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Traffic Fines To Fuel Boy Racers!

anthony — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 18:17:51 +0000

Boy Racer Honing His Skills At Your Expense!

Under a new government proposal to re-introduce speed cameras on the roads of Cyprus, a percentage of the money collected in fines will be used to build race tracks for young drivers to "let off steam"!

No, this is not an early April Fool hoax but a serious suggestion, according to this article in The Cyprus Mail.

Are we to believe that having perfected their racing skills on these race tracks, these boy racers will then drive slowly and safely on our roads?What do you think?

Father Lets 11 Year Old Drive!!

anthony — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:15:24 +0000

A Car Safe For Kids To Drive!

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Last Month Police in Nicosia pulled over a vehicle and were shocked to find that the driver was an 11 year old girl!!Her father was in the passenger seat and her 14 year old brother was in the back of the car!

What on earth was that father thinking? The trouble is he is not the only one-I am sure you have all seen under-aged drivers in Cyprus. I have even seen a bulldozer being driven by a boy of around 10 or 11! This is madness!

Hopefully the €2,000 fine and having his licence suspended for 6 months will discourage the girl`s father from repeating such reckless behaviour.

Filling Up Is A Gas!

anthony — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:17:39 +0000

Gas Station Blues?

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One of the things that many learners and newly qualified drivers dread the most is the thought of going to the petrol station to fuel up the car!

Ok, all motorists dread going to the gas station to fill up but usually the dread comes from seeing the latest fuel price increase!

However if you are a new driver the idea of filling the tank yourself can be scary.

In Cyprus we are spoiled because almost all petrol stations still have attendants who do it for you. Sooner or later though, you will have to fuel up after hours or at the weekend when there is no attendant but just a cash machine!

Here are some things to remember to make it less of a stressful experience:-

Make sure you know on which side of your car the fuel tank filler cap is situated so that you know on which side of the pump to park your car!

Be familiar with how you open the fuel cap-does it open with a key or is there a release catch (next to your seat, for example).

Make sure you know what kind and grade of fuel your car uses! You don`t want to be putting diesel in a petrol driven car or vice versa!

Make a mental note of the pump number you are parked at before going to the machine to insert your cash otherwise you might be paying for somebody else to fill their tank!

Remember to remove the pump nozzle after filling up and refit the filler cap before driving off!

It is a good idea to go to the gas station with an experienced driver to watch what they do before attempting to fill up for the first time on your own.

Roundabout Time For Saying Thankyou!

anthony — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:10:51 +0000

Now Easier To Stay In Lane On The Roundabout!!

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I feel a little guilty for not updating this blog for so long! No excuses about no time, too hot etc...

Anyway it is nice to be able to report some good news!....

One of the most common reasons for students failing the driving test recently has been lane discipline (or rather lack of it!) on the roundabouts.I see many qualified drivers, let alone learners, drifting from one lane to another as they negotiate the roundabouts.The problem has been that there were no lane markings to guide you once on the roundabout.

Well, thankfully that problem is now being addressed because recently work has begun on marking lanes on all the roundabouts of Cyprus! Yeeah!

This is a very positive step and will certainly benefit all of us road users and especially those who are learning to drive. It will make driving instructor`s jobs easier too!

So a big THANKYOU is due to ....who exactly? Well judging by this interesting report(pdf file) I found on the internet, I guess we must mostly thank The Public Works Department, Ministry of Communications & Works. If anyone else also deserves praise for this initiative then consider it given!

Minimum Driving Age Lowered To 17.5 Years!

anthony — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:56:59 +0000

You Can Start Driving At 17.5 Years Old Now!

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So, finally the law has been amended so that learners can start driving a car at the age of 17(and a half!) years old, instead of the previous 18 year minimum.

More details to follow soon.

Related Blogs

Pay But Don`t Display!

anthony — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:38:35 +0000

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You may not be aware of a new law which was passed almost unnoticed the other day. It is now not required to display your road tax disc on the front windscreen of your car. The police have all the necessary information on computer records so they will still know if you haven`t renewed your road tax!

Infact it is now against the law to have any stickers at all on your windscreen which are deemed to reduce the driver`s vision. It is also now illegal to have those tinted windows which mean the driver cannot be seen from outside the car.

Get Paid To Scrap Your Old Car!

anthony — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:12:38 +0000

Old Car Withdrawal Scheme To Return?

