Driving experience day

Let me explain, I am getting the chance to drive 4 of the following quite simply awesome cars for 3 laps each round the Blyton Park racing circuit. The cars I get to choose from on the day are the Audi R8, Nissan GT-R, Ariel Atom, Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari 360, Porsche 911 Turbo or Aston Martin V8 Vantage as part of a fantastic four driving experience. It’s the sort of thing that petrol headed individuals dream of and thankfully something which more and more can now do thanks to experience days like the one I’m going on.

Do not despair though, the experiences are not limited to selections of cars, if one specific brand floats yours or someone you knows boat, you can get some dedicated time in that car only. For example if you have a penchant for the raging bull marque then how about a Lamborghini driving experience to really scratch the mad Italian itch?

Me however I’ll be driving 4 supercars, will I be able to handle over twice the power of a Golf GTI 4 times over? Come back in a few weeks to hear how I got on!

What to do if you have an accident.

It was reported in September 2011 by The Department for Transport that 24,430 people were killed or seriously injured in road accidents last year.

1. Immediately inform the police

There are many reasons people don’t report accidents to the police. Perhaps they don’t want to get someone else in trouble, perhaps they feel that the accident isn’t ‘big enough’ or perhaps they just want the ordeal to be over and not have to talk about it anymore.

Despite the above, it is essential that you let the police know immediately. Not only does this help with insurance in the future, it is also your duty as a responsible citizen and feeds in to statistics.

2. Can I get a witness?

A witness is a valuable asset when making a claim further down the line. You may feel a bit stupid asking for a stranger’s phone number in the heat of the moment but it is essential that you do. Not only does this help with legal proceedings and validating a claim but a third party is proven to recall an incident better than the actual person involved.

3. Getting proper medical advice

The correct medical advice is essential, not only for your actual health but also for your insurance claim. It may be worth getting a second opinion. If you don’t get the correct treatment after the accident and then need further medical attention in years to come, you will risk not getting the compensation you deserve. For example, with whip lash or back problems, the extent of damage, needs to be correctly identified at the time of the accident, as a chiropractor 10 years down the line could be exceptionally expensive.

If you suspect misdiagnosis or mal treatment, then you can also investigate getting medical negligence compensation.

4.  A solicitor to suit you

The options for solicitors really are endless, so you need to make sure you find the correct one. A quick Google search in this case, probably won’t be the right option as they are all trying to sell themselves online. You could try a local advice agency such as a law centre or Citizens Advice Bureau, who should be able to recommend local solicitors who are experienced in the relevant area of law.

Or often the best way is through word of mouth, speak to your friends, they may have the best recommendation.

5.       Making that claim

The above steps should lead you to preparing to make a personal injury claim for compensation. If you contact a company, such as the Cooperative, you can speak to someone easily on the phone and discuss exactly how to make the claim.

This classic film combines British style (supplied by Michael Caine and a fleet of Mini Coopers) with Italian style (Lamborghini Miuras).

The film makers apparently struggled to get Mini’s car maker BMC to supply them with enough Mini Coopers. Despite the free publicity involved, BMC insisted on supplying many of the cars at trade price.

Hearing the situation Fiat stepped in to offer free cars but the producers stuck with the Mini Cooper and the rest is history.

2.   Bullitt (1968)

Set on the steep streets of San Francisco this film starred Steve McQueen and had an extended car chase which captured the imagination of cinema audiences. It is hard to see a picture of a 1968 Mustang GT 390 without hearing the jazzy soundtrack music running through your head.

3.   Christine (1983)

Cars can sometimes take on an almost-human quality and mirror, or indeed shape, the personality of their owner. This is a fact which is the central premise of the film Christine – an adaptation of a Stephen King novel in which a red-and-white Plymouth Fury named Christine seems to be ‘driving’ the thoughts and actions of its teenage owner.

This unusual horror film is a chilling reminder that it’s always best to try and find out a car’s previous history before buying one!

4.   Vanishing Point (1971)

A road movie is often only as good as the cars which star in it and luckily the producer of Vanishing Point had several 1970 Dodge Challenger 440 R/Ts at his disposal. The film’s plot tells the tale of a character named Kowalski as he tries to deliver a Dodge Challenge to a car dealer in record time. Kowalski’s ambition is under threat of being thwarted by the police but he does have the help of a blind DJ and his car’s power certainly gives him a head-start!

