Bolton Advanced Motorists

Newsletter

Chairman's Chatter . . .

Manufacturers really are becoming poor when it comes to designing cars with good visibility in mind. Whilst my car was in the garage for some warranty work, the dealer loaned me a courtesy car. Perhaps for the first time I realised just how much the design of the car created terrible blind spots. To make the roof structure as strong as possible, the roof support pillars on modern cars are now much thicker, meaning less area of glass to see through. The courtesy car was a two door sports hatch model, and the combination of the wide 'B' pillar (behind the drivers head) and the narrow tapering rear side window meant that the 'over the shoulder check' saw just a narrow vertical slit about 2 inches wide, with all of the rest obscured by bodywork! The problem wasn't helped by the pathetically designed door mirror, which narrowed to a point, rendering it almost useless. So in making the vehicle stronger, visibility is sacrificed. Surely there must be a better middle ground!
 
An RAC report earlier in August quoted that potholed roads are leading to a massive rise in breakdowns, where they have seen a 76 per cent increase in damaged tyres. They are calling for an increase in spending on the roads to reflect the revenue collected in motoring taxation, and that the motorist is provided with the service they deserve and pay for. (Although £44billion was collected in motoring taxes last year, just £7billion was spent on the roads themselves). We will have to wait a long time before any government commits to spending that amount of money, so in the meantime good road surface observation is a skill you should hone. Make it a personal challenge to avoid the potholes and avoid damage to your tyres - without weaving all over the road of course. The potholes shouldn't be there, and yes, government and councils should do a lot more.
 
We all watch fuel prices on a regular basis. So if world oil prices have dropped 20 per cent from their high on 11 July, why have the prices at the pump dropped by only a few coppers? The answer is simple. We, the motorist (or any fuel user for that matter) are treated with disdain by the fuel companies and fuel retailers. We all know that when the price of a barrel of oil goes up, the price at the pump goes up at the same time or soon afterwards! When the price falls, it takes weeks for the price to drop. Like you, I don't have an answer; we are powerless to do anything. So remember that when your retailer tells you that they are making their 'third price cut in as many weeks', they are still pocketing savings that they could have passed on to you. Heads they win, tails you lose! Makes you want to go and kick the pumps in!!

Roy Sammons

Secretary's Scribbles . . .

A major way of publicising the Group and attracting new associates is by setting up a display stand in our local supermarkets, Tesco and Asda at Middlebrook, Asda at Burnden Park and Sainsbury's in Bolton town centre. We also visit Barton Grange Garden Centre on a regular basis and I would like to thank them all for their help in recruitment. The display stand has changed little since the Group's 35th anniversary in 2005 but we made some major changes for the latest publicity campaign.
The question those manning the display get asked most frequently is "Will passing the Advanced Test reduce my car insurance?" Until recently the answer has been that it depended on the insurance company - some did offer a reduction, others did not. Even arranging your insurance through the IAM did not guarantee a low premium. However, now that we have evidence of the IAM Surety scheme we can say with confidence that the prospective member's insurance is very likely to be lower and we have changed the display to reflect this. We highlighted four examples from committee members as follows:
Member______Renewal Quotation___IAM Surety
  A-------------------------£520--------------------£303
  B-------------------------£187--------------------£146
  C-------------------------£404--------------------£284
  D-------------------------£441--------------------£259
 
Further examples would be welcome. Give me a ring on 01204 848449 or send an email to gkwhittle@btinternet.com.
Because of the increase in fuel prices another part of the display informed prospective members that there are also savings to be made by driving in an advanced way. Using acceleration sense, how you vary your foot pressure on the accelerator pedal so you don't have to brake as often or as hard, will reduce fuel consumption.
Why, you may be asking is the Secretary using his Scribbles to tell us what we advanced drivers know already? My explanation - I want to involve you all in recruitment. Most of our members come from personal recommendation. So when next you are in a conversation where someone mentions high insurance premiums or high fuel prices, let them know about how an advanced driving course will save them money and make sure they get details of the next course from Annette Finally I would like to extend a warm welcome to those of you who joined the Group in August. I hope that you enjoy your advanced driving course. Do remember that if you have any problems, talk them over with your mentor who I am sure will be able to help you work through them.

Gary Whittle
  

 
 
Home : Course Details : How To Join : Meeting Place : Events : Fun Quiz : Contact Us : Driving Tips