By Maria Brierley,
an EGON and Group Secretary of Cheddar Valley Advanced Motorcyclists (CVAM).

As an active member of EGONS (Explorers group of North Somerset) I was thinking about what I could do for the club (other than leading a walk!) and I eventually came up with the idea of writing some tips on safe driving, a subject I have more than a passing interest in as a keen motorcyclist and being a member of IAM. Of course these 'tips' apply to all road users and so my article is reproduced here :-) A lot of the content here might be obvious to you, that's good :-) ......but no harm in  a reminder of some good habits!

As a club EGONS aim to car share as much as possible when travelling to the start of a walk. The driving tips I cover in this article should help you drive more safely, economically and responsibly.
I have thought about the 5 most common "niggles of the road" and suggested ways in which you can alter your driving to deal with them. I hope you find these suggestions useful. The 'niggles'...

1. Preparation for long journeys - all very obvious but do we do it?
2. Do you 'panic' when you see a police car or a speed camera?
3. Are you getting too much excitement on the motorway? Find yourself turning into a "boy racer?"
4. Do you get hot and flustered by other road users?
5. Traffic lights - do you go for it to get through? 
    

1. Preparation for long journeys - all very obvious but do we do it?
Knowing is one thing, taking the time to do it is quite another!

Try this:
Going away for a long weekend or even the day means that you should check that both yourself and your vehicle are in good nick. As the driver, you need to be alert and prep'd as well as your car. It's not just the contents of your rucksack and your boots etc that should be on your list.

Here's how:
Check the car in advance - petrol, tyre pressures, tread on tyres, oil, water and clean the lights (and check they all work, how many cars do you see nowadays with faulty headlights, failed brake lights etc!), mirrors and even windows if necessary.

Plan route and take food, drink and map.

Get a good night's sleep - less accidents or near misses happen when you are alert.

2. Do you 'panic' when you see a police car or a speed camera?

STOP: you don't need to!

Try this:
When driving a car at any time, concentrate on driving safely.

Drive according to the speed limit for the road when it is safe to do so.

Remember that speed limits are there for a reason - to protect you, other road users and pedestrians.

You should know that built up areas with lamp posts are 30 mph zones across the whole country, unless the sign says otherwise. In thirty speed limits speed limit signs are repeated regularly.

Here's how:
Always read the road and pay attention to the speed limits.

Ease off the accelerator on approaching the speed limit. Choose a lower gear, it's much easier to keep to a steady 30 or 40 mph in 3rd gear. Then when you leave the speed restriction you are in a suitable gear to accelerate away.

Always check your mirrors (all 3) before you slow down, speed up, turn or move in your lane. Often a glance over your shoulder is worthwhile as well ;-)

Why? Because you need to see who is behind you (and that they are not too close) or beside you (cyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrian or even another car.)
Use mirrors and check blind spots to ensure other road users don't crash into you or you don't crash into them.

Keep to the limit but also take into account the traffic conditions around you, the road conditions (pot holes, bends, cyclist - ie other road users) and even weather conditions (heavy rain, big puddles, possible black ice.)

3. Are you getting too much excitement on the motorway?......find yourself turning into a "boy racer?" ("girl racers" are all too common now as well!)
If you are worried about your tendency to mimick other drivers exciting but unsafe driving styles or are finding yourself affected by others hazardous ways read on for some tips on how to maintain your safety and to keep your stay out of hospital card.
I am talking about cars playing chinese chequers, cars pulling in late to your lane or swerving off to an exit from lane 3, maneuvers with no indication and so on.

Try this:

Get your excitement elsewhere!

Concentrate on staying safe and arriving in one piece.

Give more thought to other road users.

Arriving late is an option.

Here's how:

Keep to the speed limit - that one again!

Keep your distance from the driver in front - maintain a 2 second buffer zone.
This improves your safety as the "two second rule" should ensure that you have at least the required braking distance between you and the vehicle you're following. When the vehicle in front passes something out there – a bridge, marker post, road sign, anything static - count 2 seconds or say slowly " Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule". I still use this to check and remind myself of the distance I should be keeping. Increase the buffer zone if conditions are wet etc. e.g. say twice to increase your safety margin to 4 seconds. 

Ease off the accelerator rather than constant braking - anticipate when you need to both ease off and brake. Try this when e.g. closing the gap on the vehicle in front but maintaining your buffer zone.

Be aware of the driver in front of you (roughly 80% of the time) and the driver behind you (10-20% of the time) not forgetting the possible movers to the sides. See Tailgaters note.

Keep an eye on all other road users (front/back/left/right/in mirrors and up ahead). Anticipate what they are going to do next by the way they're driving and their position on the road.

