Our top 3 tips for driving home during the busy Christmas period

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, however it’s also worth remembering that it’s also one of the busiest times on the UK’s roads. The last working day before Christmas is often (and aptly) dubbed ‘Frantic Friday’, and it’s fairly easy to see why. The roads are packed with commuters heading home from work and those heading off to visit distant relatives for the holidays, so all in all it’s a little bit busy!

Chances are that you’ll be doing some driving over the holidays, whether that’s in your own vehicle or one you’ve rented from us here at Intack Self Drive, so we’ve put together a few quick tips to help make your Christmas commute as safe and stress-free as possible.

Whether it’s a works do, a family get together, or a reunion with a few friends, our social calendars tend to fill up as we celebrate the festive season. You’ll be well aware of the consequences that can come from driving while over the limit, but what you might not be aware of is the time it can take for your body to actually process the alcohol fully from your system. The morning after a heavy night out can be a potentially dangerous situation, but luckily, the RAC came up with a simple warning last year that’s easily remembered - ‘if you need to think about whether you’re in a fit state to drive, the chances are you’re probably not’.

Beware of bad road conditions

Christmas is one of the only holidays to be situated right in the middle of winter. You can therefore probably expect your fair share of adverse weather to go along with the festive traffic. Obviously, snow and ice make for slippery surfaces, and rain and darkening skies can cause issues with visibility, so it’s important to take the right kind of precautions to ensure you’re as safe as possible while on the roads this Christmas. If you’re in need of some advice to help keep you clear of danger, then check out our winter driving tips.

Keep your gifts out of sight

Christmas is a time for giving, so given that its’s the festive season, it’s very likely that you’ll be transporting gifts around at some point. Just be wary though that these could pose a potential security risk to your vehicle, so we’d always advise keeping any presents under wraps while you transport them. Why is it good practice to do this? Well if you’re parked up somewhere, and you’ve got presents in your vehicle, be aware that if these are clearly visible, otherwise they can make for very tempting targets for potential present thieves. It sounds relatively unlikely, but it can and does happen – even if it’s not very Christmassy!” We know that this is all fairly straightforward stuff, but it’s still worth bearing in mind at this time of year! Plus, if you need to get your hands on some temporary transport to get you around during the Christmas period, we’re here to help.

All of our rental vehicles here at Intack Self Drive come with the option to rent through daily hire, or our outstanding Flexi hire service, so wherever your intended destination, we’ll have a vehicle that suits your requirements. We’ve got almost half a century of car hire, minibus hire, and van hire experience under our belts here at Intack, and we’re always here to help. Ready to get started? You can browse the best hire deals right here on our site, or give us a call on 0125457811!