A Romanian lorry driver caused a fatal head-on crash after he forgot he was in the UK and drove for more than half a mile on the wrong side of the road, a court heard.

Florentin Humeniuc, 54, was yesterday jailed for two years after he earlier admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

Humeniuc ‘reverted to Continental driving mode’ after he left the M50 motorway in Gloucestershire and turned on to the A417, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

He drove for more than half a mile uphill in the wrong lane before smashing into an oncoming Mercedes panel van being driven by fire service engineer Michael Bryan.

Mr Bryan’s van was doing 37mph at the time of the collision but was shunted back more than 26 ft before coming to a halt, the court heard.

Passing sentence, Recorder Paul Dugdale said: ‘It is clear that he took up a driving position in the right hand lane as if he was on the continent.

‘It is accepted by everybody that this was a lapse of concentration and that until he saw Mr Bryan’s van approaching he was not aware of his error.’

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Drivers all have their pet hates but the list below highlights some of the most infuriating behaviour on the roads.

Manners, or lack of - How difficult would it be to thank drivers for being courteous on the roads, or for drivers not to not pinch that parking spot you were waiting for.

Box junctions and blocking roads - Everyone is in a hurry and wants to get through the lights, but keep road entrances clear and only pull forward when it is safe and sensible to do so.

Middle lane hoggers – Drivers that drive at 60mph in the middle lane when the slow lane is free.

Tailgating – It makes drivers feel uncomfortable and pressured and can lead to an accident. Remember the rule, stay at least two seconds behind the car in front.

Indicators and not using them – Indicators are there to give prior warning of an action, let drivers and pedestrians know what you intend to do.

Jumping red lights – Red lights are there for a reason, it means STOP. But for many drivers and cyclists (just as dangerous if not more for cyclists) they seem to view a red light as optional.

Finally taxi drivers – Many of them are culprit to all of the above, they spend all day on the road therefore feel it is their right to be there.

Holly Harper of Britannia Driving School said: “All drivers should be considerate to other road users and pedestrians, stay safe and enjoy the journey.”

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EXPERTS REVEAL HOW TO GET A CHEAPER CAR AND INSURANCE..

New cars start appearing with ‘60′ number plates today and while they are now updated twice a year - March 1 is the other - it’s still a crucial time for manufacturers and dealers who expect to sell 331,700 vehicles this month.

If you’re in the market for a new motor, Your Money has the lowdown on how to drive a hard bargain - and not just on the car.

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Two Cars that were big in the sixties are set to make a comeback. The Peel P50 and the Trident Bubble Car are the world’s smallest road-legal cars.

The television programme Dragon’s Den saw the new eco-friendly versions which are set to be introduced worldwide.

The cars are reasonably priced at around £8,000 and currently have a battery life of around three hours. However, they are not for everyone, the P50 has only one door on the left side and are extremely small, measuring just 4ft 4in long, 3ft 11in high and 3ft 3in wide.

The cars were taken out and about for the public to view with one admirer claiming he wanted one…he was only six years old mind you.

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Two football fans created a new record by driving to all 20 Premier League clubs in just over 14 hours.

Teacher Paul Cox and Spanish pal Luis Felipe completed the 572-mile trip in 14hrs 3mins 18secs. This knocked 46mins off Paul’s previous unofficial record.

They kicked off at 9.35pm at White Hart Lane, home of Tottenham Hotspur, and finished at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park at 11.38am next morning.

They parked their Vauxhall Corsa at every ground to take pictures. Apart from that they only stopped for petrol and a couple of coffees.

Paul, a Derby County fan from Burton-on-Trent, Staffs, said “I got to show Luis the delights of a Wigan sunrise.

“And we celebrated the end with two Geordies in Shearer’s Bar. Luis couldn’t understand a word they said.”

The trip is not recognised as a Guinness World Record. But the pals challenge anyone to beat their time.

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Sunday 5th September will see London’s roads free from traffic when more than 65,000 cyclists are expected to join The Mayor of London’s Sky Ride.

The 15km route will be open from 9.30am until 4.30pm where cyclists of all ages can take in the sights of London including, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Place and the Tower of London.

Kelly Brooke the Sky Ride Ambassador, hopes to see thousands of cyclists come down any enjoy the traffic free and safe environment.

There will be lots of entertainment including music, fancy dress, sporting challenges and much more. For those that want to enjoy a traffic free London, but don’t want to cycle there are food markets and picnic areas.

It is important to remember to look after yourselves and other cyclists. Ensure you are wearing a helmet, drink plenty of water and wear sun cream. Remember all ages are welcome and there will be cyclists of all abilities, so take in the sights and enjoy the ride.

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Last year there were as many as 3,244 recorded incidents of misuse or error at level crossings, following 3,495 incidents in 2008.

In 2009, there were 14 collisions between vehicles and trains at level crossings and there were 13 deaths.

here were also 145 near-misses between motor vehicles and trains last year - almost three a week.

Earlier this year Network Rail (NR) chief executive Iain Coucher called on the Government to do more to curb unsafe driving by motorists at level crossings.

NR wants the driving theory test to include compulsory questions on level crossings to enforce learner drivers’ understanding of the Highway Code and reduce risky driving behaviour, such as driving around barriers and running red lights as trains approach.

NR calculates that up to 95 per cent of incidents at level crossings are down to motorist or pedestrian misuse or error.

Mr Coucher said: ”Motorists are too often playing Russian roulette with a 200-tonne train - and tragically some lose their lives gambling at level crossings by running red lights or dodging around barriers.

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A brother and sister from West Drayton ran their own business taking theory tests for candidates at an astronomical fee.

It is thought that the siblings arranged over 100 theory tests, charging up to £450 for somebody to impersonate the candidate at the test centre.

The pair appeared alongside 4 candidates who had paid for their services at Ipswich Crown Court. The brother and sister aged 35 and 33 were jailed for a total of 39 months between them and the candidates received community service.

Not only were all involved in committing fraud but the siblings were enabling individuals to obtain licences which act as an identity document. This could lead to further crimes such as benefit fraud, obtaining credit and debit cards and travelling freely.

Suffolk police once tipped off about Vishal Aggarwal and Vanita Aggarwal quickly took action, which resolved in them being arrested and bringing the case to a close.

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One out of every four driving holidays for British families sets off amid arguments over bags.

Before any assumptions are made over who may travel the heaviest, it was found that women lag just behind men in terms of total luggage taken to an average beach holiday. Men, who apparently get bored sitting on the sand if they cannot ogle the locals, turn to game consoles, DVDs and board games to keep themselves amused. Women seem content with less luggage and more beach.

Nearly one in three (29 per cent) British males admitted to being overambitious with their packing habits, being forced to leave various items at airports or arrival ports as there just isn’t enough room in the car. No mention was made as to what would have been the preferred item left behind, though the same over-ambition affected just 17 per cent of British women.

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We can all become distracted when driving, with mobile phones, sat navs, eating and drinking. However, statistics show that the most distracting of all is passengers, in particular children.

Drivers with children are encouraged to plan their journey and to ensure that children are adequately catered for before setting off.

It is not only the little passengers that can cause drivers to lose attention on the road but adult passengers as well.

Drivers require a noise and distraction free environment when driving. Making sure that all in car gadgets are programmed and working and that passengers have all they require for the journey will minimise the risk of an accident.

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