What Makes A Good Driver?

Whether you’ve been driving for 5 years or 50 years, there are certain things you can do to make sure you’re driving safely on the road to stay alert and minimize risks.


In this article, we’ll look at 5 characteristics of a good driver.

Driving Efficiently

With fuel prices constantly increasing, driving efficiently is the best way to keep costs low, look after your car and make it last longer.


So, there’s no need to do 60mph in 2nd or 3rd gear. There’s no reason to speed up to a speed bump only to do an emergency stop before you go over it.


If you want to reduce fuel consumption, improve the longevity of your car and more, then be sure to change gears in plenty of time as you work your way up to speed. For example, some cars now come equipped with a signal when to change gears for economic purposes. Simply change gear when your car tells you to (usually when you’ve reached a certain speed or revs).


And make sure you break gently and in plenty of time, as that’s another way to decrease fuel consumption, by breaking in plenty of time.


Overall, make sure you stay in top gear to reduce the number of revs and change gear as little as possible.


This is why motorway driving can be efficient for your car, as most of the time, you rarely break, and you’re in top gear.

Staying Alert

It's simple to become distracted while driving, whether you're listening to your favourite song on the radio, talking to a passenger, adjusting the air conditioning, or watching for a turning. However, if this top ten list were arranged in order of importance, maintaining attention would likely be at the top.


Because there are so many possible risks brought on by other drivers, it's critical to always be on guard. A hazard could include other distracted drivers, animals racing into the road, bicycles advancing up the inside lane, an unexpected spill or pothole on the road surface, debris blowing into your path, or pedestrians—especially young children—stepping out from behind a parked car.


This is why it’s important to constantly be observant, to stay alert, read the road as well as be one step ahead of other drivers.

Car Maintenance

Looking after your car can help you go a long way in keeping costs down and sustaining the longevity of your car.


So it's good to make sure that your oil is topped up, your windscreen wash is topped up, your radiator fluid is topped up, and your tyres are pumped up correctly.


Getting the basic things right means that your car will be operating at peak performance and when it comes to having your car serviced or for an MOT, the risk of your car failing may in fact be smaller if you look after your car and give it the basic maintenance it needs.

Being Confident

Remember when you first passed your test and drove your car alone for the first time without your driving instructor? Versus now, when you don’t even think twice about driving alone.


It’s all about experience and confidence. If you’re used to driving on an icy road in terrible weather conditions, then driving on a clear, sunny day should be fine.


But if you’re so used to driving in clear weather, when it starts raining, snowing or even in fog, you may lose confidence and have to pull over or, take your time while driving. At that point, if you’re driving below the speed limit, you become a risk to other drivers, especially in bad weather.


So, it’s important to be confident whilst driving.

Be Courteous

Allow other cars to pull out of junctions, say thank you to other drivers who are courteous towards you and overall, don’t drive angrily.


There is no need to drive dangerously behind other drivers, to go over the national speed limit, to angrily beep your horn or even swear or shout at other drivers.


So when you’re driving, remember to be polite and practice good manners on the road.

What You Need To Do Now To Get Your Car Ready For Autumn/Winter

The colder months are once again upon us, and the sooner you’re able to get your car checked and ready for winter, the better!

In this article, we’ll give you some tips on what you can do to get your car ready for this year’s autumn/winter.

Brakes

When it comes to brakes, you don’t want to leave these too late in getting checked, mainly because during winter, you risk skidding off the road and damaging your car and any passengers with you.

So go for a brake check at your local garage and play it safe by ensuring your brakes are in complete working order. The last thing you want is for your brakes to fail during any time of the year, especially in winter with snow and ice on the road.

This should be the number 1 priority. New brake pads, discs and anything else to ensure you can rely on your brakes this winter.

Winter Tyres

Every year, the question arises: should you add winter tyres to your car? And, it depends. If you live in the highlands, then maybe adding winter tyres is something you should seriously consider doing.

Whilst winter tyres aren’t mandatory here in the UK, some drivers still like to have them fitted in preparation for the winter months.

They can help with cornering and braking on softer surfaces, such as ice and snow and can improve driving performances all-round during winter.

Most garages fit them, so if you are interested, get your car booked in before snow and ice hit to ensure you’re fully prepared.

Just remember to change your tyres when spring/summer rolls around.

Screenwash

We’ve mentioned this before in a previous article, but it’s an essential tip for all drivers to consider. Make sure your screenwash is topped up!

When snow and ice may be reported, grit trucks will be laying crushed rock salt on the roads to melt the ice, making it easier for cars to drive safely. Not to mention sludge! It’s unpredictable with weather and dirt on the roads, causing windscreens to need washing to see the road in front of you.

So make sure your screenwash is topped up because you’ll need it!

Take Your Time

Drive slowly and steadily, you have to be careful and alert. Keep a bigger breaking distance between you and the car in front, and try to drive in higher gears for less risk of skidding. 

Get A Winter Kit

If your car breaks down for any reason, you’ll thank yourself for buying a winter kit. Things such as a blanket to make sure you stay warm in the freezing cold, a torch so you can see to check your car over during the night, a fully-charged power bank for your phone, water and non-perishable snacks can all help you stay calm and keep comfortable until help arrives.

But also consider a shovel and a spare outfit! Sometimes your car might get stuck in deep snow, so shovelling your way out might be the only option if recovery trucks cannot reach you. Most can these days, but it’s better to be fully prepared.

