Everyone has experienced poor driving experiences from time to time, even those considered expert drivers can develop poor habits which lead them into collisions and traffic tickets.
Practice these safe driving tips to protect yourself against potential dangers on the road, such as eating, reaching for objects or talking on the phone. Eliminating distractions such as eating, reaching for things or talking will also prove helpful.
1. Keep Your Eyes on the Road
Distractions while driving can be deadly. Adjusting the radio or GPS, talking on the phone, changing temperature in your car or eating can all become serious distractions that rob drivers of their ability to quickly spot impending hazards or road conditions changes. Even taking your eyes off the road for two seconds could impede your ability to recognize hazards on the road and spot potential changes as soon as they arise.
On highways, drivers need to constantly scan their surroundings in order to detect slowdowns in traffic, accidents or changes in road conditions – as well as plan their movements accordingly.
Drivers must also check their mirrors frequently to detect vehicles lurking behind or making sudden lane changes, as well as your blind spot when switching lanes, in order to prevent getting hit by other vehicles who don’t yield or follow road rules, such as tailgating other cars, passing on the shoulder, running stop signs or red lights etc.
2. Drive Defensively
At times, defensive driving may be the only way to prevent road mishaps caused by other drivers. This means keeping a safe distance between your vehicle and those ahead of you, scanning regularly for sudden stops, lane changes and other dangerous drivers as well as responding immediately if something occurs that requires your immediate response.
Before even taking to the road, it can help to establish good driving habits by mapping out or programming your GPS for optimal journey planning and commute planning. Furthermore, ensure you are well rested before driving drowsily!
Keep your speed low, check mirrors regularly, and scan intersections carefully before entering them to ensure no one else is running a red light. Obeying traffic laws such as speed limits and red light signals will reduce your risk of accidents and fines significantly. Furthermore, adapt your driving to changing weather conditions such as rain, fog or snow by slowing down and adapting accordingly; adapt to driving in weather such as rain, fog or snow by adapting accordingly and adapting driving techniques according to driving conditions such as rain, fog or snow – keep speeds low, adapt driving style accordingly and adapt driving techniques according to changing conditions such as rain fog or snow – in addition to adapting driving techniques according to weather conditions like rain fog and snow – slow down accordingly while always scan intersections before entering them to make sure no-one runs red lights from other drivers who could run red lights from running red lights from other drivers!
3. Stay Vigilant
Be mindful when driving and recognize any potential threats on the road. This means keeping an eye out for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and commercial vehicles as well as other drivers; resting properly before getting behind the wheel (especially in northern states where winter weather may cause fatigued driving); minimizing distractions and staying alert at all times.
Finalize by maintaining your vehicle in good working order to enable fast responses if something unexpected arises. Also important: leaving enough distance between yourself and the car ahead (your state driver’s manual should provide this information), checking mirrors and blind spots regularly as well as keeping an eye out for unexpected vehicles that may appear out of nowhere.
Even if you drive carefully, accidents may still happen – just remember it’s usually someone else’s fault. Expect unexpected lane changes from other drivers, short stops without signaling and intentional violation of traffic laws to cause collisions.
4. Avoid Distractions
Make an active effort when driving to avoid distractions. This includes any activity that takes your focus away from the road, such as fidgeting with your hair or makeup, eating or fiddling with the radio; it can even include mental distractions such as planning conversations or making grocery lists.
Put your phone into “do not disturb” mode to reduce temptation to browse online at red lights or quickly reply to texts. Doing this also protects you from other passengers in the backseat who could try to vie for your attention – crying children, hyper dogs or loud stereo systems may all vie for your focus and steal it away from driving safely.
Be a great role model for your kids by being an attentive driver. As a passenger, speak up when drivers begin texting, calling, or making adjustments to navigation systems; also preprogram GPS and music systems prior to starting the car.
