- Car envy
- Councils’ controlled parking issues
- En-suite parking space
- Leaving a warm car on cold days
- Swapping pompoms for podiums
- When more spaces mean less space
- Speeding motorists becoming rarer
- Unlucky registration plates
- Distracted driving during the summer
- Gone driving
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Thursday, August 30, 2012
Swapping pompoms for podiums
As many of our regular readers already know, women drivers in motorsport is a topic close to the heart of CoverGirl car insurance.
For those of you new to these posts, we’ll recap our position: women drivers are statistically safer than men – they are physically and mentally just as capable of driving at high speeds – and, they deserve a chance to compete on a level footing with male racing drivers.
Sadly, though there are few opportunities for young women drivers to get into motorsport, few role models and a considerable amount of prejudice, both personal and institutional.
It’s great to hear Damon Hill, former F1 champion, getting behind the idea of women in motorsport. In fact, the revered champ says that it’s “inevitable” that a woman will one day win F1.
This is true. But in some senses it can only be so, once we begin to believe that it is indeed inevitable. As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
It’s not that women haven’t entered F1 before, although the last woman to take her place on the grid did so in 1976.
"Maybe it's just numbers, maybe not enough women have chosen that career path and eventually someone will and show they are every bit as good as the best guy out there," said Hill.
"It's a little bit hard in motorsport that women don't have their own category, but the women drivers I've spoken to don't want their own category - they want to show they can compete against the men.” – well, he’s right there, women drivers are every bit as good as men. And if the insurance statistics are anything to go by, there’d be fewer serious crashes too!
Women in motorsport is about more than a few blonde girls with fake tans, short skirts and giant pompoms.
Image © *shanghai*sparkles* via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
For those of you new to these posts, we’ll recap our position: women drivers are statistically safer than men – they are physically and mentally just as capable of driving at high speeds – and, they deserve a chance to compete on a level footing with male racing drivers.Sadly, though there are few opportunities for young women drivers to get into motorsport, few role models and a considerable amount of prejudice, both personal and institutional.
It’s great to hear Damon Hill, former F1 champion, getting behind the idea of women in motorsport. In fact, the revered champ says that it’s “inevitable” that a woman will one day win F1.
This is true. But in some senses it can only be so, once we begin to believe that it is indeed inevitable. As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
It’s not that women haven’t entered F1 before, although the last woman to take her place on the grid did so in 1976.
"Maybe it's just numbers, maybe not enough women have chosen that career path and eventually someone will and show they are every bit as good as the best guy out there," said Hill.
"It's a little bit hard in motorsport that women don't have their own category, but the women drivers I've spoken to don't want their own category - they want to show they can compete against the men.” – well, he’s right there, women drivers are every bit as good as men. And if the insurance statistics are anything to go by, there’d be fewer serious crashes too!
Women in motorsport is about more than a few blonde girls with fake tans, short skirts and giant pompoms.
Image © *shanghai*sparkles* via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car insurance, drivers, F1, motorsport, racing
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
When more spaces mean less space
In some UK town centres it can be quite difficult finding somewhere to park your car. I know I’ve had problems before when I’ve gone round and round for a while and then had to give up and search for roadside spaces down residential streets instead.
I don’t like parking up on a roadside next to someone’s home because I feel that I might be in the way. Obviously I don’t park in front of people’s driveways, but I always wonder if they look out of their window, see my vehicle sat there, and think ‘Now where’s Lucy going to park when she comes over today?’, or something similar.
Thankfully, many councils are trying to improve parking for motorists and are finding ways of increasing the number of bays available.
However, Leicester City Council recently showed everyone that creating new spaces isn’t as easy as you may have imagined.
Employing a contractor to paint new bays along a street, the council didn’t plan the work well enough and made a bit of a mess of it all.
Motorists found that when all the spaces were in use, there was only a gap a little under one metre left for drivers to fit through. Needless to say, you can’t fit a car through a gap of that size, and people were not pleased.
The mistake has since been rectified, and hopefully Leicester City Council will plan work better in the future…
I don’t like parking up on a roadside next to someone’s home because I feel that I might be in the way. Obviously I don’t park in front of people’s driveways, but I always wonder if they look out of their window, see my vehicle sat there, and think ‘Now where’s Lucy going to park when she comes over today?’, or something similar.
