will instantly change direction by turning its wheels to a right angle or further to avoid collision.
"The whole process must mirror what a bee does to avoid other bees. It must happen with the blink of an eye."
The concept robot has been developed as part of Nissan's road safety project, which aims to half the rate of traffic accidents in its vehicles by 50 per cent by 2015.
Nissan the country's third largest automaker – plans to install the technology into its electric vehicles as early as 2010 in Japan and the US before expanding internationally by 2012.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Cornering - Is Your Brain Bigger Than A Sheep's?
BBC news reported a car killing five sheep after a . . .
. . . "Man was driving around a blind bend on the Auchmuir Bridge to Ballingry Road when he struck the group of sheep."
Ah, thank Heavens for that - at least it wasn't his fault!
Indeed, he was actually quite lucky; if it had been a farm truck coming the other way around that blind corner he would have only had about half the braking distance available, and a far harder object to hit than the sheep.
By coincidence, I happened to be looking at a sheep skull last night.
They have an amazingly small brain space compared, in relative terms of overall skull size, to a human skull.
But even more amazing that - with all that potential brain power - it's not the sheep that were hurtling around the corner unable to stop in the distance available - let alone half that distance to allow for oncoming vehicles - it was the supposedly 'intelligent' human.
Even if the driver was not a regular user of that road, there's normally plenty of warnings when there's livestock about:
- Triangular warning signs
- Cattle grids
- Dung on the road
- Tufts of wool stuck in barbed wire fencing
But whatever roads that driver is used to, his method of driving doesn't allow for possible - and quite likely - dangers.
In fact, that's quite like many motorcyclists, who take the sheep comparison even further, with 'herd' mentality while out group riding and abdicating responsibility for cornering speed and overtaking to be delegated to the lead rider.
Unfortunately for those riders, they often draw attention to themselves, and the farmer comes out to round them up . . . although these particular farmers usually have blue & yellow cars instead of Land Rovers ;)
So when you're out riding, try to avoid being a sheep. You have a brain and the bike doesn't - so you need to think for both of you. And if the rider behind you is a bit 'keen', try to allow for them too, then have a word - nicely - and suggest they think a bit harder.
OK, so you're not responsible for their life, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to be even a little bit responsible for their death.
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New Keith Code Article
I wonder if Keith COde's internet connection could do with a dose of California Superbike School training to speed it up . . .
An e-mail arrived today, partly reminding of free CSS dates, but also announcing a new article. Keith's articles are usually worth reading, so I clicked the link . . . then thought "Hold on, I've seen this before!".
Scroll back to the top . . . 'Feb 11 2004'.
Ah well, it's still worth reading!
'Presence'
.
An e-mail arrived today, partly reminding of free CSS dates, but also announcing a new article. Keith's articles are usually worth reading, so I clicked the link . . . then thought "Hold on, I've seen this before!".
Scroll back to the top . . . 'Feb 11 2004'.
Ah well, it's still worth reading!
'Presence'
.
Monday, 29 September 2008
"Motorcycle Road Casualties Fall"
From the RMIF:
Motorcycle Road Casualties Fall: Encouraging News, Say Motorcycle Rider Trainers
New Government statistics show falling motorcycle casualty rates on UK roads, and prove that efforts to improve motorcycle safety are having a positive effect, according to the RMI Motorcycle Rider Training Association (MRTA).
Statistics released today by the Department for Transport (DfT) in its annual Road Casualties Great Britain Annual Report bulletin, show that the overall motorcycle casualty rate reduced by six per cent in 2007 compared to 2006. *
The casualty rate per 100 million vehicle kilometres has been falling year-on-year from 621 (1994-1998 average) to 420 in 2007, and represents a 32 per cent decrease. Looking at ‘slight’ casualties, the rate fell even more, down 34 per cent against the Government’s 2010 target for a 10 per cent reduction across all modes.
Commenting on the statistics, Kevin Bryan, MRTA Chairman, said: ‘Any reduction in casualties is welcome particularly given the increasing popularity and usage of motorcycles and scooters. Although there was a very slight increase in total casualties, the continuing fall in the rate is a positive sign.’
Bryan believes the figures show that the training industry’s work on safety is going in the right direction: ‘While the statistics also demonstrate that there is still much work to be done to further reduce the motorcycle casualty rate, these latest figures are a sign that even with increased motorcycle traffic, up eight per cent over the previous year, motorcycling is gradually becoming safer. Part of this is attributable to the Government’s Motorcycle Strategy and the efforts of the training industry which is continuing its drive to deliver safer and better trained riders into the motorcycle community.’
Bryan added: ‘The MRTA is far from complacent, and the hard work will continue to further improve the quality of training and road user education to ensure these safety improvements are continued. Motorcyclists continue to be among the most vulnerable users and it is up to all road users to recognise this, not just motorcyclists themselves.’
More here
.
Motorcycle Road Casualties Fall: Encouraging News, Say Motorcycle Rider Trainers
New Government statistics show falling motorcycle casualty rates on UK roads, and prove that efforts to improve motorcycle safety are having a positive effect, according to the RMI Motorcycle Rider Training Association (MRTA).
Statistics released today by the Department for Transport (DfT) in its annual Road Casualties Great Britain Annual Report bulletin, show that the overall motorcycle casualty rate reduced by six per cent in 2007 compared to 2006. *
The casualty rate per 100 million vehicle kilometres has been falling year-on-year from 621 (1994-1998 average) to 420 in 2007, and represents a 32 per cent decrease. Looking at ‘slight’ casualties, the rate fell even more, down 34 per cent against the Government’s 2010 target for a 10 per cent reduction across all modes.
