We make better drivers and riders

Let the all-nighters begin

Blog post posted on 21/09/16 |
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Advice

Freshers’ week is beginning for many, and students are going to be making their way north, south, east and west to begin their higher education. For some this will be the longest journey they’ve ever driven, to a new area, with a car fully laden with all their worldly goods. Here are some driving tips for those packing their bags up for the big trip to university from IAM RoadSmart’s communications manager Caroline Holmes.

  • Try to reduce your distractions. Turning the music lower and giving yourself plenty of time, will help you maintain greater focus. If you need to arrive at a hall of residence or flat at a certain time give yourself plenty of leeway to reduce stress
  • Thumbs are for driving, not for texting. Pull over in a safe place if you need to contact anyone
  • Plan your route. Assuming you have never been to the destination before it’s always good to know where to stop for a spot of tea or a snack during your journey
  • Practice before you set out on the motorway. If you’ve only recently passed your driving test, one of the biggest challenges is motorway driving. It can often be daunting so we recommend getting some advice from an experienced driver.  Make sure that you and the car are in tip top condition for a long journey

  • Try to avoid driving at night, especially if you’re concerned about finding your location or do not feel confident

  • Pack the car safely to ensure you can still see out.  Loose items can be a distraction and if you have to brake suddenly you don’t want a wave of cases, books and DVDs hitting the back of your head

Caroline said: “The temptation to overload a car that is only used for short journeys and head out on the motorway can be overwhelming. But breaking down at the side of the motorway is not a great start to your academic career. Taking the time to load properly, doing some basic mechanical checks and planning your trip will get you off to a flying start.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  1. Caroline Holmes is IAM RoadSmart’s communications manager.
  2. IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com

To find out the name of your own local IAM RoadSmart group please visit: https://wwwiamroadsmart.com/local-groups

Media contacts:

Further information from:

IAM RoadSmart press office – 020 8996 9777 

press.office@iam.org.uk / www.iamroadsmart.com

ISDN broadcast lines available

Follow us:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAMRoadSmart

On Twitter: @IAMRoadSmart   

ENDS ALL