For the past couple of months, Tim [Chief Car Observer] and I have been testing the Fit2Go Michelin Tyre Pressure Monitoring System [TPMS].

Increasingly such technology is fitted as standard on new vehicles, but for those that aren’t equipped, this is an excellent investment.

This wireless system is the epitome of “plug and play”, simply inflate your tyres to the correct pressure, fit the TPMS valve caps and LCD screen and off you go. The whole process took less than 3 minutes. Once fitted, the unit displays the pressure of each tyre, in either psi or bar.

Riders/drivers will see a low-pressure warning if a tyre becomes under-inflated by 15%, an enhanced alert when the pressure either drops by 25%, or if over-inflated by 35%+. There are also alerts for high tyre temperatures or fast leakage (at least 2 psi per minute).

Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with the design and quality of the product. It was very simple to install and [most importantly from a safety perspective] accurate. I compared the LCD readout with a calibrated gauge, and they were identical. Similarly, it was reassuring to see the pressures rise as the tyres heated up, in my case, both front and rear on my Honda CBR500R increased by ~3psi after ~1.5 miles.

My only grievance with this product is the fact that the wheels must be moving before the pressures are displayed. This is frustrating should you need to return to the shed/garage to top up!

We would both recommend this product and consider the £80 retail price good value for money especially when you consider the saving in tyre wear and fuel consumption, and that is before you factor in the additional peace of mind this product brings.

CAMADAR members who would like to use the system can benefit from a 10% discount by using the discount code CAMADAR10 when checking out on the https://fit2gotpms.com website.

Scott Walker – Head of Motorcycle Section.

Congleton and Macclesfield Advanced Drivers and Riders supported Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service at Congleton Fire Station’s annual open day. The group spoke to the public about the benefits of advanced driving and riding, and ran its popular Highway Code quiz where the public were asked to identify ten common road signs. The group also had a VIP visit from the town mayor and councilor David Brown from the Cheshire Fire Authority. Pictured above is Eloise Williams, mayor’s cadet, Sally-Ann Holland, councilor and deputy mayor, Scott Walker, and John Twigg, group members (left to right).

Congratulations to Martin O’Farrell and his observer John Twigg.

Martin took on his Advanced Driver test earlier on today and passed with flying colours.

If you’d like to learn more about preparing for your Advanced Driving or Riding test then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us HERE

IAMRoadSmart Inform: Weekly News quotes a recent report by Halfords that 200,000 motorists are fined each year for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, with one in four drivers admitting to using a phone illegally at least once a month.

The report comes on the fifth anniversary of revised legislation regarding mobile phone use while in control of a motor vehicle.  Drivers caught using a mobile phone while driving or riding can now expect an automatic fixed-penalty of a £60 fine and three penalty points: the Government is proposing to increase the fine to £100, but so far the stricter penalties appear to have done little to reduce in-car mobile phone use. Over 171,000 fixed-penalty notices were issued in the 12 months leading up to last October, according to police figures, making it the fifth most common traffic offence.

Halfords’ figures suggest that the number of drivers who admitted to using a mobile phone illegally has risen by 10% over the last year, with men being the worst offenders (67%). Despite this admission of illegal behaviour, 88% of the drivers questioned by Halfords recognised that use of a mobile phone without a hands-free kit while driving is a danger to themselves and other road users.

As the law currently stands, it is illegal to use any kind of hand-held device to send and receive calls or written messages, view images, or access the internet while driving or riding a vehicle, when waiting at traffic lights or in a queue of traffic. [Strictly speaking, that includes using a smartphone satnav or GPS speed app.] Drivers can only legally use a handheld device in these circumstances if it’s in response to an emergency when it’s unsafe or impractical to stop, or when parked.

Hands-free kits are legal to use while driving, but this doesn’t remove the risk of the same three-point penalty if the police believe a driver is not in proper control of their vehicle.

Neil Mitchell of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will give us a presentation on his life and work as a DVSA Vehicle Examiner – with videos and photos of defects on all types of vehicles, and other dangers, that he has discovered.

Wednesday 27 June, 7.30 pm, Astbury Village Hall.

Refreshments as usual. Families and friends welcome.

 

On the 70th anniversary of the debut of the original Land Rover, The Telegraph recently featured Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)’s industrial-scale restoration works and classic car collection.

It reported that JLR had always maintained a collection of historic cars, but for many years it was run on the proverbial shoestring. However, things began to change after Tata took over JLR from Ford in 2008, and Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works now has two brand new halls on the site of the old Rootes-Talbot-Peugeot factory at Ryton, near Coventry.

Veteran staff and apprentices work together to build brand new 1955 Jaguar XKSS ‘continuation’ cars, using serial numbers earmarked for the original production versions, and rebuild the ‘Reborn’ Land Rover Series 1, from £75,000, Range Rover Classic, from £140,000, and Jaguar E-type Series 1, from £295,000. Two full-time buyers scour the world to buy suitable project cars for restoration and exceptional cars not requiring restoration from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, South America, Asia and India.

The photo is of one of the three original Land Rovers shown on 30 April 1948, which is being restored. You can find more articles and image galleries on Land Rover’s 70th anniversary at telegraph.co.uk/cars.

After the annual Civic Service at St Christopher’s Church, Pott Shrigley, the Editor had an interesting and wide-ranging conversation with the chauffeur of a Bentley Flying Spur awaiting his passenger.

While it is widely known that Formula 1 cars transmit telemetry data to their pits and factory, it is less well known that some road cars do something similar. Bentley engines are of course very quiet at idle. Apparently the Company rang one owner to tell him that his car’s engine had been running for 15 hours without the car moving: he had put the car in his garage, but got out without switching the engine off.

The MoT Test changed on 20 May (except in Northern Ireland, which has a separate system). Defects that would previously have been marked ‘Fail’ are now to be classified as ‘Dangerous’ or ‘Major.’ A car with a ‘Dangerous’ defect or a ‘Major’ one that renders it unroadworthy must not be driven at all until the defect is repaired.

Some extra items are now included in the test: headlamp washers and reversing lights for cars first used from 1 September 2009, and daytime running lights for those first used from 1 March this year.

To get the full story, go to https://www.iamroadsmart.com/docs/default-source/inform-documents/mot-changes-factsheet.pdf.

The Telegraph recently ran an article on the increasing complexity of the laws governing the towing of caravans and other trailers. (It didn’t specifically mention Boeing 747s, but there you are.)

In brief, drivers who passed their DVLA car test after 1 January 1997 gained a B licence, which is much more restricted for towing than the B+E licence issued previously.

DVLA figures tell us that over five million drivers have passed their test since that date, but only 1.2% have passed a towing test to upgrade to a B+E licence. Just by towing a typical family caravan with an SUV, a young driver with only a B licence could be risking a £1,000 fine and three to six penalty points.

Towing skilfully is very rewarding. Both the Caravan and Motorhome Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club run courses to equip drivers to tow well and confidently. (There was some spare time after the Editor’s course years ago, and those who wished to were able to practice reversing through a slalom course of cones – with the caravan hooked up. Tip: to avoid jack-knifing, keep your steering corrections gentle and small.) You can find the exact licence privileges and restrictions for towing at https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car.

They made the person responsible for this BMW sign their name on the back. Well, you wouldn’t want anyone to find out who you were, would you?