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Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists and Motorcyclists

© Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists

Page Content

1 What’s on? See what events are planned for the near future

2The Chairman’s comments

Pothole plague worst in Scotland

3 Darkness on the edge of town

4 Observer’s Corner - It’s a nightmare for bikers in the day…. but worse at night!

5 When looking might not be seeing

7 Young Driver Support Programme

11 Annual General Meeting

12 Quality of road markings in decline

13 Motorcycle Chief Observer’s Diary

14The dangers of fatigue

Drink driving: The hidden cost of a humble pint

15The Secretary Reports

Thousands disqualified before reaching driving age

16 Top 10 professions most likely to speed

19 Advertiser’s Wall

ADVANCE Spring 2013 Contents

JOHN F. BLACK

6B Catherinefield Ind Estate,Heathhall, Dumfries DG1 3PQTel: 01387 267473

MOTOR ENGINEERS

~Air Con ~Diesel Tuning ~Servicing ~Repairs ~Diagnostics ~Exhausts

~Tyres ~Motorhomes ~MOT testing for classes 3,4,5 & 7

YOU MAY THINK OF THESE AS JUST ACCIDENTSbut there may have been clues which if acted upon, might have avoided

or reduced the consequences of these situations.

A ‘skill for life’ course could help you spot the clues. Why notplan to steer a course for safer driving and riding?

Find out more by visiting WWW.IAMDUMFRIES.ORG.UK


Group Committee Members for 2012/13

Group President: Tommy Jardine

To e-mail any member of the committee, please inthe first instance, use the group contact e-mail

address: [email protected]

1

What’s on? - check for more details & late changes atwww.iamdumfries.org.uk

Monday 8 April, 6:30pm. Visit to Aviation Museum, Heathhall, Dumfries -numbers required so please let Helen Cameron know that you’ll be coming.

Monday 13 May, AGM and Quiz Night

Monday 10 June, 6:30pm. Treasue Hunt with a difference - Your first clue: itstarts at the car park behind the main Council offices, off Newall Terrace.

Meetings: Aberdour Hotel, 16 Newall Terr. DG11LW 7:30pm unless otherwise stated.

This magazine was publishedby the Dumfries & Galloway

Group ofAdvanced Motorists &

Motorcyclists.For more details of our activities

see our web site at:

www.iamdumfries.org.uk

Contact theGroup Secretary:

[email protected]

Facebook: Dumfries & GallowayIAM (Motorcycles) Group

Magazine contributions to:[email protected]

Disclaimer: The views expressedin this magazine are those of thecontributors and not necessarilythose of the Editor, Group or theInstitute of Advanced Motorists, towhich the Group is affiliated. RegCharity No. SC 023511

Chair,Chief Obs

Graeme McColm 01387 720425

Vice Chair Jamie Wood 01683 300347Secretary Helen Cameron 07707 035518Treasurer Russell Wears 01387 263893M/c Coordntr Andrew Bird 01387 259500Car Coordntr Stewart Cameron 01387 264005Committee Anne Lind

Andy CampbellBob SloanSheena TrailClint SmithChris McWhinnieJohn Parry

07727 91374207717 79810907764 34945901461 20468807952 75143307749 10520307841 202445

For all enquiries call: 07707 035518or e-mail: [email protected]

Copy date: Latest article submission date for the Autumn13 issue: 8 AugustPhotography notice: Occasionally we may take photos during meetings, guidance ses-sions or at other events in order to promote the Group and its activities. Photos may bereproduced in our web sites, our magazine or through other promotions. If you wish towithhold your permission for your image to be used please contact the Group Secretary.


The Chairman’s comments - Graeme McColm

Welcome to the Spring edition of Advance.

There have been a variety of difficult conditions thiswinter with either with rain, snow or cold but thankfullyspring is here, the nights are getting lighter, so wecan all benefit from getting out and about in theevenings.

The IMI award - The Institute of the Motor Industryawards have now been introduced countrywide. Onegroup in England and ourselves were the first to take part in this scheme.