5.    Back to the Future (1985)

The character Doc Brown in the film Back to the Future was just the man to modify the DeLorean sport car – converting the vehicle with the gull-wing doors into a time machine capable of travelling back to 1955. Doc Brown’s tradition of modifying the car continues to this day – the only ‘new’ DeLorean cars you will see are re-manufactured versions of original models.

6.   Drive (2011)

This classy film is about an enigmatically-silent getaway driver who allows his clients just five minutes to carry out raids. The driver – no further name is given – never uses the same car twice but doesn’t seem fussy about what car he uses; so long as it can be souped-up enough to outwit the police and other chasing cars.

If the film credits named all the cars used in this film they would have to include the Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado, Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler 300 and many other cars.

7.    Duel (1971)

There are three 1971 films in this list and this is arguably the best. The film has a very simple storyline – a terrified motorist is chased by a mysterious tanker truck – a vehicle whose driver remains unseen. Steven Spielberg, making his directorial debut, held ‘auditions’ before deciding which truck to use but had only one stipulation about the choice of leading car – it had to be red. A Plymouth Valiant was eventually ‘cast’.

8.   Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

This film’s script is all about a car thief who has to steal 48 cars in a week – a great excuse for car experts to try and identify the makes of the cars in question. Do you know your Plymouth Barracuda from your Jenson Interceptor? Watch the film to find out. Re-made in 2000 with Nicholas Cage and a strong supporting cast of new and vintage cars.

9.   Le Mans (1971)

This film features real-life footage of the 1970 edition of the Le Mans 24-hour race and stars racing enthusiast Steve McQueen playing the part of an American driver duelling with a German racing rival. The movie is heavy on racing action and light on dialogue but watching a Porsche 917 and a Ferrari 512 race through beautiful French countryside is never a chore.

10.   Senna (2010)

Senna details the breathtaking highs and tragic lows of driving in the fast lane. Its star is Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna, a man whose daring driving style contrasts with the calculated risk-taking of his team mate Alain Prost. The rivalry between the team mates is examined using never-before-seen racing footage owned by Bernie Ecclestone. The film, which is devoid of talking heads interviews, has no conventional narrator but is wonderfully paced and edited. Even cinema-goers who don’t like Formula One can’t help but love Senna.

James Christie writes for business directory Thomson Local – a great resource if you are looking for a list of motoring services.

Almost 228000 fewer driving tests were taken by learner drivers last year according to the Driving Standards Agency, which is a drop of 13% on the previous year 2009 / 2010. The number of young drivers between the ages of 17-25 taking tests has fallen by 19% since 2005 / 2006. So what is the reason for this fall in the number of people taking tests? Could the rise in motoring costs be putting people off?

Increasing cost of driving

To most people a driving licence means freedom. It is the gateway to a better life. People need cars to travel to work, some companies require you to have a licence to get the job in the first place. Families need a car to get about especially parents of young families where they need to take prams and so on everywhere. Cars allow us to go anywhere at any time and not be restricted by public transport schedules.

Ignition Driving School believes that the fall in young drivers taking tests is linked to costs associated with actually owning a vehicle and not the costs associated with learning to drive. In fact the cost of learning to drive is the lowest it’s ever been with so many driving schools offering discounts and promotions.

However, students now wishing to go to university have tuition fees to pay for and with the costs of car insurance for young drivers and fuel being at an all time high, young people are having to rethink about how they spend their money and are learning to drive when they are older and can afford it. A spokesperson for Ignition Driving School said, “We have seen a change in the types of courses that learner drivers want to do. We see a lot of people requesting to do intensive style courses, because they need to pass for a job offer they’ve been given. It used to be that learning to drive was a matter of course, you turned 17 and you started to learn to drive, but now people learn to drive when they need to, which may be when they are about to start a new job or when they have a young family.”

