Name: Julie Haworth
Job Title: Driving Instructor
Base: Coventry Ambulance Hub
Length of service: 18 years
Role within WMAS:
I work in the WMAS training department specifically teaching all aspects of driver training. This includes new paramedics and refresher training for all staff. I assess new recruits and also give support and advice when driving incidents occur. I have been in the training department for nine years and I am also a qualified emergency medical technician and do go out on shifts occasionally to ensure my skills are up to date.
Christmas day plans:
Luckily, this year I will not be working Christmas day but spending it with my family enjoying the festivities
Top tip for winter:
Drive to arrive
Over the Christmas period, our roads can be hugely busy with people out Christmas shopping, heading off to see friends and relatives for the big day or even going out for a party. Sadly, too many people simply don’t make it. Each day our crews deal with road traffic collisions. Thankfully, modern car design means that most people survive, but tragically, not everyone does. You can play your part in ensuring you ‘drive to arrive’. We’re in winter and as such, driving conditions can be difficult: fog, frost, the sun low in the sky at rush hour – it all adds to the challenge. It can be as simple as slowing down when the roads are wet and arriving five minutes later than you might have done. If it’s frosty or snowy, make sure you clean all of your windows so that you can see. Use your lights when appropriate to do so in reduced visibility. Make sure your car is ready for the journey: have you got enough windscreen washer fluid, oil and antifreeze in your car; are your tyres safe and legal? If it’s really cold have you got a warm jacket with you in case you breakdown. They are all common sense tips that could make a real difference and help avoid the worst happening.
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