Commenting on the statistics, Kevin Bryan, MRTA Chairman, said: ‘Any reduction in casualties is welcome particularly given the increasing popularity and usage of motorcycles and scooters. Although there was a very slight increase in total casualties, the continuing fall in the rate is a positive sign.’
Bryan believes the figures show that the training industry’s work on safety is going in the right direction: ‘While the statistics also demonstrate that there is still much work to be done to further reduce the motorcycle casualty rate, these latest figures are a sign that even with increased motorcycle traffic, up eight per cent over the previous year, motorcycling is gradually becoming safer. Part of this is attributable to the Government’s Motorcycle Strategy and the efforts of the training industry which is continuing its drive to deliver safer and better trained riders into the motorcycle community.’
Bryan added: ‘The MRTA is far from complacent, and the hard work will continue to further improve the quality of training and road user education to ensure these safety improvements are continued. Motorcyclists continue to be among the most vulnerable users and it is up to all road users to recognise this, not just motorcyclists themselves.’
More here
.
New Drivers - 6 Point Ban
AutoExpress reports that:
Shock increase in ‘new driver’ bans
Massive numbers now breaking ‘six-point rule’, but only half of those who lose licence resit test.
Nearly 1,200 new drivers lose their licence every month, DVLA figures have revealed.
But almost half of these don’t bother to retake their test, Auto Express has discovered, prompting speculation that many are driving unlicensed.
Novices only have to clock up six penalty points in the first two years to be stripped of their permit under the New Drivers Act. And since the law was introduced at the end of 1997, a whopping 154,489 motorists have been caught out.
However, the DVLA figures also show that only 82,339 went on to retake their test after having it removed – leaving 72,150 still without a licence.
To climb back behind the wheel, these new drivers must retake the entire test, including sitting the theory exam. And even if they pass again, the points stay on their licence. They also face a premium hike of around 25 per cent.
But banned drivers could be tempted to break the law instead, according to the RAC Foundation. Deputy director Sheila Rainger said: “We’re very worried young motorists who don’t retake just drive illegally. The Government needs to look into what’s happening to these ‘missing drivers’.” Details stored in the DVLA database should be used to track them, says British School of Motoring road safety consultant Robin Cummins, also former chief driving examiner. He said: “It could check what happens to their cars. Are they still the registered owner?”
.
Shock increase in ‘new driver’ bans
Massive numbers now breaking ‘six-point rule’, but only half of those who lose licence resit test.
Nearly 1,200 new drivers lose their licence every month, DVLA figures have revealed.
But almost half of these don’t bother to retake their test, Auto Express has discovered, prompting speculation that many are driving unlicensed.
Novices only have to clock up six penalty points in the first two years to be stripped of their permit under the New Drivers Act. And since the law was introduced at the end of 1997, a whopping 154,489 motorists have been caught out.
However, the DVLA figures also show that only 82,339 went on to retake their test after having it removed – leaving 72,150 still without a licence.
To climb back behind the wheel, these new drivers must retake the entire test, including sitting the theory exam. And even if they pass again, the points stay on their licence. They also face a premium hike of around 25 per cent.
But banned drivers could be tempted to break the law instead, according to the RAC Foundation. Deputy director Sheila Rainger said: “We’re very worried young motorists who don’t retake just drive illegally. The Government needs to look into what’s happening to these ‘missing drivers’.” Details stored in the DVLA database should be used to track them, says British School of Motoring road safety consultant Robin Cummins, also former chief driving examiner. He said: “It could check what happens to their cars. Are they still the registered owner?”
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Adding Insult to Injury
BBC News is reporting an extra 'dimension' to the DSA MPTC fiasco.
It seems that the motorcycle test fee was increased in price, coincidentaly with the introduction of the new off-road test.
I say 'coincidentaly', because DSA are saying that the test fee was to be increased anyway, not because of the extra time & facilities at the new Multi-Million Pound, Multi-Purpose Test Centres.
So the test fee has increased - from £60 - £80 - despite the six month delay to the introduction of the new extended motorcycle test.
As you might imagine, riders are not pleased at the additional cost - for no apparent benefit.
Dave Sharp is from the Motorcycle Action Group.
He said: "I think it's appalling that riders who are perhaps short of money are not going to be refunded.
"It would make a big difference to those individuals and I think it's totally unethical."
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Saturday, 27 September 2008
More Police Technology
In previous posts I've mentioned the vast array of technology that traffic police now have available to them.
Essex police have, perhaps, taken this to 'Top Trumps' level, by fitting ANPR (Automatic Numberplate Recognition) to their force helicopter!
It can, apparently, read plates from 700 feet, and is particularly 'aimed' at motorcycle speed enforcement.
It also has a ‘Skyshout’ public address system – which warns drivers they’re being tracked. Which could also be great at outdoor pantos - "Look out behind you!"
Source, and photo, AutoExpress
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Friday, 26 September 2008
UK Roads - Motorcycle Accidents
If you're interested in statistics about accidents (or crashes, or road traffic collisions - whichever term you prefer), the latest DfT figures have just been released here.
Includes:
Casualties per billion passenger Kilometers 1997-2006
Motorcycles: 119 112 113 122 112 111 120 104 98 107
Although this rate is staying relatively constant, because the rates for other types of road user are falling . . .
