25/02/2014
*** Safe Driving Tips ***
Watch your speed
You’d never dream of racing down the motorway at 100mph, but your speed may occasionally creep above the limit on a 30mph road. That’s not so bad, is it? Well here’s something that’ll ease you off the gas. According to RoSPA, about two-thirds of all serious crashes (those in which people are killed or injured) happen on 30mph roads. That’s not surprising when you realise that someone driving at 35mph is twice as likely to kill someone than if they slowed down to 30mph.
Keep your car in tip top shape
Keeping your car well maintained is an important part of driving safely year-round, but becomes even more crucial before winter or when you’re going on a long journey. Important things to do are to:
- Check that your lights work
- Top the washer bottle up with screen wash
- Feel for any bumps or bulges in your tyres and check tread depth and pressure
- Check the brakes are working
- Make sure your anti-freeze and oil are topped up
Never drink and drive
According to RoSPA figures, 280 people a year die in crashes where a driver was above the drink-drive limit. And if you think you can have a glass of wine and still be under the limit, think again. Your blood/alcohol reading can be affected by factors such as not eating, the type of wine you’ve drunk and even how stressed you are. If you’re going out somewhere where there will be alcohol, plan ahead to make sure you’re never tempted to get into your car after you’ve been drinking.
Concentrate
Pedestrians who walk out in front of you. Cyclists coming up on the inside just as you’re about to turn. There's a lot happening on the road, so you need to stay on the ball. Make sure you look well ahead so you’re ready to react whatever happens.
Minimise distractions in the car, too. The dangers of talking on mobile phones are well documented, but anything that takes your mind off the task in hand can be deadly – whether that’s daydreaming, eating, fiddling with the radio or telling the kids off. If you need to do anything other than driving, it’s certainly safer to find a place to pull over. Sort out things like your choice of radio station, sat nav and air conditioning before you set off and give yourself a chance to recover if you’ve just had a row or some other kind of emotional upset.
Don’t tailgate
The driver in front is doing 40mph in the middle lane of the motorway. Yes, that may be annoying, but driving too closely behind them in an attempt to bully them out of the way is extremely dangerous.
Similarly, if you’re driving along a road at the speed limit, don’t be intimidated into driving faster by an impatient driver behind you. Pull over and let them pass if it’s safe to do so.
Stay awake
Being tired at the wheel is deadly. It is estimated that fatigue is an element in 20% of all road crashes but these crashes can often result in a greater impact because the driver is unable to brake or take any evasive action.
So if you feel tired, what should you do? Open the window? Turn up the radio? The only way to stop you feeling sleepy is to sleep, so pull over at the next service station, drink a caffeinated beverage and take a 15-minute nap. By the time you wake up, the caffeine should have kicked in and you’ll be able to go on your way. And remember, whether you feel tired or not, it is recommended to take a 15-minute break every two hours on a long journey.
