While most people might think that they’re good drivers, the fact still remains that people the world over get in car accidents every hour of every day. With this in mind, it stands to reason that almost everyone could benefit from building a few more good habits while behind the wheel and breaking some of the bad habits that may have crept in over the years.
To help you in doing just this, here are three things you can start doing today to help make yourself a better drive.
Enable All Your Safety Equipment
If you’re driving a newer vehicle, you have so much safety equipment installed right into your car that can help you to avoid car accidents—if you only choose to use it.
While you can opt out of the functionality of some of these safety features, Tim Gibson, a contributor to The Telegraph, recommends that you take a look at your owner’s manual and turn on all the possible safety equipment that’s available to you in your car. Things like blind spot indicators, automated braking, and lane assist can all help to keep a safe distance between you and any other object or vehicle. But if you don’t have these features turned you, they can’t do you any good.
Although these things might be annoying to you at first, they can really make a big difference when it comes to your reaction times when a car accident might be imminent.
Keep Your Eyes Up And Moving
To be the best driver you can be, you’ve got to give the road your complete and undivided attention. As part of this, it’s helpful to know where you look when you’re behind the wheel.
According to Elianna Lev, a contributor to Reader’s Digest Canada, most people should be looking further ahead than they actually do. Ideally, drivers should try to look 12 to 15 seconds ahead of themselves when driving in a city and about 20 to 30 seconds ahead when on a highway or freeway.
By looking this far ahead and always moving your eyes between your mirrors and the destination right in front of you, you should be able to see any potential dangers that could be headed your way.
Schedule Regular Car Maintenance
One big reason people wind up being less safe while traveling on the road is because they haven’t kept up with the necessary maintenance on their vehicles. If you’ve been neglecting to do things like checking your tire pressure on a regular basis or ensuring that your fluid levels are sufficient, Aaron Miller, a contributor to Thrillist.com, recommends that you start making it a habit to do so, as small things like this can make a big difference in the safety of your car.
If you’re wanting to be a safer and more confident driver when you’re behind the wheel, consider starting some of the good habits mentioned above.