" . . . a greater proportion of motorcycle rider/passenger fatalities (20% compared to 13%)"
Where and how do fatal crashes happen?
31% of motorcyclists killed were in an accident involving a car. A fifth of motorcycle fatalities were in single vehicle accidents.
Over 40% of car, HGV, LGV and motorcycle fatalities occurred on rural A roads
• A third of fatalities resulting from reported personal injury road accidents had the contributory factor ‘Loss of control’ attributed to the accident. 22% had ‘Failed to look properly’ and 17% had ‘Careless, reckless or in a hurry’.
• Motorcycles and cars were the main vehicle types with the loss of control contributory factor.
• Two thirds of contributory factors reported were associated with driver/rider error or reaction, whilst 31% were factors relating to injudicious action. 27% were behaviour or inexperience related factors.
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Includes:
Casualties per billion passenger Kilometers 1997-2006
Motorcycles: 119 112 113 122 112 111 120 104 98 107
Although this rate is staying relatively constant, because the rates for other types of road user are falling . . .
" . . . a greater proportion of motorcycle rider/passenger fatalities (20% compared to 13%)"
Where and how do fatal crashes happen?
31% of motorcyclists killed were in an accident involving a car. A fifth of motorcycle fatalities were in single vehicle accidents.
Over 40% of car, HGV, LGV and motorcycle fatalities occurred on rural A roads
• A third of fatalities resulting from reported personal injury road accidents had the contributory factor ‘Loss of control’ attributed to the accident. 22% had ‘Failed to look properly’ and 17% had ‘Careless, reckless or in a hurry’.
• Motorcycles and cars were the main vehicle types with the loss of control contributory factor.
• Two thirds of contributory factors reported were associated with driver/rider error or reaction, whilst 31% were factors relating to injudicious action. 27% were behaviour or inexperience related factors.
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Thursday, 25 September 2008
Road Signs - Hit or Miss?
Interesting news story on BBC News, on What makes a good road sign? here
What makes a good road sign?
The speed camera sign is instantly recognisable but the "no stopping" sign isn't. As a review of British road signs is launched, what makes some good and others bad?
Many road signs are bizarre when thought about logically. Just what is one meant to do if there is a danger of falling rocks?
And if the road is slippery, will your car tyres really cross like the alarming skid marks seen on the sign?
But even if some symbols do not stand up to scrutiny, they convey a message that is quickly recognised.
Or at least, that's the hope. Out of 500 drivers surveyed last year, none was able to correctly identify 12 road signs and only one sign - the speed camera - was known to them all.
A review of signs has been launched by the Department for Transport, looking at ways to reduce street clutter and introduce more technology. So what makes a good sign?
CLARITY
"The most important thing is that it works," says Michael Wolff, chairmen of The Sign Design Society.
"The design of a sign must be got down to the simplest possible level," he says.
"The fundamental words in sign design are clarity, consistency and simplicity."
Not only do modern drivers travel faster than before, they are also listening to the radio, chatting on their hands-free phone and trying to subdue rowdy children in the back. Distractions are everywhere.
With so much competition for a driver's attention, a good sign has its work cut out. It must be clear and simple so that it can be seen, read and understood in an instant.
The red no-entry sign is one that, even without words or pictures, conveys its message.
But others don't. Many drivers are unable to recognise the "no stopping" sign.
And former police driving instructor Chris Walker says the "give way to oncoming traffic" sign is hotly debated at driving school because it is illogical and takes too long to work out.
SYMBOLISM
The symbols on signs should not be interpreted too literally - the roadworks warning is often likened to a man opening an umbrella, while some of the most recognisable signs summon memories of the pre-motoring age.
Is this offensive?
A 19th Century-style bellows camera is used, with great success, to warn of the imminent danger of racking up a speeding fine and rail enthusiasts' hearts must race at the symbol of a steam train before level crossings.
"Symbols don't have to be accurate, they are there to convey an idea and be understood," Mr Wolff says.
Some widely used signs have attracted criticism for being outdated. The image of stooped elderly people crossing a road has been branded as "insulting" by Help the Aged. It originates from a children's competition in 1981.
"Signs must be nationally recognised and clear for international visitors," says Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, as there can be over one million foreign cars on the UK's roads at any one time.
COLOUR AND SHAPE
Different colours provoke very different reactions in the human mind, says Dr David Cowell, who specialises in the psychology of colour. Rectangular signs are the same shape as a book and therefore give information
David Cowell
Colour psychologist
The brain is very sensitive to the level of energy in the light that passes through your eyes, with different colours of light carrying different amounts of energy.
"Blue [the colour of motorway signage] suggests harmony and relaxation," says Dr Cowell. "It is the colour of nature in relaxed form. It encourages social communication and consideration of others."
Orange and yellow "suggest a positive future", he says, the point being that the colour of signs surrounding roadworks is clearly meant to encourage frustrated drivers to think beyond the current delays.
Different shaped signs also create different psychological reactions, suggests Dr Cowell.
"A triangular sign has points and represents danger," which is why the shape is used for warning signs.
"Rectangular signs are the same shape as a book and therefore give information. Round signs are instructional. They look like the end of a pointing finger giving you an instruction."
UNCLUTTERED
While the fundamental design of the country's road signs has remained unchanged for almost half a century, the number of signs seems to multiplying.
Today British roads can seem crammed with symbols warning drivers of every foreseeable danger, from falling rocks to passing deer. As well as fuelling fears the streetscape is being damaged, the proliferation of signs reduces their effectiveness.
