can't believe my luck in being given a chance to comment on one of my long held passions ~ the art of driving and the appreciation of the car.  Traditionally a subject thought more to be in the male 'domain,' I acknowledge I'm no more than a mere beginner especially in comparison with the likes of Jeremy Clarkson who has had me curled up with laughter  at his ability to sum up a car or two with a simple turn of phrase.  I'm sure he has built and destroyed, with equal ease, the reputation of many makes and models in less than ten seconds flat.  A bit like the 'Watch Dog' of the motoring world I'm certain he's been feared and admired by most manufactures as they have listened to his famous patter on the now legendary 'Top Gear'.

We all know that recent news has had it in for the traditional UK main dealers with claims that the cheaper, and therefore the better(?), way to buy cars is from across the water.   I doubt that this will cause the demise of the British based car showroom, but it has undoubtedly dented some pride and no doubt some profits.  I am sure the competition will reward the innovative dealers that take the lead over here and that the shake up will mean the best for the consumer.  Our apparent love affair with BMW has also taken a blow.......rightly or wrongly I'll let you decide, I'm no politician! 

This month I intend just to introduce myself and I tell not a lie in saying that I've literally spent years of my life behind steering wheels of all shapes and sizes and the odd handle bar or two as well!  Driving on the public highway (and sometimes off it!) has been a skill stretched to the limit in my years of advanced police driving.   The heavy weight of responsibility of such "progressive driving" has been somewhat of a burden to carry with nothing but the strength of an ordinary driving licence and a few intensive courses!  However I would like to share with you some priceless tips there are to safer driving which shouldn't just be the privilege of the few.   I'd like to suggest the reminder  to 'raise your vision' and what this tip ultimately achieves.  It's too easy for all of us to drop our concentration into the area of road between the bonnet of our own car and  the back of the vehicle in front.   In so doing we miss out on a world of information!  The danger of dropping our vision into this restricted area means that we're severely restricting our ability to think and plan ahead.  Remember: Safe driving always comes from a good driving plan and a good driving plan comes from early information.  Next time you drive keep this thought in mind and literally see for yourself!   Driving on familiar roads you should immediately notice so much more than you ever realised before was actually within view.  What is the colour of those traffic lights in the distance and what influence do they have on your driving plan now?  The next lesson to learn is to act on the information you are receiving, it is no good seeing a hazard without knowing what to do about it, but more about that next time. 

A question for you before I end for  this month.  Did you realise that police driver's daily take the risk of incurring penalties on their own driving licences for the urgent needs of the public?   As we know much criticism has been directed at them for some high profile accident cases, but it seems to me driving with urgency is a job of 'damned if you do and damned if you don't'.   It's impossible to please everyone all of the time and I assure you my experience of the police driving world has both been of total admiration and total disgust! As with the whole of the human race and in every job in the universe there's the brilliant, the average and the bad!   Let me assure you though that my experience of police driver training to advanced level is honestly second to none.  Excellence in road craft is a skill that borders on an art and once taught is never forgotten.  Real driving expertise though only comes with experience and for all of us there is a long road to get there.

So I'm not ashamed to admit I do indulge in the luxury of a lovely car to drive.  The responsiveness of a car  that behaves as a sympathetic extension of the driver is a joy. A car that can forgive that poor gear change and still make the driving feel good.  To the connoisseur such a driving experience achieves no less than a sense of elation.  Although motoring is as expensive as ever, it still seems the joy of owning such a car is the ambition of many.... including me!

Safe Driving ~ See you next month!   Susan de Launay