As a woman it can often feel intimidating if you break down at the side of the road, or experience ‘road rage’ at the hands of another driver, or even if you are approached by a stranger in an empty car park. That’s why Birchwood Group in Sussex is aiming to help, by hosting free ‘Women in Gear’ evenings across Sussex. The evenings will be taking place on the following dates:

28th February - Hastings Ford (Sedlescombe Road North, John Macadam Way, St Leonards on Sea, TN37 7SQ)
29th February - Eastbourne Ford (Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne, BN23 6PX)
7th March - West Sussex Skoda & Suzuki (Palatine Road, Goring by Sea, Worthing, BN12 6JH)
8th March - Eastbourne Kia & Skoda (Birch Road, Eastbourne, BN23 6QA)
17th May- West Sussex Kia (London Road, Washington on the A24 roundabout RH20 4AJ

The sessions will focus on a number of different ways in which to keep yourself safe on the road. From personal awareness and self-protection, to basic car maintenance and self-help, we will have experts on hand to answer all your questions and offer advice on reducing the risks that women face when driving.

As well as looking at car safety, ex-Police Chief Inspector and human behaviour specialist, Vic Botterill, will be exploring the psychology behind car confidence. He will also be offering practical advice on avoiding the hazards of modern driving, which include aggressive, dangerous driving and ‘motorway madness’. The audience will be encouraged to share their own experiences and discuss how they could have been avoided.

During the event, volunteers from the audience will be invited to take part in self-defence role-play by personal self-protection specialist Grant Hicks. Birchwood Group’s service technicians will also offer visitors practical hands-on advice on dealing with roadside emergencies, routine car maintenance and car safety checks.

Anybody interested in attending any of the free Women in Gear evenings listed above should e-mail westsussexvip@gmail.com to reserve a place. We hope to see you there!