Stay safe on the roads this Bank Holiday
Millions of motorists will be taking to the nation’s roads this weekend for the bank holiday and half term break. If you’re one of them, a bit of extra planning will help make your trip less stressful and much safer.
Plan Your Route
A planned journey is a safer journey, if you know which roads and junctions you’re looking out for you won’t have to make any last minute lane changes or quick turns. Ask a passenger to help navigate if you can. Plan an alternate route in case of road closures and traffic delays. Programme your sat nav before you set off so you won’t need to fiddle with it while you drive and pack a road atlas in case of technological malfunction.
Check Your Vehicle
Regular tyre and light checks should be part of your weekly routine, but are essential before you set off on a long journey. Check the tread depth and tyre pressure at least a day in advance so you have time to get things adjusted before you leave. Make sure fuel, water, oil and screen wash are topped up, and you carry an emergency kit such as a warning triangle, hi-vis vest and first aid kit.
Pack Safely
Don’t overload your vehicle. Make sure luggage doesn’t go higher than the rear seat backs. Put heavier items at the bottom, put small items in bags, under seats or in door pockets to stop them moving about. Use soft items to wedge between anything loose to stop things shifting. Do use a correctly fitted roof rack or box for extra luggage. Be aware that the extra weight will make your vehicle handle differently, and may need you to adjust your tyre pressure.
Hope For The Best; Plan For The Worst
Hopefully you won’t break down, but it pays to know what to do if it does happen. If you’re on the motorway, pull over as far to the left as you can. Get out of the car and stay behind the barriers or up the embankment and to the rear of the vehicle. Don’t put out a warning triangle or try to fix the problem. Use one of the emergency phones situated every mile along the carriageway, and signposted every 100 yards.
If you’re not on the motorway, put a warning triangle at least 50 metres behind your car. Only attempt to fix your car if it’s safe to do so. Keep your emergency breakdown contact details somewhere handy. Pack extra food & drinks, warm clothes and waterproofs in case you need to wait for some time.
Look After Yourself
Make sure you get plenty of sleep before your journey, and take a proper rest of at least 20 minutes for every 2 hours driving. Share the driving if you can. Don’t drink alcohol the night before if you have an early start, and stay hydrated. Fatigue and dehydration can be as dangerous as being over the legal limit to drive. If you find yourself getting stressed, whether due to traffic, navigation issues or your passengers, take a break so you can calm down and focus fully on your driving again.
More Road Safety News:
-
Drive Safer for Longer with Route 60+
19 Feb 2019
Elderly drivers have hit the headlines recently for all the wrong reasons, especially as statistically...
-
HOGs help biker safety in Somerset
23 Jan 2019
Somerset County Council’s road safety team has received a generous donation from Bridgwater bikers. At...
-
Dealing out advice on the dangers of drug driving
8 Jan 2019
Somerset County Council’s road safety team is highlighting the dangers posed by driving under...
-
New Year New You!
1 Jan 2019
Somerset County Council’s road safety team is urging drivers and riders in Somerset to makes some...
-
Stay Safe on the Road over Christmas
21 Dec 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team have some helpful advice to keep you safe on the roads...
-
Survive the Drive helps keep the armed forces alive
13 Dec 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team is working alongside partner agencies to keep armed...
-
Keep safe on the road this winter
6 Dec 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team has some helpful advice to keep everyone safe on the...
-
Bike Smart for Road Safety Week
19 Nov 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team is supporting Brake’s road...
-
Make sure your children are sitting pretty… safely!
9 Nov 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team are urging parents and carers to...
-
Avoid a Halloween horror story by staying safe on the road!
25 Oct 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team have some helpful tips to keep everyone safe on Halloween. October...
-
Look after your tyres and your tyres will look after you
19 Oct 2018
October is Tyre Safety month and Somerset County Council’s road safety team is urging motorists...
-
Stay Safe Stay Back
5 Oct 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team is supporting Highways England’s new road safety...
-
Somerset Road Safety practices what it preaches!
1 Oct 2018
Somerset County Council’s motorcycle road safety coordinator has been practising what he preaches...
-
Project EDWARD
14 Sep 2018
September the 19th sees Project EDWARD (European Day Without A Road Death), organised by TISPOL, the...
-
Somerset Moto Fest is back!
7 Sep 2018
September 15th and 16th sees the return of Somerset Moto Fest, a free event for everyone with a passion...
-
Back to School
2 Sep 2018
September is here and the children are heading back to school. This will mean even busier traffic at...
-
Get in gear for cycle to work day
8 Aug 2018
Road users in Somerset are being encouraged to stay safe on Cycle to Work Day. The UK’s biggest...
-
Make sure your holiday gets off to a flying start, even if it’s a staycation
1 Aug 2018
Get your summer holiday off to a flying start with some helpful tips from Somerset County Council’s...
-
Get the kids on their bikes over the summer holiday
20 Jul 2018
Somerset Road Somerset is working in partnership with sports centres in Somerset to offer Bikeability...
-
Coping with Road Rage
29 Jun 2018
Driving while emotional, stressed out or feeling harassed by another driver can lead to poor decision...
-
Think Bike this Ride to Work Week
15 Jun 2018
Somerset Road Safety is urging road users to take longer to look for bikes during Ride to Work Week. The...
-
Avoid a World Cup penalty by having none for the road!
8 Jun 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team is urging everyone to keep the roads alcohol free during...
-
Are you ready for World Bicycle Day?
1 Jun 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team is asking everyone to share the road for World Bicycle...
-
Keeping your children safe on the road: together we got this!
25 May 2018
Somerset County Council’s road safety team is supporting National Child Safety Week (4th to 10th...
-
Important Update on the MOT
18 May 2018
On the 20th May 2018 the MOT test will change with new rules, new defect types, exemptions for some...
-
Get ‘On Your Bike’ this summer
8 May 2018
The county council’s road safety team is supporting ‘On Your Bike’ by running free...
-
Stay safe on the roads this Bank Holiday
4 May 2018
Millions of motorists will be taking to the nation’s roads this weekend for the bank holiday and...
-
Inappropriate Speed Kills
28 Apr 2018
Speed is one of the main causation factors in roads traffic collisions and accounts for a quarter of...
-
Caravan Pre-season Checks
23 Apr 2018
Spring has finally sprung and if you own a caravan it’s time to start thinking about getting it...
-
Don't Fight the Signs of Tiredness
23 Mar 2018
Did you know that driver fatigue can be as dangerous as drink-driving? Similar to the effects of alcohol,...