I’m a driving expert – here’s eight simple tips to beat heavy traffic this winter
A MOTORING expert has revealed their top eight tips for drivers to beat heavy traffic this winter.
Britain’s roads in the coming days are likely to be heavily congested due to the knock-on effect from the crippling rail strikes.
Travellers are expected to turn to car use as their means of transport in order to beat the striking workers.
The managing director of at , Graham Conway, has shared his expert tips on how you can plan ahead to beat the heavy traffic.
Anticipate Traffic
He said: “Be aware of the times and places that you are driving. If you are travelling on a popular road at peak times, there is naturally going to be busier traffic.
“However, we are all aware that areas of busy traffic can appear unexpectedly for a variety of different reasons.
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“When you are on the road, pay attention to what’s going on around and ahead of you. By keeping an eye on what other vehicles and pedestrians are doing, you can anticipate if you are about to enter an area of busy traffic and do more to avoid it”.
Use Technology
Graham said: “Our smartphones and our sat navs know more about the road ahead than we do, and will often alert us to oncoming areas of heavy traffic.
“If you are using Google Maps to navigate your route while you are driving, the app will inform you about busier areas by highlighting them in different colours on the map.
“This technology relies on drivers keeping their location services turned on their smartphones. This sends anonymous data back to Google, allowing the company to work out how many cars are in a certain space at a certain time.”
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Keep Your Distance Behind the Next Car Ahead
The motoring expert said: “You should always leave a comfortable distance - aim for a two to three-second break distance - between yourself and the car in front of you. Keep doing this, even when the traffic is busy.
“Not only will keeping a comfortable distance help to keep you safer on the road, but it can also give you the opportunity to exit the traffic for an alternative route, should one emerge that is safe and convenient for yourself and other drivers.”
Keep Your Fuel Tank Full
Graham said: “If you expect the roads to be busy, be sure to fill up your tank with more than enough petrol than you need for your journey.
“When roads are congested, we can sometimes end up using more fuel than we usually would on a given route. Factoring in that extra time to fill up your fuel tank will help give you peace of mind while you are on the road.
“Likewise, if you are driving an electric vehicle, make sure you have a sufficiently charged battery before setting off.”
Don’t Drive Too Quickly
He said: “As tempting as it might be to speed up once you come away from a congested road and onto a more open road, refrain from this if you can as speeding up now may lead to more problems down the line.
“Not only is it important to drive within speed limits at all times for obvious safety reasons - speeding up may cause a crash - but, keeping the pace of your vehicle down will actually save you fuel or reserve battery. Something that is extra important at times when traffic is more congested than usual”.
Avoid Weaving
The driving expert said: “When traffic is busy, some drivers will be tempted to weave between lanes to gain an extra yard or a bit of space - however this will only complicate the traffic situation further.
“Other drivers cannot always anticipate what you are going to do and attempting to weave between cars could cause an accident”.
Remove Distractions
Graham said: “It might seem obvious but keeping your eye on the road at all times is extra important, especially in heavy traffic situations.
“When stuck in traffic, some drivers may be tempted to alleviate the stress of waiting with a distraction such as looking at their phone.
“If your full attention is not on the road, it will only cause more complications for yourself and anyone else stuck in the same traffic as you."
Keep Your Cool
He added: “Nobody likes being stuck in traffic, but it is important to remember that when you find yourself stuck in traffic that everybody else is in the same situation as you.
“Losing your temper while behind the wheel can lead to aggressive and irresponsible driving and turn a bad traffic situation into an even worse one.
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“Some ways to help keep calm while driving are playing a light podcast or audiobook, or even listening to some music that you like at a reasonable volume.
“If you find yourself getting stressed in a busy traffic situation, try taking three to five deep breaths to calm yourself down.”
