We have been featuring driving tips from driver training specialist IAM Drive & Survive, with the good advice from head of training, Simon Elstow. This week he is advising on parking your vehicle.

• Do try to park on the left-hand side of the road if possible, and always at night.
• In a car park, try and reverse into parking spaces as this is safer when driving out of a space, and more fuel efficient as you’ll be manoeuvring with a warm engine, rather than cold one when you start up .
• Always check your mirrors and over your shoulder frequently – you still need to know what’s going on around you and don’t just rely on parking sensors to guide you.
• When looking for a parking place, don’t stop your car suddenly. Drive slowly past a potential parking space and size it up to see if your vehicle will fit. And if you can’t stop because you have traffic behind you, drive on.
• When visiting a supermarket , try and park away from the trolley parks and corners to avoid your car being exposed to damage from trolleys full of shopping!
• When parking, open your window in car parks and turn off your stereo as you can often hear something before you can see it.

Elstow said: “Parking is an essential part of driving which many people find stressful. Don’t feel pressurised by other drivers waiting for you to park – it’s important to take your time.”

The driver training specialist IAM Drive & Survive is offering motoring tips to drivers from its head of training, Simon Elstow (which we have been featuring) and this week he is advising on how to avoid getting whiplash:

• Make sure you keep a good distance in front of you so that you can slow down gently if required.
• Always look in the mirror before braking, except in an emergeny. Knowing what the  vehicle behind you is doing is always the best way to avoid getting hit from behind.
• Make sure you have a properly adjusted head restraint in your vehicle. The top of the head restraint should be level with the top of your head for maximum road safety.
• Do anticipate the road traffic ahead and drive smoothly to avoid stopping as often. Slowing down earlier gives the driver behind more time to react as well.
• Try and signal early for oncoming junctions to give time for the traffic behind you to react, if you are turning.
• Keep your foot lightly on the footbrake as traffic approaches from behind to show your brake lights as a warning, until you are sure it is stopping.

Elstow said: “The rise in whiplash compensation claims is driving up car insurance. Avoid injury and a hit to your insurance premium by following the above advice.”

Kia Rio diesel returns 88.3 combined mpg

The driver training specialist IAM Drive & Survive is offering weekly motoring tips to drivers from its head of training, Simon Elstow. This week, Simon is advising on saving fuel and money and how green driving will save you up to 15% on your fuel bills:

• Keep your vehicle moving for as long as possible, even in traffic queues. This is far more fuel efficient than stopping and starting your vehicle, so slow down earlier, to avoid braking harshly and too often.
• Your cruising speed has a major impact on the fuel economy of your car or van so stick to the speed limit. This offers a good compromise between economy and getting somewhere on time. There’s a significant saving made by doing 70 instead of 80 – and you also avoid any risk of speeding fines.
• Reverse into parking bays when parking. If you do all the manoeuvring with a hot engine you can drive straight off when you come back and warm the engine up more quickly, thereby saving fuel.
• Check your vehicle regularly to ensure it operates efficiently and in particular check the condition of your tyres, and measure tyre pressures when they’re cold.
• Remove all unnecessary weight from your vehicle, including roof racks, car clutter and heavy items in the boot. The more weight you carry in the car, the more fuel your vehicle will burn.
• Keep the inside of the front and rear windscreens squeaky clean. Traffic fumes form a film on the glass which attracts moisture and makes them mist up easily – a clean screen will rarely mist up, so you won’t be using the heater and air-conditioning to clear them.

Elstow said: “We’ve all got better things to spend our money on than petrol. This will help you save cash and reduce your carbon emissions.”

Great advice from the IAM’s Drive & Survive, however choosing a fuel efficient car can also save you hundreds of pounds in fuel bills annually.

For example the new Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi 1 EcoDynamics 5-door hatchback returns a staggering 88.3 combined mpg and only emits 85g/km of CO2. The combined mpg of 88.3 is a remarkable performance and you can search for the most fuel efficient new cars using our Vehicle Type Shopper and see the vehicle lease rentals too.

