If you are a learner driver, you will likely find that many people offer you various pieces of advice to improve your driving. This could include tips on how to drive economically to reduce your fuel consumption, or even what to do in the event of a breakdown.

If you’re familiar with these type of tips, one thing you have probably heard a lot of is “getting into the zone” for driving. But what does this mean? We here at Britannia identify this as being in the right mindset for being behind the wheel – Not too tired, hungry, or thirsty, with no distractions around you and with the optimum amount of concentration to guarantee a safe and secure drive.

What are your thoughts on getting into the zone? Let us know in the comments below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Although the more harsh conditions of the winter weather seem now to have passed us by, we’re not quite in the clear yet. With temperatures staying low across the country, we still need to be on our guard for symptoms of winter driving that could prove potentially hazardous to drivers.

One such symptom is fog when driving – Of course we don’t need to tell you how dangerous thick fog can be when you’re behind the wheel, but we can’t stress enough how careful you have to be when driving in it. Keep your speeds down, your headlights on, and your wits about you – Do all that, and we’re sure you’ll come out the other side with no problems!

Safe driving from Britannia!

There has been a lot of talk of late in regards to the development of self-driving, as well as speculation as to whether autonomous vehicles will really help to reduce the rate of accidents on UK roads.

One topic that leaves many scratching their heads is whether or not people will still be required to undertake driving lessons, if these innovative cars will do the work for us? The answer will most likely be a yes – Despite advancements in technology helping to make self-driving cars as safe as possible, it will certainly be important for the person behind the wheel to have a solid understanding of the cars controls and the Highway Code.

Safe driving from Britannia!

If you use your car in connection with your job, standard car insurance may not offer the protection you require. After all, normal car insurance provides cover for social use and commuting only. Any driver whose occupation demands they drive their own car for work purposes will need to have business car insurance.

The premiums might be higher, but don’t let this make you run the risk of sticking with standard protection as this could lead to your policy being invalidated.

There are several different business car insurance options and it’s important that you know what type is most suited to your particular needs. These include the following:

Business use by you, which allow you to drive in connection with the business, including away from your normal place of work – for instance, if you were a sales rep.

Another type of policy is business use for all drivers – this offers a similar level of cover as the first option, but with the added benefit that more than one driver can be included on the policy.

Finally there is the commercial travelling policy, covering individuals who drive as a permanent aspect of their job. The fact that you will be spending a lot of time on the road and/or driving long distances will more than likely reflect in the policy price.

Safe driving from Britannia!

The number of vehicles that fell victim to vandalism last year apparently increased by 10% when compared to the number of incidents recorded in 2013 – with England and Wales has experiencing a significant upsurge in criminal damage to vehicles, including smashed wing mirrors and slashed tyres.

The RAC Insurance director has labelled vandalism as one of the most frustrating crimes, warning that the true number of cases is probably much higher, with many drivers afraid to claim on their car insurance for fear of a premium rise. Others will simply not report such crimes to the police.

210,418 vehicles in total were reported to have been vandalised in 2016, with damage including broken windows, snapped windscreen wipers and deliberate scratches. According to reports, Greater Manchester Police has regrettably had to deal with the largest increase in reported cases, up by a staggering 37% over a three-year-period.

Should your vehicle fall victim to vandalism it is advisable to take pictures of the damage, contact the police and obtain a crime reference number to help with any subsequent insurance claim. To avoid the liklihood of your vehicle being vandalised, it is wise to park safely in well-lit or well populated areas, under a streetlight if in darkness or in view of CCTV.

Safe driving from Britannia|!

According to the RAC, it is far too soon to make negative conclusions from a small scale study into the effectiveness of 20mph limits. Findings from a report by Bath and North East Somerset Council have aroused criticism this week, since it rolled out 13 reduced speed zones last year.

However, an RAC road safety spokesman pointed out that only when best practice studies have been conducted on a greater scale, in a wide variety of environments, can the correct measures for combatting road accidents be properly assessed.

The south west council’s report shows that over the past year, the number of reported incidents had reduced in three of the 13 areas where speed limits were reduced from 30mph to 20mph.

While an additional three areas saw no impact on figures, there was an increase in serious or fatal incidents as a result of speeding across the remaining seven.

Critics were quick to jump on the less-than-resounding impact of the £871,000 scheme, while the RAC highlighted that blanket 20mph zones will regrettably never be the solution to speeding in urban areas.

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When you think about it, tyres are among the most important features of your car – since they are the only contact between the vehicle and the road.

The grooves in a tyre are vital for wet weather performance as they help channel water away and enable your vehicle to move better around corners and brake more safely. The legal minimum tread depth for your tyres in the UK is 1.6mm across three quarters of the tyre’s width.

Most manufacturers will recommend that you change your tyres when they are worn down to 3mm. A tyre with 1.6mm can take nearly 50% further in distance to stop a car in the wet compared to a new tyre with 8mm of tread depth.

If the potential safety hazards aren’t convincing enough, perhaps the law will be! Driving with tyres below the 1.6mm limit will not only fail your MOT but is also illegal and will cost you a fine and three points on your licence per offending tyre.

Safe driving from Britannia!