Top 4 Car Maintenance Tips To Beat The Heat

This Summer has been hot in the U.K., breaking temperature records and reaching as high as 40 degrees Celcius.

To keep your car running and performing at its best, you can take some measures to keep your vehicle running normally.

This blog will give you four tips to help you get through the heatwave.

Buy A Sun Shield

Ever got in your car, and everything was too hot to touch? The steering wheel, the seatbelts, the seat itself? Even keeping your windows open slightly doesn't seem to do the trick.

To eradicate this, you may want to consider buying a sun shield to help keep the sun off your steering wheel and seatbelts and keep the heat out of your car.

These are cost-effective and easy to set up but are a genuine bargain once you get one.

Keep Your Tyres Pumped Up

Since the road will be hotter, you want to ensure that your tyres are fully pumped up and that they're in a healthy state. 

Check for general wear and tear, punctures, bulges or anything else that may be dangerous to you driving the car.

If you spot any signs of trouble with your tyres and can't just pump them up, you may want to consider getting a new pair of tyres added on.

Check Your Engine Fluids

Keeping your engine fluids topped up is a great way to ensure your car continues running daily. 

Coolant fluid, oil checks, and your windscreen wash should be checked every 2-4 weeks during Summer and even winter to ensure your car is "healthy".

If you're unsure of what you need to do, you could always pop your car down to your local garage and ask them to do a service, it may cost money, but at least you know your vehicle has had a look over. 

Test Your Brakes

As you use your brakes all year round, it's a good idea to test them whenever you get a chance. 

When you're stationary, ask a family member or a friend to ensure your brake lights are working. Also, ensure no warning lights on your dash may indicate an issue with your brakes.

And overall, just ensure that when you set off, gently apply the brakes to see if they're working correctly. A quick check of your brake fluid, and you should be good to go.

If you find any problems, you may want to get your car booked for a check with your mechanic.

How To Survive The Increase In Fuel Prices

If you’re a motorist then you’ll know how difficult the past few weeks have been as we’ve seen petrol and diesel prices increase rapidly and almost at a daily rate!


In some places, we saw prices reach up to £1.70 per litre for petrol and a whopping £1.80 for diesel.


Seeing this, the UK Government have recently stepped in and has confirmed it will cut fuel duty by 5p per litre as it aims to gain control over the increase in cost.


The changes came into effect last Wednesday at 6 pm and the reduction will last for 12 months.


So what can you do as a motorist to survive the increase in fuel prices? Even with the Government cutting the cost of fuel by 5p per litre.


The most obvious answer here is to consider switching to an electric car or at least a hybrid car where you make use of both petrol and electricity.


However, the cost of changing car (along with the rate of inflation and other costs in the UK going up) now might not be the best time to make that transition from your current car to a new electric or hybrid car.


But there are other ways in which you can at least, slow down the amount of petrol or diesel you consume.

1. Change gear early and avoid revving your engine too much.
   
   
2. Don’t slam on your brakes, instead gently press them to come to a stop.
   
   
3. Make sure your tyres are fully pumped up.
   
   
4. Remove any unnecessary weight from the car (boxes in the boot? Rubbish in your car? Consider a huge clearout).
   
   
5. Try to stay in your highest gear wherever possible.

These are just some basic tips that should help reduce your fuel consumption. If you’re already doing one of these, that’s great, but doing all of these together will help reduce the number of times you need to fill up in a month.

Everything You Need To Know About The Highway Code Changes For 2022

From January 29th 2022 there will be an update to the highway code as the department for transport aims to ensure a safer road where cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles can all coexist on British roads.


In this article, we’ll highlight some of the new changes coming into play, early in 2022.

Hierarchy of Road Users

In an effort to improve safety for vulnerable road users, the government is introducing a new road hierarchy.


This essentially means that the people who can potentially do “the greatest harm” will hold the greatest responsibility to reduce the threat that they pose to others.


This means if you’re a HGV driver, then you’ll be at the top, cars and vans will be after that and then cyclists and then pedestrians.


Things such as taking photos and videos at the wheel, selecting a song on your playlist and playing games on your phone, will now become illegal and may receive a £200 fixed penalty and six points on your licence.

Pedestrians Crossing At Junctions

As it stands, when a person wants to cross the road at a junction, unless there is a zebra crossing, it’s up to the driver to be courteous and allow the pedestrian to cross the road.


However, if the person is already on the road, then they have right of way at a junction and the driver should allow them to cross.


The new rule allows for the right of way for pedestrians. Now, when a car is turning into a road and there are pedestrians waiting to cross, the driver should stop and allow them to do so.

Overtaking When Driving or Cycling

The rules when overtaking are changing too, when overtaking at speeds of up to 30mph, you now must leave at least 5 feet between yourself and the person/cyclist you’re overtaking.


If you’re passing people riding a horse, or people walking in the road at speeds of 10mph or under, you must leave at least 6.5 feet of space.


You must stay behind them until there is enough space in order to overtake them.

The ‘Dutch Reach’

Drivers and passengers in a vehicle will now need to use their opposite hand to open the car door and get out.


The idea being that, by using your left hand to open your car door on the right as a driver. Or using your right hand to open the car door on your left if you’re a passenger you will have to turn your head to look over your should behind you.


This is to avoid any accidents that you may not have seen previously. Motorbikes, cyclists and pedestrians who could be passing by that you may harm by opening your car door.

Caught Up To Speed?

These are just some of the new changes coming into effect as of the 29th of January 2022. 

The full list can be found here.