Top tips for avoiding mobile phone temptation while driving

Home / Auto News / Top tips for avoiding mobile phone temptation while driving

Gareth Herincx

4 days ago
Auto News

Woman driver on phone - GEM Motoring Assist

Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving is an offence punishable by a £200 fine with six penalty points, so it’s simply not worth the risk.

Here’s some sensible advice from road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist on how to avoid mobile phone temptation.

It’s also worth remembering that hands-free use may be legal, but drivers still risk being distracted when dialling, talking, texting or browsing their phones during journeys.

Government figures for 2021 (the latest available) show that 1% of drivers were observed using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving.

The worst group of offenders were van drivers (1.9%) compared with car drivers (0.8%), while males aged 17 to 29 were the most likely to be observed using a mobile phone.

Stay safe with these simple tips

  • You’re allowed to use a mobile phone when you are safely parked, with the engine off and the handbrake on.
  • Please do not pick up your phone in any other driving situation, including when you’re stationary at traffic lights or queueing in traffic.
  • The only exception to this is if it’s an emergency and it would be unsafe or impractical to stop, in which case you may call 999.
  • Don’t assume that using a hands-free kit means you have dealt with the risk. You are still allowing yourself to be distracted from the task of safe driving, and you could still be prosecuted for not being in control (an offence that carries a £100 fine and three penalty points).
  • Take a few minutes before a journey to make important calls or to check voice messages and emails. Work together with friends, family, colleagues and work contacts to remove the expectation that we should all be available, all the time.
  • Plan journeys to build in breaks from driving, where you can call, text or email or interact with social media in a safe environment.

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Gareth is a versatile journalist, copywriter and digital editor who’s worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online. After long stints at the BBC, GMTV and ITV, he now specialises in motoring.

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Top 25 things drivers dread most

Gareth Herincx

3 days ago
Auto Blog

Travelling in the snow, reversing around a corner and overtaking cyclists are among the most uncomfortable scenarios for motorists, new research has revealed.

A study of 2,000 drivers by flexible car insurance firm Cuvva found one in 10 dislikes or hates driving and nearly a quarter (24%) feel less confident now than they before the pandemic as a result of driving less over the last 18 months, with 16% going as far as to say they have ‘forgotten’ how to drive.

Top 25 things drivers feel most uncomfortable doing

  1. Driving in snowy conditions
  2. Driving in a new town or city
  3. Roads where there are lots of lanes and you need to be in the right one
  4. Driving in the dark
  5. Driving in wet and rainy conditions
  6. Lorries
  7. Overtaking cyclists
  8. Areas where there is lots of traffic
  9. Motorways
  10. Parallel parking
  11. Reverse parking
  12. Areas where there are lots of children (e.g. near schools)
  13. Country roads
  14. Roundabouts generally
  15. Areas where there are lots of pedestrians
  16. Changing lanes
  17. Buses
  18. Turning into a road on the right, and having to cross the traffic
  19. Reversing around a corner
  20. Learner drivers
  21. Giving someone else a lift
  22. Having to turn right at a roundabout
  23. Mini roundabouts
  24. Dual carriageways
  25. Having to do a three-point turn

The study also found 29 per cent of drivers try to avoid travelling outside of their local area to stay away from unfamiliar roads.

And a quarter are reluctant to give other people lifts – even if they are going to the same destination – due to their nerves.

Nearly one in five would take a longer route to avoid busy areas (18%) while 16% would go further than needed to stay away from motorways.

Others would plan their journey to avoid having to parallel park (12%), dual carriageways (7%) and roundabouts (7%).

Almost a fifth of drivers are also nervous about the prospect of long-distance journeys as the nation prepares for a summer of staycations, with 21% even planning their break around the length of the drive.

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Automatic Car Driving for Beginners

Automatic cars are becoming increasingly popular – but how do you do about driving one? You may well find that driving an automatic is a more pleasant driving experience than that provided by a manual – but how do you get started? We’ve rounded up the basics below.

