The Art of Safe Driving: Ways to Conquer American Roadways

In life there are few skills as important as learning how to drive. Whether you get behind the wheel from an early age or take your time to ease into the process, it’s imperative that you learn the rules of the road before setting out on a highway adventure. This is merely a requisite of safe driving. Not only must you master the basics of traffic signals and car controls, you must also get accustomed to driving etiquette. For example, knowing exactly who has the right-of-way at a 4-way stop. You’d be surprised how many drivers are confused by this common roadway scenario. Especially, considering the amount of people who drive on a daily basis.

American drivers spend an average of 17,600 minutes per year behind the wheel of a car, according to data from the American Automobile Association Foundation. If we spend that much time driving to and from places, it only makes sense to keep improving our knowledge and understanding of roadways and traffic patterns. Although you might consider yourself an adept driver, there is always the outliers who can threaten your safety. Neglectful drivers who take part in distracted or impaired driving pose a serious risk to annual highway injury and death statistics, which currently is at an all-time high.

Presuming that you know the standard driving criteria in your state area, here are a few pointers on how to implement safe driving into your daily routine.

5 rules for safe driving

Looking for ways to become a safer driver? Consider this article a good start.

Nowadays several drivers opt to enroll in defensive driving courses to lower pricey insurance premiums. These courses, although effective, are not always used for the right reasons. While telematics can easily track your every move and notify you when something goes awry, it takes added effort on the driver’s part to actually enhance and refine their driving abilities.

While most automotive experts would agree that improving your defensive driving skills is something everyone can benefit from, there are also just simple tips to keep in mind that will help you achieve safer driving as well. The followings rules are proven methods for increasing your perceptibility of the road. Start applying these simple tips to your everyday routine and its likely your safety will increase as a result.

Rule #1: Always look ahead

When behind the wheel, it’s easy to focus only on the car in front of you. In fact, most drivers think if they keep an eye on that vehicle in particular then they’ll be able to interpret every necessary move that follows. However, any safe driver knows that you must always look ahead. Automotive experts recommend assessing the roadways at least 15 seconds into the future in order to accurately detect important traffic patterns. This level of observation allows you to anticipate collisions or negligent drivers ahead of time.

Rule #2: Give yourself some space

There is nothing worse than tailgating a vehicle in front of you. This style of driving is not only aggressive, but it’s a recipe for an accident. Tailgating in general disrupts traffic flow and creates hostility on highways. Not to mention, if a hazard approaches, you’ll only have 1 second or less to brake before finding yourself and fellow passengers in imminent danger. As a rule of thumb, always leave at least 3 seconds of space between you and the vehicle in front of you.

Rule #3: Communicate with other drivers

Cars are becoming so tech-savvy these days that advanced safety tech can do a lot of the legwork for you. However, there is still such an important need for manually using key features that facilitate safe driving. For instance, using your turn signals and car horn. Drivers should always use their turn signals as an effective means of communication to let drivers know where and when you are going. Your horn was designed as an alert system. Don’t be afraid to use it when your safety is at risk.

Rule #4: Keep your eyes active

Put away the distractions. Make sure passengers are settled and seated before driving off. Never let your eyes stray from the task at hand. These are all the things that need to happen in order for you to keep your eyes active. Distracted driving unfortunately has become a leading cause of traffic collisions in recent years. Despite hands-free technology and all the other bells and whistles, in no scenario should you let your vision shift from focus. As the old saying goes, “Keep your eyes on the road”.

Rule #5: Yield to pedestrians even when they don’t have the right of way

Even though a pedestrian is expected to yield when not at a crosswalk, it’s vital for drivers to yield anyways. Due to the severity of pedestrian accidents, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. If you see a pedestrian is crossing the road unexpectedly, do your part and slow down. Let the pedestrian get safely across the road. While you might disagree with their actions, it’s worth making sure both you and the pedestrian act in the best manner.

Safe driving looks good on you!

We hope these simple yet effective safe driving tips are a good reminder of how to embark on your next outing. Although safe driving is always a work in progress, it’s tips like these that will help you stay focused and perceptive of traffic around you.

To learn more safe driving tips, head over to our Safety Archives for leading news, resources, and more.