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Trick or treat

Ghost and goblins, spooks galore drive safely or scary witches will be at your door. In case you haven’t figured it out yet it is Halloween! Many of us will be taking to the road this week, going to scare and have a good time at parties and haunted theme events. Here are some tips to prepare drivers and riders on this eventful season from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

  • Look out for the little ones. Many little children will be taking to the road on a candy hunt. Although many will be accompanied by an adult it is also best to drive slowly in residential areas as children can be very unpredictable
  • Check the weather – if its wet and windy then looking out for cars will be the last thing on a soaked pedestrians mind as they rush from house to house
  • Dress accordingly.  Try to carry your costume in the car as opposed to wearing it to the event. Some costumes such as masks can obstruct your vision. It is better to book a taxi rather than driving
  • Make sure you have a designated driver if you are planning on drinking
  • Try to keep the noise down.  Understandably you are going to be with your mates but if you have pulled the short straw and are driving it is vital to have full concentration on the road
  • Have fun but keep it PG. Not everyone on the street is out with good intentions. If you do see anything that alarms you, we recommend dialling 999 and having the police deal with it

Richard said: “Long flowing costumes and the little ones on a major sugar rush can be a recipe for disaster on the roads.  No one wants to put a damper on the fun but just taking a few moments to check everyone is safe before you set off will ensure the evening is memorable for all the right reasons.”

Notes to editors:

  1. Richard Gladman is IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards.
  2. IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com

To find out the name of your own local IAM RoadSmart group please visit: https://wwwiamroadsmart.com/local-groups

Media contacts:

Further information from:

IAM RoadSmart press office – 020 8996 9777 

press.office@iam.org.uk / www.iamroadsmart.com

ISDN broadcast lines available

Follow us:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAMRoadSmart

On Twitter: @IAMRoadSmart   

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