When you hear that 18% of the serious accidents which occurred over the holiday period were caused by drivers with more than the legal alcohol limit in their blood, do you ever say to yourself "Ah, but that means that 82% of drivers involved in serious accidents were SOBER"? I do and I'm not surprised because a large percentage of drivers just don't concentrate on what they're doing when they're behind the wheel of a car.

If you don't want to become just another accident statistic, follow these tips which you may not find in the Highway Code.

Concentrate at all times. Don't be distracted by a chatty passenger and never, never take your eyes of the road to look at your companion.

Never take your eyes off the road for any other reason, except to glance at your speedometer or in your mirrors. Do NOT look away to fiddle with radio controls, change a CD, light a cigarette or use a mobile phone, which is, in many countries, illegal anyway.

If you must smoke while driving, don't flick ash or cigarette ends out of the window. Apart from the danger of fire in dry areas, or hitting a pedestrian in town, hot ash may blow back inside the car, causing you to look away from the road to make sure that your seats, trousers or whatever aren't catching fire.

Don't play music too loudly, as you would be surprised how much warning of untoward happenings that you get through your ears. You will also be able to locate and get out of the way of speeding emergency vehicles in good time.

Don't hang furry dice or any other dangling objects from your sun visors or rear view mirror. The movement can easily distract your eyes from the carriageway.

If you are carrying children, make sure that they are strapped in and can't undo their seat buckles. You may want to make sure that they have something to eat or to play with to keep them occupied and quiet, or you could put on a CD that they like. If there are older children on board, impress on them the possible consequences of distracting your attention from the road. Appeal to their desire to be considered adult and ask them to look after the younger ones and not to squabble, fight or otherwise cause a rumpus in the car. If there is a disturbance of some kind, find a safe place and strop the car. Do not try to resolve it whilst driving. You will probably have heard the expression "Better late than dead".

Always look further ahead than the vehicle directly in front of you - at least three or four cars is a good rule of thumb. You will be much better prepared for sudden slowing or braking if you can see the brake lights or indicators go on on the fourth car ahead. If you're following a large vehicle which prevents you seeing further ahead, drop back and don't sit on his tail. That way, you will have plenty of warning if he needs to brake.

If visibility is poor, whatever the reason, use your lights. In cloudy conditions, rain, fog or snow, as well as at night, vehicles can become virtually invisible. Using dipped headlights will ensure that you can see and be seen.

When driving on a dual carriageway or multiple lane highway, use the outside lane only for overtaking, or the whole road will turn into a car park and tempers will fray.

On a motorway, do not sit in the middle lane just because you're driving at the speed limit and you think that it's your right. If the inner lane is clear, use it - that's what it's there for.

Never be tempted to undertake just because some idiot IS sitting in the middle lane. Chances are that they will choose that moment to pull over and they almost certainly won't be using their mirrors, which brings me to my final point.

Use your mirrors, rear view and both wings, all the time, not just when you're turning. Bicycles and particularly motorbikes can be beside you before you know it, so it's best to have some warning so that you can give them room.

Keep your cool and follow these elementary rules and you should have many years of accident-free motoring ahead of you.