Whether you’re behind the wheel or in the passenger seat, driving is an important aspect of our lives. With new legislation and technologies, the driving landscape is always changing. Unfortunately, most drivers on the road today have no recollection of taking a driver’s education course. However, given the number of hours and miles you spend behind the wheel, you might want to hear from seasoned drivers about their driving experiences and lessons learned.
From seasoned drivers, here are seven ideas to make your driving experience less stressful and more enjoyable.
1. Take All The Training You Can Get
It is recommended that you complete a refresher or advanced driver training course. Most people take one driving lesson while they are in their teens and then forget about it until they are 75 or 80. If you’re a Manchester resident driver, you need to attend a refresher course every ten years to maintain your skills up to date. A competent driving school provides more driver testing skills. If truck and bus drivers are required to take road tests every five years, the rest of the drivers should do so every ten years.
2. Remain Calm During Unexpected Events
When a motorist jerks the steering wheel in response to an unexpected occurrence, such as hitting a patch of black ice, another car drifting into their lane, or becoming distracted and drifting onto the rumble strips, they are said to be overreacting. As a result, the vehicle goes into an uncontrollable spin, skidding over the other lanes.
Keep your cool, calm, and concentrate in such a situation. Instead of pulling the car back onto the road, keep your hands on the wheel, look in the direction you want to travel, properly position the car, let go of the throttle and brake, and slowly maneuver into the proper lane.
3. Be extra Careful In Bad Weather
In inclement weather, be especially cautious. Increase the distance between you and the car ahead of you, consider going slower than the posted speed limit, and be cautious around curves. Consider waiting it out in a safe location if the driving conditions worsen.
If visibility is impaired by fog or snow, and you opt to park on the side of the road, ensure your lights are turned off. Drivers who are also dealing with bad vision will be on the watch for other cars to follow, and they may not notice yours is stationary until it is too late.
4. Accelerate Slowly If Your Tire Explodes
The first thing you do when a tire blows out is stomp on the brakes. If there is traffic behind you, this is not only a bad idea, but it could also cause your automobile to fishtail and lose control. A seasoned driver might recommend accelerating gradually to gain control of your vehicle, then coasting to slow down and coming to a stop off the side of the road with your hazard lights on.
5. Dry Your Brakes after Driving Through a Puddle
Before even the tiniest of puddles, you should slow down and walk across them without altering speed or moving. When a car loses traction, it becomes difficult to control. There’s a danger that water will get into the ignition system and cause the engine to stall if you drive quickly. Aside from that, aquaplaning could begin.
First, dry the brakes. Press the brake pedal a few times while pressing the gas pedal. Friction generates heat, which causes water to evaporate from the brakes. Don’t cut your engine or vary your speed after passing through a large puddle.
6. Maintain Proper Following Distance
This is one of the most erroneous driving recommendations ever devised. Maintaining a safe following distance is just as crucial as maintaining a safe speed. After all, even if you’re traveling 120 mph, you’ll never hit another vehicle if there’s adequate distance between you and them. It’s a human inclination to congregate in groups for some reason, which may be seen in driving patterns. If you leave too much space between you and the vehicle in front of you on the freeway, you’ll get cut off. In the event of an emergency, this suggestion could save your life.
7. Always Obey The Speed Limits
Many drivers believe that going a few miles over the speed limit is entirely fine to save a few minutes on their route. Even when it appears to be somewhat safe, speeding is dangerous. The quicker you go, the longer it takes for your vehicle to slow down. As a result, you will have less time to react effectively in a potentially harmful circumstance.
Review these seven driving recommendations if you want to improve your chances of keeping safe on the road. No matter how experienced a driver you are, it’s a good idea to review the fundamentals of traffic safety from time to time to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to keep yourself, other drivers, and pedestrians safe.