According to the RAC the cost of motoring has risen by 14% in 2011, with the average cost of owning a car being £128.64 a week. They found that various factors contributed to this rise including car depreciation, where cars are losing their value quicker making them worth less, car maintenance costs rising, car insurance premiums rising, on average costing 14.38% more than they did a year ago, and fuel costs being at an all time high, with two more fuel duty rises planned for 2012. In addition to these the cost of borrowing money has also become more expensive so people who take out car finance are also paying more for their car overall.

Ignition Driving School commented, “There is no incentive for young people to learn to drive as driving a car is expensive. Insurance companies used to reward young drivers for completing the Pass Plus scheme but even this advanced motoring course carries no weight now, with some insurance companies only offering a £10 reward for completing the course.”

Track Days Track Days A Track Day is an event that allows you take your pride and joy for a day of track driving at one of many Racing Circuits and driving venues available in the UK. Although the events are marshalled, there are no limits on speed as long as you are handling your Car within your own driving capability. For as little as £99 you can get a full day on track and there will not be a speed camera or Sunday driver in sight!

The day begins with a registration ceremony where each driver will be checked for a valid full UK driving licence and that their vehicle is in safe working order. A noise test is also performed on the vehicle to ensure the exhaust does not produce a noise output above that of the set restriction (usually from 98 and 105 decibels). The vehicle does not need to have an MOT certificate but the marshals will insist the main safety features of the vehicle are in good working order and the car is structurally and mechanically sound before they allow you on track. After the registration all drivers must attend the marshals briefing during which the circuit rules, circuit etiquette and flagging system will be explained. Once all drivers have been registered and briefed they are issued with an armband which will allow them onto the circuit. The first session out on track is 10 minutes or so of ‘sighting laps’ where all drivers will follow a pace car to get a feel for the circuit layout and warm their engines and tyres. Once the pace car is in all drivers are free to drive the circuit at will, and driving will only be halted if there is an incident no the track in which the marshals require to slow everyone down or bring everyone in.

Anyone with a full UK driving licence can take part in a track day and they take part regularly all Race Circuits in the Country including Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Donington Park. Trackdays.co.uk have a comprehensive list of the track day events happening around the country and offer an online booking system so you can secure your place without having to pick up the phone. The site also provides circuit information and guides to a typical track day event so you can plan everything you need for your first track day. If this sounds like something you would enjoy then log on to follow the link below to the trackdays.co.uk website for more information. If you would prefer to have a drive of a track before taking your own Car on there then Trackdays.co.uk also offer Driving Experiences at all the major Circuits.

Book Car Track Days with and Driving Experiences with Trackdays.co.uk

There will be lots of miss haps and problems that cannot be avoided but please take a look at the list of quick and simple checks that could make a vital difference to your journey.

Car battery power can drop due to less mercury.

Your car lights, heaters and windscreen wipers can put strain on the car battery. If the car is driven mainly in dark rush-hour trips or in foggy / low visibility conditions you are more likely to run your car battery down. As it declines, less mercury will be present and fluid leaks including oil and water can become a problem.

Clear Windscreen

Wipe down wind screen wipers and make sure they are free of all snow – snow can build up and break wipers if the snow becomes frozen and compressed. You need to have a clear view out of your front windscreen so make sure this is a priority. Use a can of trusty de icer to dilute spells of over freeze.

Lights

Before setting off clear all snow from lights and check that they are working properly. This is vital in snowy weather. You are more than likely to use dipped headlights if driving in the snow as visibility can be severely reduced.

Keep the car lubricated

Buy a lock and car handle lubrication to ensure that all the locks are working smoothly and you are not in danger of getting trapped inside or outside the car. Never pour hot water on a cold lock it will evaporate and freeze even more.

Brakes

It’s vital that your brakes are working as the road surfaces can be extremely treacherous and slippery.  Check fluid levels and listen out for squealing, if you feel there is a problem, make sure you report to a mechanic straight away. You don’t want to lose control and go crashing your new Audi TT

Re- stock wind screen wash

Make sure your screen wash is at the right concentration as it will prevent the solution from freezing. You need to use screen wash in blizzard conditions removing any excess snow and dirt. It is always wise to carry a snow and ice scraper with you. Ensure you have clear visibility and you can see what is up ahead of you.

Remember safe driving is essential if you want to stay on the roads.

