What one piece of advice would you pass on to young drivers above all else? Why?

Always remain fully concentrated on everything on the road.

I would pass this on as it is key to staying safe on the road – without giving your full attention, driving safely is a gamble for you and those around you, and you can’t tell what you need to do. Although this might seem obvious, it is easy for people to neglect as they can be easily distracted, such as by devices or other people in the car. These sorts of things lead people to become complacent, which results in the lack of attention that causes people to end up in accidents.

People need to make sure their full focus is on the road, rather than allowing distractions such as devices or other people who are in the car, as you could never know if you do something wrong or don’t notice anything, or if someone else does something wrong and you can’t keep yourself safe.

Write down a pledge that you will commit to when you start driving. Why did you pick these things to commit to? How will you stick to these commitments?

I pledge to be fully focused while driving and to stay free from all distractions, in ways such as keeping my phone off, and not engaging in conversation with passengers.

I picked these things to commit to as distraction can largely increase the risk of a crash, and is also one of the easiest things to avoid. This means that I can easily stay much safer by a simple choice, despite the fact that others may not always do this, simply for their own entertainment or lack of self control. Staying free from distraction when driving is something many people may neglect to do properly, but can have a large impact on safety while driving, so by taking simple steps, I can effectively minimise my risks.

I will stick to these commitments by making sure all distractions are away while driving. I will make sure my phone is off before I drive, in both silent and do not disturb mode, and also keep it out of my own reach, such as in the back seat, so that even a lack of self control cannot lead me to use it and thus increase risk. I will also avoid engaging in conversation while driving, so that I can stay fully focused on the road without other people to think about. I can do this by asking any passengers not to converse with me, especially on crowded roads, or if necessary only giving short answers to avoid a continued conversation.