Advice for motorway driving

There are estimated to be more than 30 million vehicles on the UK's roads, the majority of which are driven by people with a need to get a cheap motor insurance quote - the exceptions being people who have company cars or who drive for a living. We are proud to be one of the favourite car insurance providers covering these motorists at the best possible prices.

Motorway driving accounts for quite a large percentage of the travelling that many drivers undertake and roads such as the M25, M4 and M1 carry millions of motorists every week. However, what many drivers do not realise is that they have less chance of losing their cheap motor insurance quotes while driving on a motorway than on any other type of road.

The reason why motorways are so much safer than dual carriageways and single carriageways is the fact that they are straighter, their lanes are generally wider and there is a hard shoulder for broken down vehicles. Pedestrians, cyclists and other slow moving vehicles are also banned, reducing the frequency of hazards that might cause an accident.

However, in order to give your motor insurance quotes the best chance of coming through a motorway trip intact, there are some basic tips which you should keep in mind. As well as this practical advice on driving on motorways, you may also find our general guide to safe driving a useful supplement. Read our top tips for road safety.

Motorway driving tips
Before you even get near the motorway, it is a good idea to have your route planned out. Knowing which junction you will need to take will avoid last minute lane changes and having to worry that you have missed your turning, which can distract you from the task at hand: driving safely.

If you are on a long journey, it is important to factor in breaks from driving. Driving for more than two hours without stopping is not to be recommended, as your concentration will start to wane and you put yourself at risk of fatigue. So, keep fresh by planning to pull over at a service station for 15 minutes every hour or two.

If at any other time you feel sleepy while driving on a motorway, pull off as soon as possible, have a nap or a few cups of coffee, and do not start driving again until you feel suitably refreshed.

Once you enter the motorway, there are a number of things you must take into consideration at all times in order to stay safe. The first is keeping a close eye on the traffic around you and what you are approaching. It is vital to use your mirrors even more frequently than usual as dangerous situations can develop in a matter of seconds.

Looking far ahead is as important as being aware of your immediate surroundings, and is the key to preventing the pile ups that can happen on motorways. If you see a forest of brake lights ahead, you should probably start braking gently so that you (and all the people behind you) won't have to perform an emergency stop when you reach a slow moving traffic jam.

When approaching a junction, you can expect that there will be greater disruption hazards with motorists joining and leaving the motorway. At this point it is worth paying extra attention to other drivers who look likely to be changing lanes but who may not indicate in advance of doing so.

On a related point, leaving a suitable stopping distance is also something to remember. Whilst many people neglect to do this on motorways and may well move into any gaps that you leave, just alter your distance accordingly so that you are at least 3 seconds behind the car in front of you. You should extend this to four seconds in adverse weather conditions such as rain or fog.

Something else which many drivers do on motorways is drive above the speed limit, which on some roads can be varied depending on the conditions. This is not good practice and you should resist all temptation to try to get to your destination a few minutes sooner by putting your foot down. Speeding is against the law and even if it does not cause an accident, if you are caught you will receive penalty points that will not do your motor insurance quotes any good.

Lane discipline is another factor which must be remembered at all times. You should only be travelling faster than vehicles to the left of you, unless you are in queuing traffic in which case both overtaking and undertaking is acceptable. Also, motorists who hog the middle or outside lanes are not only considered rude but can also be a severe hazard so, once you have completed your overtaking manoeuvre, pull back in to the lane on your left.

If you are uncomfortable with driving on a motorway and you passed your test less than a year ago, you can go on a PassPlus course which has one module that focuses on motorway driving. Taking a PassPlus course also benefits you because it can improve your driving, reducing your chances of an accident, so you can enjoy cheaper motor insurance quotes.

See more about PassPlus at www.passplus.org.uk.

High speed motor insurance quotes from duck2water
At duck2water, we love to find our customers the very best deals on car insurance. We are one of the cheapest places for motor insurance quotes, as we check more than 30 companies to bring you a super low rate insurance premium.

We have developed our online quotation system to be amazingly smooth and easy to use, allowing you to get your motor insurance quote without even the teeniest bit of hassle. Just answer a few straightforward questions about yourself and your car and within seconds you will be presented with your online car insurance quote. It is as simple as that.

We are really popular with UK drivers thanks to our easy quote system and fantastic customer service, as well as the fact that we give away half price legal expenses insurance with every policy.

Get a quick motor insurance quote with us now and experience the ease of getting insured through duck2water.

 

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