All drivers should be reminded that new careless driving laws are now in force and conviction under these can in certain cases mean a lengthy jail sentence. An example is of a driver who was in a conversation on his mobile ‘phone with his mother for a staggering 23 minutes, was inevitably in collision with other vehicles resulting in a death and serious injuries to others. As a result of his misdemeanors he received a prison sentence of four and a half years.

Talking, or using text messaging on your mobile telephone is not the only offence for which you could be imprisoned, others are drinking and eating, applying make-up or anything else which takes your concentrations away from the road will now be considered by courts. The example given highlights just how important it is for drivers to concentrate on the road ahead at all times.

When you drive it is your responsibility to make sure your car is in the best shape possible.  Accidents usually happen due to human error, but sometimes they are caused by a malfunction in your vehicle.  It is imperative that you maintain your vehicle so that you can avoid any equipment malfunctions that could inadvertently cause an accident.  Vehicle manufacturers are obliged to make sure the automobiles they make meet at least the minimum standards set out by the law.  This is one of the reasons why they are constantly making improvements to their product to make them easy and safe to drive, including safety measures such as airbags and safety belts.

Brake systems are highly advanced dual circuit systems.  This keeps a complete brake failure from happening, but faulty brakes could keep a vehicle from slowing down or stopping properly.  Most vehicles are made with disc brakes and many have systems that keep them from the locking during an emergency.  Regardless of the type of transmission your car has, it should always hold the road.  Front wheel and rear wheel drive vehicles both handle differently on varied terrain, as does 4-wheel drive.  Know how your vehicle is supposed to handle before getting behind the wheel.

The inside of the vehicle is just as important.  Always make sure your seat is set so that you can easily reach the controls, see the road ahead, and are comfortable while driving.  Always use your safety restraints and make sure that any child that is traveling with you is also properly restrained, in a child safety seat if applicable, and away from air bags.  If your air bags do deploy due to an accident, make sure you have it replaced by a licensed technician.

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.

Many people drive for a living, whether they are a courier for a firm or the driver of a large truck.  It has been estimated that close to one third of the traffic accidents that occur on the roads in the United Kingdom involve someone who is driving as part of their job.  With close to eight hundred collisions a year, and up to one thousand deaths because of it, job related driving is one of the riskiest activities a person could engage in while in employment.  In 2003, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced that all companies with five or more employees will be heavily investigated if any of their workers are involved in a motor accident.  Employers who cannot provide proof of adequate procedures and polices that are put in place by the company could risk prosecution and imprisonment.

According to information released by the HSE, employers, managers, or supervisors that have staff that drive a vehicle for their job are responsible for ensuring that their employees understand road safety as it pertains to their job.  The employers must make sure the vehicles are in a safe working condition and complying with all laws.  They are also required to make sure their employees’ safety and the safety of others are not put at risk.  They must manage all health and safety issues effectively, and review, monitor, and assess how the policies and procedures are being followed.

The law is designed to protect any staff member who needs to drive as part of their everyday job.  This would include driving short distances for off-site meetings, site visits, and business travel, say to another city.  Both company and privately owned vehicles are covered.  By having an occupational road-risk management program in place, companies can do their part to reduce the number of serious accidents and fatalities.

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”.

New laws come into effect from Monday the 17th August 2008 meaning those motorists who kill while using a mobile phone will face prison. Currently drivers who kill can walk away from court with a £5,000 fine and points on their licence, but under the new laws, careless or distracted drivers could be given a custodial sentence of up to five years.

These penalties apply to those who were “avoidably distracted” and by this it is meant for example, using a mobile phone, drinking or eating at the wheel, adjusting a car stereo or applying make-up. The Ministry of Justice claims that 150 motorists will be jailed every year under the “death by careless” offence. Further legislation includes jailing those motorists who drive uninsured, or who are unlicensed and they can expect a two year custodial sentence as well.

Drivers who kill through carelessness will no longer be able to walk away from court with just a fine.

Towing a caravan or trailer is no more difficult than driving solo as long as you remember that you are aware of the additional length, you have something at the back! There is no earthly reason why your caravan or trailer should not dutifully follow your car but it is important to remember you will need to allow more time and space to stop safely, overtake and corner.

When turning, you will need to turn later and harder than you usually would as the caravan or trailer does not follow the exact path of your car.

When applying your brakes you should remember that the distance needed may increase by 20 percent, depending on the road conditions. You should never slam on your brakes, to do so can cause the trailer to jack-knife, always allow more distance than normal from the vehicle in front.

Occasionally a caravan or trailer can become instable or “snake and this is often due to bad loading or excessive speed. Not always though, snaking can occur due to air from passing lorries or coaches. Pitching or vertical instability may occur should you hit a pothole if you suffer either of these brake gently slowing down by gradually by easing off the accelerator.

It is a sad fact that young males between the ages of 17 and 20 years of age are ten times more likely to be killed or injured than their older counterparts, so what can we do about it? In spite of the individual attention and training that they will have received from one the team qualified instructors at the Bill Plant School of Motoring, once they have successfully passed their two part driving test they are out of the Driving School’s hands.

Once a new driver is qualified they should seriously consider enrolling on a pass plus course which will not just make them better drivers, but will in most cases qualify them for lower insurance premiums, itself a tremendous bonus. Government is considering legislation to reform the driving test and safety organisations such as “Brake” advocate a provisional period after the test restricting the new driver to day time driving and not carrying passengers. Until reform is brought in the statistics will unfortunately continue.

It’s that time of year again when hundreds of families will soon be setting off to enjoy a week’s UK holiday break. But before the camping, theme parks and beach picnics can begin you need to get in the car and travel for hours to get there. Of course we all know that’s when the real fun can begin, you have heard it many times and we bet that you will have said it yourself at some time, “Are we there yet?”

The best tip is to keep them occupied because bored kids tend to make more noise, distracting the driver. Take with you some things to occupy the children such as pencils or books, electronic games are great if the volume is muted! Play some games such as spotting number plates or the first to spot a certain colour of car, but importantly take frequent breaks, it is recommended that this should be around every two hours.

Try to ensure that the temperature is kept down, if you have air conditioning this is great, children should be strapped in and make sure that you have the child locks engaged, you do not want the door flying open on a motorway! Above all drive safely and enjoy your well deserved holiday.

When you get ready to go out at night and need to drive, you should always make sure that both you and your car are prepared for the outing.  You need to make sure that you will be able to see adequately to drive and you may find that as you age you may need night time driving glasses.   Always allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness if you leave a brightly-lit building.  And it’s a good idea to make sure your windshield is clear on the inside of your car and the outside to cut any glare that may occur from passing vehicles in the other lane. 

The biggest priority of a night time driver is to make sure the lights on his or her car work properly.  Headlights, taillights, parking lights and turn signals should all be in good working condition.  Make sure that the headlights work in both positions – main beam and dip.  Use the proper settings on your lights when driving to help you see better.  Dimly lit or dark roads with little traffic can be traversed using your high beams.  When driving in town or on roads that are lit, use the dipped setting.  Always remember to dim your lights when on the bright setting to oncoming traffic so as not to blind the other motorists.

If you feel yourself getting tired while you are driving at night, stop the vehicle, get out, and take a break.  Fatigue can cause you to fall asleep at the wheel and if this happens you could get involved in an accident, potentially a fatal one.