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The "old banger" car withdrawal scheme or "cash for clunkers" as it is called in the U.S.A. which ended last year due to economic cutbacks, may well be re-instated again this year after all!

The scheme proved very popular last year and the car importers are keen to have it launched again to stimulate the depressed car market. Read more from this Cyprus Mail article.

Three`s A Crowd?

anthony — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:38:58 +0000

No Back Seat Drivers Allowed!

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Sometimes I am asked by a student if I will be sitting in the back of the car during their driving test. The truth is that much as I would like to, this is not allowed. So during your driving test it will be just you and your driving examiner in the car.

In some countries the rules are different, in the U.K. for example where the candidate can by request have his or her instructor in the car during the driving test. Last year there was even a proposal by the British Government to make it compulsory to have a driving instructor or other "observer" on the back seat during the test. This proposal has now been dropped although the driving examiner will now be obliged to ask the candidate if they wish to have an accompanying driver with them. You can read more about this in this article from the UK Daily Mail Newspaper.

In Cyprus however, there is no sign of the existing rules changing any time in the near future.

Driving At The Correct Speed-Are You A Hare Or A Tortoise?

anthony — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:09:18 +0000

Read The Road Ahead And Adjust Your Speed Accordingly!

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Many learner drivers have problems with driving at the correct speed in any given situation. We can divide these learners into two groups which, with no insult intended, I will call the hares and the tortoises!

The hares are those that over rev the engine in each gear, frequently drive over the speed limit and do not accurately anticipate changing traffic conditions ahead.The result is that they often have to react and brake suddenly. This style of driving will leave any passenger in the car feeling uneasy.

The tortoises are the complete opposite to the hares, as you would expect. They feel safer and happier staying in second gear, keeping well below the speed limit at all times, despite the line of traffic building up behind them.

Do you perhaps fall into one of these categories? Be honest with yourself now! Both the hares and the tortoises are driving in a way that will not impress a driving examiner.

Firstly you have the safety issue. The hares can be caught out by situations and have to react quickly, with heavy braking.This in turn can catch out another hare in a vehicle behind, or emerging from a junction, who may not be able to stop in time.

The tortoises will frustrate and annoy any other drivers because they are not making proper progress according to the prevailing traffic conditions. This may lead another motorist to attempt a risky overtaking manouevre. Also, the tortoises will very often have other drivers pulling out infront of them from side roads because they are in effect handing out an invitation to do just that by driving too slowly for the traffic conditions.

Apart from the impression we make on the driving examiner and the safety issue, we have the economic and environmental issues to consider. Driving at more constant, even speeds, with as little harsh acceleration and braking as possible, not only feels more relaxing-it saves you money! You will use less fuel and put less wear on your tyres , brakes and suspension.This in turn has a positive effect on the environment.

So how should we drive? Good driving is about good observation and anticipation.You have to be constantly monitoring the situation, assessing possible hazards and adjusting your speed according to changes in traffic conditions. To do this well needs concentration and experience. The more practice you have, the better you will get at so called "defensive" driving. Defensive driving doesn`t mean driving slowly-it means driving at the correct speed and with awareness of all that is going on around you so that you are able to safely deal with any unexpected events. By the way, the better you get at this technique, the fewer unexpected events you will come across!

Generally, you should drive as close to the speed limit as traffic conditions safely allow. Be careful not to be drawn into speeding because all the other traffic is breaking the speed limit. You cannot use that as an excuse to the driving examiner or to the Police!

As previously stated, these observations are not in any way intended to insult any learner driver. Hopefully, if you recognize that you are a hare or a tortoise, you will, with help from your driving instructor, be able to take steps to correct your driving style in order that you are better prepared for the driving test and for your future as a safe, responsible driver.

Beware Of Fake Driving Licences!

anthony — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:10:15 +0000

Is Your Licence Worth The Paper It Is Printed On?

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Recently whilst surfing the internet I discovered a website which offers to supply driving licences for any EU country,even if you are not a resident of that country or even if you have been disqualified from driving. I couldn`t understand how they could get away with this.There are even published testimonials from named satisfied customers. Now I am not about to give you the address of this website if that is what you are hoping for!
It seems this problem has come to the attention of the authorities here in Cyprus.Click this link to read the full article from The Cyprus Mail.

This is a worrying situation.The sooner we have the more secure, more difficult to fake, credit card style driving licences the better.The roads are dangerous enough as it is without the addition of these unscrutinised drivers who have simply bought their licences online.