Earlier this year former racing driver John Cleland offered to reimburse thecosts of the IAM course for a number of young motorists in the Borders, oncethey pass their advanced test. Touring car champion John Cleland said hewanted to cut the number of accidents in the region, which has thousands ofmiles of difficult rural roads.

Allan McNish (local racing driver and director of Crossflags) is also looking athelping out, possibly in conjunction with John Cleland, by assisting youngdrivers in our region to pass the IAM test. Have a look at page 7 for moreinformation.

Over the winter we have had a mixture of evening events, both entertainingand educational, ranging from a night of archery at St Joseph’s College, a talkon first aid procedures, a presentation on household waste prevention and acompetitive 10 pin bowling match versus Carlisle group. If you have any ideasfor future events or fundraising ideas please mention it to an observer orcommittee member.

Advanced driving and riding is for all and no matter age or ability a ‘Skill forLife’ course is a must. Please remember if you are looking for an alternativegift, you can’t beat a ‘skill for life’ course.

Now spring has arrived we hope everybody will be out and about either in thecar or by motorbike but remember to stay safe.

2

Pothole plague worst in ScotlandA third of drivers have damaged their vehicle by hitting a pothole in the last twoyears, according to the AA.

A new AA/Populus survey of 22,827 AA members found that damaged roadsurfaces took the greatest toll on drivers in the north of the UK with Scots(44%) taking the biggest pothole hit by some margin.

© Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists3

Darkness on the edge of town - IAM driving tip

Over the past 3 years lights have been switched off on over 120 miles of theUK’s motorways. Here IAM Chief Examiner, Peter Rodger offers advice ondriving in the dark, on the motorway.

Rodger said: “Driving after the sun goesdown offers a rather different experienceto driving in daylight. Speed is more diffi-cult to judge, distances can be hard tocalculate, facing a wall of headlights cancause distraction and impaired vision, andyou are likely to be more tired than usual.”

Rodger offers tips to help make your drive as safe and enjoyable as possible:

- To improve your view as far as possible, keep your lights and windscreenclean. You should clean the inside of your windscreen as well as the exterior.

- Use main beam to maximise the distance which you can see ahead, butwhen other drivers are approaching, make sure you dip your lights to avoiddazzling the oncoming traffic.

- Turn off your interior lights and dim the dashboard if possible – this will cutdown on interior reflections on your windows.

- Make sure you can stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear.Stopping distances should be increased during hours of darkness, and evenmore so if the winter weather has made the roads more slippery.

- If you’re feeling tired, caffeine alone is not a fix. Take a break and have a 20minute nap in a safe location. Opening your window to let some cool fresh airin will also help to perk you up.

- Motorway driving can be monotonous, so share the driving if possible.

- Look at how traffic in front behaves for clues to possible problems you can’tsee yet. You should especially stay on the lookout for brake lights up ahead.

- If you break down, pull over on to the hard shoulder and stop as far to the leftas you can, pointing your wheels in towards the kerb. Then leave your vehicleand stand behind a crash barrier if there is one.

Rodger said: “Currently there are several stretches of motorway in Britainwhich have no lighting, making the hours of darkness even more challenging.But this shouldn’t put you off driving on the motorway at night. The roads area lot quieter, making it a suitable time to make continuous progress.”


4

It’s a nightmare for bikers in the day but worse at night!Potholes are a danger for all road users and especially for thoseon two wheels. It’s not just the potholes themselves that causethe danger, there’s the problem of the loose debris, both fromthe hole in the original road and all too often debris generatedby the ineffective repair.

If you use the System then potholes and debris are justanother hazard to be dealt with. Close observation coupledwith anticipation of potential pothole locations (that’s justabout anywhere nowadays), should help you devise an effec-tive riding plan.

Don’t ignore the effect that potholes can have on other roadusers which could in turn affect you. Cars and bikes in front, or even‘oncomers’ too, could suddenly brake and swerve. You might evenfind you get caught out yourself, but at least if you are observing allround you will know if you can deviate your course or speed withoutaffecting others unduly.

