Safety Tips & Advice

To help motorists RoadDriver has written and compiled dozens of practical Tips and Advice on driving topics; we hope you will find these informative and useful. We have included a printable version should you wish to read later or pass on to friends and family.

Eco-Safe Driving Tips and Advice

Safety Advice for Motorcyclists and their Pillion Passengers

Legal Penalties for Dangerous or Careless Driving

  • Driving Penalties and Road Safety - Driving penalties for driving carelessly or whilst drunk can be very severe as outlined in this infographic illustrated for RoadDriver by specialist solicitors at Contactlaw.co.uk.
    Read More

General Tips and Advice

  • How to apply and remove safety stickers - RoadDriver Safety Stickers are made from Digisol 3 year 150 micron scuff resistant textured monomeric film vinyl
    Read More

  • The Law and Mobile Phones - The government calculates that of the 10million drivers using UK roads daily; one percent are using mobile phones, in other words 100.000 drivers are breaking the law and putting their life and other road users at risk.
    Read More

  • Driving with Pets - In common with children, some animals can get nervous, upset and disoriented both before and during a car journey. Here are some tips to help make travelling with animals more secure and comfortable.
    Read More

  • How to prevent car theft - Typically, your car is your second greatest investment after your home. And if you are like a lot of car enthusiasts, its a source of pride and joy. One danger that thousands of people per year deal with is theft.
    Read More

  • How to avoid buying a stolen car - 350,000 cars are stolen in the UK every year, not all stolen cars are stripped for parts. Many are resold to unknowing and unsuspecting buyers.
    Read More

  • Tips for Driving Abroad - The Institute for Advanced Motorists offers the following general guidelines to make your trip safer and more enjoyable when driving in a country that you are not familiar with.
    Read More

  • What is Defensive Driving? - Defensive driving is a form of training or practice for motor vehicle drivers to drive in such a way that they consciously reduce the dangers associated with driving.
    Read More

  • Pedestrian crossings - For safety and to help pedestrians move about the streets easily, different kinds of crossings can be installed usually near junctions or busy crossing points and in locations with a specific history of pedestrian accidents.
    Read More

  • Stay safe at Railway Crossings - Level Crossings are safe if used correctly. There are over 7,600 Level Crossings both on public and private land that cut across the UK railway network. The type of crossing provided depends on a number of factors - whether the right of way is private or public, volume and nature of traffic and the geographical features of the location. All have one common feature... they are safe if used correctly.
    Read More

  • Road markings and tarmac signage explained - Experts believe drivers often ignore what is painted on the tarmac below their wheels due to eye-level information overload. However, some drivers often seem unaware of the significance of road markings.
    Read More

  • Understanding Road Signs - The earliest road signs gave information on distance and direction and were in place in Roman times and the Middle Ages.
    Read More

  • How to navigate Roundabouts - Research has shown that many people do not understand roundabouts. Many drivers do not know how to position their car correctly when approaching or travelling around the roundabout.
    Read More

  • What to do when Emergency Vehicles Approach - Emergency drivers are especially trained to drive in emergency situations.
    Read More

Speeding

Aggressive Driving and Road Rage

  • Road Rage - The global term Road Rage was invented by the US media to describe violent behaviour mainly directed towards another driver or their vehicle.
    Read More

  • What is Aggressive Driving? - A recent RoadDriver survey has shown that over 67% of those questioned and who drive on UK roads have personally met or witnessed some form of Dangerous or Aggressive Driving.
    Read More

  • The Origins and Causes of Aggression on the Road - It is hard to find an origin of aggression on the road, although there is strong evidence that it has existed for at least a millennium. Pope Boniface VIII in 1300 laid down which side pilgrims going to Rome should pass on - sword arm to sword arm (keep left). Presumably he did this because there were arguments.
    Read More

  • Profile of an Aggressive driver - There is no one profile that fits aggressive drivers; they come from all walks of life from the boardroom to the shop-floor.
    Read More

  • We all know what an aggressive driver looks like! - Your Ten minutes late for work and driving just a bit over the speed limit when the traffic lights ahead turns amber. You know that you are not quite close enough to make it, but you feel you cannot afford to wait.
    Read More

  • What Can I do to prevent myself becoming an Aggressive Driver? - Be in the right frame of mind before you get behind the wheel. Plan well in advance and allow plenty of time for your journey, expect the unexpected, understand that you cannot control the traffic only your reaction to it.
    Read More

