Six must-read guidelines for safe driving this holiday season

The Festive Season is a joyous time of year, a time to celebrate the successes or put to rest the disappointments of the past year, and to unwind and recharge for the year ahead.

It’s also the time when people take to the roads en masse to visit family, go on holiday and get away from it all.

So with all the extra traffic on the roads, Tiger Wheel & Tyre is cautioning motorists to take it easy out there and to follow some basic guidelines to ensure their safety on our busy roads.

Here are Tiger Wheel & Tyre’s top guidelines for you to be safe on the road:

1. Manners matter

Indicate early, drive smoothly, overtake only when it’s safe to do so, brake early and show gratitude to other courteous drivers while resisting the urge to run discourteous drivers off the road and teach them manners.

2. Stay alert and awake

Don’t get behind the wheel if you’re drowsy. Leaving at 3am to avoid the traffic may seem like a good idea, but if you’ve had insufficient sleep and your passengers are dozing off instead of interacting with and helping you to stay awake, it can be the worst idea in the world.

3. Keep your distance

Always maintain at least a three-second gap between you and the car in front of you. Of course other drivers often mistake a following distance for a gap to slot into. If that happens, take a deep breath and fall back another three seconds. Getting annoyed won’t help, but getting out the way will. If it’s raining or dark, double the gap to six seconds.

4. Anticipate and compensate

Yes, there are many incompetent drivers out there. You can’t change that, but you can minimise the effect they have on you by anticipating their next move. If someone shows a penchant for weaving in and out of traffic, fall back and let the moving missile get out of your driving space. Also, don’t rely on the car ahead of you for all your driving cues. Look what cars further ahead are doing. If they’re braking, slow down.

5. Enjoy the journey

Instead of trying to set a land-speed record, stop every two hours to stretch your legs. If you’re travelling with passengers and especially with small children, plan frequent stops for everyone to get some air, enjoy the scenery and to work off steam. It may take longer to get there, but when you do you’ll be relaxed and ready to roll.

6. Tick the checklist

Finally, before you start your journey, make sure that your car’s fluids are all topped up; all hoses and belts are intact and properly attached; and that your tyres and spare tyre are in good shape and inflated to the correct pressure.

Not sure about the state of your tyres? If you have any doubt whatsoever then pop into any Tiger Wheel & Tyre outlet countrywide where their experienced staff gladly will do a free tyre safety check to give you peace of mind before you hit the road.

Apart from being serious about road safety this Festive Season, Tiger Wheel & Tyre is also serious about tyres, serious about wheels, serious about batteries, serious about service and serious about saving.