Car Travel Advice

Car Travel Advice

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The Highways Agency aims to help drivers by reminding them of a few simple steps they could take before setting off for their journey.

>> Get your car serviced regularly

Regularly servicing your car will reduce your chances of breaking down, which will reduce your chances of causing a hold-up. Getting your car serviced will make for a better day for everyone.

>> Always carry an emergency kit

If you haven't got an emergency kit in your car, you’re tempting fate. Anything could happen at any time that could result in you being stuck in your car for a while, from a severe weather event, to a road closure due to a police investigation. You need to be prepared for any eventuality.

An emergency kit should contain:

a map,
battery jump leads,
a torch,
a warning triangle,
a fluorescent jacket,
a first-aid kit,
relevant medication,
food and water (such as cereal bars and other long life snacks),
warm clothes and a blanket.

How about you gather it all together, pack it in bag and put it in your boot today?

>> Plan your journey

Check your car, weather reports and route planning sites before setting off. It sounds like a ‘no-brainer’, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t. Which can lead to you getting lost, stuck in bad weather, caught in traffic or causing traffic, ultimately adding hours onto your journey, and potentially everyone else’s.

For the latest advice on driving abroad safely,
visit the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s travel advice.

These things happen

Despite all the best-laid plans, things do go wrong. Roads can be closed for all sorts of reasons including police investigations, accidents or weather related incidents.

If you do find yourself on a stretch of motorway that has been closed for a period of time, the Highways Agency has a number of ways to help you.

Here are some of them:

• The Highways Agency feeds local radio stations information about what’s happening on our roads.

Tune in by pressing the ‘TA’ button on your radio for up to the minute updates, that’ll help you make an informed decision about the best way forward.

• The Highways Agency aims to provide real-time information on Variable Message Signs (VMS), which will give you instructions on what to do if you find yourself in queues on the road.

• In the event of an incident on the road, Traffic Officers and Incident Support Unit operatives will be aware of any contingency plans that might have been put in place.

Listen to their instructions to ensure you know what to do.