Road rage affects drivers all over the world, making them act irrationally when they are normally very level headed drivers.  While we all want to put rude drivers in their place, we should always pay attention to our driving first and our emotions second.  Never retaliate against another driver who is driving badly.  That could lead to an accident or a confrontation outside the vehicle that you least expect.  If another driver is harassing you on the road – honking the horn, tailgating, making rude gestures, etc. – don’t react.  Instead, calmly drive to a busy place or if you are able to get their license plate number, the nearest police station to get help and report their dangerous driving.

Of course road rage can also happen when you are stopped.  A rude driver who may have it out for you for some perceived ill, may try to do something to you while you are at a stop light, stop sign, or in stopped traffic.  Leave yourself an escape route if possible in case of aggressiveness on the part of the other driver.  If someone should try to gain access to your vehicle, keep your doors locked and honk your horn over and over.  Never carry a weapon in your vehicle.  It may be illegal and your attacker may see it as an aggressive tactic and get it away from you to use against you.

If you are the victim of road rage, seek help immediately and report the violator.  If you are driving and someone triggers your own temper, pull over and calm down.  The last thing you want to do is cause an accident.

When the traffic lights are set to green as you approach them, do you really know what it means? You may think it means all clear to go and this is only half right because in truth it means you can go if it is safe to do so. How long has it been green? The longer that it has of course the more likely it is to change to amber and that means stop and not I think I can get through!

When the lights are at green, or in your favour, look both ways as you approach the junction, to satisfy yourself that you can get across safely, some joker might be taking a chance the other way. As always keep your eye on your rear view mirror as someone may be following you too closely, allowing you to slow carefully if the light changes to amber. All traffic lights are set according to the speed zones in which they are placed. If you are doing the correct speed limit, you will have adequate time to stop if the lights change to amber.

If you planning on travelling overseas to the United States, Europe, or Canada, you need to be prepared to drive on the opposite side of the road than what you are used to.  With careful planning and a lot of concentration, you can easily navigate the roads of another country without problems. 

If you land in a foreign country and hire a rental car, you are immediately faced with the reality of driving on the opposite side of the road.  When visiting the United States and Canada, you will be driving a vehicle on the right-hand side of the road with the driver’s seat, steering wheel, and pedals on the left-hand side of the car.  This will seem strange at first, but with patience, you will get used to it.  Regardless of what the car you drive looks like or which side the steering wheel is on, always check out the fluids and tire pressure before you off on a trip.  Vehicles overseas have the same dipsticks for checking oil, compartment for distributing gas, and so on.

Make sure you pay attention to the many different road signs in the country you are in.  The pictures on the traffic signs are usually all you need to understand the message the country is trying to convey.  Traffic lights are different in each country, with amber meaning to go with caution, in most places.  One of the biggest differences between driving in the United Kingdom and the United States is the way pedestrian crossing systems work.  In the UK, when approaching a crossing you are expected to slow down and stop if there are pedestrians in the walkway.  The pedestrian crossings in the United States are not like this, so you need to be aware of people crossing the road at traffic lights.

It is reported worldwide that some motorists are reverting to dangerous methods in order to try to save fuel. We will not repeat all of these idiotic measures as they can cost people their lives but include over inflating tyres, and rolling through stop signs, an illegal manoeuvre.

However, some sensible and legal advice includes; fastening the seat belt and adjusting your seat and mirrors before starting the engine makes sense. Always brake and accelerate smoothly, consider your parking options to avoid driving round and around the streets. Take off your roof rack when not in use, and if fitted to your car turn off the air conditioning, keep your speed at or below the speed limit.

Do not coast down hills; this is dangerous as is tailgating. Driving too slowly does not save fuel and over inflation of tyres and rolling though stop signs is just dangerous practice and illegal. Be sensible having an accident will certainly be more costly than any fuel saved and can be life threatening.

It seems never to have stopped raining for the last month and this has brought the usual crop of troubles suffered by some of the motoring public, how to deal with a flash flood. The first thing we would suggest is not to drive your vehicle unless it is absolutely necessary. Always avoid deep water and where possible find an alternative route. 

