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No matter how good of a driver you are, or how much training you’ve had, sooner or later you’re likely to find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s why they’re called accidents, and no one ever has “get rear-ended by inattentive driver on the highway” on their calendar. You can never be 100 percent safe, since driving involves too many variables beyond your control (like other drivers, for example).
That said, there are things you can do to minimize your risk of an accident, and most won’t cost you a thing. Below are five tips that should help you maintain a clean driving record, but I’ll add another in advance: consider taking a track-based driving school, because nothing will teach you more about your car, its limits and your own skills than an instructor-led training session.
Ask most American drivers where they look while driving, and their answer will be “at the car in front of me.” Ask most German drivers the same question, and they’re likely to tell you “four or five cars ahead of me.” The difference is reaction time; if you’re watching traffic four cars ahead of you, you’ve got a lot more time to respond to sudden changes in traffic flow than if you’re watching the car in front of you. Always look at least three cars ahead of you, and if you can’t see around the truck you’re behind, change lanes or leave additional space between your vehicles.
No matter what traffic lane you’re in, always leave enough room for an escape if there’s a sudden change in traffic flow ahead of you. Even if you can stop in time, what are the chances that the driver behind you (with the cell phone glued to his ear) is paying attention? Don’t let other motorists linger in your blind spot, preventing a lane change. Speed up or slow down until you have an escape lane.
In rush hour congestion, this strategy is rarely possible, which makes tip number one all the more important.
Yes, this includes obvious things like texting, talking on a hand-held cell phone or surfing the internet, but it also includes driving while medicated or extremely tired. Understand that if you’re not at one-hundred percent, your reaction time won’t be either. Plan accordingly, and if you’re fatigued take frequent rest stops. A few minutes of fresh air outside the car will help more than those caffeine-laden energy drinks.
This should be obvious, but it really isn’t. If there’s snow on the ground, or if the roads are wet, your car lacks the same traction it has on dry pavement. All-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive may help some, but you’re still at the mercy of the contact patch between your tires and the road surface. Since most drivers over-estimate their ability to control a car under adverse conditions, slow things down when conditions are bad.
The same applies to inexperienced drivers, or even experienced drivers in a new car. Just because your car is capable of pulling .95 g on a skid pad doesn’t mean you’re capable of doing the same thing on a highway off-ramp. Learn your limits, and those of your car, in a controlled environment.
Next time you’re in a parking lot, look at how many cars have bald tires. On the road, listen to how many drivers have worn-out brakes (usually indicated by a squeal when brakes are applied). You may not have money for new tires, but trust me: if you have an accident and get taken to court, a lawyer will cost you much, much more than a set of tires. Skip the extra week of vacation if you have to, since your safety (and the safety of drivers around you) is much more important.
Trust your intuition as well; if you get a feeling that you need to leave more room for a particular driver, you probably do. The more aware you are of what’s going on around you, the less likely you’ll have an accident. It’s commons sense if you stop and think about it.
Photo credit: morgueFile