With summer almost upon us, many of us will be looking forward to enjoying trips to the beach, the countryside and many other popular British past times and destinations. The question I ask is; “just how safe are you this summer?” The majority of us prepare for winter with vigour, buying in copious quantities of de-icer spray and antifreeze. But just how much do we prepare for summer, the seasonal opposite of extremes?

Indeed many of us don’t even begin to think about how we should prepare for summer and the dangers therein. “Just what are these dangers?” you ask. Well that is the purpose of my article, to enlighten you in this very area.

In research carried out by several leading car insurance companies, it was shown that 40% of car claims are generated in summer. This is not just pure coincidence, it shows us that there must be an extra risk factor associated with summer.

The primary problem in summer driving conditions is heat, plain and simply. Taking your car on a long journey in sweltering heat invariably carries the risk of the car breaking down. True this is more a problem with the slightly more “mature” car, but that could range from just a few years old. Even a new car can fall victim to mechanical failure if it not maintained correctly. Before leaving for a long journey it is imperative that you check the following on your car; tyre pressure and tread (badly inflated tyres increase road wear and affect fuel consumption), engine oil level, engine coolant level (low levels could lead to your car overheating and breaking down), check all indicator/brake lights are working and finally check your windscreen washer level (trying to wipe a windscreen full of flies with dry wipers can be “such fun” not to mention dangerous).

Another good tip is to take out a breakdown and recovery policy with a reputable company. Indeed this is something many car insurance companies now offer and you can check this at the time of getting a car insurance quote. This may prove invaluable at a later date and for the small amount it will cost on a yearly premium it is well worth it.

Another factor rarely considered, even by myself before carrying out research for this article, is rural driving. During summer, many of us venture out of the towns and head for the countryside. In doing so we use the many country/rural roads that are more ill suited to fast driving. It may be fun putting your foot down and whizzing around a country lane but it is very risky indeed. In fact a recent government campaign stated that you are three times more likely to die in a crash on a rural road.

Well, on that note all that is left to say is; “have a brilliant and safe summer!”