It's Not Me, It's You!

I have been guilty of taking my eye off the ball when driving once or twice in the past. Serious incidents have been averted in the nick of time, my heart has been in my mouth and beating a million miles an hour but most importantly, I have learned by my mistakes and never repeated them.

A tame(ish) example - as in one that won't get me imprisoned - is I forgot to put my glasses on when setting out in the car. Halfway in to my journey (I was on my own) I realised and started fumbling about for them in my bag which was on the passenger seat.

I look down for a second and when I look up my car is now on the other side of the road and there is a great big lorry is heading towards me. One massive swerve later and I was out of harms way but I did not feel normal for a good few hours and I now if I have forgotten to put my glasses on - I pull over in order to do the bag rummaging.

I was pondering near-misses yesterday and wondered just how many of us now have actually forgotten how to be safe and dice with danger on a daily basis but so far having averted death or serious injury?

The Hubstacle and I were driving to the Big Smoke the other day and instead of chattering and staring at the scenery, I decided to look at what other drivers were doing as they sped along.

Here is the top ten

1. Speaking on Mobile Phone
2. Texting or dialling on Mobile Phone (obviously I wasn't that close to tell!)
3. Picking their nose (glad I wasn't that close!)
4. Talking to their passenger and not looking where they were driving
5. Rubber necking as they went by an accident
6. Facing the back of the car telling children off
7. Reaching for something in the back of the car
8. Doing their make-up
9. Fiddling with their sat nav
10.Kissing their passenger

Quite the list isn't it, and this was in just 30 minutes! As I said before, I have made mistakes and done things I shouldn't but why do we seem to be able to make excuses for our own bad driving yet go nuts at everyone elses?

I hear lots of people say 'I am a safe driver', yes, you might very well be, but its odds on your accident will be a direct result of one of the clowns mentioned above!

Stay Safe Everyone!

Does Safe Driving Equal Cheaper Car Insurance?

I like to think that I am a pretty safe, experienced driver and to be honest, I think that I should be rewarded for this. We are all looking for ways to reduce our expenditure, but loads of people I know simnply stick with providers they have instead of spending time researching the best deals available to them.

This just does not make sense to me in the slightest, but in addition to finding the best deal, we can all make a difference, especially on the roads where we all want to stay safe.

Sainsbury's Finance are guest blogging with me today and its all about....


How driving safely can reduce your car insurance premium



You can spend less on fuel, keep your car in better condition and reduce the risk of being involved in an accident if you drive carefully and safely - and it could also mean cheaper car insurance.



Make safety your choice

Many factors that affect the car insurance quote are out of your control, such as age and number of years driving. So it only makes sense to focus on the things within your control that affect your premium. Driving safely - thereby reducing the likelihood of having to make a claim - is one of them.




No claim discount

While being a safe driver won’t guarantee that you’ll avoid accidents, it will certainly make them less likely. For each year of claim-free driving, you will receive a no claim discount from your insurer. So the longer you go without making a claim, the cheaper your insurance should be.




Five areas

When concentrating on safer driving, pay particular attention to the following five areas:

1) Acceleration. Keep it steady, gradually picking up speed.

2) Braking. Make sure it is appropriate for the situation.

3) Cornering. Anticipate well in advance and don’t take corners too fast or wide.

4) Speeding. Always stay within legal limits and reduce your speed accordingly in adverse conditions.

5) Distractions. Safer driving also means staying focused behind the wheel. Using a handheld phone while driving is both dangerous and illegal, so don’t do it. Avoid any unnecessary hands-free calls, too. Similarly, don’t fiddle with the sound system, apply make-up or eat and drink while driving - you’ll risk an accident as well as falling foul of the law.




Enjoy the good life

Safe driving shouldn’t be regarded as ‘boring’ driving. The economic benefits extend beyond your no claim discount - you’ll be saving money on fuel and repairs. You’ll also be making the roads a much safer place for you and your fellow motorists, and you’ll feel much less stressed both during and after your journey!

Annie - A Musical For All The Family

Annie - now there is a feel good musical - all about a little girl who never gives up hope.

Escaping from the clasp of the nasty orphanage manager - Miss Hannigan, in to the world of a billionaire and his lavish lifestyle.

Huh! OK for some eh?

Berwick Operatic Society are presenting this show at the the end of March and by all accounts rehearsals are going splendidly. It is a brave amateur theatre group who take on a production with 20 kids, but it seems that the local youngsters love to tread the boards.

Some of them are involved with other groups and in school productions - the more experienced ones bringing out the confidence in those less so.

Its all hands to the deck now, as there are less than 5 weeks until curtain up.

So if you fancy a great family night at the theatre, see faces you know, doing things they don't usually do, then get yourself down to The Maltings and book your tickets!

Annie runs from Wednesday 21st March until Saturday 24th March. Easch performance is 7.30pm and includes a matinee on Saturday 24th.

Review of the show to come!