Short messages on Driving from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
If you get angry when driving, pull over until you calm down. “I was angry at something” is never a reason for endangering others or causing fatalities.
In the UK, 78,460 road accidents in 2013 were caused by driver/rider error: poor manoeuvring, failing to look properly and failing to judge another person’s path or speed.
In the UK, 20% of road accidents in 2013 were caused by the driver/rider being careless, reckless, in a hurry or through aggressive driving.
Avoid setting out on a long drive after working a full day, driving into the period when you would normally be falling asleep, and driving in the small hours (between 2am and 6am).
Plan your journey when driving, including your route, how long it will take, weather conditions, where to stop for the night and an alternative route.
When you first learn to drive, wait until you feel confident without an instructor beside you before taking friends as passengers, switch your phone off and keep the radio volume down to aid concentration.
It is normal to feel nervous about driving after passing your test. Safe driving is about experience, so keep practising. Remember you have the skills to drive safely – so be confident.
The most effective ways to counter sleepiness are to drink two cups of caffeinated coffee and to take a short nap (up to 15 minutes). The safest option is to avoid driving when sleepy.
When driving, plan your journey to take sufficient breaks. A minimum break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving is recommended to minimise the risk of getting tired.
Driver fatigue crashes are about 50% more likely to result in death or serious injury as they tend to be high speed impacts because a driver who has fallen asleep cannot brake or swerve to avoid or reduce the impact.