Familiarise yourself

Once you’re in the car and you’ve checked the seat and mirrors are in the right positions, it’s time to familiarise yourself with the controls and pedals – remember in an automatic you just have a brake (on the left) and an accelerator (on the right).

It’s also crucial you familiarise yourself with the gear box. You’ll find the gear selector where a traditional manual gear stick is placed, between the driver’s and the passenger seat, or to the side of the steering wheel. As you’ll see, it’s quite different to a manual gear stick; you’ll usually have four choices where to put the gear selector:  ‘P’, ‘R’, ‘N’ and ‘D’, denoting park, reverse, neutral and drive.

That might seem a lot of choice for a car that’s meant to be ‘automatic’, but you’ll see the choices soon narrow themselves down, making them much less onerous. Here’s how they work:

  • Park is only ever used once the car is stationary and safely parked, only then do you choose ‘P’. So you use it when you’ve finished driving, as you do the handbrake, ensuring your car doesn’t go anywhere until you next need it.
  • Reverse, as you would expect, for driving backwards. Neutral on the other hand can be used when you’ve stopped for short periods, in just such instances when you would apply the handbrake too. ‘Drive’ of course allows your car to move, and this is when an automatic comes into its own, as you don’t need to select a gear.

Some automatics also come with an additional first or second gear, which can be helpful in some circumstances, like negotiating a steep incline or preventing your wheels from spinning in inclement weather conditions. Moreover, some automatics give you the option to control gears either from paddles on the dashboard or via the gear selector.

Drive it

But how to go about driving it? First, check the car has been left in the ‘park’ position. Then put your foot on the brake, put the key in the ignition and turn it clockwise. While keeping your foot on the brake, move the gear selector to ‘Drive’ or ‘Reverse’, as you require, and take off the handbrake.

As you lift your foot off the brake, you’ll find the car begins to move gently. If you are on a hill, you may need to add some acceleration, but otherwise, the car will choose the right gear for your journey. If you are ever stationary for more than 5-10 seconds during your journey, then apply the handbrake.  Once you’ve reached your destination and are safely parked; then select the ‘Park’ option, put on the handbrake, turn off the ignition and exit.

Practice

Driving an automatic car may seem strange at first, but the key is to get to know your new car well and give yourself time to practise driving it. Learn to slow down and apply the brake sooner than you would in a manual car, for instance when you are approaching a corner. Also familiarise yourself with the different use of the accelerator, using it to give your car ‘oomph’ when you’d use a low gear in a manual car. However, once you’ve got used to these differences, you’ll find automatic cars make for a very relaxing driving experience.

Automatic Car Driving for Beginners

Automatic cars are becoming increasingly popular – but how do you do about driving one? You may well find that driving an automatic is a more pleasant driving experience than that provided by a manual – but how do you get started? We’ve rounded up the basics below.

Familiarise yourself

Once you’re in the car and you’ve checked the seat and mirrors are in the right positions, it’s time to familiarise yourself with the controls and pedals – remember in an automatic you just have a brake (on the left) and an accelerator (on the right).

It’s also crucial you familiarise yourself with the gear box. You’ll find the gear selector where a traditional manual gear stick is placed, between the driver’s and the passenger seat, or to the side of the steering wheel. As you’ll see, it’s quite different to a manual gear stick; you’ll usually have four choices where to put the gear selector:  ‘P’, ‘R’, ‘N’ and ‘D’, denoting park, reverse, neutral and drive.

That might seem a lot of choice for a car that’s meant to be ‘automatic’, but you’ll see the choices soon narrow themselves down, making them much less onerous. Here’s how they work:

  • Park is only ever used once the car is stationary and safely parked, only then do you choose ‘P’. So you use it when you’ve finished driving, as you do the handbrake, ensuring your car doesn’t go anywhere until you next need it.
  • Reverse, as you would expect, for driving backwards. Neutral on the other hand can be used when you’ve stopped for short periods, in just such instances when you would apply the handbrake too. ‘Drive’ of course allows your car to move, and this is when an automatic comes into its own, as you don’t need to select a gear.

