Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre

[Daft Bat]

Back in 1931, there were just 2.3 million motor vehicles on Britain’s roads, compared with the more than 27 million today. However, over 7,000 people were killed on the roads that year compared to half that number these days.

Still far too many, but one thing that has helped to reduce that number was the Highway Code, which was published for the first time today, 14th April that year.

Have any of you looked at the Highway Code recently? I bet many have not since passing their driving test – not to mention those who have never taken a driving test! If you have, then you will see that there is a whole chapter devoted to how to cross the road safely, but back in 1931, it was just a paragraph.

Oh yes – mirrors were not even mentioned in that first edition and you were advised to sound the horn if you were overtaking. Just imagine that today!

 

[Moff]

My father, born in 1917, had a driving licence at 14 but never had to do a test. His licence was valid for just about every kind of vehicle but he only drove motorbikes and cars.

 

[TonyV]

My Dad learned to drive army lorries carrying anti-aircraft artillery in the desert during the 2nd World War (no subsequent test required). His advice to me when I started to learn about 20 years afterwards was to keep my distance from the vehicle in front so that I could manoeuvre round it without stopping if its wheels got stuck in the sand.

To be fair, he only used that advice as a humorous way to stop me tail-gating vehicles in front, but it was based on what he learned in North Africa.