Thankfully, many councils are trying to improve parking for motorists and are finding ways of increasing the number of bays available.
However, Leicester City Council recently showed everyone that creating new spaces isn’t as easy as you may have imagined.
Employing a contractor to paint new bays along a street, the council didn’t plan the work well enough and made a bit of a mess of it all.
Motorists found that when all the spaces were in use, there was only a gap a little under one metre left for drivers to fit through. Needless to say, you can’t fit a car through a gap of that size, and people were not pleased.
The mistake has since been rectified, and hopefully Leicester City Council will plan work better in the future…
Photo © compujeramey via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: bay, car, driveway, Leicester City Council, motorist, parking, roadside, space, town centre, UK, vehicle
Friday, August 24, 2012
Speeding motorists becoming rarer
You know what really grinds my gears? – by which I mean, what annoys me, not what ruins the inner workings of my car. It’s speeding motorists who make me mad!
Sometimes you can’t tell if people are speeding – one or two miles above the limit are hard to spot – but when I see road users obviously flouting the rules I have to pull over somewhere safe and calm myself down.
I can’t understand why some drivers do it – it’s so dangerous and completely unnecessary!
Occasionally I see some people visibly speeding just to show off to strangers walking along the pavement. What’s the point?
Thankfully though, figures from the RAC Foundation and the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety show that motorists are not speeding as much as they used to.
For example, whereas 69% of drivers exceeded 30mph limits in 1998, in 2010 only 46% did. Furthermore, the number of road users breaking the 70mph limit on motorways used to be 57% in 2003, but fell to 49% in 2010.
I’m pleased, and I hope those figures continue to decrease.
Photo © ell brown via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car, dangerous, drivers, gear, limit, motorists, Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, RAC Foundation, road, speeding
Monday, August 20, 2012
Unlucky registration plates
Superstitious drivers who are looking to purchase a new car soon are apparently getting a little worried because registration plate numbers are going to change on March the 1st 2013. Registration plates change twice every year – once in March and again in September – so that the age of a car can be narrowed down to a six month period.
This doesn’t usually cause any problems, but this time it’s different. This time, when the plates change in March, the number 13 will feature on registrations.
Yes, unlucky number 13 – the number which some drivers feel might cause them to be involved in a traffic accident, breakdown in the middle of nowhere, or not be able to find cheap car insurance.
Apparently the DVLA, probably aware that car sales may suffer due to this digit, are allowing motorists to continue having the 62-plate which will be available at the beginning of next month.
However, these will be treated like personalised registration plates, and so drivers will have to pay for them.
Still – if you’re superstitious enough – having to pay for a safe number plate might actually reduce your risk of suffering an accident, as driving around thinking that you’re going to crash might actually lead to you being involved in a collision.
Photo © Like_The_Grand_Canyon via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: 13, accident, car, cheap car insurance, collision, driver, driving, DVLA, March, number, plate, registration, September, superstitious, traffic, unlucky
Friday, August 17, 2012
Distracted driving during the summer
Have you ever been tooted at because you’re wearing a pretty skirt?
I know that, depending on my mood, it either makes me smile or makes me grumble about sexism and so on.
From now on though, as well as smiling or grumbling, I’ll also be thinking about a set of statistics I read recently.
A poll of 2,142 motorists, conducted by a car insurance company, showed that 60% of male drivers and 12% of female drivers had become distracted by pedestrians during the summer.
Why during the summer? Well it’s the extra skin on show which does it apparently, and even models on billboards can cause some road users to take their eyes off the road.
This is worrying, because a large proportion of traffic accidents involve some type of distracted driving.
Still, I’m not going to let this stop me from enjoying the summer months and wearing all those nice clothes I enjoy prancing around in when it’s warm enough for me to do so.
Drivers just need to have a little more self-control, that’s all. I mean, it’s not like I’m wearing a bikini! It’s a knee-length skirt for goodness sake!
I know that, depending on my mood, it either makes me smile or makes me grumble about sexism and so on.
From now on though, as well as smiling or grumbling, I’ll also be thinking about a set of statistics I read recently.