Antarctic Snow Cruiser

Antarctic Snow Cruiser

Designed under the direction of Thomas Poulter, a creative research scientist and arctic explorer, the Antarctic Snow Cruiser arrived in Antarctica in January 1940…and was beset with problems before it even touched the snow!

One of the vehicle’s wheels broke through the wooden ramp that was being used to unload it from it’s carrier ship and, when it was eventually freed, not only did it fail to move on the icy terrain it actually sank three feet into the snow!

The crew freed the vehicle and attached snow chains but found that traction was still a problem…unless the vehicle was driven backwards! And so the snow cruiser embarked upon it’s longest trek, all 92 miles of it, in reverse whilst the scientists on board carried out seismologic experiments, carried out cosmic-ray measurements and took ice-core samples.

Funding was pulled as the United States entered World War II and the Antarctic Snow Cruiser was abandoned and it is now thought to be at rest under deep layers of snow and ice else at the bottom of the Southern Ocean!

Bombardier Snow Coach

After spending a number of years designing snowplanes, Armand Bombardier decided to turn his hand to land based vehicles and embarked upon producing a series of truck based vehicles powered by caterpillar tracks and steered by skis.

Bombardier snow coach

This design was to become the basis of the modern day snowmobile and the Bombardier Company were the market leaders in snowmobile production from the 1940s to the 1970s. Their 12-seater B12 model and the 18-seater C18 were capable of speeds over 30mph – no mean feat considering most modern snowcats have a top speed of 20mph – and were used as school buses and emergency vehicles across Canada and the Northern States.

The major design flaw was the front-mounted skis were only suitable for use on frozen lakes or flat, frozen or snow covered roads and this lack of versatility was to lead to the vehicle’s eventual demise. The advent of widespread snow-ploughing meant that there was less demand for the Snow Coach on United States’ and Canadian roads and so dual-track and quad-track versions that could handle rougher terrain eventually took the place of the B12 and C18 models.

The vehicle’s most long-lasting legacy though was as the template for the modern day ‘Ski-Doo’, which itself was designed by Bombardier, and would’ve been called the ‘Ski-Dog’ had a sign writer not misinterpreted the name!

Soviet Snowmobile

Soviet snowmobile

Due to the country’s harsh winters and the Soviet government’s support for new technologies, Russia blazed a trail in snowmobile design during the early part of the last century.

They were initially developed to deliver mail and transport explorers and researchers’ equipment across the harsh wintery landscape but were also deployed in war time to manoeuvre soldiers through deep snow to gain the upper hand on their enemies.

One of the most striking designs was the Sever-2 which looks, and is to all intents and purposes, a car on skis. The Soviet designers literally stuck a huge 260 hp aircraft on the back of a Pobeda, a popular Russian automobile not dissimilar to a Morris Minor, and replaced the wheels with huge skis! The car could also be modified to run on wheels for the months when the snow wasn’t so severe.

Tucker Snow Cats

Tucker snow cat

Tucker Sno-Cats have been the preferred model of Arctic and Antarctic explorer vehicles since the middle of last century and are recognisable by their distinctive 4-track design which enables better manoeuvrability than it’s 2-track counterparts.

But one of the most striking Sno-Cats produced by Tucker was the Sno-Kitten, a revolutionary two-track designed for use on snow, mud and swamp mud. The tracks were state-of-the-art design that transferred the weight from the pontoon bottom to the tracks to eliminate clogging and were also designed for traction and climbing agility.

And, as the aluminium body was primed and finished in orange enamel they also had the added benefit of looking like Terence the Tractor from the Thomas the Tank Engine series!

KA-30 Soviet snowmobile

KA-30 Soviet Snowmobile

Described as  “dream of the Soviet youth from the polar regions” – and so squashing the myth that vodka was the dream of the Soviet youth – the KA-30 is possibly the most remarkable snowmobile ever created.

A precursor to today’s SUVs the KA-30 could be used as a passenger vehicle, a business vehicle or even an ambulance and, far from just dashing through the snow, this snowmobile could also be modified to take on rivers and waterways.

By attaching floating equipment to it’s skis it could be turned into an air-boat whilst fitting hydro-planing equipment meant that it could be used as a hovercraft, making it pretty much unstoppable…unless there was a sudden thaw!