  • How to avoid Aggressive or Dangerous Drivers - Driving aggressively can be triggered by a variety of stimuli. Some drivers maybe provoked by the actions of other drivers, some are set off by road conditions particularly congestion. By far, most acts of aggression are caused by the drivers own frame of mind.
    Read More

  • Are you an Aggressive Driver? - Take our Driver Stress Test to Measure Your Hostility on the Road
    Read More

Teenagers and Young Drivers

How convictions can effect your insurance costs

Tips and Advice for Cyclists and Motorists

  • Share the Road with Cyclists - This article is written by Gavin Keir an experienced cyclist who cycles over 2000 miles a year, mostly commuting but with a couple of long tours on country roads.
    Read More

Bad Weather Driving

  • Prepare your car for Winter Driving - Over the past decade winters in the United Kingdom have brought a variety of weather conditions from warm sunny days to freezing fog, snow, gales and floods. It has left most drivers in a pickle with what they should wear, never mind whether winter tyres are appropriate.
    Read More

  • Driving in Stormy Wet Weather - Over the years Britain has seen its fair share of wet stormy weather. With experts predicting more extreme weather due to climate change, drivers are likely to experience harsh driving conditions on a more frequent basis.
    Read More

  • Safety Tips for Driving In Fog - Fog is one of the most dangerous driving conditions that can confront a driver. Technically fog is a dense wet mist that has descended rather like a cloud close to ground level.
    Read More

  • Safety Tips for Driving in Snow or on Ice - With global climate change, we are likely to experience severe weather conditions more often.
    Read More

  • What to do if your car Aquaplanes - A vehicle can only aquaplane if the two main causes are present; namely, Speed and Water.
    Read More

Women Driving Alone

Women Drivers General Advice

  • Can breakdowns be prevented? - For most women the thought of breaking down alone especially at night or in a strange place is their greatest concern; therefore, Roaddriver strongly advises women to completely familiarise themselves with their vehicle.
    Read More

  • Basic Car Maintenance - We strongly advise you to refer to your cars Handbook or Manual for the correct maintenance procedures.
    Read More

  • Women Drivers Car Safety Kit - We advise you to have a basic car safety kit to include:
    Read More

  • Driving Safety Tips for Pregnant Women - Pregnant women choose to drive for many different reasons. These include convenience and security to comfort and the freedom. This is especially the case for women who already have children, getting kids to school in their own car is difficult enough without the thought of being laden down by shopping while trying to use public transport.
    Read More

  • Suitable Footwear Advice for Women Drivers - Wearing sensible footwear while driving is important for comfort and safety
    Read More

Road Accidents

Drink and Drug Driving

  • The Legal consequences of Drink and Drug Driving - On average 100,000 drivers are convicted every year for drink or drug driving. 3,500 people are killed or seriously injured on our roads each year in drink or drug related crashes and nearly one in six of all deaths on the road involve drivers over the legal alcohol limit.
    Read More

  • Driving while under the influence of drugs - Research has shown that almost a quarter (22%) of those killed in road traffic accidents in the UK have illegal drugs in their bloodstream. This research has suggested an increasing number of road traffic accidents where the presence of drugs in a drivers body may have contributed to the cause of the crash.
    Read More

  • Penalties for Driving under the influence of Drink or Drugs - Alcohol and Drugs tends to make you feel over confident and more likely to take risks when driving. The implications of a drink or drug drive conviction can be far-reaching.
    Read More

Comprehensive advice and information for driving, learning to drive, or returning to driving with a disability

  • Comprehensive advice and information for driving, learning to drive, or returning to driving with a disability - Having a medical condition or disability does not necessarily mean you cannot or will not be allowed to drive. Whether you are a new or an experienced driver, you must let the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) know about any medical condition or disability that may affect your driving.
    Read More

Driver and Passenger Car Safety

Driving and Travelling with children

Older Drivers

Vehicle Breakdowns

Car Maintenance

  • Car Maintenance - Before attempting any car maintenance we strongly advise you to refer to your cars Handbook or Manual
    Read More

  • Car Safety Kit - We advise you to have a basic car safety kit to include:
    Read More

  • Damaged or Worn Tyres can Kill - Most drivers take their cars tyres for granted. They assume that these chunks of rubber will do the job they were designed to do, no matter how old, or how many times they mount a pavement or scrape the kerb.
    Read More