Better commuting by car

With over half of all commuters preferring the car, Simon advises on driving to and from work.

• The biggest problem with commuting is that everyone travels at the same time. People get frustrated and tired and will be more inclined to behave unpredictably – be wary and anticipate the actions of road users around you.
• The most vulnerable road users will be about around rush hour – walking or cycling to work, for example. Give children and cyclists plenty of room and watch out for children emerging from between parked cars.
• Familiar routes are the ones we get most careless about, taking the predictability of the route for granted. Stay alert and keep your attention on the road ahead.
• Listen out for traffic updates on the radio in case your route is affected, and learn an alternative route or two in case of an accident or road closure.
• Check the weather before you travel; sudden heavy rain usually slows traffic up, so leave a little earlier than you usually would.
• Using your car to commute to work means you are especially reliant on it working properly. Regularly check your tyre pressures and condition, your washer fluid and oil levels and all of your lights.

Simon Elstow said: “Always leave enough time to get to work so you don’t feel the pressure to rush. This kind of ‘up against the clock’ mentality is likely to lead to behaviour such as rapid acceleration in short bursts and hard breaking, resulting in greater fuel consumption.”

If you do get held up in traffic on the way to work, don’t rush. Pull over if you need to let anybody know, but remember it’s better to arrive late than never.”