"Drivers now face a system overload," says Mr Walker. "Signs are duplicated, in some cases triplicated, leaving little time for the information to be seen and processed."
Even the most well-designed road sign will be of little use if nobody can make it out.
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The Old 'Good Cop - Bad Cop' Routine?
Kent Online have recently posted a news story about the success of Kent Police's first unmarked video bike.
The story included a video, viewable here.
The story continues:
It is fast. It is furious. And it should send every speeding biker into a wheel spin.
This video shows graphically how Kent's motorbike cops are hot on the trail of law-breaking motorists.
The unmarked camera bike seen in action above has brought an almost 100 per cent conviction rate for speeding and careless driving.
The short clip shows a 46-year-old biker reaching speeds of up to 90 mph along a county lane in Mereworth, West Kent.
He was given three penalty points and fined £60.
Figures for the first 18 months since the bike was introduced show 84 motorists were caught breaking the law, and officers believe lives have been saved as a result.
Sixty eight were caught speeding, 11 for careless driving and five for dangerous driving.
Head of roads policing, Chief Inspector Roscoe Walford, said: “I like to think that the use of the unmarked bike contributed to that great result.
“Meantime, I would warn motorists to think about the consequences of being caught committing an offence. At best you risk a fine, ban or an increase in insurance premiums. At worst you risk a criminal record, losing your job or going to jail.”
The unmarked bike was also used during a recent road safety campaign and, for the first time, there were no deaths and serious injuries in that time.
Kent Police plan to buy another unmarked bike in the near future.
Other convictions as a result of video footage from the unmarked bike include:
• A 25-year-old man received a six months ban and was fined £565 at Canterbury magistrates’ court after speeding in a residential street in Canterbury.
• A 47-year-old man was banned from riding for 14 days and fined £465 at Dartford magistrates’ court after he rode at 80mph in a 40mph limit and 49mph in a 30mph zone along an A road in Swanscombe.
But it set me wondering about how this news story might be taken by 'Joe & Josephine Public', as they're out and about on their daily travels?
Will they care that Kent Police have an unmarked bike? They may consider that the chances of encountering it are minimal.
Or will they associated all bikes with the possibility of being unmarked, video-equiped, police? And if so, what will their reaction be - positive or negative?
In 1974, in the USA, a chap named 'Leonard' did some research on motorcycle conspicuity.
He varied the appearance of his bike, and counted the number of 'right of way violation' - ie how often drivers pulled out in front of him.
He used three different 'arrangements'.
Two of them, 'ordinary motorcycle' and 'spectacularly visible' both suffered an average of between 1.8 and 2.0 violations perday.
But in 'police rig' there were just 0.1 violations per day.
In other words, people had a 'reason' for seeing that particular bike!
So I wonder whether - despite the licence risks to 'enthusiastic' riders - there may be a small unexpected 'safety' benefit from the unmarked bike.
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Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Am I Lucid?
In the previous post, about the new UKBike blog, I mentioned that they were being crafty using 'outside writers' to create their content.
Here's another example of someone being crafty:
David Congreave runs - amongst other things - training for marketing. But he's also taking part in a competition to gain the most links for an event.
Focus Marketing Seminar Event
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Here's another example of someone being crafty:
David Congreave runs - amongst other things - training for marketing. But he's also taking part in a competition to gain the most links for an event.
Focus Marketing Seminar Event
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'Safety' - Really A 'Good Idea'?
I have lots of ideas. Some of them I consider worth writing down (or typing), and some of them even make it as far as here or other training 'end users', whether as web site articles, training manuals, or articles.
Even then, these ideas may have a limited audience.
However . . . I've joined 'signed up' to a new initiative which should allow a wider audience.
Which is nice :)
The team behind behind UKBike are starting a new blog - but being a bit crafty (and following some of the 'best advice' on how to create blogs) by using existing bloggers, like me, and putting the content in front of a wider audience.
Starting soon, here:
UKBike blogspot
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Sunday, 21 September 2008
Motorcycle Training Information
This blog gets quite a bit of 'attention' from me - posting almost every day requires time if not thought!
But 'alongside' I'm developing various other things, and one is a new motorcycle training information web site.
The Ride . info
You may notice a certain 'brand' identity!
Not all of the pages are fully 'populated' yet, but the home page (as linked above), and these are:
Motorcycle training eBooks on CD
Motorcycle instructor manual
Advanced and post-test training (ie me)
If you have a few moments, I'd be grateful for any feedback on the site's layout, design, and ease of use. I'd rather know about any glaring problems before I complete it . . .
Thanks!
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But 'alongside' I'm developing various other things, and one is a new motorcycle training information web site.
The Ride . info
You may notice a certain 'brand' identity!
Not all of the pages are fully 'populated' yet, but the home page (as linked above), and these are:
Motorcycle training eBooks on CD
Motorcycle instructor manual
Advanced and post-test training (ie me)
If you have a few moments, I'd be grateful for any feedback on the site's layout, design, and ease of use. I'd rather know about any glaring problems before I complete it . . .
Thanks!
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Thursday, 18 September 2008
Safe Motorcycling?
Is 'safe motorcycling' possible? Or, to rephrase the question: Is it possible to ride a motorcycle 'safely'?
If you take a dictionary definition of 'safe', then 'no' you can't - as 'safe' means an 'absence of risk'
There's no two ways about it: ride a motorcycle and you expose yourself to risk.
