Drink Drive endorsement is an 11 year "black mark"
As summer warms up and the thirst for an alcoholic drink increases, theIAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has reminded drivers of the perilsof accidentally drinking and driving. An 11 year licence endorsement is just one of the many consequences of adrink offence, although this isn't widely known.
There is nofoolproof way to check your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limitbefore you get behind the wheel, so the IAM's message to motorists is:if you're going to drink, don't drive. And if you are going to drive,don't drink. Previous surveys have shown a staggering 50 per cent of Britain's 32million motorists have owned up to driving after drinking alcohol.
"Just one" is often followed by another, especially if people are buyingrounds of drinks. And a generous round-buyer may get you a large wine ora double measure of spirits without you realising. This may be awell-meaning gesture, but it could put you over the limit.
Your ability to drive can be affected by even a modest amount ofalcohol, at any time of year. Even if you are actually within the limit,alcohol still affects your judgement. If you're driving abroad on a summer holiday, alcohol limits vary foreach individual country, with some countries even having a zero alcohollimit.
But the general rule to be safe no matter where you are drivingremains: don't drink and drive. Why not offer to be the (non-drinking) designated driver? You'll savemoney and you'll be popular with everyone else you're giving a lift hometo.
If you drive at twice the legal limit, you are 30 times more likelycrash, and a long sleep or a large cup of coffee after drinking thenight before may not be the quick fix you expected to allow you tosafely get behind the wheel.
There could be sufficient alcohol in your system to still push you overthe legal limit for many hours after you have stopped drinking. Soremember to leave at least twelve hours between the "bottle" and the"throttle".
In a car park, do you reverse into a parking space and drive out, or drive in and reverse out? The next time you are in a car park, have a look around and see how many people reverse into the space. You will probably find that most people actually drive in and reverse out. There is no doubt this may be safer/more convenient if the spaces are angled, when you have to load/unload items from the boot or if it would cause inconvenience to other road users.
On the other hand, reversing into the space provides you with several advantages. The first of these is that it is safer to reverse into somewhere you can see into (the parking space), rather than reverse out, into somewhere you can’t (the line of moving traffic). Many people find that it takes them a few minutes to settle into “driving mode” when they start their journey. Therefore it doesn’t make sense to undertake a potentially high risk manoeuvre such as reversing when you are not concentrating fully. It is also easier to control a car going forwards, rather than backwards when the car is first started and the automatic choke is activated. The reduction in wear and tear on you and the car is useful too – plus the fact you can pull away immediately while the engine is cold, rather than labour it doing a reversing manoeuvre.
From a security point of view, reversing close to an object such as a wall can make it more difficult for thieves to access your boot. If you need to exit a parking space quickly for personal security, driving out provides you with better acceleration and improved vision.
Over the next week why don’t you try reversing into a parking space? You may find it helpful if you have electric mirrors, to lower your left (nearside) mirror as this will provide you with a guide to your lateral position. Another option where all the spaces run in parallel rows is to line your car up with the space in front and reverse back in a straight line. This should automatically position you in the centre of the space.
I acually find reversing into a space easier than pulling in and it takes me less time (other than readying to reverse) than pulling as I almost always get the angle wrong.
I reverse in too. Not because it's easier or safer but because not many people do/ can so it helps to affirm my belief that I'm an above average driver.
Nine times out of ten i will reverse in to a space, as I just always do! I always try to get near to a wall, or end of row anyway, so reversing in allows me to get closer, so am away from the dange of other cars! lol
When parallel parking, I find it much easier to reverse in to a space with the kerb on the drivers side, than on the passenger side, but can do either in one move normally. And, I am the master of tight sqeezes!
I reverse in too. Not because it's easier or safer but because not many people do/ can so it helps to affirm my belief that I'm an above average driver.
LOL, me too.
I wonder if there's a study on how many women reverse park. There's a house I pass at roughly the same time every day where hubby has to guide wifey out on to the road backwards. Why the hell can't she reverse into the drive in the first place, while she can see what's on the road?
It really annoys me and, looking along the same road, most cars are driven in frontways, so maybe it isn't a male/female thing!
It's much more dangerous reversing out onto a road, busy or not, and isn't there actually a law about it?
Mind you (in rant mode) I'm sure there's also a law about not parking within a certain distance of a junction and that's flouted all the time.
