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The road safety message is particularly important during the Christmas period.
The main reasons are obvious ones such as icy weather etc, but there are also less obvious ones, such as an increased accident rate from having other things on your mind (i.e. have you really done all your Christmas shopping?), drunk drivers and also an increased number of drivers on the road making journeys to visit friends and family – often travelling long distances.
With these in mind I have created my Top 3 Safe Driving Tips for Christmas:
Tip 1: Avoid Drink Driving/ers – The message here is clear, never drink and drive. This is specially true for the morning after. It may be worth buying a breathalyser if you are not sure. A friend of mine did exactly that after a heavy night out one Christmas. He was over the drink drive limit at 3pm the following day!!
Being aware of drink drivers is also important. It’s difficult to give exact tips here – as you ever know where or when a drink driver could “strike” – quite literally.
You just need to be aware, pay specific attention at traffic lights (in a car, on a bike or on foot), be careful when cycling, and when driving keep alert to any erratic driving, and keep your distance.
If someone is tailgating you or driving in a strange way, pull over and let them past. A drunk driver has severely impaired reactions, and the last thing you want is whiplash over the Christmas period along with a damaged car.
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Tip 2: Get a Car Winter Check – It’s advisable to have at least a winter check before the cold weather sets in.
During the Christmas period the rescue services like RAC and The AA are under extra pressure with more motorists on the road, so try and be proactive and ensure your car is ready to face winter.
A winter check will look at things like lights, tyres, wipers and battery charge. A vast majority of breakdowns during the Christmas are for things which can be avoided.
RAC’s List of Most Common Breakdowns:
Source: rac.co.uk
Tip 3: Plan Your Trip – If you are making a journey to friends and relatives this Christmas, make sure you plan.
Specifically check the weather forecast, ensure you know your route, if not – take time to plan and allow for delays if the weather is bad.
If you have a sat nav, make sure it is working fine and is fully charged, also make sure your car’s cigarette lighter works and can charge it without any problems! This is one of the main reasons that people with sat navs often get lost!
The key to safe driving this Christmas period is very simple – plan, be aware and be prepared. If you have any specific questions do please email me at rob@driversdomainuk.com and I will be more than pleased to help you.