In most of the United States, people can start driving by the age of 16, but are they doing it safely? Some states require people to take a driver’s education course before they get their license. If they don’t require that, most states have young drivers learn from their parents or another licensed driver using a learner’s permit. No matter how experienced you are as a driver, there are safe driving habits that everyone should learn.
Distracted Driving
One of the most dangerous driving habits is being distracted while behind the wheel. Distracted driving doesn’t always mean texting or answering the phone without a hands-free device. Three common distractions include:
- Visual
- Manual
- Cognitive
Here are some examples of each form:
- Texting: Visual and manual.
- Answering a call: Visual and manual.
- Explaining a confusing process to someone: Cognitive.
- Eating: Visual and manual.
- Doing your makeup: Visual and manual.
- Listening to the radio loudly: Cognitive.
- Listening to an intriguing podcast: Cognitive.
- Arguing with someone: Cognitive.
There are endless ways to be distracted while driving, and we’ve all done it at least once. The important thing is to minimize or eliminate the instances for the safety of yourself and others.
Safe Driving Habits
Most of us regularly practice the primary safe driving habits like checking the mirrors, keeping the radio volume low enough to hear honking/sirens, using turn signals, checking blind spots before changing lanes, and wearing a seatbelt! Although these habits are a great place to start, here are some other helpful driving safety tips:
Keep a safe distance between you and the car in front of you. The distance between the car in front of you can be measured by the passing of stationary objects. When the car ahead of you passes a sign, count down to when you pass the sign. Use this helpful guide to gauge how many seconds you should keep between you and the car in front. If you want to be even safer, add a few seconds to the tips suggested, like so:
- For speeds of 35–55 mph, keep 5 seconds of gap if the road conditions are good.
- For speeds of 55–75 mph or poor road conditions (e.g., rain, wet pavement, heavy traffic), maintain a gap of 6 seconds.
- When driving in the snow and on icy roads, maintain a gap of 8–10 seconds.
Keeping this space between your car and the one in front of you will allow you more reaction time. If a driver ahead slams on their brakes, loses control of their vehicle, or crashes into something, you’ll have more time to maneuver or slow down quickly. Tailgating is a dangerous habit to develop.
Avoid Aggressive Drivers
If you get nervous when others get close to your bumper, here are some ways to let the other driver get around you:
- Lightly tap (don’t slam) on your brakes. The brake lights should let them know to back off.
- Roll your window down and wave them around you if there’s an available lane for them to pass in.
- Move over to the other lane to let them pass.
- Find a place to pull off the road and let that driver get ahead of you. Take a turn or find a wide pull-out space; don’t just pull over to the shoulder.
Don’t do anything to aggravate the driver behind you. Making them angrier will make them more likely to do something erratic. Keeping yourself from tailgating and allowing tailgaters to pass will decrease your chances of being involved in a car accident.
Road Trip Tips
When you’re heading out for a trip, get the following things adjusted before you leave: your playlist, navigation route, climate control settings, mirrors, and seat position.
If you happen to drop something while driving, don’t attempt to pick it up until you’re parked somewhere. Depending on your location, encountering wildlife on the road might be a regular occurrence. If you’re not familiar with animals frequently crossing the roads, take the time to read this article on how to avoid collisions with them.
We also recommend having the following items within reach:
- toll cards
- parking garage passes
- your wallet
- insurance information
Make sure that any moving objects are secure in your car. Avoid driving while tired or drowsy and follow all traffic signs; they were established for a reason. Now that you’ve arrived at your destination safely, you can share these driving tips with your friends and family. The more safe drivers there are on the road, the better.
In the case of an accident, it’s always a good idea to have an emergency kit somewhere in the vehicle. Although an emergency kit can be helpful in your car, it also is smart to have one at home. Read this blog to create an emergency preparedness kit of your own.
