Tactical Driving

The winter and driving shopping season is right around the corner. We need to remember that in the winter, with snow and freezing conditions, our driving tactics need to change. Accidents will occur on the snow and ice that wouldn't on dry pavement.

We say this is tactical driving but reality it comes down to common sense, you are in control of a moving vehicle and you have to remain in control and everything that you do that removes that control would be considered dangerous.

Take driving in the wet, you know your stopping distance is reduced when it is wet, you also know that your vision is impaired whilst raining either from spray of just the rain hitting your windscreen. It could be a tactical decision to slow down, but in reality it is just a common sense one.

Do you lave for work at the same time every morning no matter what the weather is? A good tactic would be to record how long it actually takes you to get to work in the rain, whist snowing, darker mornings and during school holidays. For most of us this will take different times, but for most of us we leave home at the same time and attempt to make that time up. Making this time up whilst in heavy snow, dark mornings etc contribute to the accidents on the roads that in fact slow everyone else down, or worse injure someone.

Breakdown cover companies are constantly answering calls based on someone's driving tactics. I will not bother checking my flat tyre, I will not bother getting my car serviced, i will will use every piece of electrical equipment on my car to increase the likely hood of a flat battery. Ask yourself is this you?

In reality is is not about tactics, how to save time whist driving, getting something over the guy at the traffic lights, or catching that parking space before someone else does, or getting to work in a quicker time. It is about allowing yourself enough time to complete your journey safely and investing a little bit of time on the vehicle that gets you there every day of the year.