Car club for Bradford?

A car club could be coming to Bradford to help tackle city centre congestion.

Car clubs have already been introduced in other cities including London, Sheffield and York. Cars are parked in several locations in the city and can be used by members who pre-book their journeys through the Internet or over the phone.

A questionnaire will be sent out to over 8,000 residents in to find out if enough people would be interested in using a car club if one was set up.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth said: "This is a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly alternative to owning your own car. Car clubs have proved very successful elsewhere and we hope they will help tackle congestion in the Bradford district as well."

For more information go to www.carplus.org.uk, or contact Fiona Limb on 01274 431184.

AGM looms

The 2007 LARSOA Annual General Meeting will be held in London on 17 April, and will be sponsored by The Institute of Advanced Motorists.

The meeting will take place in the Brunei Gallery 'Bloomsbury Suite', Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London.

Anyone wishing to attend should contact LARSOA Secretary Brian Hogarth on 01526 322199, or email brian.hogarth@btinternet.com before 6 April.

Close call at quiz final

The area finals of an interactive road safety quiz for schools in Leicestershire drew to a close last week.

The quiz, organised by the council's road safety and travel awareness team, attracted 8,000 entrants. Four pupils from the four highest scoring schools in each area went through to an area final. The area finalists used interactive 'ask the audience style' handsets to answer questions on topics such as pedestrian crossings, cycle safety and road markings.

Different rounds featured new takes on popular TV quiz shows including a Question of Sport style picture board round, and a round with 'starter questions', more commonly used by Jeremy Paxman on University Challenge.

For further information ring 0116 265 6274.

TTC tops 10,000

During 2006, more than 10,000 convicted drink drivers attended a rehabilitation course run by the TTC Group - which was up 10% on the previous year. An extra 31 courses were introduced to cope with the increase in demand.

Telford-based TTC (Telford Training Consultants) is the main provider of courses educating convicted drink drivers. The company runs courses in 14 counties in England as well as north and mid Wales.

For more information contact the TTC Group on 0845 270 4380 or visit www.ttc-uk.com.

Students confronted with ' legal weapon'

More than 1,000 sixth form and college students in Lancashire have attended recent performances of 'Legal Weapon', performed by APE theatre group.

The production tells the story of a fictional teenage couple, and confronts the issues of excessive speed, peer pressure and attitudes towards driving.   

One student from Accrington and Rossendale College said: "The performance was an eye-opener. I used to speed but will definitely think carefully about it in the future."

For further information contact: Martin Crabtree on 01772 530726, or martin.crabtree@css.lancscc.gov.uk

Teen driver laments L-test celebration

A teenage biker has received what is believed to be the quickest driving ban ever recorded after being caught over the drink-drive limit - just one day after he passed his test.

Engineering apprentice Jason Richards said he was 'a bit gutted' and felt stupid for not realising he was over the limit, three hours after having three pints at lunchtime.

The 18-year-old passed his motorbike test after a six-hour course paid for by his mother. But the next day he was pulled over by police while carrying a pillion passenger and had 44 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35.

He said: "If I had known I was over the limit I would never have done it. I am a bit gutted really. I had only had my licence 28 hours."

Suffolk police said they could not remember anyone else being caught so soon after passing their test and warned other young drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving.

For the full story go to: http://new.edp24.co.uk

Parents launch campaign to close 'loophole'

The parents of an 18 year old young man killed by a drink driver have launched a campaign to close a 'loophole in the law' that allows any driver who gives a positive sample to carry on driving.

Carl Ferguson was killed in a car crash in West Yorkshire in March 2006. The 22-year-old driver tested positive for drink driving and in February 2007 was sentenced to four years in prison and given a five year driving ban.

However, from the day of the crash until sentencing he was free to carry on driving - despite the fact that he only completed another 12-month ban for drink driving in December 2005.

Campaign4Carl, which is endorsed by CADD and SCARD, has launched an online petition on the government's website, which can be found at: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Campaign4Carl

For further information about the campaign go to: www.rememberingfergy.piczo.com

Low speed chase

Thieves who stole a JCB led five police cars and a helicopter on a low speed chase for 13 miles.

The digger, with a top speed of 20mph, was taken from a site on the A1 near Scotch Corner. Police launched a chase after it was spotted on country lanes in North Yorkshire, and it was finally cornered near Darlington in County Durham.

Sergeant John Lumbard said: "It's not the sort of vehicle you can easily stop with a police car."

Two men were arrested.

For the full story go to: http://www.ananova.com