10 Safe Driving Tips

Start by inspecting your vehicle’s headlights and turn signals, be sure that both front and rear headlamps are working properly and visible enough a couple of yards away. Take a reading of your tire pressure and make sure you maintain the recommended maximum. While at it, take a peek under your vehicle and ensure there are no loose objects or leaks.

 

Worn properly, a seat belt prevents you from being tossed around inside of a crashing vehicle or, at worst, flung out through the windshield. Statistics show that over half of all accident fatalities were passengers not using seatbelts [source: NHTSA].

Seems like an obvious one, however you’d be surprised how many of us fail to keep our mobile phones at bay whilst driving. And drivers using a mobile phone are four times more likely to crash their vehicle. Mobile devices are one of the biggest distractions to drivers because they demand full attention: manual, visual, and cognitive, causing you to take your hands off the steering wheel, your eyes off the road, and your mind off the road. If you happen to be a passenger in a moving vehicle operated by a distracted driver, you need to intervene as they are putting the occupants of the vehicle at risk.

 

Since you cannot read the intention of the driver in front of you, don’t tailgate. Maintain some distance between your car and the car ahead in order to give yourself enough response time should the car ahead make a sudden turn or stop. Experts recommend using a three to four seconds gap. This simply means you should look ahead for a stationary object, as soon as the car ahead of yours passes the object, start counting the seconds until you pass the same object. You can increase this to seven or eight seconds when driving at night or in bad weather.

 

At higher speeds, the risk of crashing your vehicle increases. Research shows that the likelihood of being involved in a car crash increases by 4–5 percent for every mph you travel [source: ERSO]. For short trips around town, driving at 10 mph will save you a couple of minutes while increasing the likelihood of crashing by up to 50 percent. The risk of crashing is even higher on long trips. If you leave five to ten minutes earlier, there’ll be no need to over speed.

 

Dirty mirrors and windshield produce the same distracting effect on drivers. Smeared mirrors can produce glare in your eyes when they diffuse the light from cars behind you into various shapes. Wiping with a microfiber towel or newspaper will help remove the smear. And then to protect your eyes from the headlights of cars behind you, aim the mirrors downwards, this way you can move your head away from the light or tip forward to see the cars behind you.

 

7. Take a break every 2 hours or 200 Km

For long-distance journeys, it is recommended to take a driving break every 2 hours or 200 Km. Stop to grab a bite, ease yourself, fill up, or simply stretch your muscles. This way you’ll get a mental boost until the next stop.

 

 

During the dry season, engine oil and grease from passing cars build up on roads and highways. The first rains are notorious for one thing, making the road incredibly slick as the water mixes with the motor fluid. This is slick mixture reduces friction between tire and the asphalt, which is why drivers are advised to drive at a low speed. After a few hours of rainfall, the water will eventually wash away the greasy build-up.

 

Driving on the highway and driving on the street are two different experiences. If you are not comfortable driving on the highway don’t for it, keep learning on the streets. When you feel it’s time to move to the highway follow the last two tips and have an experienced driver or professional with you.

 

 

10. Update your driving skills

There are lots of community education programs or local organizations that teach older adults driver safety. Consider taking a refresher course to update your driving skills so you and others can stay safe.