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• Do you reckon you are a safe driver? My
Page 32
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colleagues do — but last week, one of them had a bash at the preview of the CellnetICommercial Motor Safe Business Driver Challenge at Brands Hatch (see entry details on page 42).
Tests included circuit driving, skid control, manoeuvring and theory. And it is not as easy as it looks. The CM man's attempt at winding through the traffic cones in the manoeuvrability test verged on the pathetic.
He also failed to look in his mirror when he should have; ignored road signs, stopped too soon on the braking test and took too long to research 80km/h on acceleration.
There was also a wicked skid test where the examiner flicks a switch to make the back wheels of the Ford Sierra go out of control The object was to keep between sets of cones.
Mind you, others who took part in the tests did not do as well as they might have expected; they included a taxi driver who writes for the cabbies' newspaper and several motoring journalists.
Entering the challenge could be your chance to get back at those who moan about truckers driving dangerously. A Ford Sierra XR4x4 is on offer to the overall winner and there is a separate prize of a earphone for the best Commercial Motor reader.