Warnings have been issued for rain and heavy winds across England and Wales. Most train companies have cancelled services or are running a reduced service and road disruption is likely.
The strength of winds is likely to increase throughout the day and particularly in the late afternoon and evening. Britannia’s advice is to only drive if you need to and try to get to your destination before the late afternoon.

If you do need to drive during the times when the weather is expected to be at its worst, keep the following points in mind:

– Keep both hands on the steering wheel and keep your speed down. The quicker you are driving, the less control you will have of your vehicle especially in high winds.
– Be aware of other vehicles being blown into your path, in particular high-sided vehicles who are most affected by high winds. Also take particular care around cyclists and motorcyclists.
– Trees and debris are also likely to cause obstructions in the road at this time. It is important to keep your speed down and drive with great care as hitting debris at high speed can be incredibly dangerous.
– If you do need to drive, plan your journey carefully checking both weather and travel bulletins regularly.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Drivers suffering from neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease, Dystonia or Essential Tremor are being given a new hope for their future behind the wheel of a car, after a revolutionary new treatment has proven to be effective at numbing the symptoms of their conditions.

Deep Brain Stimulation (or DBS) involves implanting small electrodes into specific areas of the patient’s brain, and transmitting minor electrical impulses that can help to regulate abnormal activity within the brain, which should help to ease people suffering from conditions that involve involuntary movement such as spams or shaking.

The treatment was tested with 65 subjects, 23 of which were Parkinson’s sufferers undergoing DBS, 21 sufferers that were not currently undergoing DBS, and 21 non-Parkinson’s sufferers.

After each group had completed a trail drive of three times, the results that came back showed a significant improvement between those of the Parkinson’s patients currently taking DBS, and those not currently taking any treatment, with the former performing better in almost all categories.

In fact, the results seemed to suggest that Parkinson’s patients taking DBS performed just as well as the people without Parkinson’s at all, in most categories, and suggested positive benefits for Parkinson’s sufferers taking DBs to continue driving.

Whilst this treatment becoming mainstream may still be a long way off yet, there is still a glimmer of hope for any people suffering from illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease who cannot enjoy the pleasure of driving due to their condition.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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The drink-driving message is a clear one this Christmas with Think! launching a campaign to demonstrate the serious impact drink-driving can have on an individual’s job prospects. The effects of alcohol can still be the same the day after drinking. The legal limit is 35mcg of alcohol per 100ml and the consumption to reach that level depends on a number of factors including age, metabolism and weight. Drug-driving is also an increasing problem – the penalty for driving under the influence of drugs is the same as drink-driving and is also a serious concern.

Below are some other points to consider when driving this Christmas:

– Speeding: as Christmas draws closer, everyone is in a rush to complete that last bit of shopping but remember stick to the speed limit to avoid serious consequences or the risk of a penalty. Make preparations for adverse weather conditions as well and drive accordingly.

– Mobile phones: It is a criminal offence to use a mobile handset not only whilst driving but even if the engine is running.

– Pedestrians: Look out for pedestrians whilst driving and the same rules apply if you are a pedestrian – take extra care when crossing roads and stick to the pavement.

– Cyclists: The rise in cyclist deaths in recent months demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists so make sure you look out for them. If you are a cyclist abide by the road rules and do not cycle after drinking.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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You have probably already fallen victim to the notorious traffic associated with Christmas. With a combination of a sudden rush of people to the stores to get those last few bits and pieces for Christmas as well as a surge of people socialising this season, the roads are likely to be heaving with traffic.

Try to embrace the Christmas spirit this festive season, and don’t contribute to the heavy congestion on UK roads. If you are one of the lucky few to have broken up for your Christmas holidays early, try to use this great gift of time to your advantage, and go out to do your shopping on the quieter times of the day, when others will be at work and leave before the dreaded rush hour traffic starts. Every little helps.

If you are not lucky enough to have this time to get out and about for your gift-buying needs, then try to avoid the busy periods on the roads. Make the most of shops being open later this winter, and head out after the evening rush hour has died down, or wait to get most of your shopping done on relatively quiet Sundays instead of its significantly busier counterpart Saturday.

