Katie Homer, who was spotted driving the wrong way down the M5, has been spared jail. CCTV footage showed her driving north up the southbound carriageway swerving into lorries and going round a roundabout twice.

She was given a four-month jail term, suspended for 12 months, at Wolverhampton Crown Court. She was also sentenced to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, banned from driving for three years, and ordered to pay £200 costs.

Homer has pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and dangerous driving at a previous hearing. The sentencing judge told her she had committed a ‘very serious driving offence’.

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With the release of a news story today detailing a woman’s filming of an aggressive road rage driver (resulting in a car crash), Britannia has decided to provide you with its list of the best tips to avoid Road Rage:

1.) Plan your journey. Try to avoid routes that will be crammed with high congestion, as this is a contributing cause of road rage. Stay to calmer roads, and you will find your attitude much more relaxed too.

2.) Play the correct music. Studies have shown that the music you play can severely affect the way that you drive. Avoid heavy metal or heavy bass, and try to play softer music whilst behind the wheel.

3.) Maintain steady breathing. When you feel the onset of Road Rage, take a step back from the situation, and breathe slowly, allowing yourself to calm down before you launch into a fury.

4.) Drive courteously. Just like many other drivers on the roads may annoy you, you could just as easily be annoying many other drivers, likely without realising it. Drive with respect to others, and they will be more likely to do the same to you.

5.) Finally remember, it is not personal. If somebody has cut you up, or caused you to swerve or brake sharply, the chances are that they have made a driving mistake, or perhaps they are just a bad driver. They almost certainly did not do it intentionally to aggravate you, so don’t take it personally.

Hopefully following these tips will help you to reduce that road rage, and stay calm in high-pressure driving situations.

Safe driving from Britannia!

After startling figures were released this week revealing that 80% of Britons suffer from severe lower back pain when driving, Britannia has decided to emphasise the importance of correct posture when driving:

1.) Firstly reduce the seat to its lowest and farthest back point. Then from here, raise the height of the seat and inch it forward so that your knees and hips are level.

2.) You should be able to firmly press all of the pedals without your back leaving the seat. If you need to lean forward at all, your seat is too far back.

3.) Keep your back straight. Although many cars have a recline position for their driver’s seat, this is not the best position to use. The farther forward the better (not only for good posture, but also in the event of an accident).

4.) Adjust the head-rest and the seat-belts so both are firm, yet not too constricting. You should feel comfortable, yet safe when driving.

5.) Move the steering wheel into the optimum position. This is found when you can easily see over the top of the wheel, and can rest your wrists on the top of the wheel without it being too far down towards your legs.

If you’re going to be driving this spring, make sure that you have the correct posture, or you may regret it later!

Safe driving from Britannia!

At last we have made it through the treacherous winter conditions, as we edge tentatively into the first few days of spring. Whilst that may put a spring in your step, remember that your car has probably seen much more of the abysmal weather than you have, and the start of this new fresh season does not just mean it is time to spring clean your house, but your car as well.

Here are Britannia’s top tips for spring cleaning your car:

– Check your tyres. After all those wet and icy roads, it is inevitable that your car will have used up some of the tread on its tyres. The road-legal limit is 1.6 mm, however most car manufacturers recommend replacing them at 3mm to be on the safe side.

– Remove any old junk. Bad weather may cause you to leave bits and bobs inside your car to save exposing them to the harsher elements, but improving weather means you can now de-clutter all that mess. Don’t forget to go through your boots and get rid of any non-essential items. This will also help you to drive more economically.

– Check your oil. Many drivers forget to check their oil and water levels in their car over winter, or are put off by poor weather, however there is no excuse now. Take a look, and don’t take a chance. Change your oil and oil filter!

– Recharge your battery. If your car is more for leisure, then you may have put it into storage over the colder months, meaning now you will have to charge it up again or even replace it.

– Clean the underside of the car. Snow and grit often collect in these parts of cars over winter and begin to eat away at the metal. Give this a good scrubbing down to remove any excess grit that could damage your engine and chassis.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Scottish drivers are the worst on UK roads, a new survey has shown.

One and a half thousand Scottish motorists have broken a series of new laws issues by the government to clamp down on poor driving behaviour, such as lane-hogging and tailgating.

Since the changes were implemented in August last year, over 5,000 drivers were penalised for their bad driving habits, with a proportional majority of these on Scottish roads.

These driving transgressions included driving through puddles and drenching pedestrians, as well as mounting the pavement.

When proven to be guilty of the offences, the perpetrators were liable for on-the-spot fines of £100 and 3 points on their license, or the option to take a Safe Driving Course.

The issue seems much more significant when it is considered that the fatal crash rate was higher on Scottish roads than elsewhere in the UK.

What are your thoughts on this article? Sound off in the comments section below!

Safe (and considerate) driving from Britannia!