Young drivers and passengers

Being a new driver is an exciting milestone in a person’s life, it gives us independence and opens up opportunities to us that we might not have had in the past. As you head off to explore new roads, pick up your mates or travel to college/work etc. it’s important to remember some of our top tips to ensure you’re being a responsible driver:

Insurance/tax or an MOT

First things first is to make sure that you have insurance for your vehicle and that it is taxed and has a valid MOT or service. Driving without insurance can incur a £300 fine and 6 points on your licence and if it goes to court it could also mean an unlimited fine. You can also be fined for driving without tax or a valid MOT. Other outcomes can also include receiving a driving ban and having your vehicle seized and, in some cases, crushed.

Points:

As a new driver if you get 6 points or more on your licence in the first two years of passing your test, you’ll have your licence revoked. This means that you will have to pay for and complete your theory and practical test again. It will also increase insurance premiums, if you can find a provider that is willing to insure you again. 

Check your vehicle:

We know that once you’ve passed your test you can be in a hurry to get into your car/on your motorbike and head straight out but it’s important to make sure you’ve done some checks on your vehicle to make sure it’s safe, it only takes a second!

• Mirrors – are they in the right position?
• Oil levels – are they right?
• Buttons and functions – do you know where they are located/how they work e.g. how to turn on your fog lights
• Windscreen washer fluid – is it full and have you added one that stops it freezing during the cold months?
• Ice scraper – always handy
• Shammy – helps to clear any condensation from the inside of your windscreen
• Check your lights – make sure they are all working
• Check your fuel level
• Check tyre tread depth

Tyres:

Tyres are a key function of our vehicles so it’s important to ensure they are safe and roadworthy. The legal minimum tyre tread depth for a road vehicle is 1.6mm, you can get tyre gauges to help you check the level or you can use a 20 pence coin to do this; simply insert the 20p into the tread grooves on the tyre, if you can’t see the outer band on the coin, your tyres are above the legal limit.

Tread helps to ensure the tyre works properly, for example, a worn tyre in wet weather can be dangerous as the tread helps to disperse water, low tread means less contact with the road and a higher chance of aquaplaning or losing grip.

Under/over inflated tyres:

It’s important to check your tyres are inflated to correct pressure, you can find this information in your user manual for the car or via a sticker that is located in the driver's side door when opened. Under inflated tyres are dangerous as too much of the tyre's surface touches the road which increases friction, this can lead them to overheat and cause premature wear, tyre separation or blowouts.

Over inflated tyres have a smaller contact area with the road which can compromise handling/braking as well as causing uneven tread wear in the centre of the tyre which can lead to a blowout.

Completing a tyre check only takes a second but driving with dangerous or defective tyres could impact you, your passengers or other road users for life. Defective tyres cause accidents and if you’re involved in an accident they could invalidate your insurance, you also risk a fine of £2,500 per defective tyre along with three points on your licence.

Technology:

Technology plays a massive part in our everyday lives and it’s no different in our cars, it helps us to navigate to new places, enjoy a set playlist and keeps us safe but it’s also important to remember that it can also be a distraction. For a safe driving experience we suggest the following:

• Put your phone in glove box or another location where it is out of sight so you don’t get distracted when driving
• Set your phone to driving mode before you leave the house
• Don’t let yourself get distracted by notifications on your smart watches etc. set them to do not disturb before you start your journey
• Set up your sat nav before you leave
• Create a playlist before your journey so you aren't tempted to keep flicking through different songs
• In car screen and apps – just because they are there doesn’t mean you have to use them, wait until you’ve parked up the car if you do need to check something

It takes a second for technology to distract us but its impact could last a lifetime. Being a responsible driver means doing the right thing and not letting yourself get distracted.

Passengers:

As a new driver it’s always a great moment when you can pick up your friends and head out to your favourite spots but it’s good to mindful that passengers can cause distractions even if they don’t mean to. It’s okay to set some car ‘ground rules’ to  make things easier for you and good mates will always be happy to adhere to them. Some suggested ‘rules’ are:

• Don’t distract me by throwing things around in the car
• Don’t try and show me things on your phone – wait until we’ve stopped
• Help me out by reading road signs etc. if we get lost
• No deep chats – talking about politics etc. can get heated so let’s park it until we’ve parked
• No interior lights on at night – this makes it hard for the driver to see properly

Being a good passenger:

Your mate has picked you up and you’re heading out, here are some top tips to help be a good passenger and a great friend which will help to keep you all safe on the road:

• No backseat drivers – highlighting a hazard etc. is great but criticising every move the driver makes can lead them to feel frustrated and thus make more mistakes
• Always wear your seatbelt
• Be the DJ – help out by agreeing to control the music etc. so your friend doesn’t have to take their hands off the wheel
• The more friends in the car, the more potential for distractions; help the driver out and pull up others in the car if they are creating a distraction or being a problem passenger

Peer pressure

We know that being a new driver or a passenger with a new driver can cause challenges for everyone involved and it’s important to not give in to peer pressure. If a passenger in the car is encouraging you to drive faster or overtake you don’t have to do it - you’re responsible for the safety of yourself, those in your car and other road users. As a passenger you might feel afraid to speak up if the driver starts to speed and others in the car seem okay with it but you aren’t, but here it is time to use your voice as it could save your life and the lives of your friends. Being direct about the issue is the best way to address it but we know it isn’t easy to have these conversations, whether you are the driver, or the passenger so here are a few ideas to address some key issues indirectly:

• ‘Mate, I’m not feeling too well, can you slow down please’ 
• Make it a joke – ‘We’re not in the grand prix, slow down’
• Offer help – ‘You seem in a rush - is there someone I can call to let them know we’ll be late?’
• ‘I’ve noticed a lot of police in the area recently’
• ‘Is that a speed camera up ahead?’
• Point out other bad drivers on the road that are doing the same thing as your friend – it might help them to reflect on their driving and change their behaviour
• Talk it out as a group and highlight the issues with their driving – do it from a place of love and support – you want everyone to be safe
• Refuse to get in their car – this will make them reflect on their driving if their friends no longer want to travel with them
• Always have a backup plan – if you’re concerned about the state of your driver, e.g. they’ve had a drink then make sure you have a number for a taxi or call a family member; they’d much rather pick you up than put yourself in danger

How to report

If you’re concerned about a drivers behaviour on the road you can call us on 101 (or 999 in an emergency) or report it to us via our online form. You can also report to us anonymously via Fearless (fearless.org) and their online form where they will forward the details on to us but we won’t know who has submitted the information.

It can be hard to report someone for bad driving, especially if they are a friend or family member. But it only takes a second to make the choice to report but it could save a life.