New Year’s Resolutions to Make You a Better Driver
If there’s ever a time to turn your life around, it’s the New Year period. People throughout the country are taking up resolutions to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more and any other myriad things, too. But one key area some people overlook is their driving behaviour and how they might change it. Here, we’ll be showing you how you can work to improve your driving for the year ahead!
Avoid Distractions While Driving
One of the easiest things you can do to improve your driving this year is to avoid all distractions while on the road. Primarily, this means avoiding your phone like the plague. Turn it off or, at the very least, ensure you have a hands-free mount to limit incentives to use your phone as you drive or as you pull up to traffic lights. Not only will this make your driving behaviour safer, it’ll also help you avoid fines, too!
Always Ensure You Wear a Seatbelt
Despite the sometimes very graphic road safety ads and the fact that wearing one’s seatbelt is the law of the land, in recent years there has been a stark increase in the number of drivers fined for not wearing their seatbelt. In 2014, for instance, 180,000 drivers were fined, with the total number of fixed penalties issued rising 17% over five years.
Ultimately, it is your safety that is at stake, not just up to £500 if fined, so ensure you always wear your seatbelt. You also need to ensure that any passengers under the age of 14 wear a seatbelt, too; people over this age are responsible for their own safety.
Depart Earlier to Avoid Speeding!
Speeding on the road is arguably the most dangerous driving behaviour we have to contend with in the UK. Sometimes breaking the speed limit may seem like the only way to reach your destination on time, but simply because you’re late for something won’t sit well with the police if you’re caught!
As such, this year you should resolve to always set off earlier than you normally would have done. That way you can keep to the speed limit, avoid fines and points, ensure greater safety for other road users, and always arrive on time as well!
Drive Economically
In 2017, you could stand to benefit immensely by driving more economically than you have ever done before. Economic driving can shave up to 10% off your annual fuel costs, and is also better for the environment, too. A few tips for driving economically include:
- Driving in higher gears wherever possible
- Reading the road ahead to utilise engine braking effectively
- Using fewer electronics while you drive
- Adhering to the speed limits set
- Driving smoothly, avoiding heavy braking and acceleration
Commit to Regular Maintenance Checks
We’re all pretty busy people nowadays, always looking to cut corners where we can to save time and keep to our hectic schedules. However, one area you should never cut corners on is the state of your vehicle’s health. Failure to check your vehicle over regularly, or even have it serviced, is a massive safety infringement.
There are a number of relatively easy safety and maintenance checks you can carry out on a regular basis, including:
- Checking the tyre pressure
- Checking engine oil and other essential fluids are topped up
- Check your tyre tread depth
For more technical assistance, you’ll need to book your vehicle into a garage for servicing.
Auto Exhausts & Tyres offer the highest standards at the greatest prices when it comes to servicing your car. Be it a full car service or a shorter interim one, our fully trained and experienced mechanics will ensure your car is in the best shape and up to scratch with industry regulations. For more information, or to book a car service at our garage in Lincoln, contact our friendly team today.
