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Stay safe on the road

I was more than interested to read the report about Bad Driving in Swindon (Adver Fri 12th). It mentioned accidents. That no longer applies, as it is now an incident.

Around 94 per cent of incidents are caused by driver error, two per cent by environment, two per cent unknown cause, two per cent the vehicle.

Plus you need a well-maintained vehicle, good road and weather conditions and a concentrating driver! Remove any of these elements and add poor conditions, poorly-maintained vehicle, unaware driver and you have a disaster waiting to happen with overall stopping distances being extended! “I have fast reactions”, I hear but fast reactions are not the same as the correct response!

Space permitting, I could cover the aspects and benefits of advanced driving here in more depth, but, suffice to say, I can offer help through our group.

We are at present offering a free taster session to anyone interested in being assessed in their own car for a short period that will allow them to go away with more knowledge etc, plus a written report. The course itself if taken up, is £149 which includes a year membership of IamRoadSmart, (www.iamroadsmart.com), Swindon Group Membership, Course Book and one-to-one guidance by an observer qualified to Institute of Motor Industries, standards which are checked every three years.

We also offer a young driver initiative for 17-25 year-olds to receive a refund of £50 when they pass the advanced driving test with us.

Driving instructors also come to us to gain accreditation to add to their CV.

As a long time member of Swindon Advanced Motorists, I wonder why more people don’t rush to us to help change their driving habits, knowledge and in so doing, allow them to actually enjoy their driving more by adopting advanced standards set by the police drivers’ manual. It just installs a common sense approach to driving. If £149 helps prevent one incident, its money saved!

To find out more call 01793 772314 or email at chris.gleed42@gmail.com or SwindonGroup@hotmail.com

Chris Gleed, Proud Close, Purton

People’s Vote please

You have recently published a spate of letters from Brexiteers desperate to try to prevent the people at large from having their say on the conclusion of the negotiations for the UK to leave the EU, including the option of staying within this prosperous democratic club of nations.

They claim that the 2016 referendum was the final say but this was the second referendum on the topic. Ever since the first (and then said to be the final referendum on membership of the European Communities) in 1975, politicians of the extreme right and left and those trying to further their own selfish ambitions, aided by a poisonous tabloid press, have campaigned for a second vote. Yet, following a campaign based on lies and misinformation with dubious funding (illegally exceeding spending limits) the Leave party only succeeded in getting 37 per cent of the electorate to back this disastrous policy. In 1975, on a high turnout, over 43per cent of the electorate voted for membership and with a majority of 67 per cent to 33 per cent, the answer was far more convincing. Yet, those against have never accepted this outcome and have fought to overturn this result.

Therefore, it is hypocritical for them to try to deny the people a further vote on the outcome of the negotiations, conducted by the UK government on the basis of fantasies by one of the most incompetent administrations that we have ever experienced.

Tony Mayer, Wheatlands, Haydon Wick