Because vehicles are travelling at high speeds, and because there is a great range of other vehicles’ speeds (lorries do not exceed 60mph whereas some cars may exceed the speed limit), concentration and observation are vital. If you ask an experienced driver how their recent motorway journey felt, a frequent response is that they cannot remember anything about their journey. This is not because they have not been looking or concentrating: it is because their required skills have been honed over time to a level where they are second nature, and this is the level to aspire to

OBSERVATION

Always be ready for any developments which may affect your speed or position. These may include others’ indicators, brake lights, or hazard warning lights. Look for vehicles which are driving faster than the car in front of them, as they are likely to change lanes. The situation behind is as important as the situation in front, as it greatly affects the decision-making. So the interior mirror and the door mirrors which may have been your nemesis when you were learning to drive, will now become your best friends (but only when you are in the car!)

SEE AND BE SEEN

Having a good view is obviously really important. Ensure the windscreen is clear on the inside and outside by using the wipers and washers (regularly check the level of screenwash as it can reduce rapidly), and ensuring good ventilation by partially opening windows or using the air-con. Make sure that the front and rear lights are clean so that the bulbs can shine effectively. Be prepared to change bulbs or have appropriate breakdown cover, and try to be amongst the first to switch on the headlamps if the weather deteriorates or dusk approaches. If visibility reduces to under 100 metres, use the fog lights, but don’t forget to switch them off if the fog lifts so that other drivers aren’t dazzled.

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE

Always keep at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. When the vehicle in front passes a stationary object, such as a road sign or a tree, you should be able to say ‘only a fool breaks the two-second rule’ or ‘a thousand and one, a thousand and two’ ( they both allegedly take two seconds to say) before you pass that same object. If you drive too close to the vehicle in front, it may not be possible to avoid a collision if that vehicle brakes suddenly (for example to avoid an errant deer), and it may not be possible for the car behind to avoid colliding with you. If the vehicle behind is too close, keep calm, maintain your speed and consider changing lanes.

DO NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE BEHIND TO BULLY YOU INTO CHANGING LANES BEFORE YOU HAVE ENSURED THAT IT IS SAFE

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This ‘two-second rule’ should be doubled in wet weather, and extended even further during icy or foggy conditions

Driving on motorways is very easy. However, you need maximum concentration and observation levels when going and be ready for any hazards when they occur. Accidents on a motorway happen very fast, often with fatal consequences. Use these tips to keep you safe when driving on motorways.

If your answer to this question is “no”, then try ‘straight-lining’ at a roundabout. “Straight-lining”, in driving terms, does not mean that your life support machine has indicated that you no longer have anything to worry about: it means that you have not correctly followed your lane around the roundabout. Unless signs or markings say otherwise, or unless there are more exits to the left of ahead than the right, it is generally the LEFT lane to go ahead. In 21 years as a driving instructor in Cambridge, I have found this to be the most difficult individual point to instill into pupils’ minds, as the “left lane is just for going left isn’t it?” the stock answer is often heard, even with pupils approaching test standard. (If it all goes wrong for you in life and you end up being a driving instructor, you will find this difficult too!) If you have erroneously used the right-hand lane to go ahead, you run the risk of cutting across traffic in the correct lane when exiting the roundabout.

But back to straight-lining. If you have used the left lane to go ahead, you MUST stay in the left lane throughout the roundabout. Yes, this will feel like you are oversteering, and yes it may feel like you are heading for the curb on the outside of the roundabout, but try to overcome this discomfort. Just before you exit a roundabout, the road will invariably curve to the right and as with all right curves, it may seem difficult to steer, ‘left’ enough. Unfortunately, it will feel easier to straight-line across the middle of the roundabout, often straddling two lanes, because we are hardwired in life to take the most direct line between two points (and there’s less steering, which is lazily comforting). The trouble is that you may impede the path of the car to your right, which is going right at the roundabout, and the driver may have to brake or swerve, which they really don’t like. Horns and hand signals which aren’t in the Highway Code may result. (when someone cuts me up like that, I content myself with some quiet, condescending tutting, but that’s because I’m mild)

To conclude, if you straight-line, you are relying on the skill and awareness of other drivers in order to avoid an accident, which isn’t good. At the very least, you will temporarily be really disliked by the other driver, especially if they’ve had a bad day, (bad temper causes mistakes and accidents). However, the other driver will normally quickly calm down, and will not normally recall your misdemeanor on their deathbed! But don’t do it anyway! Happy learning