Doing Dry January? Why not make a resolution to drive more safely?

Each year, thousands of people make New Year’s resolutions to get healthier. One national campaign that encourages people to take a short break from drinking alcohol is Dry January, run by UK charity Alcohol Concern.

Dry January is a great opportunity to cut down on alcohol and live a healthier lifestyle but why not pledge to make 2019 the year you concentrate on driving more safely too? If we all committed to taking a fresh look at how we drive and made some small changes along the way, there would be fewer road traffic accidents and less people being killed or seriously injured on our roads.

Here are nine top tips to help you make safe driving your resolution this year and reduce the chances of being involved in an accident:

1. Stay focused and keep 100% of your attention on driving. Don’t get distracted by trying to multi-task or by other passengers, such as children.
2. Never use your mobile phone while driving. If you do, you are four times likely to crash.
3. Watch your speed and slow down. Speed is a key risk factor in road traffic accidents and the faster you drive, the worse the injuries if you crash.
4. Be more aware of other drivers on the road and ‘expect the unexpected’.
5. Don’t drive too close to the car in front. According to Highways England, one in eight car accidents in England are caused by tailgating.
6. Avoid driving when you are very tired. Research shows that driving while fatigued contributes to more accidents in Great Britain than drug-driving offences. It reduces reaction times and affects concentration.
7. When driving on the motorway, exercise caution when changing lanes. Cutting in front of another driver, failing to signal properly or changing lanes too fast can cause accidents or risk annoying other drivers.
8.  Always wear your seat belt.
9. Never drink and drive. Some 14% of all road traffic accidents in Great Britain are caused by drink driving.

January and the start of a brand-new year gives us all the chance to think about how we live our lives and the changes we can make for the better.

While none of us are perfect, just by making a few adjustments to how we drive, we can make a big difference – making our roads safer and reducing the chances of accidents.