With the end of British Summer Time this weekend, the clocks went back, though some of them needed a little human intervention. Several friends found it hard to adjust the clock in their car, prompting visions of them trying to do this while on the move.

Now that I’ve had a licence for more decades than I care to admit, and have driven in every continent except South America and Antarctica, I might be almost qualified to pass on some tips to remember when behind the wheel.

Keep those eyes on the road. Don’t get distracted by the clock on the dashboard, your lovely CD collection, or your twin toddlers squabbling in the back. Just stop the car and sort it out.

But no pulling up on double yellow or double red lines. You’re not a London taxi now, are you?

Being observant isn’t quite enough. A driver’s eyesight needs to be adequate. One relative of mine rarely bothered getting her eyes tested, as I learned when she made an emergency stop to let a pillar box cross the road.

A full bladder and an empty stomach are equally unsettling. It’s not wimpish to make a comfort stop.

No getting angry. It’s distracting. And it’s catching.

The key to parallel parking is in the word ‘parallel’. Start parallel to the car in front of the space before reversing into it. The space, not the car.

Happy motoring!

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PS The standards of vision for driving in the UK are set out by the DVLA and can be found here.