The road safety charity, the Insitute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has issued some timely advice for driving in windy weather as severe gales have spread across the UK. 

• Plan your journey in advance – is there a route with less exposure to the weather and less risk of fallen trees?  If there is, choose a sheltered route if you have this option.
• Strong winds are not constant, they are usually gusty so ensure you hold the steering wheel firmly at all times.
• Overtaking high sided vehicles or driving past buildings can result in a sudden gust from the side of the other vehicle as you clear it – take care.
• Give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room than usual as they get blown around more by side winds.
• Watch our for trees and bushes on the roadside – their branches will show you how strong the wind is.  Look well ahead as that way you don’t need to take your eye off the road. You can then see any windy patches ahead before you get to them.
• Go slow enough to cope with the strong gusts.  Wind can get underneath a car or van and reduce its handling and braking significantly.
• Keep an eye on what is happening to other vehicles on the road – where they are affected by strong winds will give you a pre warning.
• Keep an extra distance between you and the car in front.
• Be careful of any debris in the road and try and have space beside you in case you need to dodge it.

IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger commented: “I have seen a parked car moved by the wind.  Don’t underestimate how powerful it is and how it can affect you whilst in the car.”

To help drivers stay safe this winter, the IAM’s website, www.drivingadvice.org.uk, offers traffic updates, weather forecasts and tips on how to drive safely in winter. These tips include driving in rain, snow, ice, fog and wind.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) latest report, “The fast and curious: young people’s attitude to driver training” has revealed that 62% of young male novice drivers think they are more skilful than the average driver. Only 32% of young women say the same.

According to DfT statistics (2010), the reality is that young novice male drivers are the highest risk group on our roads, and male drivers between the age of 17-29 are more than twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured as young female drivers.

The report also highlighted some other relevant data about young male novice drivers.

• 30% of car occupant fatalities are drivers aged 17-24, or passengers of a driver aged 17-24
• This age group however makes up only 8% of all driving licence holders (DVLA data 2010)
• Young drivers are more likely to take post-test training if a financial incentive is offered i.e. reduced insurance premiums would encourage 75% of young drivers to take further driver training.
• Training needs to be done early as the longer a driver has been driving, the less likely they feel the need for driver training.

Simon Best, IAM chief executive, said,”Young male drivers suffer from a lethal combination of overconfidence and inexperience. They don’t need curfews and other restrictions on their driving; they need to practice and gain driving experience safely”.

Mr Best went onto say,”There are many paying thousands of pounds a year in insurance and killing themselves. The solution to this problem is to link driver training and insurance discounts”.

Sounds like a good idea from the IAM?

Drivers across England are set to benefit from Government funding of 3D laser scanning technology which aims to reduce the time motorways are closed due to crashes. The Department of Transport has provided 27 police forces across England with a total of £2.7m funding, which combined with a National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) contribution, will enable 37 3D scanners to be purchased.

The new technology allows crash investigators to use 3D to see a whole image of the crash site, rather than having to painstakingly survey multiple sections of a scene. The digital image can then be viewed on a computer screen remotely, allowing police investigators to take measurements and assess where vehicles are in relation to each other.

The roll-out of the scanners is part of the Government’s “CLEAR” initiative, which is delivering an action plan to reduce delays for motorists, caused by any incidents, and to keep traffic flowing.

Mike Penning, Roads Minister, said,”There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck in a traffic jam for hours on end. But even worse than that is the shocking £1 billion cost of those lost hours for our economy. That is why we are determined to improve the clear-up of accidents so we can get our motorways re-opened as quickly as possible”.

Mr Penning went onto say,”Today’s £2.7 million DfT funding award will see 3D laser scanners rolled out quickly where they are needed most. This will benefit drivers by reducing incident clear up times by 39 minutes on average”.   

IAM (Insitute of Advanced Motorists) director of policy and research Neil Greig commented as follows: “This is a long lasting Christmas present for all those drivers who have ever been stuck for hours while the police sort out the aftermath of crashes. The frustration caused by delays leads to erratic driving, so as well as improving journey times this will also serve to make our motorways safer.”

