Now that the calendars have all flipped over, it's time to say goodbye to 2019 and plan new goals for 2020. Resolutions are commonplace in early January, so we've suggested some sweet driving related goals to inspire you. Some of these you might love, and some won't be your cup of tea. Ultimately, pick something that feels right and achievable for you.
- Go on more leisure drives, especially if you live in the city. Choose a free day and head out for a drive. Make it as long or as short as you want, so long as it's somewhere you can get away from the traffic and relax.
- Clean your car. This is an easy one, and you can choose how far you want to take it. Clean the outside, clean the inside. Change the seat covers, chuck out the old Maccas cups or hang fluffy dice from your rear mirror. Make your car a calm space with minimal distractions so you can focus on the road.
- Maintain your vehicle. Get your vehicle regularly serviced so that any small issues can be picked up before they become problems. Check your tire pressure and regularly keep them in a good range. Many petrol stations have pumps specifically for checking and maintaining your tire pressure.
- Don't just plan to avoid drink-driving yourself; resolve to also help your friends make responsible driving decisions. Make sure you have designated drivers when out with a group of friends. If a friend has had too much to drink, call a cab for them or contact one of their family members.
- Improve your fuel efficiency. There are loads of ways to do this, ranging from choosing more fuel-efficient cars to reducing idling, combining trips, inflating tires to the correct pressure and going easy on the brakes.
- Slow it down and make responsible decisions on the road. Don't put yourself in situations where you're rushing to drive somewhere. Give yourself plenty of time to obey road rules and make safe choices.
- Help to reduce national deaths on Australian roads. The federal bureau of transport aimed to reduce annual deaths to under 1000 this year. Unfortunately, in 2019 there were almost 1200 people killed on roads. It might seem like a goal that's too big for any person alone to tackle, and you'd be right. That's why we all have a part to play in making Australian roads safer in 2020.
So there you go, a few ideas for your new year's resolutions. Here at Smart Start interlocks Australia, we're aiming to help as many people to safely return to the roads as we can. What sort of road goals will you aim for in 2020?
