Look after your car and your car looks after you!

Make sure your car is always well maintained. A poorly maintained vehicle can, and eventually will, let you down, possibly leaving you in a very vulnerable situation. The last thing you need is to breakdown, alone in the middle of nowhere, or somewhere where you feel uncomfortable or even threatened. Make sure your car is serviced at regular intervals and that these services are carried out to the manufacturers' recommendations. Always use a trusted service centre, if you don't know any ask friends, relatives or colleagues for recommendations. An ideal service centre would be close to your home or place of work giving you easy access to drop off and pick up the car, alternatively one that can provide this service for you. Don't be tempted to go for the cheaper option of the guy up the road, he may not be fitting genuine manufacturer parts, which could let you down, remember, there is a reason these people are cheap! Your car needs to be your lifeline, make sure it is in a position to respond to these needs!

Journey Management

One of the first things I learnt was to manage my journey. Not because I sat down and thought that is was a good idea, but out of necessity, I needed to know there was help at hand. In the seventies, when I learnt to drive, we didn't have mobile phones so letting other people know what time I was setting off and was expected to arrive was extremely important, especially on a long journey. With mobile phones its much easier to stay in touch, we do it all day, so why not for a car journey. If someone knows when you are expected they know when to raise the alarm, however, you do need to let them know if you are running late for any reason. Also give them your route so they now where to look if you breakdown. Its a good idea, if you are travelling at night to take major routes rather than back roads as these are better lit and busier, so if you have a problem you will not be so vulnerable (thanks to Sally for that one). A couple of seconds on the phone could be a life saver!

Why I learnt to drive

It wasn't the burning desire to get on the road that pushed me to learn to drive, it was being attacked at 14 years old and subsequently having to be chaperoned EVERYWHERE, even when I fetched in the washing my parents had to stand at the back door! The incident affected me for around 35 years, it was only a couple of years ago I realised that I was no longer scared to walk around at night on my own. This is most probably due to the fact that I now live in a village in Spain and the type of incident that I experienced is almost unheard of here.

So, I got in a car passed my test and life was a little easier. I didn't have to walk to the bus stop or get into a taxi with an unknown man, learning to drive had liberated me, to a point. Issues still remain because the dangers do not disappear, which is why I have started this blog, I want women to be aware of the dangers they face whilst driving but even more I want to help them manage these dangers.

Please pass the link to the blog onto your female friends and call back on a regular basis to pick up the tips and advice.

If you have any questions about your safety please send them to Lonefemaledriver@gmail.com and I will respond here as soon as I can.

Stay safe!

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog. Through this page I hope to pass on some valuable tips and advice for the lone female driver, whether you just do the school run, drive for work up and down the motorway network or are a student making the long hike home for the holidays. Where ever you drive and for whatever reason I hope I can give you some pointers on how to stay safe.