If you are a key worker or find yourself needing to take to the roads for one of the approved essential reasons, it will be difficult to ignore the eerie silence of roads that are usually busy.
We’ve all been there at some point in our lives: open road and few or no other road users. Add to that the slightly odd feeling of liberation the first time you stray more than one mile from home, and it can be very tempting to hit the accelerator.
It is important that you resist the temptation to speed. Speeding is one of the leading causes of fatal road traffic incidents and even in these strange times, you can’t ever know who, or what is around the corner. Whilst MOT requirements have been relaxed, the other laws regarding road use and speed remain very much the same. So before you head down a 50-mile zone at 70, or see what speeds you can reach on a relatively empty motorway, think about:
The police
Last month, police had a normal workload enforcing laws including driving laws. This month, they find themselves patrolling parks and beaches and fining people for sitting within two metres of each other. You can do your bit by driving responsibly so that the police can focus on what they need to do at the moment.
Pedestrians and cyclists
With mixed messages about what does and doesn’t constitute an essential journey, not to mention whether you are actually allowed to drive to reach the location of your exercise, there are a lot more pedestrians and cyclists on the road taking advantage of their allowed daily exercise. In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, pedestrians may have to cross the road to avoid other walkers and they, too may be lulled into a false sense of security and may cross without paying proper attention to other road users. If anything, you need to drive more carefully than normal and be especially aware of non-motorised road users.
Double parking
With most people forced to stay at home, there is a significant rise in people parking on streets, meaning that you need to pay extra attention.
Medical services
It is no secret that our wonderful NHS is in the midst of its biggest challenge yet. And the best way that we can support it is to not use their services for the foreseeable future. You can do this by avoiding any situation that could result in you needing medical attention – including reckless driving.
These are strange times indeed and some people may be concerned that they will lose driving skills and confidence following an extended break from driving. If this is a concern of yours, get in touch with a local driving instructor. Once the situation eases, they can take you on refresher lessons and your confidence will return in no time. For more driving advice, join our community of trusted garages and valued customers on Facebook or Twitter.