How To Be A Safe Driver

If you are not sure what to focus on when driving, IAM RoadSmart have come up with a few points to help.

The further ahead you look, the more time you have to recognise and respond to hazards. Always be able to stop your vehicle in the distance you can see to be clear.

Having looked ahead, use that knowledge to anticipate the problems that might come up and plan for them well in advance, to avoid needing to take last minute action.

Watch as the vehicle in front foes past a marker, and then say “only a fool breaks the two second rule”. If you’re at the marker before you’ve finished, you’re too close, double it in the wet.

At 70 mph your stopping distance is the length of a football pitch. Looking away at a crucial moment can be fatal.

Never assume another driver has seen you or will react as you expect. Don’t rely on someone else’s reactions to keep you safe.

Use mirrors regularly so you have 360 degree understanding of what’s going on around you. Always check over the shoulder before moving out.

If you keep space around your vehicle, you’ll always have more time and room to deal with hazards.

Driver fatigue is a major factor in many crashes. Take at least 1 15 minute break after every 2 hours at the wheel.

If you’ve scanned all around and used that information to predict what may happen, you should never be surprised by another vehicle’s movement.

Near misses happen to everybody. After, think how you could have avoided getting into that situation, even if you think it was the other driver’s fault.