When approaching a level crossing, always be sure to guarantee your safety, as this can be a very dangerous time to be inside your car.

If the amber light comes on when you are already part way across, always continue crossing until you are safely across the other side. Do not stop, hesitate, or attempt to reverse back to your previous side. Always ensure to only start crossing when you are 100% sure it is safe to do so, after a train or tram has passed and the barriers are fully open.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving is a funny thing – Although every country in the world contains drivers, the rules for the drivers in each country differs massively, even between places as close as Britain and France!

One of the most common differences you may be aware of is the rule of which side of the road to drive on. Whilst Britain drives on the left, a majority of other countries instead drive on the right. So why the reason for this seemingly innocuous change?

Historically people always used the left side for travelling, long before cars ever came about, so that they could use their right hand for sword-based defence against potential attackers – However this changed when Napoleon (who was left-handed) deemed that all road users should instead use the right-hand side as part of France’s social rethink – Which then spread to countries France would go on to colonise, including America.

Safe driving from Britannia!

With the news today of former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos being banned from driving for 15 months for drink-driving, we can’t help but feel that the image of drink-driving is not being recognised as the deadly activity it should be to many.

The drink-drive limit in the UK is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood – Although we do recommend not drinking at all when you will be driving, as studies have proven that even the slightest amount of alcohol consumption can reduce your reaction speed noticeably.

Safe driving from Britannia!

There are a variety of dangers you can face when out and about in your car – From terrible weather conditions rendering the roads unsafe to drive on, to other motorists driving erratically and putting themselves and others at risk, you really need to be on your guard when behind the wheel.

So one of the worst things you can do is make yourself a higher liability when driving, by reducing your concentration on the road. One of the most common ways this is done recently is by drivers using their mobile phones to access social media whilst operating their car, which is a reckless and dangerous task to attempt.

If you need to post to Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, add a photo to Instagram or Snapchat, then just wait until your car has stopped in a safe place before using your phone, or you are putting yourself and innocent people at risk.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving can be great fun – Opening yourself up to a whole world of possibilities of where to go, what to do, who to see – But don’t let this distract you from what is going on inside your car.

Keeping an eye on your dashboard is a vital part of being a good driver. The speedometer is there to keep you in check of how fast you are travelling, so make sure not to go over the speed limit, otherwise it might just be a speed camera that lets you know about it.

Likewise the fuel gauge is there to make sure you don’t run out of fuel – While this may sound obvious, a high proportion of breakdowns are caused by not keeping the car filled up enough!

What other tips can your dashboard tell you? Let us know below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

There are a variety of dangers you can face when you’re out driving – From harsh weather conditions rendering roads unsafe to drive on, to the ever-present threat of drunken or irresponsible drivers, you do need to be on your guard when behind the wheel.

One such danger is that of speeding drivers – A cause for a vast amount of accidents each day, that can be easily avoided by all drivers sticking to the set speed limits. A measure introduced to help curb speeding drivers is that of speed cameras – And whilst the majority of drivers believe the threat of a speeding ticket will keep them on their best behaviour, there are many that feel speed cameras are not as effective as they should be at keeping cars from travelling too fast.

What are your thoughts on this article? Let us know in the comments below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Traffic lights might incur mixed emotions from different people – Pedestrians are likely to be fond, allowing them safe passage across busy roads, whereas on the other hand we all know at least one impatient driver who gets aggravated by traffic lights.

So where did the traffic lights begin? Oddly enough the traffic light is an English invention – The first instance of using signals to control traffic priorities occurred on December 1968, outside the Houses of Parliament in London, to ease the congestion – Although in these days, it was horse-drawn carriages that were causing the congestion!

Taking the idea from train crossings, the original traffic light was gas-powered and it wasn’t until 1926 that the first electric traffic lights were installed in London, changing the way traffic was controlled forever.

Safe driving from Britannia!

For the car lovers out there, there can be a number of different factors that come into play when buying your new car – These can be the shape or colour of the car, the transmission type or more technical such as the horsepower or energy efficiency of the vehicle.

When it comes to buying a family car, the requirements are quite specific – Depending on the size of the family, you may want to opt for a larger car such as a people carrier, which will give your children more room on the back seats, which can be handy on the longer journeys.

This can also be useful for more storage space in the boot when on longer drives such as going on holiday. Just remember to plan your car games in advance!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving a car can open you up to a great sense of freedom, especially if you are a new driver. From road trips to family holidays, being behind the wheel can be a real privilege.

However driving is also a serious responsibility – Not only are you in charge of the people inside your car, but you have to keep an eye on the car itself. This means making sure that your vehicle is roadworthy, which includes checking the lights, tyres, wheel fixings, bodywork, trailer coupling, and any other load or equipment attached to the car, amongst others.

It is advisable to check this before any journey, especially longer ones – This will help to avoid problems in the event of an on-the-spot vehicle check.

Safe driving from Britannia!

One of the most worrying things that can happen to a driver is your insurance becoming invalid. This can happen for a number of reasons – If the policy expires, or if you drive the car in circumstances that are not covered by the policy, such as on a motorway if you are not covered to drive on one, or abroad if you don’t have insurance to do this.

One event that can cause confusion is driving without a valid MOT certificate. If the certificate has expired, your insurance will likely become invalid too – Unless, you are driving the car directly to an MOT test station where you have an appointment made.

You can also drive the car directly back home if your car fails the MOT, if it is roadworthy, or within a reasonable distance to a garage or another MOT test station for a re-test.

Safe driving from Britannia!