Over the course of their lifetime, the average driver will spend approximately four years on the road.
Most people travel almost exclusively by car, leaving public transport behind in their youth. While occasionally people get trains, they typically try not to. If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, you need to learn to drive properly. A lot of people make the mistake of rushing their lessons and then picking up bad habits. This post will offer some guidance you can use to improve your driving and parking.
Safe Car Parking
One thing you need to do if you want to take care of your vehicle and stay safe is to park your car in a secure overnight lot. Whether that’s in an MCG parking lot or a multistory somewhere else, the reason you need to park your car in a secure location is to deter thieves. Criminals are a lot less likely to break into your car to steal things or to steal it if it is in a lot that’s monitored by CCTV cameras. Some parking lots also have security guards manning booths. Always read a lot of reviews before you park your car there.
Stop Driving
One of the best pieces of advice you can get as it relates to traveling is to stop driving if you think you are getting tired or are losing your focus. Driving long distances can be very stressful, mentally and physically. Stopping for a break is absolutely essential, especially if you are falling asleep. Continuing to drive even though you are struggling to stay awake can lead to you causing accidents. Stop your car in a safe place beside the road and get some rest. Only after you feel alert again should you get back on the road.
Prepare Your Car
If you are planning on taking a long trip, you need to make sure that you prepare your car. You can do this by ensuring you have emergency supplies, food, and enough fuel in its tank. If you are going to be traveling through a cold, snowy area, fit snow tires. If on the other hand the weather’s going to be warm in the place you are driving to, you need to make sure that your car is ready to be driven in hot weather and that it isn’t going to overheat.
Mirror Checks
In addition to preparing your car, you need to perform mirror checks. By mirror checks, this post means two things. First, it means you need to check that your mirrors are all working and properly positioned prior to setting out. You also need to perform mirror checks before making turns. Turning out and driving without checking your mirrors is a recipe for disaster. Use your mirrors to see if pedestrians or other drivers are coming towards you. You should never drive without using your mirrors first.
Avoid Distractions
When you are driving, do everything you can to avoid distractions. If you’re traveling with people, make sure that they stay quiet while you’re driving. Try to avoid listening to podcasts or music if they distract you. Driving distracted is one of the main causes of car accidents in the United States. Since cars have more gadgets than ever, it is very easy to become distracted when you are on the road. Still, despite how easy becoming distracted is, make sure that you keep your focus and maintain it on the road. Don’t slip into bad habits. If somebody you are traveling with starts to annoy you, make sure you tell them to give you room to breathe.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving is something you need to learn about. Unfortunately, a lot of road users today have never heard of it. Defensive driving is when you do everything you can to pay attention to other drivers and react according to their behavior. If a driver is behaving erratically, a defensive driver would watch every move of theirs, ensuring that they never get close enough to them for an accident to occur. Defensive driving courses are widely available and will give you insight into how to react around dangerous road users.
Wear Your Seatbelt
When you are driving, you always need to make sure that you are wearing a seatbelt. Under no circumstances should you ever set out on the road without one. A seatbelt will keep you safe in the event of a collision, ensuring that you do not hurt yourself. Seat belts are fitted for a reason, so there’s no excuse for not wearing one. Make sure that all of the people in your car whether you’re wearing seatbelts as well. If you have an accident and they’re not wearing seatbelts, you could get into trouble. It is partially your responsibility to make sure that all passengers and people in your car are wearing seat belts. If they are not, you should not start driving.
Tailgating Awareness
Tailgating is a big problem. Unfortunately, it is also a common cause of accidents. When you’re on the road if the driver is tailgating you, you need to make sure that you maintain your speed and do not let them force you into speeding up. Speeding up could cause an accident. The best way to respond to a tailgater is to maintain your speed, then slowly move aside for them if it’s possible for you to do so. Allow them to overtake. If you have to brake when a tailgater is behind you, you could crash.
Maintain Limit
Finally, make sure you maintain the speed limit when you are driving. Speeding is a pretty effective way to cause an accident. The speed limit is set for a reason. If you are caught exceeding it, you could actually end up being arrested. The police are taking much harsher actions against people who are caught driving recklessly these days, mainly due to the large number of accidents that take place each year. Always follow the speed limit.
Are you traveling by car? If so, you need to do everything you can to keep yourself safe. The guidance given in this post will help you to do that. Make sure to implement it so you can drive safely.
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