A poll of 2,142 motorists, conducted by a car insurance company, showed that 60% of male drivers and 12% of female drivers had become distracted by pedestrians during the summer.
Why during the summer? Well it’s the extra skin on show which does it apparently, and even models on billboards can cause some road users to take their eyes off the road.
This is worrying, because a large proportion of traffic accidents involve some type of distracted driving.
Still, I’m not going to let this stop me from enjoying the summer months and wearing all those nice clothes I enjoy prancing around in when it’s warm enough for me to do so.
Drivers just need to have a little more self-control, that’s all. I mean, it’s not like I’m wearing a bikini! It’s a knee-length skirt for goodness sake!
Photo © ...love Maegan via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: accident, car insurance, distracted driving, drivers, motorist, pedestrians, skirt, statistics, summer, traffic
Monday, August 13, 2012
Gone driving
Have you ever gone for a drive, just because you felt like it?
Apparently, according to a survey by a car insurance provider and Populus, a lot of people do.
They polled more than 20,000 motorists, and revealed that 55% of drivers have got behind the wheel and gone for a destinationless spin.
Furthermore, 10% of people do it every week!
It sounds unwise, when you think about how expensive fuel is at the moment…
However, I know how nice it can be to just drive.
Owning a car is like having a room no-one can barge into – it’s relaxing.
In your vehicle you can go where the wind (and importantly the road) takes you. No one can pop in to say that some programme on TV’s just about to start, or to ask you why you haven’t cleaned the dishes yet.
Of course, it’s very important not to get too carried away. The road is no place for dangerous or distracted drivers! So, if you fancy going for a drive, make sure you’re not doing it in an emotional state – otherwise you could suffer a traffic accident.
Apparently, according to a survey by a car insurance provider and Populus, a lot of people do.
They polled more than 20,000 motorists, and revealed that 55% of drivers have got behind the wheel and gone for a destinationless spin.
Furthermore, 10% of people do it every week!
It sounds unwise, when you think about how expensive fuel is at the moment…
However, I know how nice it can be to just drive.
Owning a car is like having a room no-one can barge into – it’s relaxing.
In your vehicle you can go where the wind (and importantly the road) takes you. No one can pop in to say that some programme on TV’s just about to start, or to ask you why you haven’t cleaned the dishes yet.
Of course, it’s very important not to get too carried away. The road is no place for dangerous or distracted drivers! So, if you fancy going for a drive, make sure you’re not doing it in an emotional state – otherwise you could suffer a traffic accident.
Photo © allison.hare via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: accident, car insurance, destination, distracted drivers, drive, drivers, fuel, motorists, Populus, road, traffic, wheel
Friday, August 10, 2012
Mercedes-Benz competition
The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is looking for “Britain’s Best Young Driver” – and I might enter!
Apparently you’ve just got to be over the age of 16 – check – and 1.5 meters tall or higher – check.
You don’t even need to have passed your practical driving test – although that’s not an issue for me anyway.
My only problem is that it costs £45 or £80 to have a go, depending on which challenge you enter, and that’s quite a lot of money.
However, if you win you get to be a Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy VIP for a whole year!
What does that entail? Well, you’ll get to go to exclusive events, meet celebrities, test-drive brand new Mercedes vehicles, and apparently, states the website, ‘much more besides‘.
I’d really quite like to give it a go. Even if I don’t win, the experience of having driven around famous race and test circuits for a competition would definately be something to talk about.
I might get a few of my friends to enter as well, just so that I’ve got people I know to compete against...
Apparently you’ve just got to be over the age of 16 – check – and 1.5 meters tall or higher – check. You don’t even need to have passed your practical driving test – although that’s not an issue for me anyway.
My only problem is that it costs £45 or £80 to have a go, depending on which challenge you enter, and that’s quite a lot of money.
However, if you win you get to be a Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy VIP for a whole year!
What does that entail? Well, you’ll get to go to exclusive events, meet celebrities, test-drive brand new Mercedes vehicles, and apparently, states the website, ‘much more besides‘.
I’d really quite like to give it a go. Even if I don’t win, the experience of having driven around famous race and test circuits for a competition would definately be something to talk about.
