There are a variety of dangers you can face when out and about in your car – From terrible weather conditions rendering the roads unsafe to drive on, to other motorists driving erratically and putting themselves and others at risk, you really need to be on your guard when behind the wheel.

So one of the worst things you can do is make yourself a higher liability when driving, by reducing your concentration on the road. One of the most common ways this is done recently is by drivers using their mobile phones to access social media whilst operating their car, which is a reckless and dangerous task to attempt.

If you need to post to Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, add a photo to Instagram or Snapchat, then just wait until your car has stopped in a safe place before using your phone, or you are putting yourself and innocent people at risk.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving can be great fun – Opening yourself up to a whole world of possibilities of where to go, what to do, who to see – But don’t let this distract you from what is going on inside your car.

Keeping an eye on your dashboard is a vital part of being a good driver. The speedometer is there to keep you in check of how fast you are travelling, so make sure not to go over the speed limit, otherwise it might just be a speed camera that lets you know about it.

Likewise the fuel gauge is there to make sure you don’t run out of fuel – While this may sound obvious, a high proportion of breakdowns are caused by not keeping the car filled up enough!

What other tips can your dashboard tell you? Let us know below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

There are a variety of dangers you can face when you’re out driving – From harsh weather conditions rendering roads unsafe to drive on, to the ever-present threat of drunken or irresponsible drivers, you do need to be on your guard when behind the wheel.

One such danger is that of speeding drivers – A cause for a vast amount of accidents each day, that can be easily avoided by all drivers sticking to the set speed limits. A measure introduced to help curb speeding drivers is that of speed cameras – And whilst the majority of drivers believe the threat of a speeding ticket will keep them on their best behaviour, there are many that feel speed cameras are not as effective as they should be at keeping cars from travelling too fast.

What are your thoughts on this article? Let us know in the comments below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Traffic lights might incur mixed emotions from different people – Pedestrians are likely to be fond, allowing them safe passage across busy roads, whereas on the other hand we all know at least one impatient driver who gets aggravated by traffic lights.

So where did the traffic lights begin? Oddly enough the traffic light is an English invention – The first instance of using signals to control traffic priorities occurred on December 1968, outside the Houses of Parliament in London, to ease the congestion – Although in these days, it was horse-drawn carriages that were causing the congestion!

Taking the idea from train crossings, the original traffic light was gas-powered and it wasn’t until 1926 that the first electric traffic lights were installed in London, changing the way traffic was controlled forever.

Safe driving from Britannia!

For the car lovers out there, there can be a number of different factors that come into play when buying your new car – These can be the shape or colour of the car, the transmission type or more technical such as the horsepower or energy efficiency of the vehicle.

When it comes to buying a family car, the requirements are quite specific – Depending on the size of the family, you may want to opt for a larger car such as a people carrier, which will give your children more room on the back seats, which can be handy on the longer journeys.

This can also be useful for more storage space in the boot when on longer drives such as going on holiday. Just remember to plan your car games in advance!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving a car can open you up to a great sense of freedom, especially if you are a new driver. From road trips to family holidays, being behind the wheel can be a real privilege.

However driving is also a serious responsibility – Not only are you in charge of the people inside your car, but you have to keep an eye on the car itself. This means making sure that your vehicle is roadworthy, which includes checking the lights, tyres, wheel fixings, bodywork, trailer coupling, and any other load or equipment attached to the car, amongst others.

It is advisable to check this before any journey, especially longer ones – This will help to avoid problems in the event of an on-the-spot vehicle check.

Safe driving from Britannia!

One of the most worrying things that can happen to a driver is your insurance becoming invalid. This can happen for a number of reasons – If the policy expires, or if you drive the car in circumstances that are not covered by the policy, such as on a motorway if you are not covered to drive on one, or abroad if you don’t have insurance to do this.

One event that can cause confusion is driving without a valid MOT certificate. If the certificate has expired, your insurance will likely become invalid too – Unless, you are driving the car directly to an MOT test station where you have an appointment made.

You can also drive the car directly back home if your car fails the MOT, if it is roadworthy, or within a reasonable distance to a garage or another MOT test station for a re-test.

Safe driving from Britannia!

As a learner driver you probably had your fair share of other drivers overtaking you in the car – Although many deem overtaking a learner driver to be poor etiquette !

Overtaking can be safe if performed correctly – But in the wrong circumstance, it can be reckless and dangerous. Always ensure there is plenty of room on both sides of the car before planning an overtaking manoeuvre – And of course, make sure no cars are coming towards you on the opposite side, so never start overtaking close to a bend – And this goes double on Country roads!

What other tips can you give our new drivers for overtaking?

Safe driving from Britannia!

One of the first skills you will learn on your first driving lesson is how to pull the car away correctly and how to brake the car – Stopping it safely by applying pressure with your right foot to the brake pedal.

Whilst this sounds like such a basic task to accomplish, it can take just as much skill to master the brakes as it can to achieve a high standard of clutch control. This is something you will pick up over a period of time during your lessons, as you grow accustomed to the right amount of pressure to use to bring your car to a safe controlled stop.

Safe driving from Britannia!

There are a variety of problems you can face if you drive day to day – From poor driving by other motorists, to bad communication in dangerous circumstances – But it is important not to lose your cool.

Becoming angry behind the wheel will cloud your judgement, and make you more prone to make a driving error. Although you may argue that other drivers might be at fault, if you lose your head whilst driving and cause an accident, it will be you who has to pick up the pieces and accept responsibility for the incident – Not whichever other driver you might hold accountable.

Safe driving from Britannia!