You can’t control other people’s driving behavior, but you can control yours. Here are some tips to take on the road.
Safe driving habits
Stay focused
Don’t text, call, or do anything that takes your mind or eyes off the road.
Maintain safe distances
Keep a three-second gap or more between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
Wear prescribed glasses and use sunglasses
Wear your prescribed driving glasses. Your driver’s license will indicate whether you have driving restrictions, including eyeglasses. If possible, keep a second set of eyeglasses in your car so you don’t forget them. Keep a spare pair of sunglasses in your car as well. Sun glare can cause major visibility issues.
Obey posted speed limits
Speed limits are set based on road conditions and locations. Take it slow in residential areas, schools and road work zones. If you need more incentive, speeding tickets increase your insurance premiums.
Watch for road changes
Slow down before curves and dips in the road, especially at high speeds. This will help you avoid rolling over or losing contact with the road. Reduce your speed whenever the road composition changes, like from cement to gravel. Loose gravel roads have very little friction and cannot support high speeds. You’ll lose control of your vehicle if you don’t slow down significantly before hitting the gravel.
Practice defensive driving
Use the “scan 360” technique. This is when you continuously check your mirrors (rearview and side), monitor your blind spots, observe the road conditions ahead and look out for pedestrians. By staying aware of your surroundings, you can better anticipate and react to road hazards, like sudden stops or lane changes.
Give yourself room
Part of the scan 360 technique is monitoring what other drivers are doing. Look for an out and a cushion of space around you to ensure you have room to make a sudden lane change in response to another driver. This might mean having a lane to escape to or even the shoulder if another driver swerves into your lane. Leave space in front of your vehicle, especially at stops, on hills and at intersections when waiting to turn.
Stay calm
Avoid getting upset while driving. You could hurt yourself or others. Take the next exit and pull over if you’re getting emotional about other people’s driving. Taking a break or stepping out of your vehicle to stretch can change your perspective. If other drivers engage in road rage, like cutting each other off out of spite, give them space. Don’t get involved. If someone’s engaging you, don’t respond. Don’t make gestures or get caught up in games. If you can, take the next exit and wait it out so you don’t have to share the road with that driver. Road raging is not worth it.
Prepare for adverse weather
Plan routes according to weather conditions. Avoid severe storms, icy roads or conditions with poor visibility. Slow down in rain, snow and fog. If possible, delay traveling until conditions improve.
Use signals
Turn signaling avoids confusion for other drivers and helps prevent collisions. Hazard lights or emergency flashers alert drivers when your vehicle is stopped or driving abnormally due to an issue or emergency, like a mechanical failure, flat tire, or medical emergency. Use your hazards when you need to significantly reduce your speed due to dangerous weather, like heavy fog or snow.
Vehicle maintenance
Keep tires properly inflated
Check your tire pressure regularly and ensure it matches your car manufacturer’s recommendations. These are printed inside the driver’s side door.
Inspect and maintain brakes
Worn-out brakes lead to delayed response times and accidents. Schedule routine brake inspections and replace brake pads when necessary.
Get annual vehicle checkups
Schedule comprehensive inspections to diagnose mechanical issues early and avoid breakdowns on the road. Time your checkups to coincide with significant season changes, like fall to winter. This will ensure that your car can handle the temperature changes.
Clean and align headlights
Dirty or improperly aligned headlights reduce visibility at night. Check your headlight alignment using the “wall test,” recommended by the consumer insights company J.D. Power:
- Park your car on level ground about 1 foot (or as close as you safely can) from a flat wall or garage door.
- Turn on your low-beam headlights.
- Get out of the car and mark where the center of each beam is on the wall using masking or painters tape.
- Back up your car in a straight line 25 feet from the wall.
- Put your car in park.
- Turn on the low-beam headlights again to check the beam alignment.
- The top of each beam should be slightly below the marks, and the beams should be centered or angled slightly to the right. If the alignment is off, use the headlight adjustment screws located under the hood near the lights to raise, lower or shift the beams as needed. Or have your mechanic realign them for you.
Use headlight bulbs rated for your vehicle
Only use light bulbs rated for your vehicle. LEDs and halogens aren’t always compatible with older cars. Using LED headlights in older cars may reduce the projected light beam and cause unsafe glare for oncoming traffic. Install legal retrofits for LEDs or use a quality halogen bulb rated for your vehicle. Most states only allow headlights to have a white, yellowish-white or amber glow. This is for safety and to avoid confusion with emergency vehicles.
Defensive driving is safe driving
Even though you can’t control everyone, you can be prepared to respond. Stay calm and focused when you’re behind the wheel.