Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger, is offering tips courtesy of the IAM on how to best tackle the daily commute. This is especially important with the autumn/winter weather setting in:
Rush hour is when the most vulnerable road users are about – walking to school or cycling to work. Give both children and cyclists plenty of room.
During your evening commute, there will be children out playing after school.
Familiar routes are the ones we get most careless about – keep your attention on the road. Try to be as professional about the journey as you are about your work.
Commuting is a problem because everyone travels at the same time. People get tired and frustrated and can behave impulsively – be ready for the actions of road users around you.
Learn an alternative route or two in case of an accident or road closure – listening to the traffic updates on the radio can help keep you in control of your journey
Check the weather before you travel; heavy rain usually slows traffic up, so leave a few minutes earlier, or allow for being a little later getting home.
Using your car to commute to work means you are especially reliant on it working. Regularly check your tyre pressures and condition, washer fluid, lights and oil.
IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: “Always leave enough time to get to work so you’re not rushing unnecessarily. Traffic is bad every day – being late on those grounds isn’t an excuse. If you do get held up in traffic on the way to work, don’t rush. Pull over if you need to let anybody know, but remember it’s better to arrive late than never.”
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