What kind of driver will you be in 2014?

AA poll reveals the New Year promises motorists are making
10 January 2014

Did you make a New Year’s motoring resolution? If so, will you see it through? Nearly half of all drivers apparently did and most of them are aimed at making motoring altogether safer, friendlier or more economical, a poll by the AA reveals.

The favourite resolution — adopted by 14 per cent of more than 17,000 drivers polled and particularly popular with 18 to 24-year-olds — is to drive more economically as they head into 2014.

Second most popular, backed by 11 per cent, is to walk more, a decision particularly favoured, strangely, by women. Third favourite life-changing decision? To drive less often, supported by six per cent, followed in fourth place by five per cent who said they aimed to cycle more this year.

The fifth most popular decision is to “drive more safely” backed by four per cent. Next most popular resolution is “trying not to exceed the speed limit”, supported by a mere three per cent, followed, in seventh place, by those who say they will “try to be more courteous on the roads”, and the more we get of that in London, the better.

Eighth place was taken by those aiming to be “less aggressive” behind the wheel, while in ninth place are those pledging to use hand-held mobile phones less often. Bringing up the tail of this list of self-improving aims are those promising to be “more courteous to cyclists”. Around 42 per cent said they wouldn’t make a New Year’s motoring resolution at all.

Will any of this make a difference? Probably not — especially as the year wears on, even though, according to SUSTRANS, only two-fifths of short journeys (under five miles) are made by foot, bike or public transport so there’s plenty of room for improvement on the trip-planning front.

“At the start of the New Year many drivers have very good intentions to not only save money by driving less but exercise more by cycling or walking,” says AA president Edmund King. “Walking and cycling are excellent contributors to fitness and, of course, are free compared with say, an expensive gym membership which may never be used. We certainly encourage all drivers to think twice before taking a short journey by car which could be more easily and cheaply be taken on foot or on two wheels.”

If you haven’t made yours yet, how about pledging to indicate before manoeuvring, keeping to 20mph limits and trying not to swing suddenly out to the right immediately before turning left in traffic. It’s pointless, dangerous and irritating.

Authorities, too, can make resolutions and my personal plea would be for more pothole-fixing in London, fewer confusing one-way systems and “no entry” signs blocking perfectly useable roads, properly-signed 20mph zones and more motorcycle parking across the capital. What a year it could turn out to be...

Safe way to make calls on the move

If you’re one of those who has vowed to keep their hands off mobile phones in the car in 2014, consider Jabra’s new, easy-to-use speakerphone.

Complete with large three-watt speaker and redesigned voice mic, it clips to your sun visor and connects to your phone by Bluetooth. With good quality sound enhanced with “noise cancellation” to cut unwanted noise, it offers a safe effective way to keep in touch while on the road; it’s also a good option for those who don’t have a built-in carphone system and who don’t like having a Bluetooth earpiece stuck in their ear on long journeys.

Costing around £70 on Amazon, it incorporates a motion sensor, turning itself off when not in use. It also has a voice button, providing direct access to the phone commands function, so that you can place calls simply by speaking.

Two devices can be connected simultaneously and it’s claimed to offer up to 20 hours of talk and 45 hours of standby time.

Follow David Williams on Twitter at @djrwilliams

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