September is a busy time for motorists with MOTs, insurance renewals and a new car registration plate for some on the horizon.
But for motoring Mums and Grans, it’s also the start of a new school term which means making sure you (and your car) are ready for the morning commute. Roads will be busier, that’s for sure.
Thanks to IAM RoadSmart we have these timely tips to share so you can be prepared for the new term time road rush.
- Make sure everyone is in the right car seat. If you use child or booster seats, make sure they are fit for purpose and correctly secured.
- If you need a new child car seat, check out Good Egg for trustworthy safety-related car seat advice.
- Have some healthy treats handy to distract young children and keep them engaged, just in case and even on a short journey.
- Check you have sanitiser, mask and gloves on board – maybe you’ll go shopping afterwards?
- Leave enough time for your journey. A half-eaten breakfast, rushed gym kit and badly combed hair can put everyone in the wrong frame of mind! It’s particularly important that the driver doesn’t feel the need to hurry on our roads.
- In many areas with local schools the motto is ’20 is plenty.’ Remember that 20mph is a limit, not a target. And if you anticipate your school crossing patrol, you’ll probably get a friendly wave and smile in exchange for your cooperation!
- Why not use the school run as an opportunity to teach young children about road safety and so they know how to behave outside the vehicle, wherever there’s moving traffic. Setting a good example from the driving seat will stay with them in preparation for when they learn to drive.
- Always park in a safe (and legal) place. Walking the last few metres will not just help with congestion; it will also teach children the right way to cross a road, looking right and left (then right again for us Green Cross code users). Remember that teaching children to use the road sensibly will save lives.
- Make sure your car is fuelled and fit for purpose. By that we mean anticipating any MOT, car servicing and insurance renewal deadlines that so often coincide with the month of September.
- Be vigilant around schools. This is where there’ll be young children and busy parents, like you, getting out of cars or walking to school.