The same goes for all activities, the key to surviving them is to be aware of the specific risks, and manage them.
A little while ago I 'celebrated' 30 years of motorcycling (and next year it'll be 30 years involvement with rider training!). I was challenged to create a simple - no more than 20 words - philosophy for anyone who wanted to ride that long.
This was my reply:
Develop 'healthy' paranoia. They're not (usually) out to get you, it just seems that way. Ride, enjoy today, again tomorrow.
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If you take a dictionary definition of 'safe', then 'no' you can't - as 'safe' means an 'absence of risk'
There's no two ways about it: ride a motorcycle and you expose yourself to risk.
The same goes for all activities, the key to surviving them is to be aware of the specific risks, and manage them.
A little while ago I 'celebrated' 30 years of motorcycling (and next year it'll be 30 years involvement with rider training!). I was challenged to create a simple - no more than 20 words - philosophy for anyone who wanted to ride that long.
This was my reply:
Develop 'healthy' paranoia. They're not (usually) out to get you, it just seems that way. Ride, enjoy today, again tomorrow.
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Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Corners & Cornering - Safe?
I posted the text below in a forum thread about cornering.
Many of you will be familiar with using the 'limit point' (or 'limit of visibility', or 'vanishing point', chose your preferred term) to help with bend assessment and chossing a safe cornering speed.
However, it's easy on left hand bends to be over-confident and over-estimate your braking distance when cornering.
Take care with 'how' you judge your forward distance on lefts.
Temptation for a lot of people is to look at the far kerb - ie the oncoming lane - you have to use the centre line as the limit of available tarmac.
But even then, if the view of the left side of the road is obscured, your true 'limit' is the left verge, as anything emerging from beyond where you can see will immediately - and profoundly - shorten your stopping distance (especially if it moves across the lane in front of you).
Clear road surface is the key factor when deciding how fast to commit.
Another principle in play here is that you must have your 'escape' plans ready before you enter the turn - if you're driving on the limits of view then you can't afford to spend extra time (and so distance) pondering options.
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Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Unintelligent Intelligence?
The DfT have released their latest report on ITS. That's 'Intelligent Traffic Systems'. Or automatic speed limiters (probably).
Details here
And earlier 'external speed control' here
Motorcycle-specific here
5. CONCLUSIONS
Adapting ISA to a motorcycle environment is a challenging proposition both in terms of the need to minimise weight and system volume and because of the requirement to consider the very different vehicle dynamics of a motorcycle. An ISA motorcycle demonstration platform has been realised that has offered a safe and effective vehicle demonstrator to enable proof-of-concept assessment trials. A trial site, format and rider selection process was defined to enable an evaluation exercise to be performed safely. A group of experienced motorcycle users was selected for an initial assessment trial in which pre/post attitudes and rider characteristics were evaluated and riding behaviour data was collected.
In terms of attitudes, perceptions of usefulness increased after experience of the ISA functionality in comparison to opinions expressed before exposure to ISA. However, satisfaction ratings were more varied with the Assisting ISA systems being judged significantly less satisfactory than the Advisory ISA or the Information system. Attitudes regarding the impact of ISA on riding indicated negative perceptions to “Joy”, “Overtaking” and “Accident Risk”. However, a positive perception to “Traffic safety” suggests that ISA has aspects that counterbalance these negative responses.
Overall, this ISA motorcycle trial has identified that there is a possible disjuncture between on the one hand the technical possibilities with concepts such as ISA and on the other hand the perceptions and attitudes of the current users of motorcycles. This may be because little emphasis has been placed upon how new assistive technologies pioneered in the passenger car and commercial field may migrate into the motorcycle sector and have an impact upon the perceived and actual safety, efficiency and marketability of motorcycles. It may also be influenced by the perceptions of motorcycle users with regard to the advantages or positive features of these vehicles, where the “freedom” and “independence” aspects of riding are valued highly by users and advisory and/or assisting technologies are perceived to be negative factors.
The BMF (and MAG too, probably) have been concerned for some time about effect of ITS on motorcycle safety
BMF paper
What is the BMF's policy on ISA?
"We will not accept any ITS [intelligent transport system] which takes control from the rider, such as Intelligent Speed Adaptation, without incontrovertible proof that it will not destabilise single track vehicles under any circumstances and that it will provide road safety benefits." As none of the systems developed so far appear to meet this criteria, we remain opposed.
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Details here
And earlier 'external speed control' here
Motorcycle-specific here
5. CONCLUSIONS
Adapting ISA to a motorcycle environment is a challenging proposition both in terms of the need to minimise weight and system volume and because of the requirement to consider the very different vehicle dynamics of a motorcycle. An ISA motorcycle demonstration platform has been realised that has offered a safe and effective vehicle demonstrator to enable proof-of-concept assessment trials. A trial site, format and rider selection process was defined to enable an evaluation exercise to be performed safely. A group of experienced motorcycle users was selected for an initial assessment trial in which pre/post attitudes and rider characteristics were evaluated and riding behaviour data was collected.
In terms of attitudes, perceptions of usefulness increased after experience of the ISA functionality in comparison to opinions expressed before exposure to ISA. However, satisfaction ratings were more varied with the Assisting ISA systems being judged significantly less satisfactory than the Advisory ISA or the Information system. Attitudes regarding the impact of ISA on riding indicated negative perceptions to “Joy”, “Overtaking” and “Accident Risk”. However, a positive perception to “Traffic safety” suggests that ISA has aspects that counterbalance these negative responses.
