THERE’S nothing worse than sharing the highways with a roadhog. Or someone who doesn’t know what an indicator is.
We’ve all experienced those people who you’d struggle to call knights of the road, but sometimes we also make our own faux pas.
Following last week’s Road Safety Week, a Wokingham driving instructor has prepared five tips to help us stay on the straight and narrow.
Keith Gambles, who runs WDS, says that there is no need to speed, even during lockdown.
“Just by taking a few extra minutes to plan your trip really can make all the difference” he said.
“It’s all too easy to think that road safety is something that just learner drivers need to think about.
“Just by following my top tips, the roads will be a lot safer.”
Take time to relax: even before you step foot in the car take some deep breaths. Don’t drive when you are feeling angry or very stressed, as this will only increase the likelihood of you speeding.
Give yourself time: If you always leave for your journey at the last minute, it’s natural that you may think about speeding to get you to your destination quicker. By allowing yourself some extra time, it will ensure that you can stick to the speed limit and will drive safely.
Relaxing music: the link between music and driving is an obvious one, so ensure that you are listening to calming music. You could even make your own driving playlist, so that you always have a selection of songs ready.
Pay attention: By keeping an eye on your speedometer will ensure that you know when you are speeding. If you have cruise control on your car, use it. You can then set it at the legal limit. Or if fitted set the speed limiter, then you can’t exceed the limit
Check the traffic: Before you set off on your journey, check the latest traffic news. That way you can change your route should you need to. If you get stuck in traffic, it can lead to speeding the rest of the journey to make up the time.
Is it worth it? How much time do you save by going faster? The answer is not much. Driving 35mph instead of 30mph you will only save four minutes during a 30-minute journey. Also at 30mph a pedestrian has a 80% survival rate if hit by a car but at 35mph it is just 50%.