If you have no option but to ride or drive across a pothole you’ll need to adjustyour speed accordingly, before the hole, as hitting it under heavy

braking could make things worse. For example the front suspen-sion may become compressed or you could skid on enteringthe hole, all of which may cause more damage and instabil-ity. If you are really caught out you might have to opt to letoff the brakes and proceed through the affected area in astraight line as the best course of action. On a bike you willbe less insulated from the thump when you hit a potholeand there’s likely to be a much bigger effect on the han-dling, so aim to avoid them wherever possible.

Finally you’ll need to be hyper-vigilant at night, especiallyon a bike, given that main roads and even motorways arenow affected by the plague of potholes.

Potholesfor the

foreseeablefuture

Uneven roadremove den-tures beforeproceeding


When looking might not be seeingIn the last edition we asked - ‘Do you turn a blind eye?’ - where we looked atthe issue of blind spots caused by a variety of things such as the optic nerve,window pillars, dirty glass etc. These aren’t the only reason you might fail tospot a hazard or end up in a close shave when another road user ‘comes outof nowhere’. Perhaps you convinced yourself that it must be their fault for notsignalling or maybe for going too fast, after all you are not blind are you?

Well it might surprise you that you have less than optimum vision much of thetime and there are more reasons than just those highlighted in the last edition.

The eye via the retina allows you to ‘see’. In a very small area of the retina canbe found the Fovea Centralis this enables the sharp focused vision, neededwhere detail is important, for activities such as reading, driving etc.

Such detailed vision (acuity) only results from the small area the fovea pointstoward, the rest of the image you see is less detailed but nevertheless usefulfor identifying movement so prompting you to shift the focus of your eyes.Visual acuity at 20 deg to the side of where your gaze is focused typically isonly about 10% of what it is at 0 deg i.e. the point you are looking at directly -in another words you can only pick up 10% of the detail!

The view captured by the fovea only comprises the central 2 deg or so of yourvision - that’s maybe about a couple of finger widths held up at arms length.When an object requiring detailed vision covers a larger area than this, forexample when reading a book, the eyes have to constantly shift to get the thedifferent areas into sharp focus. There is also another downside to the fovea,it does not perform well in low light.

Armed with this knowledge you now know why you have to move your eyesand look directly at something in order to see the full detail. In terms of drivingthis is the only way of collecting the information necessary to make the rightdecisions, and arm yourself with effective driving plans, adjusted as necessary

Look straight ahead (LH image) pedestrian in road is in focus but to the sides theview has progressively less detail. Shift focus to the right, cars on RH are in focus

but not the pedestrian in road and the cars on left are even less well defined.


to suit the ever changing conditions. Just looking ahead and relying onperipheral vision will not do it - you have to actively seek out hazards -especially if you want to minimise the effects of ‘blind spots’.

As well as the problem related to lack of detail there’s the problem where theeye fails to detect an object because there is little or no relative movement tobe spotted. Effectively the object (a potential hazard) is camouflaged especial-ly if the background has monotonous detail. Light, colour and contrast comeinto it too as whilst the fovea is good at determining colour it is not so good inpoor light so even shifting your focus may not always easily reveal the hazardsin certain circumstances. The images below and on the next page attempt toexplain this problem:

It is not true to say that you cannot see anything with your peripheral vision, ofcourse you can, but given the limitations can you be sure you would spotsmaller road users like pedestrians and cyclists? What if the silver car abovewere replaced with a motorcycle? To maximise the effectiveness of your visionand minimise the risk to you and other road users try using an full activescanning method which involves not just moving your eyes to shift focus butto also turn your head and even move it sideways/ back/ forward to minimisethe effect of blind spots and maximise the detection of movement.

The Governments new THINK! campaign aims to remind drivers to look outfor motorcyclists - particularly at junctions - and to see the person behind thehelmet not just a motorbike. Motorcyclists account for 1% of traffic but 19% ofdeaths on Britain’s roads. 30 bikers are killed or injured in accidents atjunctions every day so make sure you get your observation right.

