As a driver, you are not only responsible for your own life. You are also responsible for the lives of those who are in your vehicle, pedestrians on the street, and other drivers on the road. Fortunately, these days we drive safer vehicles on safer roads as many years of public awareness and advertisements have been made to make us responsible drivers. The cars we drive these days are also equipped with safety tools and gadgets that should make accidents only remote possibilities. However, we still hear a lot about terrifying road accidents every now and then.
To ensure your safety as well as of other lives on the road, consider these important driving tips:
1. Stay Focused
Whenever you’re driving any vehicle, you are responsible for your life and the lives of others; therefore, you should remain focused. Keep all your attention on driving at all times. Use defensive driving methods. You also need to be aware of your surroundings. Be aware of what others are doing around you and always expect the unexpected.
2. Apply the Three Second Rule
If you are a responsible driver, you should know the three second rule. If a vehicle that is ahead passes a fixed point, like a telephone pole or a tree, you need to slowly count to three. Whenever you have reached the thing before you have completed the count, it means you’re approaching too fast or too closely. When driving in poor weather conditions, you need to double up your following distance to up to 6 seconds.
3. Use Turn Signals
It is always dangerous when you fail to indicate your purpose or direction to other drivers on the road through turn signals. Be courteous all the time as the drivers are not psychics and can’t guess that you’re planning to make any move or turn. Using signals is very important for your safety, as well as the safety of other drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. If ever they are in your blind spot and you think that they are not there, the moment you execute a plan to move a certain direction without using a signal, they will terribly suffer the most as they will get no early warning from you.
4. Don’t Tailgate
Are you fond of tailgating the car ahead of you? Doing so to a vehicle ahead of you gives you more chances of smashing into it if especially when the driver hits the brakes.
5. Attend Driving Classes or Seminars
If you want to become an even better driver and learn about handling emergency situations, like loss of vehicle control and panic braking, then you may want to go to a driving school or even just attend a seminar where you are taught about vehicle handling dynamics. Though these classes may not be inexpensive, they heightened your ability behind the wheel and may save your life on the road.
