Highways England promotes safety tips for motorway drivers

Highways England has issued safety advice to prepare drivers at the start of the busiest time of the year for breakdowns on England’s motorways.

According to the agency’s statistics, over 48,500 motorway breakdowns happened over the summer holiday period between the final week of June and the first weekend of September last year.

Highways England is expecting to respond to an extra 700 breakdowns a week for the next 10 weeks, taking the average number of motorway breakdowns each week to almost 5,000.

Around a quarter of summer breakdowns are caused by punctures or other tyre issues. Vehicles running out of fuel and engines overheating are also other common reasons for breakdowns on motorways.

Highways England is advising drivers that regular car checks help avoid breakdowns:

  • check tyres: prior to setting off on a long/significant journey, check your tyre pressures and the condition of your tyres.
  • check engine oil: use your dipstick to check oil regularly and before any long journey and top up if needed.
  • check water: to ensure you have good visibility, always keep your screen wash topped up so you can clear debris or dirt off your windscreen.
  • check lights: if your indicators, hazard lights, headlights, fog lights, reverse lights or brake lights are not functioning properly.
  • check fuel: before setting out, check your fuel levels and make sure you have enough to get to your destination.

Read more about vehicle safety checks on the Gov.uk website.

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