Overall, this ISA motorcycle trial has identified that there is a possible disjuncture between on the one hand the technical possibilities with concepts such as ISA and on the other hand the perceptions and attitudes of the current users of motorcycles. This may be because little emphasis has been placed upon how new assistive technologies pioneered in the passenger car and commercial field may migrate into the motorcycle sector and have an impact upon the perceived and actual safety, efficiency and marketability of motorcycles. It may also be influenced by the perceptions of motorcycle users with regard to the advantages or positive features of these vehicles, where the “freedom” and “independence” aspects of riding are valued highly by users and advisory and/or assisting technologies are perceived to be negative factors.
The BMF (and MAG too, probably) have been concerned for some time about effect of ITS on motorcycle safety
BMF paper
What is the BMF's policy on ISA?
"We will not accept any ITS [intelligent transport system] which takes control from the rider, such as Intelligent Speed Adaptation, without incontrovertible proof that it will not destabilise single track vehicles under any circumstances and that it will provide road safety benefits." As none of the systems developed so far appear to meet this criteria, we remain opposed.
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A Ticking Time-Bomb
12 September 2008
Motorcycle Testing - a Ticking Time-Bomb say BMF
News that the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has agreed to delay by six months the introduction of the new practical motorcycle test should only be seen as a respite and not a victory say the BMF.
Originally scheduled for September 29, the new motorcycle test will now be introduced on Monday, March 30, 2009
Whilst the BMF fully supported the representations made by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and the Motorcycle Rider Training Association (MRTA) in seeking a delay and congratulate them on achieving one, the new test manoeuvres required under European Directive (Second EC Driving Licence Directive 2000/56/EC) have not gone away and therefore neither has the requirement for expensive, massive new testing centres and decimation of the existing testing network say the BMF.
Because of the new test requirements, the existing 260 test centres will be closed, to be replaced by just 66 new Multi Purpose Test Centres (MPTCs) around the UK. By reducing capacity and location by this amount, the DSA will be forcing learner riders to travel much greater distances to reach a test centre, in extreme cases 60 miles but in many others, at least 40 miles, say the BMF.
The BMF are now hoping that the six-month delay will provide an opportunity for the whole concept to be revisited and a more realistic view taken of the facilities required.
"We appreciate that £71 million has already been invested in this project but we really need to get real here," said the BMF's Government Relations Executive Chris Hodder "We didn't need purpose built facilities, just a slight change of use at existing facilities and a derogation on minimum speeds. We've gone through all this mainly because of an anomaly whereby the required 50kph minimum road speed required equates to 31 mph. Amend that requirement and testing, with minor modifications, could have been accommodated within our existing infrastructure."
The BMF will now also be pressing for centres that are no more than 20 miles from any prospective candidate.
Note: Prior to the postponement, only 39 of the planned 66 centres were ready so unless the DSA had capitulated, there was a real danger that the whole motorcycle test system would have collapsed with candidates in many parts of the country unable to secure a motorcycle test. Others would have been faced with a round trip of 200 miles to take a test - a frightening prospect for a learner on a small capacity machine and a ridiculous situation if the rider were to fail and have to ride home!
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Motorcycle Testing - a Ticking Time-Bomb say BMF
News that the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has agreed to delay by six months the introduction of the new practical motorcycle test should only be seen as a respite and not a victory say the BMF.
Originally scheduled for September 29, the new motorcycle test will now be introduced on Monday, March 30, 2009
Whilst the BMF fully supported the representations made by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and the Motorcycle Rider Training Association (MRTA) in seeking a delay and congratulate them on achieving one, the new test manoeuvres required under European Directive (Second EC Driving Licence Directive 2000/56/EC) have not gone away and therefore neither has the requirement for expensive, massive new testing centres and decimation of the existing testing network say the BMF.
Because of the new test requirements, the existing 260 test centres will be closed, to be replaced by just 66 new Multi Purpose Test Centres (MPTCs) around the UK. By reducing capacity and location by this amount, the DSA will be forcing learner riders to travel much greater distances to reach a test centre, in extreme cases 60 miles but in many others, at least 40 miles, say the BMF.
The BMF are now hoping that the six-month delay will provide an opportunity for the whole concept to be revisited and a more realistic view taken of the facilities required.
"We appreciate that £71 million has already been invested in this project but we really need to get real here," said the BMF's Government Relations Executive Chris Hodder "We didn't need purpose built facilities, just a slight change of use at existing facilities and a derogation on minimum speeds. We've gone through all this mainly because of an anomaly whereby the required 50kph minimum road speed required equates to 31 mph. Amend that requirement and testing, with minor modifications, could have been accommodated within our existing infrastructure."
The BMF will now also be pressing for centres that are no more than 20 miles from any prospective candidate.
Note: Prior to the postponement, only 39 of the planned 66 centres were ready so unless the DSA had capitulated, there was a real danger that the whole motorcycle test system would have collapsed with candidates in many parts of the country unable to secure a motorcycle test. Others would have been faced with a round trip of 200 miles to take a test - a frightening prospect for a learner on a small capacity machine and a ridiculous situation if the rider were to fail and have to ride home!
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Well That Didn't Work
First attempt at linking to an image rather than posting.
Have a GPS picture . . . Probably not the one I chose earlier, but never mind.
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GPS Woes
One of the 'things' I watch for in other vehicles, when out and about, is that little glowing box - usually hung from the windscreen, obscuring the drivers view - which shows the driver is relying on GPS navigation to get to their destination.
