Take Care loading your Car - https://www.afzal-driving-lessons.co.uk/home/driving-lesson-structure |
StudentsDrivers are reminded to make sure they have loaded their vehicle correctly and
carried out basic vehicle checks before setting off to college or university
this Freshers season’
Highways England is urging those
travelling away to study for the first time to make sure they don’t overload
their vehicle and to avoid getting behind the wheel while tired.
Highways England surveyed more than
1400 students ahead of starting Freshers
season. Highways England is the organisation responsible for running England’s
major A-road and motorway network. The survey shows
·
6 out of 10 students would carry on
driving, even if they may have overloaded their car.
·
7 out of 10 students have driven while
tired.
With many young people likely to be
moving away from home to university accommodation, Highways England is calling
on students to ‘check it before driving it’ and says people should avoid
packing everything .
Richard Leonard, head of road safety at
Highways England, said:
“We want everyone to get to their
destination safely and we can all play a part in that. We know that this is an
incredibly exciting time for students with many leaving home for the first
time.
“Our traffic officers are there to help
get things moving if there’s a problem. But we’d urge all students to make sure
they load their car correctly before setting off as they could be endangering
themselves and other road users.”
Advice for loading vehicles correctly,
includes:
- Place heavy luggage on the boot floor,
directly behind the rear seat backrest so that it can’t move or fall over
in to the free space.
- Put light luggage on top of the large cases and
cover it with a blanket and secure it all with a strap otherwise loose
objects can turn into dangerous projectiles, especially if the luggage
exceeds the height of the rear seat.
- Heavy luggage can be safely stored in the
space between the front and rear seats.
- Store small and light objects that you do not
necessarily need while driving behind the front seat or in vacuum bags
which fit neatly into the storage space under the seats.
- Put anything particularly heavy in the boot
and not unrestrained on the back seat and secure the load if carrying
anything externally on the car eg a roof box or bike.
- Drivers should still be able to see in
their mirrors when driving.
- If people aren’t sure about the car’s official
weight limit they should check their handbook. If they feel they are close
to the limit they can go to a weighbridge to check.
- Drivers should make sure they have the right
insurance, especially if using other people’s vehicles and are sharing the
driving or towing a trailer
Highways England traffic officer Kelly
Rudge is keen all students take time to make sure their vehicles are
loaded properly and are ready to take to the road.
Kelly said: “It’s really important
that students check their vehicle before setting off and to make sure that they
don’t overload them as it could cause serious danger to themselves and other
motorists.
“Simple things like putting heavy loads
in the boot and keeping loose items inside the car secured can all help to keep
the occupants safe if the vehicle comes to a sudden stop. The last thing anyone
wants is to be hit by an object that isn’t secure.”
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