Also try to spread your schedule out – don’t try to get everything done in one day, as this unnecessary stress, compounded with the strain of Christmas traffic, will only cause you undue worry. Instead plan ahead, and choose the most convenient times for you to avoid the busy roads.

Safe driving this Christmas from Britannia!

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Nearly one in six drivers have admitted to ‘bump parking’, carrying on driving until they hit the adjacent car, with the figure being as high as 26% when considering drivers in London.

Bump parking is one of many bad parking habits, others include parking on double yellow lines (committed by 9% of drivers), parking in disabled bays without a blue badge (5%) and deliberately parking over two bays (6%).

Drivers are warned that though bump parking may seem an easy option at the time, they could end up paying a higher cost later especially if it results in damage to their own car.

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With the threat of snowy and icy conditions looming ever nearer at this time of year, it is good to ensure maximum safety for both yourself and your vehicle to minimise the risk of an accident or of breaking down and being rendered helpless in these harsh conditions.

Below are Britannia’s Top Tips for Driving in Ice:

– Give yourself time to prepare. Leave the house a substantial amount earlier to allow more time for your journey, as well as time to prepare your car if it needs de-icing or any other pre-journey maintenance.

– Ensure that all of your windows are fully clear. We’ve all seen the joker driving around with just a small gap in the ice on his windscreen, entirely oblivious to the majority of the traffic around him. Give yourself maximum visibility to reduce the risk of an accident.

– If your lock is frozen, never breathe on it, as the moisture is likely to condense and freeze in sub-zero temperatures, rendering your lock useless. Instead use a cigarette lighter to warm your key, this should do the trick.

– Plan your journey. If the route you would normally use is likely to be dangerous with heavy snow and ice, try to avoid this way and plan an alternative route, using more main roads that are much more likely to have been cleared of snow and gritted, even if this way takes longer, safety has to come first.

– Finally, carry a safety kit in the boot of your car. In the event of breaking down, you will be thoroughly glad you planned ahead this far. Keep an old phone with fully battery in this kit, as well as the necessary scraper and can of de-icer, torch, first-aid kit, change of clothing, blankets, jump leads, tow rope, bottle of water, and any other essentials that will come in handy in the event of an unexpected break-down far from help.

Using these tips should keep you much safer and disrupt your day-to-day schedule as little as possible this winter.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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A safety system which detects if a driver is struggling to stay awake is to be tested out on coaches for prevent catastrophic crashes. The system will track drivers’ eye movements with an infra-red camera, that also works in the dark or through glasses, and when it is detected that a driver is about to fall asleep an audio alert will sound and a vibration will be sent into the seat to wake the driver up.

The position of the head is also monitored to detect possible distraction. The system is first to be trialled in coaches owned by five different firms over nine months. If the trial is successful, the companies wound consider installing the devices in all of their coaches.

This will improve the safety of coach travel, and may even be used in cars if successful.

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With the Christmas season firmly in place, it is not uncommon for people across the country to be embracing the festive period and revelling in much merriment with a few celebratory beverages. Britannia Driving School often stresses the obvious importance of never driving after drinking… but what about driving the next day?

A recent study has suggested that driving the day after a boozing session can be just as dangerous as driving when fully intoxicated. The study, conducted by the University of the West of England, shows that reaction speeds are dramatically slowed down, and lapses in concentration are much more common when suffering from the effects of a hangover.

The simulation presented its users with the real-life situation of driving to work the morning after a night out, and monitored many different factors with the driving. Many subjects of the test were shown to still be impaired by the after-effects of a night out drinking, and were considerably more dangerous behind the wheel than a driver who had not been drinking the night before… even though subjects claimed to feel fully fit to drive at the start of the test.

So if you are going to be drinking this Christmas Day, and intend to make the Boxing Day sales bright and early, feel free to enjoy yourself, but do try to avoid over-indulging if you will be driving the next day, or otherwise leave the car at home while you hit the shops.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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