Daylight hours are shortening, weather is getting worse, and these conditions are making driving more difficult, especially for new drivers. Here are some handy tips to make driving a lot easier:

Remember your headlights: turn on your headlights during dawn and dusk so that other road users can see you and vice versa. Using your headlights during these hours, helps you identify hazards in the road, pedestrians, animals and other conditions.

Slow down: the faster you drive, especially on wet, slippery roads, the longer it takes to stop your vehicle. Doubling your speed can nearly quadruple the amount of time it takes to stop your vehicle.

Check weather forecasts: if a storm or other adverse weather conditions are expected, only drive if absolutely necessary. If you need to drive, be prepared for changing road conditions such as developing frost.

Make adjustments for shorter daylight hours: look out for children playing, people walking dogs, pedestrians, joggers and cyclists during the morning and afternoon.

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Come on drivers, we’ve all been there: the dreaded fuel light coming on mid-way through a journey; ages away from your destination, and potentially miles away from the nearest petrol station. The panic setting in as you realise you could well be stranded without an operating vehicle in the middle of nowhere tonight. So how do we resolve this issue? Simple really; just keep plenty of fuel in your car at all times.

Or is it so simple?

A little known motoring phenomenon called “over-fuelling” is rapidly gaining momentum, and its dangers are becoming increasingly apparent too. Whilst it is probably preferable to carry around more fuel than necessary in your car, it is time to consider the pitfalls of over storing on petrol or diesel.

– Fuel is heavy. 80 litres of petrol is roughly equivalent to carrying an additional person weighing 60 kg. This added weight will take more energy for your car to haul around, meaning higher fuel consumption, and therefore fewer miles to the gallon.

– Fuel is expensive. The average person cannot afford to fill up their tank at every opportunity, and instead will only fill up as and when they need to in order to spread the cost of running a car throughout a longer period.

– It is not economical. Doesn’t it make more sense to just top up your fuel when you need to, and just as much as you will need to get from A to B?

In the end, it all comes down to the individual driver. Many drivers will prefer the added comfort of knowing that there is almost always enough fuel in the tank, meaning less arduous trips to the petrol station and extra peace of mind, whereas others are more than happy to pay as they go.

Which driver are you?

Safe driving from Britannia!

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With summer 2013 declaring itself firmly over once and for all, this also signals the end of summer driving. Whilst it may be a relief to not worry about cars overheating any more, do ensure that you are well equipped against the pitfalls of autumnal and winter driving.

More hours of poor light due to later dawns and earlier dusks is a common contributor to motoring accidents at this time of year. Another hazard to watch out for is wetter roads, which is well-known for causing a variety of road incidents, as well as the abundance of falling leaves, which, coupled with wet roads, contribute to a highly dangerous driving situation.

Also keep an eye out for the first onset of frost – as much as you refuse to accept it, it is coming! Prepare an emergency kit and keep this safe in your car, just to protect yourself against the eventuality of breaking down far from home. Finally, be aware that weather in the UK is highly unpredictable, especially at this time of year, and that with the conditions liable to change at any moment, you need to be fully prepared to deal with whatever nature can throw at you.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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The number of elderly drivers caught drink-driving has risen by 20% in the past two years with elderly drivers now accounting for a fifth of over-the-limit offenders. More than 230 over-75s were caught driving over the legal limit last year, including a 93-year-old stopped in Devon.

It has been argued that drink-driving does not hold the same stigma with the over 75s as it does with younger drivers since the majority of elderly drivers will have first learnt to drive in the 1950s whilst the legal alcohol limit was introduced in the UK in 1967.

Though there has been a downward trend in the number of collisions caused by drink-driving, this increase in drink-driving amongst the elderly is concerning and needs to be tackled.

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