Tag Archives: safety

As the evenings get lighter, and we begin to see changes in weather over the spring and summer months, you’ll see more horses out on the country roads. Most horse riders understandably prefer to be out in the fields or the paddock, but may take to the roads out of necessity due to the lack of off-road options.

With a little understanding and consideration, there’s no reason why cars and horses can’t use the road together in harmony. Horse riders have the same rights as any other vehicle users, such as cyclists, motorbike riders and car drivers. 

How can you make sure that your driving style and behaviour doesn’t rattle a horse or the rider, when you encounter them riding out on the open road?

Many of us have been victims of road rage. Traffic jams, aggressive driving and bad handling can give you that feeling like your blood is about to boil. When you are more stressed behind the wheel, this is likely to increase the risk of you having an accident. Stay cool and in the best frame of mind with our tips for remaining calm on the road:

Cars are getting bigger. Spaces are getting smaller. Car parks are overcrowded. Parking a car can be a nightmare, especially at 3.30pm on a Sunday afternoon, when everybody’s popping out to grab some bread, milk or a bottle of wine that they’ve forgotten. In the past, we’ve discussed what steps you need to take if you are involved in a car park accident… But as prevention is better than cure, how can you avoid one?

Give people space. Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule. And have you seen how much braking distances are impacted by the wet, snow and ice? Doesn’t matter. People still love to tailgate.

However much of a rush you might be in, this is annoying at best, and at worst, downright dangerous. And could lead to a severe crash if someone has to brake suddenly. So what’s the safest and most sane way to deal with tailgating drivers?  

Your breakdown survival kit. We’ve touched on this in previous blogs, however it’s such an important thing to have in the back of your vehicle, we decided to go into more detail. Many people like to check their car regularly for underlying faults and issues, and take their vehicle for periodic services. However, unfortunately no matter of forethought  can stop a breakdown from happening regardless of the season.

No one wants to be in a breakdown, but sometimes it inevitably happens to the best of us. In such an event an in-car survival kit will be a godsend. So what should you put in your kit?

You’re sitting in your car, driving along. A flash goes off. You instantly know what it means as you quickly glance down to the speedometer. You know an automatic letter is winging its way out to you in the post. Could be a fine, points on your license. Or worse a court date.

Speed cameras are put in place to ensure drivers stick to the required speed limit. Drivers that go too fast are dangerous, as reaction times are reduced. However, there are many misconceptions about how these cameras work. So what is fact and what is firmly fantasy?

Driving drunk is a big no-no. Many people won’t drive when ill. But you may be shocked to find out that driving when you’re tired can be almost as dangerous.

With one in six crashes now being linked to driver fatigue, this is too significant a problem not to notice. As police can’t check for tiredness with a simple breath test – as with alcohol – it’s up to us all to ensure that we don’t get behind the wheel when we should be hitting the hay.