Category: IAM RoadSmart

1. Night riding

   Posted on 9:00am Wednesday 30th Oct 2013

   IAM’s head of riding standards, Peter Rodger, is advising on riding at night.

   • Ensure you can always stop within the distance you can see to be clear.
   • Remember everyone else is in the dark too, so try to make sure you have been seen – look for the reaction of other road users to your approach.
   • Remember that everyone else has lights on too – which makes yours harder to pick out.  In traffic think about riding so that you are easy to see, and not lost amongst other lights that are behind you
   • Keep your visor clean.  If it is all scratched, it’s time for a new one
   • Maintain and clean your lights regularly – you need to see and be seen
   • Use the all clues there are to warn you about the road ahead, the pattern of street lights, the reflections of other vehicles’ lights and where the tail lights of other vehicles go ahead of you, as examples
   • On unlit roads use the light of vehicles ahead of you to see in front of them, so you get a better forward view of the road
   • To avoid being dazzled by headlights, look to the left of them, rather than at them – that’s probably where you want to go anyway!
   • It gets colder at night, so wrap up well and keep warm – being cold is bad for your riding

   Rodger said: “Lots of riders don’t go out at night – but the roads can have less traffic on them and if you are sensible, it can be a great ride.  Remember you still have to be able to stop on the road surface you can see – whatever condition that surface is in.”

2. Drive safely in the coming storms‏

   Posted on 10:17am Friday 25th Oct 2013

   Road safety charity the IAM is offering tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger.

   Following severe weather warnings of storms over the coming weekend, the IAM is advising on how to drive in windy weather.

   • Plan your journey – is there a route with less exposure to the weather and less risk of fallen trees? Choose a sheltered route if you have the option.
   • Strong winds are not constant, they are usually gusty so ensure you hold the steering wheel firmly.
   • Overtaking high sided vehicles or driving past buildings can result in a sudden gust from the side as you clear.
   • Give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room than usual. They get blown around by side winds easily. Even pedestrians can be blown about.
   • Watch trees and bushes on the roadside - their branches can show you how strong the wind is.  Look well ahead, that way you don’t need to take your eye off the road and you can see any windy patches before you get to them.
   • Go slow enough to cope with the gusts.  Wind can get under a car and reduce its handling and braking significantly.
   • Keep an eye on what is happening to other vehicles – where they are affected will give you a pre warning.
   • Go slowly enough to cope with the tree that has fallen right across the road, just round the bend where you can’t see it.
   • Be careful of debris, try and have space beside you in case you need to dodge it.

   Rodger said: "If the weather is really bad, consider whether you could postpone your journey until it settles down."

   www.iam.org.uk

3. Darkness descends

   Posted on 2:25pm Thursday 24th Oct 2013

   Road safety charity the IAM is offering weekly motoring tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger. This week, with the clocks going back at the weekend, he is advising on driving in the dark.

   • To improve your view as far as possible, keep your lights and windscreen clean. It’s easy to forget the inside of the windows, but keeping them clean helps prevent them from misting-up.
   • Use main beam on a dark unlit road, but when other drivers or riders are approaching make sure you dip your lights to avoid dazzling the oncoming road users.
   • Making sure you can stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear still applies in the dark.
   • Look at how the traffic ahead behaves for clues to possible problems you can’t see yet – the way other lights behave can tell you a lot.
   • Use the headlights of the car you are following to show you to let you see further ahead.
   • Don’t look at any lights themselves, but at what they show – so you can make use of more of the light there is from any source, without losing your “night vision” any more than you have to. • Use the reflective road signs and lines to help you see where the road goes and where there are particular problems
   • If an approaching car forgets to dip its lights, look beyond the lights to their left to avoid being dazzled as much.
   • If it’s gloomy in the morning, don’t forget to put your lights on then too.

   IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: “The risk of collisions increases in the dark as visibility is reduced1.  In poor weather remember that you still need to see things like large pools of water or fallen trees in the dark – so adjust your driving to suit all the conditions combined.”

   www.iam.org.uk

4. Traffic light system needed to highlight the driving risks of prescription drugs

   Posted on 8:17am Wednesday 16th Oct 2013

   Only half of drivers feel prescription drug labelling is clear enough on medicines, according to the latest poll by road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

   Earlier this year, the government announced that a drug-driving bill will be introduced and will include chemicals which can be found in prescription drugs. Almost a third of respondents suggest that a simple traffic-light system would be the best method to inform people of the risks of using prescription drugs when driving.

   It is clear that the vast majority of drivers have no sympathy for those who drive under the influence of drugs. Seventy-three per cent of drivers think that those who drive whilst under the influence of illegal drugs are as dangerous as drunk drivers. Eighty per cent of respondents agree with the view that a zero limit should be set for the worst illegal drugs.

   Motorists feel that penalties are not harsh enough for drug-drivers. Currently, if prosecuted, they face a one year ban and up to £1000 fine. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents feel that this is not strong enough.

   IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Motorists clearly feel that labelling is not clear or consistent enough when giving information on driving when taking medications. A traffic-light system such as red for no driving, amber for care required and green for limited effects appears to be the most popular option.  What is clear is that we will need a wide ranging information campaign to support the new laws and ensure motorists don’t find themselves on the wrong side of the law.”

5. Older people's day - Age and the machine

   Posted on 8:54am Wednesday 2nd Oct 2013

   Road safety charity the IAM is offering weekly motoring tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger.

   Research shows that older drivers are as safe as drivers from all other age groups.  Drivers over 75 react just as quickly as other age groups when a vehicle emerges from a side road or if the car in front brakes suddenly on a rural road.1  Today is older people’s day, and in light of this, Peter offers tips for older drivers.

   • Currently motorists are required to renew their licence at 70, and then every three years after that. Make sure you keep up to date with your renewals, or you could end up driving illegally.
   • When you renew your license you are asked to self-certify the state of your health. Be honest with yourself – it may be worth going for an all-round check-up with your GP before you choose which box to tick.
   • Whether it is time to renew or not, you have a legal requirement to inform the DVLA as soon as possible if you are diagnosed with a medical condition which may affect your ability to drive.
   • Your eyesight will inevitably deteriorate as you age, but the law requires drivers to be able to read a car number plate from a distance of 20 metres, whatever your age – If you need glasses or contact lenses to do this, they must be worn at all times when driving.
   • If you are diagnosed with a condition which causes vision impairment, the law says you must inform the DVLA. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.
   • Research has proven older drivers are as safe as or safer than other age groups. But bad habits do creep in over time, and it may be worth considering giving your driving a check-up. Online and on-road assessments are available for older drivers to make sure your driving is still up to scratch.

   IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: “As we age, unfortunately our health will deteriorate, which may mean that it’s time to hang up the driving gloves.  You should consider is whether you are still able to drive safely, what steps you can take to ensure you are up to the job, and what legal requirements you have to register your illness.

   “Experienced motorists may feel that driving is very much an automated activity, but must remember that it is actually a highly complex task that requires acute observation and manual skills.”

    Holding back the gears: The ageing process and driver safety can be viewed here: