Making the journey safer

There are quite a lot of commonsense things that you can do to ensure that you remain safe during your journey.

Perhaps the first an most obvious advice, whether alone or not, is to make sure that you are fit to drive. Don't set out on a trip if you are tired, emotionally upset or if have been drinking alcohol.

It might be worth noting that some driving phobias can be traced back to seemingly uneventful journeys where the driver has been emotionally upset or pondering over a major problem such as a divorce or bereavement. If you do have to drive at times of stress, remind yourself that the problems are not linked to the driving but are a totally separate part of your life.

Lock it or lose it!

You will generally feel more secure, especially in built up areas if you lock your car doors. This will prevent opportunist thieves from trying to grab stuff from your cat in traffic jams or when stopped at lights.

It is also a good idea to keep purses, wallets, handbags and other desirable pickings out of sight. It has been known for thieves to smash the windows of vehicles parked in traffic to grab a bag, phone, camera or other 'booty'.

When getting fuel, lock the car before you fill up. Not only can thieves steal your car, but they get a full tank of petrol as part of the deal ... And you are left stuck at a garage, perhaps in a strange town.

Stranger danger

We teach our kids to beware of strangers ... You should do the same when driving alone. Avoid picking up hitch hikers, male or female, or accepting lifts from strangers (if you break down).

Click the forward arrow to discover how you can avoid breakdowns ...