Some automatics also come with an additional first or second gear, which can be helpful in some circumstances, like negotiating a steep incline or preventing your wheels from spinning in inclement weather conditions. Moreover, some automatics give you the option to control gears either from paddles on the dashboard or via the gear selector.

Drive it

But how to go about driving it? First, check the car has been left in the ‘park’ position. Then put your foot on the brake, put the key in the ignition and turn it clockwise. While keeping your foot on the brake, move the gear selector to ‘Drive’ or ‘Reverse’, as you require, and take off the handbrake.

As you lift your foot off the brake, you’ll find the car begins to move gently. If you are on a hill, you may need to add some acceleration, but otherwise, the car will choose the right gear for your journey. If you are ever stationary for more than 5-10 seconds during your journey, then apply the handbrake.  Once you’ve reached your destination and are safely parked; then select the ‘Park’ option, put on the handbrake, turn off the ignition and exit.

Practice

Driving an automatic car may seem strange at first, but the key is to get to know your new car well and give yourself time to practise driving it. Learn to slow down and apply the brake sooner than you would in a manual car, for instance when you are approaching a corner. Also familiarise yourself with the different use of the accelerator, using it to give your car ‘oomph’ when you’d use a low gear in a manual car. However, once you’ve got used to these differences, you’ll find automatic cars make for a very relaxing driving experience.

Want to keep your current car running safely and efficiently? Make sure that your tyres are in full working order, and check out the tyres Swindon section of the Wiltshire Tyres website to find out more.

Continue reading Automatic Car Driving for Beginners

What drives British motorists mad?

New survey shows what really drives British motorists mad

Driving, it can be the best of times or the worst of times, but in this modern age of congestion and bad drivers it is becoming more frustrating by the day. A new survey by YourParkingSpace into the driving habits of the British has revealed just what drives motorists mad.

The results showed that people not indicating annoyed British motorists the most, while using a mobile phone and bad parking both featured highly on the list. The survey polled 1,028 drivers throughout the UK asking ‘What annoys you the most about being a car driver in the UK?’ the full results are below:

  1. People not indicating (72%)
  2. Talking on a mobile phone (71%)
  3. Bad parking (56%)
  4. Traffic Jams (52%)
  5. Slow drivers (42%)
  6. Not being able to find a parking space (40%)

The data also showed that men were more likely to get annoyed by slow drivers, but both sexes found not indicating and talking on a mobile phone to be equally as irritating. Furthermore 40% of drivers polled stated that trying to find a suitable parking space was frustrating.

Bad parking- grr!

Bad parking- grr!

YourParkingSpace wanted to find out more about the issue of parking, so asked those participants who had chosen parking as their most frustrating option how they felt about parking charges in their local area.

48% stated that they thought that parking charges were too expensive, while 29% said that they were reasonable in their local area.

What do you think of parking charges in your local area?

  • Parking charges are too expensive – 48%
  • Parking charges are reasonable – 29%
  • Parking is free – 23%

The data show that parking fee opinions varied greatly depending on location with over 40% of drivers in England stating that parking was too expensive, while only 29% of Scottish drivers felt the same. Coincidentally Scotland seemed to have the highest number of free parking spaces with a third of drivers from north of the border indicating they can park for free.

Managing Director of YourParkingSpace, Harrison Woods, commented on the survey:

“It is interesting to look into the psyche of the British driver, to see what they like and what irritates them about driving. People not indicating and using mobile phones when driving are not only irritating to other road users, but also very dangerous, causing accidents and damage as well as breaking the law. “

He added:

“One thing that didn’t surprise us was the fact that 40% of motorists become frustrated when searching for parking spaces and that a large proportion of those questioned felt that parking charges were too expensive. Parking spaces have become a premium commodity in recent years, especially in major cities, and the fact that parking spaces have been getting smaller and cars getting bigger has just exacerbated the situation.”