What is the point of being an advocate for change if it is being done behind closed doors? Sometimes you have to be direct and send your message out far and wide to make it succeed. And since our aim is so critical - to help drive down the number of people killed or serious injured on UK roads - this is exactly what IAM RoadSmart is aiming to achieve with our recently published manifesto.

I hope you have noticed IAM RoadSmart on the TV during 2017. We have been very successful in getting our spokespeople onto BBC News and Sky News as spokespeople, and also onto other shows promoting our work as a road safety charity.

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.

Edward Ruskin has been fascinated with cars and motorcycles from the age of 17. He took up driving lessons and passed first time and that started it. He had a brilliant driving instructor who luckily gave him some advanced type of training before he had even passed. And he celebrated passing by buying a motorbike (he never seemed to do the normal thing!).

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.