These images show 2 cars on a collisioncourse. Here is that there is little move-

ment to detect. Each vehicle stays in thesame position relative to the other. The

silver car stays about 90 deg right of the black one whilst the the black one is alwaysabout 30 deg left of the silver car. Just looking ahead in either driver’s case meansthey are reliant on peripheral vision, good for detecting movement but here there islittle relative movement to detect. Things are worse when drivers have other thingsahead attracting their attention. When they do spot each other it might be too late!


Young Driver Support Programme - source IAM

January saw an event to re-launch John Cleland’s Young Driver SupportProgramme which resulted in 13 young drivers signing up for a ‘skill for life’course. The event hosted by the racing champion, and supported by IAMBorders, was held at Cleland’s Galashiels Volvo dealership.

Young drivers first had a demonstration drive with an IAM observer. They werethen given an assessment of their driving abilities both by the observer andalso using ‘black box’ technology measuring things like acceleration speedsand cornering methods etc. Cleland said: “If wehave the opportunity to cut road deaths, cut gov-ernment costs due to road accidents and makeyoungsters safer and more confident drivers forjust £139-a-head, to me it’s a no-brainer.”

Those who signed up to an IAM course will bereimbursed personally by John Cleland for the fullfee, when they pass the advanced test.

Following the success of this event Cleland iscommitted to expanding the programme to other areas of Scotland. Our Grouphope to have it confirmed that the scheme is coming to Dumfries this year.

John Cleland pictured herewith one of the young drivers

You may have even less opportunity to see the approaching vehicle on the left ifyour eye is drawn to activity directly ahead of you and/or there’s poor colour contrast.

Sources & further reading: http://think.direct.gov.uk/; www.londoncyclist.co.uk; Groupmagazines - ADVANCE Spring 2008 - ADVANCE Autumn 2005 see iamdumfries.org.uk

Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC 023511

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We have helped hundreds of people hone their abilities to make their driving or ridingmore skillful, more enjoyable and safer. Our passion is to help you improve your drivingand riding standards leaving you with the ability to make good progress whilst maintain-ing the highest standards of skill, safety and responsibility... it really is a ‘skill for life’.Interested in improving your skills? Get in touch, find out more. Visit our web site,e-mail or call us on 07707 035518 - see page 1 for our contact details.

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From the Edinburgh Road roundabout /A75 Dumfries bypasstake A701 north. After 0.5 miles take 2nd exit at the round-about (by Esso/Tesco Express) onto Tinwald Downs Road. In0.4 miles take left into Downs Way Industrial Est. then firstright behind Downsway Garage - we are at the end on the left.

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Annual General MeetingNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by order of the Group Committee that the AnnualGeneral Meeting of “Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcy-clists” will be held at 19:30 on Monday 13 May 2013 at the Aberdour Hotel,Dumfries, to enable the Trustees of the Group (Registered Charity No. SC 023511)to present their Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March2013 for approval by the Group Members and to conduct an election.

Issued by: Secretary: Helen Cameron; Contact: 07707 035518; Group No6071; e-mail: [email protected] - 08 March 2013.

All Members, Associates and Friends are invited to attend but only Fully PaidUp Members of the IAM and of the Group may vote.

A Member entitled to vote at the General Meeting may appoint a proxy to votein his stead. A proxy need not be a Full Member of the Group.

CURRENT OFFICERS: All Officers retire annually but offer themselves forre-election. (Group Rule 3.4)Chair: Graeme McColm - Offering to stand for re electionVice Chair: Jamie Wood - Offering to stand for re electionSecretary: Helen Cameron - Offering to stand for re election -unless any-one wishes to do it!Treasurer: Russell Wears - Offering to stand for re electionCOMMITTEE MEMBERS: One third of the Committee (excluding Officers)must retire annually and may offer themselves for re-election. (Group Rule 3.4)A. RETIRING BY ROTATION AND STANDING FOR RE-ELECTION: AndyCampbellB. RETIRING BY ROTATION AND NOT STANDING FOR RE-ELECTION:Sheena TraillC. COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT RETIRING & NUMBER OF YEARS REMAINING:Clint Smith (1 yr), Stewart Cameron (1 yr), Anne Lind (1 yr). Bob Sloan (2 yrs),Andrew Bird (2yrs), John Parry (2yrs). Chris McWhinnie has also resigned.NOTE: The total number of Committee Members including the Officers must not ex-ceed twenty. See the Nomination Form (available from the Secretary) for details,which must be returned by 9 am 2 May 2013. Group Rules and the Minutes of theMay 2012 AGM are available on the Group web site or may be requested, from theSecretary, at least seven days in advance of the date for the AGM.IMPORTANT:The Group belongs to its Members and it will benefit from your input at the AGM and/oryour participation on the committee, if you are able to help. Any full Member of thegroup wishing to help the group by volunteering to be a member of the committeeshould let the Secretary know in advance of the date for return of nomination papersso that a Nomination Form can be raised.


