Road Safety

• Your Car:
• Make sure your car is road-worthy - check your tyres, oil and water levels, ensure your windscreen wipers work properly and the washer fluid is topped up and never drive off until your windows are fully de-misted.
• In poor weather conditions and icy roads, consider this advice: allow extra time for your journey, drive slowly (often this means slower than the legal speed limit), leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front, and try not to brake suddenly or make sudden movements when steering.
  
  
• Your Cycle:
  
• Always wear a helmet - which should carry a CE mark and one of the normal safety standards, e.g. BS EN 1078:1997 or equivalent.
• Try the helmet on before you buy it. It should fit comfortably and should sit level across your forehead without obscuring your view.
• You should always wear fluorescent / reflective clothing both day and night to increase visibility.
• If you want to improve your cycling skills, you can take part in one of the cyclist training courses available to young people and adults. For more information contact Hertfordshire County Council's Road Safety Unit.
• Look after your bike, check moving parts regularly and give special attention to tyres, brakes and lights.
• Have your bike serviced regularly.
• It is against the law to cycle in darkness without front and rear lights and a red reflector. Keep these clean and if they are battery operated, check the batteries before each journey.
• If your bike has a bell, use it but don't assume everyone can hear you. Still take care when using shared cycle paths.

Home Security

Don't give burglars an open invitation into your home - properly lock any UPVC doors before you go out or go to bed by lifting the handle and double-locking with the key to engage the security features. Remember, even if the handle is lifted up on the inside, it isn't properly secure unless it's double-locked.

Lock all doors and keep all windows (including upstairs ones) closed, preferably locked, when you are out, and keep your keys out of sight

Try to keep all loose valuables like laptops, cameras and mobile phones out of the sight of anybody looking in - and why not register them on the free online database www.immobilise.com.

Give your home the 'lived-in' look by using timer switches on lamps if you are going to be home after dark.

Consider installing alarms and 'dusk to dawn' security lighting - contact your local Crime Prevention Officer for advice.

Secure your rear garden - lock you shed, shut and lock any gates and keep fences maintained. Don't leave ladders and tools outside - they could be used by a burglar.

If your neighbours are away on holiday, you can help to deter burglars and give their home the lived-in look by putting away their emptied rubbish bins.

 

Vehicle Security

• Your Car:
• Don't leave any possessions in your car - even if you know they aren't valuable, they could still tempt a thief to break in.
• When de-icing your car, never leave the car unlocked and unattended with the keys in the ignition or with valuables on the back seat.
• Remove any Sat Nav device and holder from the vehicle, making sure to wipe any sucker marks off the windscreen. Don't assume removing the Sat Nav is enough - if a thief sees marks they may take a chance that you've hidden it in the glove box or under the seat and break in anyway.
• Park in well-lit areas where possible, and if you have a garage, make sure you use it and lock it.
• A motion-sensor security light covering the driveway could help deter a car thief.
• Some thieves will break into a house to get hold of the keys to your car. If you go on holiday, either take your car keys with you or leave them with a friend or relative you trust. When you are at home, keep your car keys away from the letterbox or windows.
  
  Your Cycle:
• Always lock your cycle up securely, even if you are leaving it just for a few minutes whilst you pop into the shop.
• Mark your cycle with your postcode and register it on the free online property database www.immobilise.com.