Motorists up and down the country need to ensure they have their wits about them at all times when taking to the nation's roads.

This is the message of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), which has responded to the publication of new figures from the Department for Transport that show more than 30,000 accidents took place last year as a result of individuals 'failing to look properly'.

The statistics were released as part of a freedom of information request from the IAM and they paint a grim picture for the levels of attention being paid by many drivers up and down the UK at present.

IAM chief executive officer Sarah Sillars commented: "We feel that many people eventually get complacent behind the wheel and inattention creeps in. 

"Combine this with fatigue and distractions inside and outside the vehicle, and the message is clear that drivers must apply their full attention to driving – you simply cannot do two things at once if one of them is driving."

She added that authorities should therefore consider the benefits of continuous assessment to ensure motorists are maintaining their standard of driving throughout their time on the roads.

By introducing requirements for all road users to renew their licence after reaching certain milestones of time behind the wheel, this would ensure best practice is reinforced for drivers of all ages and experience.

Failing to look properly should never be seen as a legitimate reason to have an accident, especially given the dramatic impact these avoidable incidents can have on people's lives.