Quality of road markings in declineThe Road Safety Marking Association 2012survey into the quality of road safety markingson the UK’s road network has revealed someunsurprising problems with the state of our roadmarkings. They recorded the condition of roadmarkings (e.g. white lines) over 1030km of mo-torways, dual and single carriageways in Scot-land. They were looking at the retro-reflectivity of these markings whichenabled them to judge just how visible they were to road users, especially atnight in the wet.

The survey revealed 61 per cent of single and dual carriageway road markingsare invisible or fall into the warning zone. On some strategic dual carriagewaysserious problems were found, with for instance, 90 per cent of markings on theM90 between J1 and J12a northbound having failed and a further 9 per centin the ‘failing’ category. Overall 4 per cent of markings on Scotland’s motorwayand dual carriageways needed immediate replacement.

The survey also revealed a large number of problem areas across Englandand Wales.

Whilst these results don’t hold any surprises and you might suggest the reporthas been published by a vested interest, it is probable that not many peoplewould dispute its accuracy. Numerous examples of poor quality white lines areto be found on just about any journey, but what can the road user do tominimise any effects on their safety?

What are road markings for anyway? Well they are there to help road userssafely navigate the road network by delineating the road and traffic lanes.They serve to inform the driver of the layout of the road, especially in poorweather conditions or at night, and give advanced warning of a variety ofhazards (e.g. SLOW marked on the road).

Watch out especially at night and in the wet. It is not just a question of youstaying on your side of the road but anticipating how others, especially those

Group Members and Associates can get a free basic car wash, or two jet washtokens when you fill up. Just show your membership card, or for Associates your IAMconfirmation letter. Let the staff know you would like the free bike/car wash beforeyou pay for your fuel. This offer may be withdrawn at any time.


coming towards you, might have their road positioning compromised - to yourdetriment.

Pay particular attention to left hand bends where ‘oncomers’ can frequently beseen cutting the white lines - even when they are in good condition. You mightwant to make sure you stick to your side of the road especially when negotiat-ing right hand bends - couple this with practised use of the limit points to getyour entry speed right and negate the need to cut the corner.

It is of course especially difficult in poor weather conditions and made evenmore difficult at night - add this together with poor road surfaces, pot holes etcand you could have a recipe for danger - but remember there’s no shame inslowing down when in difficult circumstances!

Motorcycle Chief Observer’s Diary - Graeme McColm

There has not been much fresh news to report since the last magazine. As youare all aware the weather hasn’t been great, but thankfully spring is justaround the corner (make sure you use the System on approach!).

As the nights get lighter and the weather warmer we are looking forward to anumber of events in the coming months. The first Sunday runs have startedagain with the latest on the 3rd of March taking in Portpatrick, the Isle ofWhithorn then home via Kirkcudbright and Dalbeattie. It was a great day outwith plenty of sunshine.

Hopefully we will see more and more of you joining us. If anybody has a goodrun in mind please mention it as we are always open to ideas.

Congratulations to anybody who has ventured out and completed their guid-ance. Well done!!

Over the last few months Andrew Bird and myself (as group ambassadors forthe biking section) have attended the Scottish Forum meeting and the regionaltraining team at Tulliallan Police College. The aim of these meetings is to allowthe same message to extend across all the different groups. They have beena huge success and we both enjoyed them very much.

