Safe Driving Tips

A few core principles cover almost every situation:

• Plan your route and departure time so you're not rushing — time pressure leads to risk-taking

• Check tires before any significant journey — pressure, tread depth, and visible condition

• Adjust following distance to conditions — dry road, wet road, night, and adverse weather each require more space

• Signal before every maneuver, not during or after

• Keep your eyes scanning well ahead, not fixed on the vehicle directly in front

• Never drive impaired by alcohol, medication, fatigue, or distraction

Tires are where the vehicle's braking, steering, and acceleration forces meet the road. Worn tires have less ability to channel water (hydroplaning risk), less grip for braking and cornering, and less structural integrity for sustained use. Underinflated tires handle less precisely and build internal heat. The right tires for the conditions, in good condition and at the correct pressure, expand what the vehicle can safely do in a given situation.

Following distance is about time, not just distance. A useful method is to pick a fixed point on the road ahead — a sign, a road marking — and count the seconds between when the vehicle in front passes it and when you do. In normal dry conditions, two seconds is a baseline; in wet conditions, more; at night or in fog, more still. Maintaining this gap rarely slows traffic flow meaningfully — it just means you're leaving the space that safe driving requires.

Brake in a straight line if time allows, then steer around the hazard. Braking while steering reduces the grip available for both actions. If there isn't time to brake first, steer around the hazard with a smooth, firm input and avoid sudden overcorrection. After clearing it, look back briefly to assess if it's something other vehicles need to be warned about. Don't slam the brakes hard enough to lock the wheels if ABS is not fitted — threshold braking (just short of wheel lock) is more effective.

Significantly. Even hands-free conversation diverts cognitive attention from the driving task, not just physical attention. Looking at or handling a phone while driving multiplies the risk of an incident. The safest approach is to put the phone out of reach or in a mode that suppresses notifications while driving, and deal with any messages when the vehicle is parked. This applies to voice messages and navigation adjustments as much as to reading or typing.

Tire pressure. Most drivers check tires visually and assume that if they look inflated they're fine. A tire can be meaningfully underinflated without any visible sign. Tires lose pressure naturally over time, and cold weather accelerates the drop. A monthly pressure check using a gauge — before driving, when tires are cold — takes under five minutes and directly affects braking performance, handling, tread wear, and fuel consumption.