Appeal to drivers to save lives

Forget about joining the gym or giving up smoking - the new year's resolution guaranteed to increase your life expectancy is to improve your driving.

Autocar magazine, in conjunction with the RAC Foundation, is calling for changes in thinking from government and drivers to raise driving standards.

"Rather than over-concentrating on speed cameras, better driving can also play a key part in reducing the death toll," Autocar editor Rob Aherne said. "Many drivers take pride in their cars, but if they took the same pride in their driving skills then the roads would be safer for everyone. Poor driving affects more than just the individual."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents states that in 95% of accidents, human error is a factor and drivers with experience of advanced driver training are 20 per cent less likely to be involved in a crash.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists goes further by claiming that drivers will be 66 per cent less likely to cause an accident if they pass its advanced driving test.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said: "We all need to resolve to take more pride in our driving. That can be achieved as easily as giving ourselves an extra 10 minutes for each journey to alleviate the frustration and road rage caused by congestion.

"Equally, an advanced driver training course could open many drivers' eyes to the hazards that they have been missing and to the tactics they can adopt to make our roads much safer. Lives would be saved if every driver had a new year's resolution to improve their driving."

Top 5 tips for safer driving

* Take advanced driving tuition

* Leave 10 minutes early for each journey

* Plan your route

* Drive according to weather conditions

* Ensure your vehicle is roadworthy.