New associates have been signed up already this year but if you know ofanybody who would benefit from a ‘Skill for Life’ course please get in touch.Advanced driving and riding skills are a must for all, irrespective of age or ability.

Hopefully the weather will now pick up and we will have some spring sunshineto enjoy and many more skills handed down by our experienced observers.

Remember to keep safe.


14

The dangers of fatigue - source GEM Motoring Assist

Before embarking on a long journey, make sure you familiarise yourself with therisks you may face by being tired at the wheel.

There’s a new video out that lasts just a fewminutes but could prove a lifesaver in help-ing you identify the early signs of fatigueduring a journey. These early signs caninclude yawning, poor concentration, tiredeyes, restlessness, slow reactions and aninability to maintain a constant speed.

Fatigue is reckoned to be the main cause of20% of motorway crashes. To reduce your chances of being involved get a goodnight’s sleep before a long journey, try to share the driving, avoid starting a longjourney after a full day at work and plan your journey to build in regular breaks.If possible, of course, aim to share the driving.

Take a look at the GEM video here: http://www.motoringassist.com/fatigue/

Drink driving: The hidden cost of a humble pint - source gov.uk

A £50,000 pint of beer was unveiled in March as part of the government’sTHINK! ‘Consequences’ campaign on TV and radio.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists calculated that thepersonal financial cost of drink-driving could be between£20,000 and £50,000. The calculation reflected fines, legalcosts, additional insurance costs and possible job losses.

The costly pint, housed in a protective glass case and surrounded by securityguards, was revealed in London by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond.

The IAM’s calculation gave a maximum cost of £50,800 made up as follows:

● £5,000, the maximum fine (source: DfT)● £4,800 in legal fees, the industry average charged by solicitors for a

not guilty plea at trial (sourced by IAM)● £8,000, the increase in insurance fees based on the average premium

for a young man aged between 20 and 24 calculated over an 11-yearperiod, the amount of time a drink driving conviction remains on yourdriving licence (source: moneysupermarket.com)

● £33,000 in lost earnings, based on a period of 15-months, the meandriving disqualification after conviction, for someone earning the aver-age full-time salary of £26,500 (sources: ONS and DVLA)


Thousands disqualified before reaching driving ageAuto Express have uncovered that a total of 5,333 individuals under 17 – thelegal age at which you can start driving in the UK – have been given drivingbans since 2009!

Secretary of State for Justice, Jeremy Wright commented:“Young people who are convicted of driving offences will be subject to penaltypoints and disqualification even if they’re not yet old enough to hold a drivinglicence.”

More alarmingly, however, the bans for under-age convicts come into forcefrom the date of sentencing, rather than from the date at which the driver canlegally get behind the wheel.

This means that a significant proportion of the total number of offendersslapped with a driving disqualification can theoretically serve their punishmentand start learning to drive at the same time as their peers.

The breakdown of the 5,333 disqualified includes five 11-year-olds, 41 12year-olds, 164 13-year-olds, 578 14-year-olds, 1,420 15-year-olds and 3,12516-year-olds. Source: MSN/ Auto Express

The Secretary Reports - Helen Cameron

2012-13 has been a quiet year with fewer associates under guidance thannormal. The committee have tried various events to promote advanced drivingand riding but the climate both meteorological and economical was against us.

Over the winter months we have had just a few associates on ‘skill for life’courses but hopefully with spring just around the corner we will see anincrease in activity both for car and bike sections.

We hope to be carrying out a big promotion with IAM House and a localdealership for young drivers under 25years. This will follow a similar format toan event which took place in the Borders in January 2013 (see P7 for details).If the event does takes place then we would greatly appreciate the support ofall observers and members as it will be a big undertaking for your committee.

We have had very good events so far this year and all members who haveattended have enjoyed themselves. It is very disappointing when only ahandful of members turn out and speakers have travelled a distance and givenup their time to address us. The AGM in May is an ideal opportunity to air yourviews on the running of the group, the committee welcome your input andwould appreciate a good turnout. If you have any questions to be raised orsuggestions for events then please let us know. New blood is always welcomeon the committee just put yourself forward to me and help make a difference.


