To make sure summer journeys are as safe as possible, our attention needs to be firmly where it belongs - on our driving.
Trips to the coast and long journeys to holiday destinations during the school break, often mean keeping excited children cooped up in the back of the car for hours on end.
Green Flag's Report on Safe Driving revealed that nine-out-of-ten parents felt they were distracted from safe driving by children in the car, so as well as keeping them entertained, diversions such as books and games can be essential for occupying young passengers, leaving parents' eyes and ears on the road!
Another hazardous distraction for drivers is the mobile phone. According to a recent survey, almost a quarter of drivers admitted to still using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving, even though it has been illegal since December 2003.
The key is to use mobile phones sensibly in the car. A mobile phone is a useful item to carry if you break down and need to call for assistance, but they can be a deadly distraction when driving. The best idea is to switch the phone off or divert to voicemail before setting off.
Tips to keep distractions in check
- Never answer a mobile phone or send or receive text messages while driving. Put phones to voice message service before setting off.
- Limit conversations with passengers. Make sure children have something to entertain them, such as books and travel games.
- If you need to consult maps or directions, make sure you park up first. Taking your eyes off the road, even for a matter of seconds when driving, can prove fatal.
- And finally, the warmer weather means off with the bulky winter layers and on with the skimpy summer-wear. As tempting as it might be, try to keep your eyes inside the car and on the road ahead - rather than on whatever is turning heads outside!
Tips for dealing with kids
Keeping kids entertained is the key to a hassle-free trip. Pack plenty of toys and games to keep them amused for much of the journey. It's also nice to play games that involve all the family. Some alternatives to I-spy include:
- I went to the shop and I bought... Starting with the letter A, and working through the alphabet, each player has to add an item to the shopping list and memorise the whole list until they reach Z.
- Think of a number. One player chooses a number, and then gives the other players clues to help them work out what number they are thinking of. For example, "if I subtract 25 and add 16, I get 41, what number am I thinking of?" (Answer: 50)
- Motorway bingo. This one needs a bit of preparation. Make up bingo cards before the trip with different colours and makes of car, then passengers can aim for a line or a 'full house' as they spot matching cars along their journey and mark them off on their cards.
- Who am I? One player thinks of a famous person, then the rest of the players have to take turns asking questions with yes or no answers to identify the person they are thinking of. The player who guesses the identity of the person correctly wins that round and gets to choose the next famous name.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Being inappropriately dressed for a journey can make children feel irritable and unhappy. Children should be dressed comfortably. For a long journey, dress them in layers so they can keep cool or wrap up as needed.
You may need to adjust seatbelts depending on what your children are wearing. For example, a setting to accommodate a thick jumper may be too slack for a summer dress. Also if the weather is very warm, a child might feel more comfortable in bare feet.
Block out the rays
Children can easily get sunburnt through open car windows and sunroofs, so make sure their arms and legs are covered with loose clothing. Attach shades to the car windows or apply a high factor sunscreen. A sun hat is also a good idea.
Snack happy
Take plenty of snacks and drinks on your journey. Make sure the drinks have screw tops rather than cans or cartons, which cause storage problems if left unfinished and toilet problems if consumed all at once.
Try to leave time for plenty of pit stops. This can also help with the dreaded question 'Are we nearly there yet?' Instead of answering 'soon' you can say 'only two more stops to go' which helps to give children something to gauge the length of the journey by.
You can also make the journey part of the holiday, by picnicking at areas of interest. On a long motorway trip this is better than pulling into a service area as it will give children the chance to run around and have some fun every few hours.
Motion sickness
Travel sickness occurs when you can't see yourself moving, only feel it. For children who are prone to travel sickness, try to limit activities where the eyes are focused inside the car, such as reading and playing hand-held games.
Have books or songs on CD so your child can listen to them while looking out of the window, and ensure children are sitting high enough to see out.
When travelling with children, preparation is the key, so give yourself plenty of time. Stressed out parents usually lead to tearful children and this is when drivers can become distracted. Turning around even briefly can be dangerous.
If you follow our advice, you should enjoy a stress-free journey and arrive at your destination feeling relaxed and ready to start your holiday.
Give yourself a break
As heat exhaustion can seriously effect driving performance, Green Flag warns motorists that it is essential for them to take breaks from their summer journeys to freshen up and keep cool.
Warm, muggy weather can cause severe drowsiness in drivers, making them less alert and dangerously sleepy while they travel.
Tired drivers are one of the biggest causes of road deaths, with six people killed every week by drivers who fall asleep at the wheel. If you feel yourself becoming sleepy while driving, why not stop in a safe place for a nap.
As well as the summer heat, it is important to consider other causes of fatigue such as alcohol consumed the night before making the journey, medication and driving on monotonous straight stretches of road such as motorways.
Green Flag offers the following advice to help drivers stay alert in the summer sun.
Before setting off:
- Do not exceed the legal alcohol limit the night before
- Check with a doctor or pharmacist that any medication you are taking will not cause drowsiness
- Never set off if you feel tired, dizzy or unwell.
Take breaks:
- Stop for a 15-minute break every two hours (do not stop on the hard shoulder)
- Have a ten minute nap
- Have a cup of tea or coffee (although this is only a temporary solution)
- Walk about for five minutes.
If you feel tired but cannot stop:
- Drive within the speed limit
- Turn the radio on
- Wind down the window or reduce the temperature of the air conditioning
- Sit upright
- Look around you as much as possible.
