 Driving
mums
Driving when you are pregnant or travelling with your family can sometimes
be scary. But there are plenty of steps you can take to make sure you're
prepared for driving, and ways to keep your family safe if your car does
break down.
Be prepared
Crossing your fingers and hoping that everything under the bonnet works
is all very well - until you get caught out on a rain-swept dual carriageway.
"Ensuring that your car is in safe, mechanical condition is really a year-round
job for every motorist, but it's particularly important as the winter
weather takes hold," says What Car? consumer editor Peter Lawton, who
has a two-year-old daughter.
"There are some specific cold-weather checks and maintenance that you
should carry out." According to What Car?, now's the time to:
- Add anti-freeze to your radiator to prevent cracking
- Keep your screen wash well topped up, examining front and rear wiper
blades and replacing them if they're worn
- Check your tyres, making sure you have a tread of at least the legal
minimum of 1.6mm but preferably around 3mm
- Run your air-conditioning for at least an hour each week, even in
winter, allowing the coolant to lubricate moving parts
- Regularly check all fluid levels, lights and tyre pressures throughout
winter
Safety first
Many of us believe women and families automatically get priority when
phoning for help, but breakdown services look at a range of factors. RAC
spokeswoman Vicki Burn says: "Each breakdown is treated on its individual
circumstances.
Where it is identified that the customer is at risk, such as on a motorway
hard shoulder, then the breakdown will be given priority. Although the
driver may be female and with children, they could be at a safe location
such as at home or visiting friends."
But breakdown services should at least be made aware if you are a lone
woman, pregnant or travelling with small children. "If they don't ask,
tell them," advises Peter.
The hard shoulder of a motorway can be a terrifying place with cars and
lorries whizzing by. For this reason, they are for emergencies only -
and stopping to get the potty out for your toddler does not class as an
emergency!
Pull over only if you really have no choice and can't get safely to the
next exit.
Vicki says: "If an emergency forces you to stop, then use the hard shoulder
as a deceleration lane before coming to a halt. Pull over to the left
as far as you can and turn on your hazard lights."
So what about fixing the problem yourself? According to Vicki, safety
comes first. "Consider if the vehicle and passengers are in a safe location,"
she says. "If passengers are young, is there any one to stop them running
around in the road whilst your attention is diverted?
DON'T attempt to repair your vehicle on a hard shoulder. It is highly
dangerous, particularly on the side nearest the traffic. Get professional
help."
The most important thing, wherever you break down, is to stay calm and
get off the road as quickly and safely as possible.
Peter is no stranger to scary experiences - his Mini's power-assisted
steering pump failed on a roundabout and, another time, his wife Louise
broke down on the A3 with their daughter Katie on board. "Her engine cut
out as she was cruising at 70mph in the fast lane, so she had to keep
calm, indicate and pull over safely," says Peter.
"Luckily she was approaching an exit at the time and her speed carried
her off the A3, around a corner and into a car park. Katie had no idea
of the drama, but Louise was shaking! She called for assistance and was
back on the road in just over an hour."
As most of us have mobiles now, it's less likely you will have to use
a motorway emergency phone but if you do, remember they are spaced a mile
apart, with blue and white marker posts every 100 metres to point you
in the direction of the nearest.
The waiting game
Since becoming a mum, I've kept in the boot an emergency box filled with
things I might need in case of a long wait for the breakdown service.
This started off as a good excuse to keep chocolate with me at all times
(well, I'd have to keep my energy up!) but has developed into something
of a survival kit if I were to get stuck in snow or floods. Your checklist
should include:
- A scraper and de-icer
- Warm and rainproof clothes
- A blanket
- A First Aid kit
- A warning triangle, to be placed at least 45 metres behind your vehicle
(but NOT to be used on the motorway)
- A fully charged mobile phone (for use if you break down, not whilst
driving!)
- A torch and batteries - High-energy food such as chocolate or boiled
sweets
- Hot drinks in a flask or at least some bottled water, as well as formula
milk for your baby
- Books, colouring pens and paper to keep your children occupied while
you wait
- If you are pregnant, especially in the latter stages, the number of
your midwife or antenatal unit
- Your breakdown service membership card!
Where possible, pull into a car park or find a safe spot and remain inside
your car. The big exception is on a motorway hard shoulder, where it's
safest to get out and wait behind the crash barrier, however frightening
this seems.
"There is a perception that a lone female is at risk of being attacked
on a motorway hard shoulder, but research shows that the risk of being
hit by another vehicle is much greater," says Vicki.
"The safest place for you and your passengers to wait for help is behind
the crash barrier if there is one, or near your vehicle on the embankment
or adjacent land. Move up the bank or verge as far as possible keeping
an eye on the oncoming traffic."
Peter agrees. "Stay in the car as a very last resort," he warns. "People
are killed every week in stationary cars that are hit by other vehicles.
If you are equipped you should be able to get out of the car and keep
everyone warm while you wait for the emergency services to turn up."
by Rebecca Blunt
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