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Friday, 6 December 2013

Driving home for Christmas

Chris Rea's Driving Home for Christmas is a song that resonates with many at this time of the year. While it's the time to spend with family and friends, many of us will be embarking on a car journey home before we enjoy the festive cheer.

But before you make that journey home, it's important to do a few checks to the car.

Start off by preparing your vehicle. Check tyre pressure, top up your washer fluid and make sure all your lights are working. This is important to ensure you don't have any unexpected issues during your journey.

Plan your drive home by checking the weather conditions both for where you're travelling from, and your destination. Check updates on the radio during your journey, and take a map so you can re-route if you need to.

If you're not driving home alone, try to share the driving, especially on long journeys.

Take regular breaks. It's advised that you take a break every two hours, to maintain concentration while driving. Stop off at a service station, if only to stretch your legs and use the facilities.

If you're going to have some passengers, especially children, it's always a good idea to pack enough food, books and games to keep them occupied.

Just in case you have any issues along the way, let someone at home know when you plan to arrive.

Take it easy and enjoy the trip home. But be careful and watch out for other road users and give them plenty of room and consideration. It's the time of year to be especially forgiving and considerate to one another.

 In case the worst happens, ensure that you have plenty of fuel. Pack an emergency kit of spare clothes, a shovel, water and food, ice scraper, reflective jacket and fully charged mobile phone with your breakdown provider's details programmed in. It is also a good idea to carry with you any regular medication you take – your journey may take longer than planned.

So what's your favourite Christmas song to listen to in the car? Or do you prefer to listen to anything but Christmas songs? Let us know at press.office@iam.org.uk.

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