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CMLDoY 1975 at full power
Page 42
Page 45
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by Alan Wilson National secretary
THE PROMISE of more "safety through skill" has been pulling in entries for the 1975 season of 40 regional contests in the CM Lorry Driver of the Year Competition. Regional centres everywhere report brisker business than in "fuel crisis" 1974, despite the fact that last year more competitors showed their skills on the test areas than during "cheap fuel" 1973.
The Isle of Man contest ran earlier this month with entries 10 per cent higher than in 1974, but most centre entry lists are still open. A complete list of contest dates is printed with this article. The list shows a new centre to serve the metropolitan county of South Yorks, run by the County Road Safety Officer, Mr Graham Cresswell. The Essex centre has moved its venue to Buntingford, Herts, where the hosts are J. Sainsbury Ltd on their spacious depot area.
Refresher course This year many County RSOs have raised the interest in CMLDoY by circulating widely a leaflet pointing to the "annual refresher course in skilled driving" which the competition is. The leaflet also stresses the large subsidy that competitors enjoy—a bout three times the entry fee—both through CM's sponsorship plus others of all kinds and the army of those who donate their time knowing that giving time to the competition saves lives on the roads.
The competition There are eight vehicle classes from one ton unladen weight rigids to 15-metre artics and tests are carefully graded for each class. Regional organising committees go to great trouble to arrange good contest venues where the vehicles show their paces and provide onlookers with a real showground spectacle.
Each regional contest consists of an observed road run, a written paper on the Highway Code and legal responsibilities of drivers, a vehicle spacing and distance judgment test and three manoeuvring tests, details of which are given here. These are the events that attract the spectators and give drivers the chance to show the public what skilled driving is all about. A few inches of greater accuracy in parking or judging the width of a gateway can mean the difference between winning a class and coming second. The main feature of scoring in the 1975 competition is that the number of possible penalties has been halved in most cases. The one exception is the distance judgment test where possible penalties have been increased five times to stress the importance of this factor in skilled driving and in avoiding motorway pile-ups.
National Finals The National Finals will take place at the Junior Leaders Regiment RA. Bramcote, Warwickshire, on Sunday, Septem her 7. Class winners from the regional contests will be eligible to compete for the eight national class championships. The national champions then compete in the afternoon for the title of Lorry Driver of the Year 1975.
Among the extra attractions already planned is a first-time smooth driving and fuel economy competition to be mounted by Ailsa Trucks, using a big Volvo with a specially fitted fuel consumption gauge. Smooth driving will be decided by a surprise device now being tested.
Dunlop plans to show a Denovo burst on a speeding motorcar during the lunch
interval, when the Esso hot air balloon will also take offconditions permitting.
Bostrom, Goodyear, Hope Technical and Michelin will bi bringing their popular allcorners competitions.
Enjoyable The last word about CMLDoY as a whole should be given to Lorry Driver of the Year, Lloyd Richards, whose company incidentally earned a reduction in insurance premium last year for the high general standard of its drivers. When asked the secret of his success, his answer had a message for manufacturers and operators as well as for drivers: "First, you must enjoy driving."