Do you think you are a good, safe driver? While you might be happy with your driving abilities, the chances are that others might think you still have a bit to learn. Regardless of how long anyone has held a driver licence, there is always something they could do to be better. Here are a few steps to becoming a safer driver.
Know the rules and responsibilities
It’s always a good idea to be aware of your legal rights and responsibilities before hitting the road. A good working knowledge of the dos and don’ts of driving is advantageous – it makes clear which behaviours are safe and unsafe. Visit professional law and traffic regulation information sites such as GC Traffic Lawyers for a rundown of current practices.
Practice defensive driving
Leave the aggression at the door and drive defensively. Before you get angry at the person sitting too long at the intersection in front of you, consider their position and what might be making them delay. People who get aggressive behind the wheel start taking unnecessary risks and are more likely to cause an accident. Keep calm, and you’ll be a safer driver for it.
Don’t drink drive
After all the campaigns and moral crusades in the past 30 or more years, you would think that this could be dropped from the ‘safe driver reminder’ lists. Why then do people continue to do it? The number of people who drive after drinking heavily is actually reducing. It is light drinkers who have misjudged their alcohol intake that continue to be caught driving under the influence. A little alcohol can severely impair your abilities. Play it safe and take a cab if you are going to drink anything.
Don’t speed
Ever heard the old adage ‘speed kills’? You should have – it’s been around for years and it’s true. Yet people continue to ignore the obvious and exceed the speed limits. Engineers and road safety experts have examined all the roads and placed speed limits on them for safety reasons. Ignoring them because you think you can handle a higher speed doesn’t make you a good driver – it makes you unsafe.
Avoid distractions
Finally, when you are driving a car, place all your concentration on that one task. People who are not properly focused on the road cause too many accidents. An accident can happen in just a few moments of distraction. Don’t get dressed or put your makeup on while driving, the driver’s seat is not a restaurant table and stop looking for CDs under the seats or on the floor. The road and surrounding traffic should be your only focus when you’re behind the wheel.
Don’t forget that driving is dangerous. You are propelling a heavyweight projectile down a comparatively narrow road at high speed, while other heavyweight projectiles come at you from the opposite direction. If we follow the rules, keep our concentration and use our common sense, we can make it a lot safer for everyone.
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