Tips and Blogs

Now the festivities are over, it’s time to get back to the daily commute – and with it, the dreaded school run!

Winter brings difficult driving conditions, so this is a good time to remind everyone to drive safely when the temperature drops below zero. Here is some advice from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman, to help drivers cope with road surfaces covered in frost, ice or snow.

With white frosty mornings also comes icy roads, and that’s why Richard Gladman, IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards has put together some advice on how to deal with driving and riding in icy conditions.

Car washing seems to be one of those Marmite topics; some enjoy the simplicity of the task and the instant improvement it produces. Others detest the chore and would rather get it professionally cleaned.

Spotting the signs of a loved one’s driving deteriorating as they get older can be difficult. At what point should you tackle the issue and suggest it might be time for them to stop? As part of its older drivers’ campaign, raising awareness of the issues faced by many thousands of mature drivers across the UK, IAM RoadSmart’s head of technical policy and advice, Tim Shallcross, has put together some top tips based on his own experiences.

As a road safety organisation we’re often heard talking about ‘high-risk drivers’ and ‘vulnerable road users’. Depending on who you speak to, these categories tend to be assumed to include such groups as young drivers, elderly drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Catalytic converters have been in the news lately, prompted by videos of some outrageously brazen thefts posted online.

I read a lot about autonomous and connected cars every day in my work but very little about how these technologies could help improve motorcycling safety. This week however, I have come across two reports which suggest great potential if we can get researchers, bike manufacturers and riders to work together to embrace new technology.

Hopefully you will have seen some of the publicity around our #FormulaDriveSmart event held at the start of December, run in partnership with the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) where we put 15 of the brightest young racing stars in the UK through the advanced driving test at Silverstone in an intensive two-day schedule.

Welcome to 2019! I hope you’ve made it to the other side of the festivities in one piece and are looking forward to putting dark nights, grey days and winter chills behind you. After an eventful 2018, I for one am pleased to have turned over this new leaf.