Driving through deep water may be necessary so always choose the highest section of the road and don’t set off if a vehicle is travelling in the opposite direction. Try to be sensible and leave time and space for each other, so you don’t swamp someone else. Drive slowly through the water and always use the lowest gear possible keeping your revs high and your speed low. Under no circumstances take your foot off the accelerator, as this could allow water to travel up the exhaust pipe and when you are out of the water hazard, dry the brakes do not wait until you might need them! Remember, close your windows and please in rain condition use your headlight when it is necessary to use your wipers.

Anyone who is not familiar with the way the British and residents of her former dominions drive will be shocked to see that they drive on the left-hand side of the road.  This is extremely surprising for Americans who have never been exposed to this before.  This left-hand driving side rule of the road has been in effect for decades and seeing vehicles with the steering wheel on the right-hand side of the car will be very confusing.

Driving on the left-hand side of the road dates back to when people travelled by foot and by the horse and cart in feudal societies.  The sword hand of most men was the right hand, thereby keeping the weapon between themselves and any potential opponent or enemy that was walking towards you.  The same went for jousting knights and their lances.  No one went unarmed during those violent times.

Some of this thinking changed when Napoleon Bonaparte took over as self-proclaimed emperor in Revolutionary France.  Napoleon was left-handed so he naturally made his army march on the right, once again keeping his weaponry between him and his enemy.  Because of Napoleon, any French colonized territory – and pretty much the rest of the world – took to travelling on the right-hand side of the road, while the United Kingdom and her followers continued to travel on the left.  The United States adopted the right hand driving system in an effort to show the rest of the world that they no longer followed British tradition.

There can be no doubt that fatigue a silent killer and it works in similar way to alcohol. Drivers who are slightly tired will not drive as well or as safely as those who are alert. As tiredness increases, mental and physical performance drops until eventually the driver falls asleep, this is not opinion but fact. It is known that one in five motorway crashes are related to fatigue, statistics are hard to come by as drivers who are tired will rarely admit to it if involved in an accident.

There are ways that we can reduce fatigue by taking some simple steps, which includes firstly start your journey alert by getting plenty of rest before you begin your long journey, perhaps taking the family on holiday, which can be stressful if children are involved. Wear comfortable clothing, adjust the seat to an upright position, and keep the car cool, but definitely not cold. Try to avoid night driving when we should be asleep anyway and remember that afternoon driving is a high risk period. Take regular breaks and do not try to drive through a period when you feel fatigue coming on. There are no medals to be won driving when tired its better to be late than “dead on time”.

Petrol and diesel fuel has been falling from its all time high in recent weeks but it still horrendously expensive so it is still worth hearing of methods by which this precious commodity can be saved.

A simple way is to reverse into a parking space in order that you drive out of it in a forwards direction. Not only is your vehicle in a safer position, you will remember this from your driving lessons; there are benefits to your car too. It is known that it takes an average five year old car a minute and a half for the engine to warm up and the most efficient way to warm it up is by driving it. Reversing out of a space when the car’s engine is cold uses around 20 to 25 times more petrol in the first few seconds than it does when warm. If you do this several times a week the cost savings in fuel and wear and tear on your vehicle engine can be huge.

You will have been taught the reasons for reversing by your qualified driving instructor, practiced it many time during your driving lessons and had to perform this in the practical driving test, why stop now? Be safe and save money.

Being able to control your car while driving and avoiding potential traffic hazards is the key to having a long, safe, driving career.  There is a way to control your vehicle and there are key elements that everyone should be aware of and always keep in the back of their mind when driving.  If you can incorporate this into your daily driving, you will be able to avoid accidents, safely navigate through treacherous terrain and inclement weather, and ensure your safety and the safety of anyone travelling with you.

When you drive you want to read the road continuously.  Pay attention to the road signs, the white lines on the road surface and any other warning signs that motorists may inadvertently leave you, such as skid marks or debris.  Always make sure that you leave enough room between yourself and other drivers so that you can stop in plenty of time to avoid colliding with them.  Also, try to always have an alternative escape route planned if stopping is not an option.

Speeds are constantly increasing on the roadways and many people will speed when they shouldn’t.  Higher speeds should be limited to where the traffic conditions, visibility, and law permit it and nowhere else.  Space is once again a factor and it is recommended that while travelling at 70 MPH you need to have a stopping distance that is four times more than if you were travelling at 30 MPH.  Always make sure that your brakes are in good working condition before leaving your home.  Utilize down gear shifting to slow down when you can to avoid excess wear and tear on your vehicle.