According to Professor Russell Foster, a neuroscientist at Oxford University, an underlying health issue can seriously and dangerously compromise our concentration when driving.

People who snore in their sleep can nod off at the wheel. According to research, snoring is caused when the muscles in the throat relax. If the throat closes completely, you stop breathing for a couple of seconds, and the brain realising it is being starved of oxygen, forces you to wake up. this can happen up to 100 times a night disrupting the sleep cycle. This is termed sleep apnoea syndrome, the effect of which is feeling tired all day which can day make you fall asleep at the wheel, especially on long journeys.

A heavy cold or flu can drop our concentration when driving by more than 50% according to research at Cardiff University, which is equivalent to downing more than four double whiskies. Sneezing can also make a driver drive blind for up to 50 feet. An increasing number of adults are developing hay fever for the first time which may cause them to sneeze uncontrollably which is a driving hazard, in particular on a motorway, as we tend to close our eyes when we sneeze.

Medication can even affect driving – in particular, anti-histamine and codeine can cause drowsiness hence slow reaction times, low concentration levels and blurry eyesight.

If you have an accident and only discover afterwards it was due to an underlying health issue, you may lose your licence or worse. It is your responsibility to ensure you are healthy enough to drive.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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With the most congested routes in England, and the second most congested city in Europe, it is no surprise that many drivers find driving in London a daunting experience.

However, this shouldn’t put you off learning to drive in London. Your instructor would be able to build up your skills and help driving in London become less stressful. You can incorporate driving into central London into your lessons to give you additional practice in the most difficult roads in London.

Experienced drivers may also benefit from refresher lessons if they find they need more practice especially in Central London driving. Other ways to keep calm when driving in London is to plan routes in advance and take note of alternative routes in case of heavy traffic or roadworks. Make sure you leave plenty of time for journeys to minimise stress if delays occur.

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Black box covers are known to give motorists discounts on insurances which is why a lot of motorists, in particular young drivers, have opted for such covers. However, it has now been revealed that drivers who sign up for black box car cover can be hit with a £100 fine from their insurer if they speed.

Motorists who have opted for such policies are discovering that the reductions in insurance are impossible to get and that they are instead being subject to other fees. Sell your car, switch policy or breach the smallprint, and you could be hit with hefty penalties. Most insurers issue warnings if a motorist breaks rules such a regularly driving at 40mph in a 30mph zone. If these alerts are ignored and the driver carries on driving poorly, the insurer can fine them one a case-by-case basis. The fines can be as much as £100 and in the worst cases the insurer could cancel the policy altogether.

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It is a well known fact that car insurance costs for young new drivers are very high. In order to resolve this issue, a number of parents are committing fraud by pretending to be the main driver of a vehicle used predominately by their son or daughter.

The practice, named ‘fronting’, involves a low-risk and older driver insuring a vehicle in their name as the main driver, naming the higher risk driver, who will be predominately driving the vehicle, as the ‘second’ driver. Using this method, young drivers can avoid extortionate insurance premiums.

However, this practice is not as simple as it seems. It can have serious financial and legal implications. If detected, insurers can refuse to pay out for any claims and in such a situation the young driver could then be treated as ‘uninsured’ and could be fined hundreds of pounds, face prosecution and an automatic driving ban. They will also face higher insurance costs in future.

This practice is fraudulent and people should be made aware of the serious risks in engaging in ‘fronting’.

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