In the last few weeks, two events have sparked my interest more than usual. The first was the Chancellors Autumn statement and the second was the annual launch of the EuroRAP risk rating for UK roads.

During this festive season most of us will be running around shopping and meeting with friends and family to celebrate their hard earned break. Even though we hope most drivers will have managed to get their full eight hours sleep, this isn’t always the case and we need to be aware we could be sharing the road with many a stressed and exhausted scrooge. This week’s tips give advice on how to deal with fatigue whilst travelling during this busy season, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

Is this familiar? Have you heard this before? ‘I’ll have two pints and I’ll be ok to drive’. No doubt many of you have, as it seems a common misconception that two drinks is the acceptable amount you can drink and still drive whilst being under the legal limit. It suggests there is an awareness of the effects of alcohol and how it impacts on your ability to drive or stay within the legal limit; however the understanding of the consequences and how alcohol affects each and every individual has been lost in this approach.

While any amount of sunshine is welcomed at this time of year, the glaring low winter sun is taking no prisoners. In 2015 dazzling sun was a factor in over 2,500 crashes including 17 fatalities. Even though we have many tools that aid in protecting us from the glare, we often forget to use them. This week’s tips give advice on how to stay safe on the road with the glare of the sun on rampage, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

Kevin Delaney, IAM RoadSmart consultant and head of road safety is due to retire soon and is going out with a bang by giving us his uplifting farewell article. Kevin shares his experience, working in road safety and what he believes the future holds for the industry in our latest blog