Despite regular warnings, many drivers still continue to operate their vehicles in a distracted manner. Not only is this against the law, and could result in you having points added onto your license, it is also massively dangerous to both yourself and the passengers in your car, as well as other drivers on the roads and pedestrians around you.

Here at Britannia we offer some simple tips to avoid distracted driving:

– Refuel. We don’t mean your car – Keep yourself topped up with enough food and water to keep you going on your journey, and make sure you are plenty rested to avoid driving fatigue.

– Switch off. Keep your mobile in a safe place in the car where it will not distract your attention, but where it is easily accessible if needed (when you have pulled over in a safe place). Remember, just because you aren’t talking on the phone whilst driving doesn’t mean it isn’t distracting you.

– Stay perceptive. Remember the skills you learnt during your Hazard Perception training. Stay focused on the road and the conditions around you, and make sure you are able to react safely and in enough time to any sudden changes.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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According to a poll by road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line showed that as many as 49% of drivers admitted to not abiding by road safety rules. Of those who admitted to breaking the rules, half said they did it through lack of attention whilst others did intentionally  as they thought they could get away with it or didn’t agree with the laws.

60% of women said they never broke regulations whilst only 42% of men said they always followed the rules. The poll also revealed that drivers are more confident in the safety of their own driving than they were 10 years ago. On the other hand, young drivers are more likely to rate their driving as safe. Drivers also seem to judge each other more harshly than themselves.

When drivers were asked what unsafe behaviour they had witnessed most in the last year, distraction (such as mobile phones) was the biggest concern, followed by tailgating, speeding and risky overtaking.

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Under EU laws passed on Tuesday the tracking devices will be compulsory from 2018 and fitted as standard in every model of car and small van.

A serious crash will prompt an automatic call to the nearest emergency centre. Even if nobody in the vehicle is able to speak, the devise will still relay the exact location, time, direction of travel, the scale of the impact and whether airbags have been deployed.

Drivers will also be able to push a button inside their car to make a call if they have witnessed an accident and are in unfamiliar surroundings.

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Half of drivers break common traffic and driving laws, according to a new survey.

The habit was described as an “endemic” after almost half of the motorists surveyed admitted to breaching road rules – resulting in calls to increase policing of dangerous driving.

When asked for their reasons for flaunting safety legislations, half of those questioned stated that they did not agree with the laws – There were also twice as many men as women that admitted to breaking the rules because that they thought that they would get away with it.

Despite these figures, almost 7 in every 10 drivers would consider themselves safer than most other drivers – a rise since 2005, when just 5 in 10 thought the same back in 2005.

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There are worries that the scrapping of the paper counterpart of licences in June could lead to car hire disruption this summer. Drivers will need to obtain a special online code before heading abroad or they may be refused a rental car.

Drivers have been told to destroy their counterpart from June as it will no longer be legally valid with endorsements being held electronically instead. There are, however, fears that some hirers will be turned away by car firms this summer as many insist on examining the counterpart to check on any endorsements or bans.

From 8 June, holidaymakers will have to log onto the web-based DVLA service the day before they leave and input their driving licence number and national insurance number. The system will then generate a one-time passcode which the driver can give to the hire company when they arrive at the desk. The code is only valid for 72 hours, which will mean that holidaymakers hiring a car in the second week of a foreign trip face having to find an internet café and log on abroad, or pay roaming charges.

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Motorists on a busy stretch of the M74 were subjected to delays on the motorway by a rather unusual incident – The sight of a dog driving a tractor.

The sheepdog called Don had climbed into the agricultural vehicle and accidentally engaged the motor, causing it to crash through a fence, stopping only when it came into contact with the central reservation.

The dog’s owner Tom Hamilton was away from the vehicle at the time tending to his sheep when the incident happened.

Luckily, the dog escaped unscathed and no other people were injured in the freak event.

Hopefully this will make all vehicle owners paws for thought before leaving their pets in the driving seat.

Safe driving from Britannia!

A cyclist from Manchester has been filming his daily commute to Trafford Park after a near-death encounter with a HGV two years ago. The cyclist says he used early footage to have a driver prosecuted for careless driving and is in regular contact with police and bus operators.

His most recent shocking footage, posted to his Twitter  account, shows a woman reading a book whilst driving with her child in the car. Another video shows a Stagecoach bus overtaking him and then attempting to turn left, cutting him up. His footage has led to the retraining of the driver.

Another film from January shows an HGV forcing him into a side lane. The cyclist also says he has seen drivers do their make up; one woman for a full three minutes with her visor down at an Old Trafford roundabout.

The managing director of Stagecoach Manchester said that they were aware of the incident and so appropriate retraining will be undertaken. He also highlighted that a cycle awareness course is being introduction of a cycle awareness course this year for its drivers.

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A new study has revealed that drivers who are particularly dehydrated may be just as dangerous on the roads as those who have been drinking alcohol.

Loughborough University released the figures claiming that drivers who drank a small amount of 25ml of water an hour were likely to make twice as many mistakes when behind the wheel as those who were properly hydrated – Which also means that they would make approximately the same amount of mistakes as a driver who was over the legal drink-drive limit.

Dehydration can cause a lack of concentration which will result in a decreased driving ability – Which puts both yourself and others around you at risk when you are on the roads. Make sure to stay well hydrated at all times, or run the risk of dangerous driving.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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