Make sure it’s only England that score points in this World Cup

With four weeks of footie action in prospect it’s important that fans don’t take unnecessary risks with their safety on the roads says Hyperformance. Amongst all the excitement and euphoria it will be very easy to take your eye off the ball and a moment of mid summer madness could end up being very expensive long after the last ball has been kicked and everyone has gone home.

There are many ways footie fans can score an own goal and rack up the sort of points that the England team can only dream about. If they get nine points in the Group stage they will be delighted. For motorists, nine points on a licence spells the prospect of increased insurance premiums and leaves them on the threshold of a red card and a 12 month ban.

For the next four weeks motorists face more traps than the offside rule could ever contemplate, so:

Don’t be tempted to drink and drive – it’s all to easy to have more drinks than you intended at a pub, club or at home during a nail-biting game and not stop to consider the consequences until it’s too late

Don’t drive the following morning if you’ve had too much the night before – especially if the game goes to penalties!

Don’t be tempted to speed as you try to get home in time for kick-off

Don’t get distracted by the match commentary on the radio and lose concentration whilst driving

Don’t be tempted to watch the match whilst driving on your latest in-car entertainment system and take your eye off the road.

Don’t phone your mates whilst driving to discuss the latest score

All too often revellers get caught up in the furore of the moment, have one too many or take their eye off the ball and then pay the consequences for many years to come says Hyperformance, one of the UK’s leading insurance intermediaries specialising in young drivers and high performance vehicles.

There are already more than enough ways for motorists to win points adds the company, which is part of the award winning A & A Group and has witnessed a marked increase in the number of drink driving incidents during past tournaments after drivers flock to pubs and social clubs to watch key matches with their mates on large screens.

In addition, someone inevitably tips off the police when the World Cup is on and they are quicker than Peter Crouch to spot a points scoring opportunity - and that includes the morning after a match the night before.

The key is to keep things in perspective. Be aware of the risks and if in any doubt don’t drive. Leave the car at home and catch the bus or train – at least you’ll have plenty to talk about to complete strangers!