When overtaking, keeping in mind points I have made above, ensure you check your blind spot by looking over your right shoulder before moving out. The indicator shows your intention and is not your right to move out.

Get in lane early, look ahead up the road and see the gaps. Is there time to overtake, can you pull in safely without pulling off any dangerous late manoevres? Be polite, indicate your intention and wait to be let in if the gap is not big enough. It is better to miss your turning than to cause an accident.

We all make mistakes but if we reflect on what we can do to minimise danger (accidents or near-misses) we can reduce our chances of being in an accident. Take steps to manage the driving behaviour of others on the road and look at what you can do differently to keep yourself safe on the roads.

4. Do you get hot and flustered by other road users?
For starters, there's the annoying tailgaters and people who pull into the gap in front of you causing you to brake suddenly. Then the slow drivers, everything is 40 mph regardless of the speed limit.

Try this:
Be considerate to other road users, even those who seem intent on causing an accident.

Manage the driving behaviour of other road users, both directly and indirectly to ensure your safety and that of other road users.

Here's how:
Keep your distance from the vehicle in front - the buffer zone. Maintain the 2 second rule.

On the motorway, if someone moves into your space, whether they indicate or not, check your mirrors (how close is the vehicle behind, is it safe to brake?) ease off the accelerator or brake if necessary and let them in. Yes - let them in. Then get your buffer zone back.

When other road users make mistakes or drive aggressively/assertively, your job is not to teach them a lesson. Keep your cool, be considerate and polite and STAY SAFE.

Use observation and anticipation to guess the next move of other vehicles. You can sometimes tell if they're lost, reckless or asleep before they do something stupid.

So keep your distance from bad drivers.

For seriously dangerous tailgaters, indicate and pullover out of their way as soon as it is safe to do so. If you're being hassled when not on a motorway, pull over and stop.  STAY SAFE and be aware of what is going on behind you - rear end accidents can cause serious damage to your body.

Be considerate and polite to slower drivers and those not doing the speed limit. Don't hassle them, keep your distance, overtake only if it is safe to do so, be patient!. If it helps you to keep you cool, think of all the possible reasons for their slowness. They're old, lost, don't like driving in the dark, have just seen an alien, are ill, have an ill person in the car, screaming baby, have a dodgy car, ....etc

Be considerate - let that vehicle pull out of the side road, that person cross the road. Help keep general accidents to a minimum by helping other road users. Anticipate and observe what's going on around you.

Sometimes, when you keep a distance and keep to the speed limit, other drivers over/undertake you and pull in front. STAY SAFE and be a good example and maintain your cool, keep your distance and keep to the speed limit.

Fight the urge to speed when you are late.

5. Traffic lights - do you go for it to get through?
Worried about being caught by the lights? Being caught jumping them when there's a speed camera around?

Try this:

Traffic lights are a potential hazard (in that they can change) so approach them slightly below the speed limit.

Aim and be prepared to stop at lights.

Remember, there's only one thing guaranteed about a green traffic light.............it's going to turn amber at some point soon and the amber light DOES mean STOP ;-)

Here's how:

Look ahead, see the lights and the traffic conditions.

Make sure you are in the right gear for the speed limit, ease off the accelerator as you approach the lights and/or traffic queue. This way, if the lights change and the traffic starts moving, you don't have to stop.

Keep speed below the limit.

Look to stop at the lights - what if someone jumps them? STAY SAFE! This is more important than the presence of a speed camera.

Check mirrors for the driver behind you before you ease off the accelerator or brake. Take care - if they are driving fast and too close. But you need to know this before you approach any hazard (lights, turning, roundabout, zebra, grannie on the road etc)

.............................................

Whilst I may have only scratced the surface of 'safer driving' techniques here I hope you have found this article interesting and useful. Safe driving is more about a change in driving style and in your attitude to driving on the road. I hope this comes across. I have drawn on my knowledge of advanced motorcycle riding which shares the same principles as advanced driving. I haven't referred to any books and I haven't necessarily giving the perfect answers.

But I have given you a good flavour of some advanced driving skills, food for thought hopefully and it costs you nothing to put into practice. Try putting one of my suggestions into practice, for example easing off instead of last minute braking, or maintaining that buffer zone. See how that works and then try another tip. I am happy to answer any queries.

Remember, it's all about safety - staying out of trouble on the roads.

If you want to know more about the training for advanced driving/motorcycling have a look at the IAM website at www.iam.org.uk

By Maria Brierley,
an EGON and Group Secretary of Cheddar Valley Advanced Motorcyclists (CVAM).

Editors note - it seems that EGONS walking group do some pretty adventurous 'walks'

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