16

Top 10 professions most likely to speedOperations directors, surgeons and sales directors are the drivers most likelyto have been caught speeding – and students are among the least likely, anew survey has revealed.

MoneySupermarket has analysed 14 million carinsurance quotes run over the past year anddiscovered the professions most likely to havepoints on their licence because of speeding.

It seems professions such as MDs, directors,chief executives and barristers have the speedi-est people amongst their ranks. Clearly, high-pressure positions means every minute counts – which is perhaps why somany are going over the limit.

MoneySupermarket insurance expert Kevin Pratt said people are living up tostereotypes. “Our data shows that professionals in high paid jobs driving fast,powerful cars are more likely to be caught speeding than the average familycar, or a car with a smaller engine.

“Your profession can say a lot about you: the type of car you drive, your ageand very often your gender.”

However, more sympathy will perhaps be given to speeding medical profes-sionals such as surgeons and hospital consultants: both also featured in thetop 10 and it’s easy to understand why.

At the other end of the scale sit café workers, building society clerks and, yes,students: they are among the least likely drivers to have been caught speeding.

The survey comes as MoneySupermarket reveals that 7 in 10 of ALL drivingconvictions are for speeding.

In the gender split, 9.2% of men have a speeding conviction: a full 3% morethan women. It’s 40-49 year olds who are most likely to have a conviction,followed by people in their 30s and then 50-64 year olds.

Younger drivers are LEAST likely to have a conviction for speeding, with maledrivers aged 20-24 having a conviction rate of 7.2%, and females a 4.4% rate…

The top 10 professions registering a conviction for speeding were:1) Operations director, 2) Surgeon, 3) Sales director, 4) MD, 5) Charteredsurveyor, 6) Chief executive, 7) Commissioned officer, 8) Financial adviser, 9)Hospital consultant, 10) Barrister

Source: motoring research.com/ moneysupermarket.com

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Dumfries, DG2 9AG01387 259111

www.bridgevets.com

A friendly, localpractice offering awide range ofservices and afocused approachto the healthcare of pets. We alsohave special interest in control ofVarroa Mite -

ADVANCE Spring 2013: ADVERTISER’S WALL

Diagnostics ~Exhausts~Tyres ~MotorhomesAir Con ~Diesel Tuning ~Servicing ~Repairs

JOHN F . BLACKMOTOR ENGINEERS

Tel: 01387 267473MOT testing for classes 3,4,5 & 7

6B Catherinefield Ind Estate,Heathhall, Dumfries DG1 3PQ

D & G ADV MOTORISTS & M/CYCLISTSReg Charity in Scotland - SC 023511

ADVANCED DRIVING & RIDING - IT’S A SKILL FOR LIFE

Interested in improving your skills?We can help, why not find out more?Visit our web site, e-mail or call uson 07707 035518 - see page 1

Become an advancedDRIVER RIDER

Downsway Ind. Est. Dumfries(rear of Downsway Garage)

MOT’s·ServicingRepairs·Parts·Tyres

Collection/delivery·Recovery·Accessories·Helmets

Clothing·Sym warranty·Discounts for IAM and

Curvy Riders·Outdoor & indoor seating

areas·Sky TV·Refreshments availableTel: 01387 320312

Back to coverWigtown Road ServicesWigtown Road, Newton

Stewart, DG8 6JZTel: 01671 403157

St. Michael’s ServicesSt. Michael’s StreetDumfries DG1 2QDTel: 01387 254304

Fuels, MACE stores and more

Benmar GarageStation Rd, Moffat, DG10 9EL

Tel: 01683 220010Fuels, MACE store and more

CrossflagsYork House, Annan Road, Dumfries

YOU MAY THINK OF THESE ASJUST ACCIDENTS

A ‘skill for life’ course could helpyou spot the clues. that might help

you avoid these situations.

Why not plan to steer a course forsafer driving and riding? Visit:

WWW.IAMDUMFRIES.ORG.UK

advance spring 2013

Documents

group president

dumfries dg1

dumfries numbers

secretary helen cameron

group contact emailaddress

car coordntr stewart

thegroup secretary

driving age16