Applied Driving wishes all road users a happy and safe Christmas with important road safety messages being issued throughout December.
It’s that joyous time of year when everyone comes together with families and friends to celebrate over the festive period, but as the year comes to a close we sympathize with those who have been affected by road death and injury. The roads in December undoubtedly become busier as more journeys take place to visit events and social gatherings, but with this also comes more dangers and risks for all road users.
According to a recent study by the road safety charity Brake, statistics showed from 2012-2019 that December was the second worst month for drink and drive-related crashes (4,150), and fourth for people are seriously injured or killed (6,020).
According to Brake, December is and continues to be the peak month for drink-drive-related crashes.
What can you do to make the roads a safer place?
1. Always have a plan
Remember that changing weather and traffic conditions could affect your journey. Expect delays because roads will be busier, and where possible always try to stick to main roads.
2. Organize alternative transport
Always try and organize alternative transport for events or social meetings during the festive period. If you end up drinking – you will not be okay to drive! Consider organizing among a group of you a designated driver who will not drink and drive you all home safely.
3. Slow down
People can often be in a hurry during the holiday season to get to events. Don’t rush your journeys or speed for fun – reckless driving could cause an incident. Always leave with plenty of time so you can drive safely.
4. Stay safe by leaving space
Give yourself time and distance to stop safely behind vehicles. The last thing you want this Christmas is to damage your vehicle or worse, hurt yourself or other road users.
5. Don’t drive tired
Don’t drive tired. Drivers who are fatigued take longer to react to hazards. Take regular breaks on journeys, and share the driving where possible.
6. Are you fit to drive?
Do you take medicines that make you drowsy? You don’t have to be on illegal drugs to be unfit to drive, common medicines can also impair you too. Always refer to the information pack inside medications, or consult your doctor for clarification.
7. Check your tyres
Check your tyre tread and pressure, especially before long journeys. Your vehicle depends on your tyres working effectively in an emergency, don’t take the risk.
8. Don’t presume you are okay to drive
Don’t presume you are okay to drive. If you had a few drinks the night before, you could still be over the limit the next morning! To understand more about unit consumption and limits, please visit Drink Aware’s website and use their calculator tool.
9. Don’t become distracted
Do not use your phone while driving, fiddle with your satnav, or have a family feud in your vehicle! Distractions can lead to incidents where people are seriously injured or worse.
10. Report impaired drivers
If you see someone about to drink and drive, report them to your local authorities. They are at serious risk of putting themselves or another road user in danger. You can also report anonymously.
11. If your making a list, check it twice!
We all create our list of essentials when packing for any holiday, but make sure to write a travel checklist! Think of useful items to carry such as water, de-icer or warm clothes in the event of a breakdown.
12. Watch out for drunk pedestrians
Be careful when driving near a pedestrian that looks like they have had too much to drink! Their awareness of vehicles on the road will be reduced, slow down and give extra space when driving by.
From all of us at Applied Driving, we would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe Christmas this year.
If you are an organization that is looking to improve your road safety culture, get in touch with our team to see how we can help.
Our Christmas Opening Hours
Our team is looking forward to a well-deserved break over the holiday period. Our opening hours will differ at this time, please refer to our opening hours below. For general enquiries, please email [email protected]
If you require technical support during this time, please visit our help center or email [email protected]
