Ways to safely drive you round the bend!

2:24pm Tuesday 17th June 2008

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AS a driver with many years' experience, I'd like to think I'm pretty good behind the wheel.

But any thoughts I had about being perfect were put to the side of the road last week when I took part in a safer driving course.

The two-hour theory session, held in Willaston, is part of a six-month campaign by police, Cheshire County Council and Cheshire Fire & Rescue service to improve techniques and hazard awareness skills, with the aim of reducing the risk of causing a crash.

Afterwards, I got a certificate and drove away full of good intentions, intent on brushing up on some of my own, rusty driving skills.

The venue was chosen because of a spate of collisions on the nearby A540 Chester High Road over the last three years.

Police statistics show 100 reported casualties and two deaths in that period.

As a result, the road is highlighted as one of eight red routes across Cheshire where drivers are most at risk of being being killed or seriously injured.

Course leader Dave Young, a Wirral-based driving instructor who has taught people the rules of the road for 15 years, said: "There is no such thing as a perfect driver and I'd be the first to admit it. Everybody has a shared responsibility to avoid a collision.

"Twenty five per cent of collisions involving Cheshire and Wirral residents occur within one kilometre of their home address."

The course featured a presentation and discussion on defensive driving techniques, including tips for improving hazard awareness skills.

There was also an exercise looking at typical causes of crashes that are occurring on Cheshire's "red" routes, particularly the A540 Chester High Road.

Unfortunately, there was no on-road driving element involved, which would have been an ideal way of putting into practice everything we had learned.

The common belief is that they are caused by boy racers from out of the area, but in actual fact most of the incidents happen closer to home.

Most collisions along this stretch of road involve local residents and happen between 7am-7pm. They involve drivers aged 20 to 40 or 60+ when driving within the speed limit and sober on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

Justine Hart, senior road safety officer for Cheshire County Council, said: "A likely reason is over-familiarity with the route which leads to complacency, which in turn can result in reduced concentration.

"Then the problem is when something unexpected or different happens, drivers are unprepared to react.

"You may have already noticed the distinct red route signage along this route in order to make drivers aware that they could be most at risk of being involved in a serious or fatal collision.

"Everybody thinks they are a good driver, but with local roads people can become more complacent. The main message we want to get across is that people should take extra care and ensure they keep their distance from other vehicles when on the road."

More information about red routes is available at: cheshire.gov.uk/roadsafety.co.uk But it seems the Highway Code's rules are broken everyday, because on the way back to the office I spotted three drivers in their vehicles on mobile phones - proof that not everybody is taking the law seriously. One of them was in a van and almost temporarily lost of his vehicle, stopping short of swerving into the path of my colleague's car.

The next course is this Saturday, June 21, from 10am-12pm, September 6 between 10am-12pm, and September 8 from 2pm-4pm or 7pm til 9pm.

The course is free and places can be booked online at: cheshire.gov.uk/roadsafety or by phoning 01244 973131.