First car aspirations are always the funniest. If you are like me, you dream without realisation of your bank account and expect the best car out there, something that can reflect who you are or want to be. My dream car is a BMW 1 series; a car of luxury, muscle and ego.

It’s been nearly 16 years since I last had a four legged bundle of fun who just wants to play, sleep and see what he can get away with all day long. Easy when in the house but if like me you want to take your puppy with you as much as you can, getting them used to the car and teaching them to behave when near other road users is really important.

As a driving ‘professional’ who for years has promoted Information Position Speed Gear Accelerate (IPSGA), being in the right gear is second nature when behind the wheel. The other day when watching my wife and sons getting ready to go out, a whole new meaning of ‘right gear’ sprung to mind.

Many people would like to become a Formula 1 driver, but as we well know very few achieve that dream. Some might say that their racing ambitions were thwarted by a lack of finance – but more likely, they weren’t actually that good! The reason why I am talking about Formula 1 is that being a success isn’t all about speed. With our President being 1992 Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell, I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with him while he took part in a major written feature with Auto Express magazine.

In the last few weeks, two events have sparked my interest more than usual. The first was the Chancellors Autumn statement and the second was the annual launch of the EuroRAP risk rating for UK roads.