And, like most people, I've seen the news stories . . .
Blog - lorry stuck in lane for three days
News - washed away in a river
And various councils erecting warning signs advising drivers not to follow GPS directions.
I also heard a story of how a motorcyclist turned off a road and in to a ploughed field because "My GPS told me to".
Also, I like maps. If I'm heading off somewhere 'new' I'll look in the road atlas (I prefer the AtoZ range), and use on-line servies like Googlemaps, and Yell to see what's what & where, well before I set off - let alone arrive.
So it was with some concerns about whether I'd made a good decision, that I bought a Garmin a couple of weeks ago.
A quick test took us across town and back, without too many hiccups.
A longer test was to head off down the M-Way to Bath, and back.
So, findings and recommendations:
1. It doesn't know about mini-roundabouts, often 'seeing' them only as a junction, and if it's a junction where you down turn then follow the road ahead (as long as you know which one that is . . . ).
2. As with the junctions in '1', there will be occasions when the 'main' road passes a side-turning - but that's where the 'numbered' or 'named' road goes. "Recalculating . . . "
3. It does a good job of finding a recalculated route!
4. Ours reads out road names; we found that the 'male' voice was easier to understand than the 'female'. We tried 'Cantonese' and it's pre-loaded.
5. The speed camera database is loaded. That, with the visible speed display showed that our speedo is +2mph @ 30 and +4mph @ 70mph.
6. I didn't look at the map book before setting off to Bath - which meant I didn't have a 'pre-loaded picture' in my head of where we'd be going. I had to have total faith in the machine. See above.
7. While listening to the machine, it was easy to hear and forget. Make a conscious effort to hear and understand. I found it useful to repeat out loud the instructions given - particularly the more long-range ones, especially on multi-lane approaches to junctions.
8. It doesn't work well in built-up areas; used when walking around the city we often 'lost' the satellites.
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Monday, 15 September 2008
Training Doesn't Work
Despite being all in favour of 'training', I'd be hard-pushed to actually find you any research 'proof' that training 'works'.
So it was with some interest that I stumbled on:
Short and long term effects of moped rider training: a field experiment
Charles Goldenbeld, Divera Twisk and Saskia de Craen
SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research, Duindoorn 32, P.O. box 1090, Leidschendam 2260 BB, The Netherlands
In a field experiment on moped rider training, young moped riders were tested one week before, two weeks after and eleven months after participation in a practical moped riding training course.
As a result of rider training the group trainees performed considerably better at a riding task than the group non-trainees two weeks after the training. However, this performance difference was not present anymore at follow-up testing 11 months later.
The group that did not follow the course significantly improved their driving skill. However, the group that had already improved their driving skill with the training, did not improve any further.
Those moped riders that improved most from the 16-h training course at the post-test also declined in performance considerably at the long term follow-up.
Knowledge that relies of an understanding of how behaviour should change in a dynamic situation was more strongly related to actual riding skill than knowledge that was based on memorising fairly straightforward situation-rule connections.
In fact, this probably reinforces a long-held view, that training 'short-cuts' real-World experience.
And, of course, if you take the 'learn by experience' route, then you have to survive the experience!
Which is another long-held view: other people's experience hurt less ;)
The final paragraph of that abstract emphasises that there's little point in training with 'rules for everything' - people have to know how to sort situations out using the most beneficial options, not the 'right' ones.
Interestingly, the 'trained' group improved no further. I strongly believe that training should, whenever, be done to help the riders improve on their own, by emphasising self-awareness and reflection, even for instructors.
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So it was with some interest that I stumbled on:
Short and long term effects of moped rider training: a field experiment
Charles Goldenbeld, Divera Twisk and Saskia de Craen
SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research, Duindoorn 32, P.O. box 1090, Leidschendam 2260 BB, The Netherlands
In a field experiment on moped rider training, young moped riders were tested one week before, two weeks after and eleven months after participation in a practical moped riding training course.
As a result of rider training the group trainees performed considerably better at a riding task than the group non-trainees two weeks after the training. However, this performance difference was not present anymore at follow-up testing 11 months later.
The group that did not follow the course significantly improved their driving skill. However, the group that had already improved their driving skill with the training, did not improve any further.
Those moped riders that improved most from the 16-h training course at the post-test also declined in performance considerably at the long term follow-up.
Knowledge that relies of an understanding of how behaviour should change in a dynamic situation was more strongly related to actual riding skill than knowledge that was based on memorising fairly straightforward situation-rule connections.
In fact, this probably reinforces a long-held view, that training 'short-cuts' real-World experience.
And, of course, if you take the 'learn by experience' route, then you have to survive the experience!
Which is another long-held view: other people's experience hurt less ;)
The final paragraph of that abstract emphasises that there's little point in training with 'rules for everything' - people have to know how to sort situations out using the most beneficial options, not the 'right' ones.
Interestingly, the 'trained' group improved no further. I strongly believe that training should, whenever, be done to help the riders improve on their own, by emphasising self-awareness and reflection, even for instructors.
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Do You Need To Pay Your Fines?
It's a rare luxury these days for me to read a newspaper.
And one of the nicer ways to do so is in a cafe.
But on Saturday I happened to be in a cafe with a group of friends, so talked instead of reading. But on the way out I noticed a headline, and had a very quick look at one of the papers that Costa Coffee in Newbury provide for their customers to while away the hours.
