Driving a car is a skill and needs to be practiced. It isn’t simply a case that you get behind the wheel of a car and that’s it. You have to take on certain habits when driving to stay safe and drive in a way that helps your car stay in good condition.
There are a lot of skills that can be worked on after you’ve gotten your driver’s license so you can get better over time. You’ll see benefits such as saving money on your insurance, never needing a car accident attorney like the ones from this website, and staying safe while on the road.
In this article, we will go over some of the habits safe drivers have that you should practice as well.
1 – Don’t drive distracted
There are a lot of things that many drivers do that are distracting and can easily put them in a situation in which they cause or can’t avoid an accident. Safe drivers are the ones who resist the urge to do anything besides just paying attention to what is happening on the road.
Texting and driving, for instance, is something that should never happen as it is as dangerous as driving drunk. Reading a text and then responding can take your eyes off the road for up to 10 seconds. In this time a lot of things can happen around you that you aren’t aware of.
In this time, you could rear-end the car in front of you or even drive off of the road. The results can be disastrous.
Even eating while driving makes for a dangerous situation as your hands are not free to take the wheel to be able to respond to a dangerous event.
2 – Don’t drive aggressively
There are a lot of drivers on the road that are not paying attention or are carelessly breaking the rules. It is natural to want to rage when in a close call with one of these drivers and confront them. However, it is best to stay calm and not drive aggressively to make a point.
Instead, take a deep breath and let it go. Some people are going to cut you off and speed around you. Let them have their moment because if you decide to do something about it you are likely to get into an accident.
3 – Give braking distance
Leaving enough distance ahead of you between you and the other car will be a big reason you are in fewer accidents than other drivers. This distance is crucial so if that car stops, there is enough time for you to come to a complete stop. It could be the difference between a major pileup and simply a rough stop that is a close call.
It all depends on how fast the cars are traveling as to how much distance you need to leave. Think of at least three car lengths if you are traveling over 30 miles per hour.