I might get a few of my friends to enter as well, just so that I’ve got people I know to compete against...
Photo © torbakhopper via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: Britain, challenge, circuits, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, money, vehicle, VIP, young driver
Monday, August 6, 2012
Being a pillion passenger has brought me closer to my car
I recently got on the back of my brother’s motorbike for the first time, and I can tell you that I’ve grown much closer to my car as a result.
I’ve always found my car useful and I’ve often gratefully loaded the boot with heavy shopping, or made a break for it from my front door when the rain was coming down in sheets, but now I love my vehicle even more.
Nothing compares – road vehicle-wise – to the protection it offers. Obviously you should still drive safely, motorists can die in car collisions just as motorcyclists can, but I feel so much safer in my driver’s seat than as a pillion passenger.
Taking corners was the worst! Having to lean towards the road with the vehicle made me feel like by knees were going to hit the tarmac or the bike was going to slide out from beneath us.
Unfortunately my brother bought a motorbike helmet especially for me – so I’ll have to get back on the motorbike soon…
I’ll just have to close my eyes and pretend I’m in my lovely car.
I’ve always found my car useful and I’ve often gratefully loaded the boot with heavy shopping, or made a break for it from my front door when the rain was coming down in sheets, but now I love my vehicle even more.
Nothing compares – road vehicle-wise – to the protection it offers. Obviously you should still drive safely, motorists can die in car collisions just as motorcyclists can, but I feel so much safer in my driver’s seat than as a pillion passenger.
Taking corners was the worst! Having to lean towards the road with the vehicle made me feel like by knees were going to hit the tarmac or the bike was going to slide out from beneath us.
Unfortunately my brother bought a motorbike helmet especially for me – so I’ll have to get back on the motorbike soon…
I’ll just have to close my eyes and pretend I’m in my lovely car.
Photo © Alasdair Middleton via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: boot, brother, car, collision, drive, helmet, motorbike, motorcyclists, pillion passenger, road, tarmac, vehicle
Friday, August 3, 2012
Everyone’s got ‘Ahead of the Games’ by staying at home
On the run up to the Olympics it seemed that London would be in permanent transport chaos until sportspeople and visitors alike left for their home countries after the closing ceremony.
There were messages on TV, at railway stations – everywhere – stating that everyone should “Get Ahead of the Games” and make sure they gave themselves plenty of time to get to their destinations through the crowds.
We were told that trains and buses would be packed, motorists would suffer traffic jams, and pavements would be overrun with people.
But no – reports from businesses and attractions in the city state that all the visitor numbers are down.
It seems that all the warnings of transport meltdown have scared people away, leading to monetary loss. Hmm, not good for the economy…
A spokesperson for the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions stated, “There are two groups of people missing.
“The first are general visitors to London, who are staying clear because of the perception that it will be busy. The second are Londoners and Brits who have been warned there will be a transport nightmare.
“Our message to them is that while it may be sensible to avoid certain peak times and locations, transport is running very smoothly.
“Ironically there has never been a better time to visit our attractions because the queues are shorter and opening times have been extended.”
Next thing we know there will be transport chaos because everyone will have been told London’s empty.
There were messages on TV, at railway stations – everywhere – stating that everyone should “Get Ahead of the Games” and make sure they gave themselves plenty of time to get to their destinations through the crowds.We were told that trains and buses would be packed, motorists would suffer traffic jams, and pavements would be overrun with people.
But no – reports from businesses and attractions in the city state that all the visitor numbers are down.
It seems that all the warnings of transport meltdown have scared people away, leading to monetary loss. Hmm, not good for the economy…
A spokesperson for the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions stated, “There are two groups of people missing.
“The first are general visitors to London, who are staying clear because of the perception that it will be busy. The second are Londoners and Brits who have been warned there will be a transport nightmare.
“Our message to them is that while it may be sensible to avoid certain peak times and locations, transport is running very smoothly.
“Ironically there has never been a better time to visit our attractions because the queues are shorter and opening times have been extended.”
Next thing we know there will be transport chaos because everyone will have been told London’s empty.
Photo © J@ck! Via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: chaos, Get Ahead of the Games, London, motorists, Olympics, sportspeople, traffic jam, transport, visitors