Holiday Driving Tips – How to avoid driving accidents during your holiday

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:16:26 +0000

Research from AXA shows that one in ten of us has had a prang while driving either to or from a holiday destination in the UK, while 7% more have had a bump on the way to or from their UK airport, railway station or ferry port on the way to their holidays.

The research showed that while the biggest factor in these accidents is other drivers, 19% of drivers put it down to tiredness, a further 18% blamed unfamiliar roads while 10% felt that in-car distractions such as children or excess baggage were to blame.

Here are some tips from AXA for safe holiday driving:

· Plan your route. Unfamiliar roads were sited as one of the biggest distractions for holiday drivers and while you may not know the roads, if you have a good idea of where you’re heading and the route you’ll be taking it will help you drive more confidently and safely. Nearly a quarter of us (24%) head off without checking the route out in advance.

· Once you know your route, use a traffic information provider to check that there are no major problems along the way – only 31% of drivers will specifically check out any traffic problems in advance.

· Factor in somewhere to stop en route. Tiredness is a big cause of accidents and the heat of the summer, the stress of unfamiliar roads and a packed car full of arguing kids can increase fatigue.

· Make sure your car is safe to drive. Only half (54%) of us check oil and water levels before setting out on a long journey and a similar number (50%) check tyre pressure. 39% check that we have enough windscreen wash.

· Pack something to keep the kids occupied – only 21% do this so we really only have ourselves to blame when they ask for the hundredth time “are we there yet?”

· Make sure you have snacks and drinks in the car. Dehydration and low blood sugar are not good for anyone but behind the wheel they can have very serious consequences.

· Check you have breakdown cover in place and you have the numbers to call if you do grind to a halt.

· If you can be flexible on the day you travel then try and avoid the very worst days especially Friday.

· Make sure you have a hands free kit for your mobile phone or ensure you pull over at a designated place to use your phone.

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Driving outside of the UK

Alan — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:31:53 +0000

Even with the economic recession big in most people’s lives, many Brits are still heading off on a holiday. With this in mind, there are a few regulations and rules that are commonly in place outside of the UK that drivers will want to be reminded of in order to stay safe and aligned with the law. Most of these laws still apply regardless of which side of the road a driver is on.

First of all, in the last several years over a thousand hidden speed cameras have been put into place across the roadways and police are more frequently performing random breath tests. The legal alcohol limit in most countries is 50mg for every 100ml of blood, which is almost two times lower than the UK limit.

Second, speed limits change throughout different countries as the speed limit may drop harshly from speeds of 90kmh to 50kmh simply by entering a village and the only marker is the fact that you are now driving within new village limits. To avoid high fines it is important to be conscious of this fact.

Before leaving it is also important to inform your insurance provider that you will be outside of the company because some insurance companies will not receive any assistance while abroad which it is important to recognize. Depending on the law of the country, you may have to purchase additional international driver coverage before leaving the UK in order to be in accordance with the law.

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Motoring News » holiday driving tips

Holiday Driving Tips – How to avoid driving accidents during your holiday

Driving outside of the UK