As a driver, you have a responsibility not only to yourself but to everyone else on the road as well. So, if you can improve your skills in any way, you should take steps to do this. As well as looking after your own safety and the safety of those around you, keeping out of accidents also has the other advantage of reducing your insurance premiums. So, in this blog post, we will be looking at a few of the ways that you can train yourself to be a better driver. Whether you are just getting behind the wheel for the first time or you are an experienced motorist, here is some advice that you can use.
Take Additional Driving Courses
You may have thought that the one to get your license was the last driving test that you needed to take, but there is nothing wrong with advancing your skills. First of all, there are many classes like American Safety Council’s defensive driving course which can save you money on insurance and keep points off your license. Some of the information provided in these courses is likely to be things that you have long-forgotten and the course may even give you useful tips to be a better driver. There are also plenty of advanced driving courses which will help you to upgrade the skills you already have.
Go Back to Basics
When you are learning to drive, the techniques that you are being taught are designed to make you the best driver that you can be. However, a couple of months (or even a couple of minutes) after you have passed your test, many of these good habits quickly fall by the wayside. For example, keeping your hands properly positioned on the steering wheel to give you maximum control is an essential part of driving, yet so many people keep one arm by their side or resting out of the window. Before you even set off, you should be adjusting your mirrors to give you the best view of the road around you. The last thing that you want to be doing is fixing your mirrors when you are out on the highway!
Remove All Distractions
Let’s face it, the main distraction while you are driving is one item – your smartphone. The number of accidents caused by people on their phones is rising, and to avoid adding to this number, you should keep your phone elsewhere. To avoid any temptation to check in while you are on the road, you could set it to silent mode and store it away in your glove compartment. Getting caught on your phone can also result in a hefty fine and points on your license if you needed another reason to put it away.
Stick to the Limit
Though we all want to get to our destinations faster, there is no point doing so at the expense of your safety. If you don’t end up in an accident, you could easily wind up with a ticket. Not only this, it is the more fuel efficient method of driving as well, so you will also save yourself some money. In fact, conservative driving is always going to be the best approach when it comes to fuel efficiency, so avoid any harsh braking and acceleration when you can, don’t follow too close to the car in front of you and adjust your driving depending on the conditions. We will go into more detail about this later on in the article.
Know the Best Way to Merge in Traffic
Lane merging is an issue for a lot of drivers – even many of the more experienced ones. While some people wait right until the last minute to join the flow of traffic, others take their place a long time before an exit. In fact, the ‘zipper merge’ system is a good one to learn. But even when people are driving aggressively and try to force their way in front of you, the best policy is to simply let them do this. If you try to block them off, you could lead them into becoming more unpredictable and an accident could easily ensue.
Adjust Your Driving Depending on Conditions
Hazardous conditions can affect even the best drivers, so you need to be prepared to adjust your driving depending on what you are facing. For example, you need to know what to do if you start skidding in icy conditions, how to drive properly at night time, and how to deal with reduced visibility caused by snow or rain. Once you have the theoretical knowledge, you then need to start putting the techniques into practice on the road. Good driving takes a conscious shift in what you are currently doing rather than being a quality which comes naturally.
Know Where You Are Going
Many accidents are caused by people who simply don’t know where they are going. Though we have a big reliance on GPS systems these days, they can still result in some problems when you try to follow them too closely and undertake potentially dangerous manoeuvres. Before you get behind the wheel of a car, it helps to know where you are going – or at least have a rough idea. This way, you are only relying on your sat nav system for support rather than expecting it to give you complete directions.
Keep Practising
No matter how long you have been driving for, there are always things to learn. Don’t close your mind off and think that you know everything. Traffic laws change over time so you need to keep up to date with these. Not only this, cars are always being fitted with the latest technology and a lot of this is about keeping you safe when you are out on the roads. It is always worth striving to be a better driver for your own safety and the wellbeing of other road users.