The paper was The Guardian, and the article, on the front of their 'Money' section, was about people returning from continental holidays to be greeted with notification of fines.
Were they 'real', did they have to pay?
Well, although there have been 'fines' scams, it seems that genuine fines are being followed up - in some cases for offences committed some considerable time earlier.
The article explains:
EPC legal manager Stuart Hendry says it sends a translated charge notification to the UK address it obtains from the DVLA. He says that no matter where the offence occurs drivers have the same appeal rights as a UK domestic offender. If the driver ignores it, the notice goes back to the issuing authority, which then decides whether to begin cross-border legal action. Hendry admits that few authorities will be bothered to pursue a single fine.
"If you don't pay a notified fine, the legislation is in place to enforce these fines in most countries, but it's a question of practicality and whether it's financially worth pursuing." That suggests you can safely ignore it - but beware that it may be treated as a criminal offence and your details held in the country concerned. Ultimately, your car could be seized on your return.
Tim Shallcross, head of technical policy at IAM Motoring Trust, says: "If I knew I'd committed an offence abroad, even unwittingly, and I wanted to return to that country later, personally I wouldn't chance it. I'd pay the fine."
In Delaney's case it looks like he has a strong case for refusing to pay. According to Hendry, authorities in most European countries are obliged to send a notice within 12 months of the alleged incident.
Won't the hire car company simply take it off my credit card? Yes and no. It's down to individual car hire contracts and local legislation. In the UK, if you are caught, say, in a bus lane, the liability to pay rests with the hire company, according to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. It will pay up as soon as it receives the charge, then claim it back off the credit card used for the booking. But if the offence is speeding, then the car hire company sends the details of the hirer for the police to pursue. It's likely that, in Italy, the hire companies were obliged to send address details to the police rather than take fines off the hirer's credit card.
Why are the fines coming from Italy and not France or Spain? It's another legal peculiarity. In France, Spain and Germany the police cannot outsource the collection of fines, so they can't obtain data from the DVLA. But that's not a licence to drive like a lunatic in those countries; on-the-spot fines are far more prevalent than in the UK.
What about all those Europeans over here? I bet they never pay fines. Wrong. Euro Parking's biggest client is Transport for London (TfL), and since 2005 has chased European drivers for unpaid congestion charges.
A TfL spokesperson says EPC regularly recovers around 40% of the penalties issued.
But looked at another way, that means the drivers of six out of 10 foreign-registered vehicles don't cough up. The Germans, it seems, are the worst. There are nearly 30,000 unpaid congestion charge notices against German vehicles, followed by Poland (15,376) Italy (11,846) and Spain (9,493).
Full story
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And one of the nicer ways to do so is in a cafe.
But on Saturday I happened to be in a cafe with a group of friends, so talked instead of reading. But on the way out I noticed a headline, and had a very quick look at one of the papers that Costa Coffee in Newbury provide for their customers to while away the hours.
The paper was The Guardian, and the article, on the front of their 'Money' section, was about people returning from continental holidays to be greeted with notification of fines.
Were they 'real', did they have to pay?
Well, although there have been 'fines' scams, it seems that genuine fines are being followed up - in some cases for offences committed some considerable time earlier.
The article explains:
EPC legal manager Stuart Hendry says it sends a translated charge notification to the UK address it obtains from the DVLA. He says that no matter where the offence occurs drivers have the same appeal rights as a UK domestic offender. If the driver ignores it, the notice goes back to the issuing authority, which then decides whether to begin cross-border legal action. Hendry admits that few authorities will be bothered to pursue a single fine.
"If you don't pay a notified fine, the legislation is in place to enforce these fines in most countries, but it's a question of practicality and whether it's financially worth pursuing." That suggests you can safely ignore it - but beware that it may be treated as a criminal offence and your details held in the country concerned. Ultimately, your car could be seized on your return.
Tim Shallcross, head of technical policy at IAM Motoring Trust, says: "If I knew I'd committed an offence abroad, even unwittingly, and I wanted to return to that country later, personally I wouldn't chance it. I'd pay the fine."
In Delaney's case it looks like he has a strong case for refusing to pay. According to Hendry, authorities in most European countries are obliged to send a notice within 12 months of the alleged incident.
Won't the hire car company simply take it off my credit card? Yes and no. It's down to individual car hire contracts and local legislation. In the UK, if you are caught, say, in a bus lane, the liability to pay rests with the hire company, according to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. It will pay up as soon as it receives the charge, then claim it back off the credit card used for the booking. But if the offence is speeding, then the car hire company sends the details of the hirer for the police to pursue. It's likely that, in Italy, the hire companies were obliged to send address details to the police rather than take fines off the hirer's credit card.
Why are the fines coming from Italy and not France or Spain? It's another legal peculiarity. In France, Spain and Germany the police cannot outsource the collection of fines, so they can't obtain data from the DVLA. But that's not a licence to drive like a lunatic in those countries; on-the-spot fines are far more prevalent than in the UK.
What about all those Europeans over here? I bet they never pay fines. Wrong. Euro Parking's biggest client is Transport for London (TfL), and since 2005 has chased European drivers for unpaid congestion charges.
A TfL spokesperson says EPC regularly recovers around 40% of the penalties issued.
But looked at another way, that means the drivers of six out of 10 foreign-registered vehicles don't cough up. The Germans, it seems, are the worst. There are nearly 30,000 unpaid congestion charge notices against German vehicles, followed by Poland (15,376) Italy (11,846) and Spain (9,493).
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