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Thank you for your membership this year | |
Thank you for your incredible support over the past 12 months! Your commitment has made a real difference in helping us upskill UK motorists and making our roads safer for all. This year, your membership helped us:
We wish you a joyous holiday season and Happy New Year! |
Have a look at the Christmas News letter lots of good reading for over the festive period.
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When the seasons change, so do driving conditions. Be road safe this autumn…
Driving in the dark - You might not have driven in the dark for a while, but the nights are drawing in. Take a few short drives in the dark to remind you of what you're facing – less light! And don't forget to dip your headlights – it's a legal requirement.
Here comes the fog - If this develops, slow down, dip your headlights to avoid dazzling road users and turn on your fog lights. Do leave plenty of room between you and the car in front, and be particularly careful at junctions, and listen out for approaching traffic. Don't forget to turn the fog lights off when the mizzle fades…
Driving in a storm - Beware of large puddles – they are probably deeper than you think! Hold the steering wheel tightly as gusts of wind can nudge you off course and look out for tree debris on the road.
Glaring light - With the sun lower now, have sunglasses handy or pull down the visor, and keep your windscreen super clean.
With the arrival of warmer weather, more people will be on two wheels. Here are our tips on sharing the road with cyclists.
Keep your distance
Leave enough room between you and the cyclist. We never know when we may have to stop, so it’s key to make sure there is enough space in the event of anything unexpected happening.
Overtake with care
Look beyond the cyclist to decide whether you can get past, and it’s important to remember to keep 1.5 metres wide when passing and a minimum of two or three car lengths when following a cyclist.
Know the new rules
The 2022 Highway Code no longer asks for cyclists to stay on the left side of the road, or to use any cycle lanes. Instead, they're told to ride no less than half a metre from the kerb or verge. This change places greater responsibility on motorists to overtake cyclists safely.
Take your time
It’s important to stay calm if you find yourself behind a cyclist. If you find yourself acting irrationally, it’s likely this will lead to unnecessary road rage and collisions.
This week’s tips give advice to students packing their bags for the big drive or ride to university. For many this trip will be the furthest they have driven, and in an area they are not yet familiar with.
The summer holidays have come to a close and for some parents not a moment too soon. Order and normality will resume along with the dreaded school run which starts again for another year. This week’s tips offers advice to drivers and riders on how to survive the term time road rush from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Roundabouts sometimes send even the most experienced drivers into a panic. But never fear: IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving standards Richard Gladman is here to help you out.
Many riders take to roads without realising they are putting themselves in danger, wearing the incorrect clothing. This week’s tips offers advice on clothing to all riders from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Many new drivers will take to the road this summer after successfully passing their driving tests. You may have some hiccups along the way and not know how best to cope. Statistics show that the first six months of solo driving are when you are most at risk. This week’s tips give advice to new drivers from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Over time our eyesight deteriorates and previously strong vision can become poor. If eyesight problems are left unaddressed they can often lead to poor reaction times to unexpected hazards or the behaviour of other road users. This week’s tips give advice on eyesight. When riding and driving from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
You may be a first time car buyer or just in the need for a new ride. This week’s tips offer advice on buying a used car from IAM RoadSmart’s head of technical policy and advice, Tim Shallcross.
The summer holidays are here and many families will be packing for success as they set off to enjoy and travel. This week’s tips give advice on driving with children from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Summer is here in all its glory and with its arrival also comes the arrival of pressure cooker driving conditions. Many drivers will be taking to the road stressed by holiday deadlines, long traffic queues, overheated cars and hot tempered drivers. This week’s tips give advice on dealing with road rage for riders and drivers from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Summer is here and many of us will be taking to the streets and country roads with our bicycles to make the most of the sunshine. This week’s tips give advice on sharing the road with cyclists from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Many of us can find parking and looking for the right spot quite challenging but sometimes we also forget about checking our surroundings when we leave the car. A few simple checks can avoid costly and irritating car park mistakes and make your trip a lot less stressful. This week’s tips give advice on parking from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
It’s that time of the year to bring out your wellies, rain capes and lose yourself in the music because the summer festival season is here. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving to and from festivals from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Finding the time to take a trip abroad can be a challenge but many of us look forward to it. It can be a huge task for especially for motorcycle users abroad. This week’s tips give advice on riding abroad from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Going away during the summer is something that many look forward to. Prevention is better than cure and if you are taking your own vehicle abroad it is a great idea to be prepared for the unexpected events that can occur when on the road. This week’s tips give advice on driving abroad from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Horses are powerful animals and have extremely heightened senses. They are ‘flight’ animals, so many revert to their natural instincts at any time. The outcome of this can be extremely challenging for the rider and other road users. There have been 2,570 road incidents reported to the British Horse Society in the last six years. Some 38 riders have been killed and 222 horses have died as a result of their injuries. Of these incidents 80% are because vehicle passed too fast or too close to the horse. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving around horses from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.
Illegal substances can affect drivers in several ways, making them unfit for the road. But it is not only illegal drugs that we should be wary of. Prescribed or over the counter drugs can have similar negative affect’s on motorists too and driving while impaired by medication could see you banned from using the road. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving with prescribed medication, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.
Drunk motorists cause thousands of accidents on UK roads every year. Some 1,380 people were killed or seriously injured when at least one driver was over the limit. This represents a statistically significant rise from 1,310 in 2014. A lot of people may be surprised to learn that accidents occur the most over the summer period. This week’s tips give advice on drink driving, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.
Satellite navigation systems (sat navs) are a must have these days but many road users fail to use this travel companion in the correct or safe manner. In a recent simulator study looking at a variety of distractions, programming a sat nav had the biggest negative impact on driving standards. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving with a sat navs, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.
A sneeze or sniffle has a way of creeping up on you, especially when you least expect it. Hay fever seems to affect many of us. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving with hay fever, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.