Top road safety tips for Hogmanay

This week’s tips give advice for those drivers and riders travelling during this New Year week, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman, are:

Book a cab. There is a good chance you are going to enter the New Year feeling merrier and possibly intoxicated. Why not book an Uber or call the local cab company and order a taxi? It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Get reporting. We would hope most of us would be sensible enough to have a ‘none for the road’ driving mentality but often this isn’t case. If you do see a drunk driver you should call 999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Regardless of whether you are endangered or not, you could be saving someone else’s life.

If you are feeling exhausted, do not travel. As we have mentioned before prevention is better than cure and it’s better to take a public transport rather than putting yours and other lives at risk by being on the road.

Stay overnight and have a sleep over. Why not make the evening a special event, get your friends and book out hotels rooms around the destination. This limits the stress of having to look for transport and also means the party doesn’t have to end at the bar.

Implement a New Year’s Eve rotating tradition. If you tend to go out with the same group of friends, why not start a system where one member is the designated driver and it rotates every year?

Commenting, Richard said: “Alcohol fuelled New Year parties and driving simply don’t go together. Remove temptation and make your first resolution a promise to keep everyone safe.”