The Institute of Advanced Motorists has reduced its Skill for Life advanced driving and riding training programmes by 10% this Christmas, with prices down from £139 to £125, as part of a special Christmas gift voucher scheme. The Skill for Life course consists of regular coaching sessions with one of 200 regional volunteer groups and when you are ready, you are put forward for the advanced test, which has an eighty per cent pass rate “first time”.

There are many other driving and riding courses on offer, including track “Skill Days”, “Momentum” courses for younger drivers and even a cycling course as well. Further information can be found at the IAM website through the following link;  www.iam.org.uk/xmas

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) latest poll has concluded that the proposed European MOT rules represent a road safety danger issue, with 60 per cent of motorists saying the first MOT should continue to be carried out after three years.

The new European Union directive is proposing we move to a minimum of four years for the first test and then every two years thereafter, rather than the annual MOT test in the UK. In Europe this is known as the four-two cycle.

In the UK, according to data released by the IAM, 27 per cent of all three year-year old cars fail their first MOT however in France, the failure rate for the first MOT (after 4 years) is only 6 per cent. The survey also found that most motorists are comfortable with the current UK MOT test procedure with 63 per cent believing the test will always pick up potential dangers.

IAM chief executive, Simon Best, said,”In a time when people are struggling financially, the MOT seems to be one cost they are happy to pay. The IAM is wary of abandoning our well-established and accepted cycle of MOT testing. The poll suggest that most motorists are happy with it”.

Foggy conditions

The Institute of Advanced Motorists, driver training specialist, IAM Drive & Survive, has been providing some great driving tips for driving this winter and the latest advice is around driving in foggy conditions.

Simon Elstow, head of training at the IAM, said,”Don’t underestimate the effect fog has on your perception of speed. Adjusting your driving to the weather conditions will help you to become a better driver”.

Here are the tips for driving through fog.

• Before setting off, clean your windows and windscreen and ensure all your lights are working correctly. 
• Let others know you are likely to be delayed due to the fog.
• When you’re ready to leave, switch on your dipped headlights. Only use your front and rear fog lights where visibility is less than 100 metres.
• Use your windscreen wipers on an intermittent setting to clear the fine mist that collects on the windscreen.
• Slow down and keep enough distance between yourself and the vehicle in front. Make sure you can stop safely within the distance you can see clearly ahead of you.
• Avoid relying on the vehicle in front as a guide to any hazards ahead. Fog makes it much more difficult to judge how hard vehicles are braking and they might be slow to react.
• Brake gently but earlier than usual so your brake lights warn other drivers behind.
• At junctions, wind the window down and listen for oncoming traffic.
• Take high-visibility clothing in case you have to leave the car for some reason.

Peter Rodger is the chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving, motorcycling and cycling.

As wet weather is forecasted for the next few days across the UK, the IAM has issued some safety tips for driving in the rain;

• Before you set off, set your heater controls as rain makes the windows mist up in seconds. You don’t want to be fiddling with the controls when you should be concentrating on the road.
• Slow down. In the rain your stopping distance should be at least doubled. Giving yourself more space between you and the driver in front helps you to avoid spray, especially when following a large vehicle.
• Keep your eyes on the road ahead and plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer your car or van smoothly – harsh manoeuvres will unbalance the vehicle.
• If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – it may create problems if you start to aquaplane.
• See and be seen. Put your lights on – as a rule of thumb, whenever you need to use your wipers you should also turn your headlights on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting to pass safely.
• Making sure your car is properly maintained will make a difference too. Check your wipers regularly, that your tyres are properly inflated and have enough tread, and that all of your lights work and are clean. By law, you must keep the windscreen washer filled, but remember, to keep your windows clean, you must do the inside as well

Mr Rodger, commented,”There’s nothing quite like getting to your car in the rain. It’s a haven for the elements. But be cautious, especially after prolonged dry spells- rain on a dry road is dangerously slippery”