Roads officer’s “be prepared” plea to holiday drivers

A HIGHWAYS officer is out to help people avoid a holiday crisis with some summer motoring tips.
Siobhan WaresSiobhan Wares
Siobhan Wares

Whether it’s a breakdown, collision or any other emergency on the roads, Highways England traffic officer Siobhan Wares is used to helping drivers during a crisis.

Now the 47-year-old mother-of-three is using her skills to help motorists heading off on holiday this summer get their vehicles ready for the road in a bid to cut the number of breakdowns.

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Almost half of all breakdowns are caused by simple mechanical problems which could be avoided with simple checks and nearly a quarter are caused by tyre problems. 

Meanwhile, around 22 motorists broke down each day during July and August last year because they had run out of fuel.

Highways England is producing five short instructional videos on how to check tyre pressure, tyre tread, oil and water levels and lights to help prevent needless breakdowns and cut the unnecessary delays they cause.

Siobhan appears in each of the videos and warned breakdowns can lead to more serious incidents.

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“We deal with lots of breakdowns, often caused by people running out of fuel or their engine seizing up, because they haven't carried out the basic checks,” she said.

“What you have to think about is if you breakdown you're not just putting yourself at risk. 

“If you have family with you it’s your passengers as well as other road users, too.

“We recently had a motorist who told us he was heading for work and noticed a problem with the oil gauge. 

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“He thought he'd deal with it later and ended up breaking down on the motorway.

“It's not rocket science; check your fuel, tyres, oil and water.”

The videos cover tyres, engine oil, water and lights and how to ensure they are all in good shape.

For more detailed information on how to carry out your vehicle checks, visit http://think.direct.gov.uk/carchecks.html

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