No matter how good of a driver you think you are, there are always ways you can improve your driving. Take a look at these top ten driving techniques and test yourself on which ones you use. Keep score, one point for every driving technique you use, and see how you measure up.
Now, read on our top ten driving techniques for being a master car driver:
1. I never drive tired
All drivers know that driving impaired by drugs or alcohol is a no-no, but how many drivers get behind the wheel after a long shift at work or refuse to stop for a rest break when driving long distances? Driving tired is every bit as dangerous as driving drunk.
2. Skills on brake
One of the driving technique that makes you a great driver is to brake smoothly and in advance of when it’s needed. Do you slam your foot onto the gas when driving away from a stop? If you see traffic stopped and speed up to it before slamming on your brakes, it’s a point off for you. This is a dangerous habit that not only can lead to accidents but hurts our wallet by wearing out your brakes and using gas inefficiently.
3. I don’t speed
This is a biggie for drivers, but driving techniques that involve safe speeds are best. When you speed, you increase your chances for an accident, run the risk of a nasty speeding ticket, place those around you, including pedestrians and animals, in danger and really use your fuel inefficiently, making speeding a costly game to play. The worst part? Speeding doesn’t make any real, measurable difference to the time it takes to get somewhere.
4. I don’t lose my patience in traffic jams
The way to appear calm, cool and collected in a traffic jam is actually to be calm, cool and collected. Losing your head won’t move any cars out of your way, and growing impatient can lead to rash action, such as abrupt lane changes, that will lead to an accident. Relax, listen to the radio, and just wait it out. This is as much of a driving mindset as it is a driving technique.
5. Allow others to take turns merging
Don’t be that guy. You know the one. He sees everyone merging and zips to the front of the line, angering everyone and holding up traffic more because no one wants to let him over. Merging should always be done in an alternate driver method, each car letting one into its lane in front of it. This is a driving technique that is seldom followed and leads to endless traffic jams for no real reason at all.
6. I always stay away from distracted drivers
If you see a car driving erratically in front of you, behind you, or next to you, get as far away from him as you can. Chances are this driver is texting or may be impaired in some way. At the very least, he is dangerously distracted by something, and could really ruin your day. This is a driving technique that focuses on being aware of your surroundings.
7. I know how to parallel park
This is an issue for suburban drivers who may not need to parallel park on a regular basis because they have driveways and parking lots with pull in spaces. Some may not have parallel parked since they took their driving test. Parallel parking is a driving technique that all driver should be familiar with; you honestly never know when you may need it. It’s also a good idea to at least be familiar with a manual transmission in case you ever find yourself borrowing a stick shift car or having to move one for some reason. Driving a stick is a dying art, but it’s one that all drivers should at least be familiar with.
8. I can correct my car in case of a tire blowout, bad weather, or spin out (hydroplane)
Anytime your car begins to slide out of control, you need to maintain your composure. Instead of looking at the obstacle you are afraid you will hit, turn your eyes in the direction you want the car to go. Remember to steer into the skid (as in, turn the wheel into the opposite direction your car is spinning) and accelerate smoothly out of it. Your hands will always follow your eyes, so keep your focus away from any impending obstacle and on a goal outside of the skid.
9. I’m always aware of what other cars are doing
This is a driving technique that expands your experience from dangerous tunnel vision and turns your attention to the world outside of your car. You can see a trend in traffic from a mile away if you are able to read the clues.
Are people slowing down for no reason you can see, like a turn or an off-ramp? Are people getting out of your lane, or signaling their intention to do so? Do you see any traffic stopped in your lane? If you can read the traffic clues, you can make your adjustments early enough not to be affected by an impending traffic jam.
10. I can identify road hazards resulting from the weather
Knowing what types of hazards you can expect following a weather event is a driving technique that takes time and practice to master. Roads are at their most dangerous when it first starts to drizzle, and slush is just as dangerous loose snow because there is no traction. When the rain first begins, it mixes with oil in the road, bringing it up to the top and creating incredibly slick conditions. Other road hazards include wet leaves, slush following a snow melt, black ice, unpaved sow, and puddles of uncertain depths. In addition, there are certain types of the day that are tougher to drive such as twilight, when the light is grey, and people’s headlights cause confusing disorientation, and rainy nights when headlights and traffic lights reflect from wet surfaces and cause glare.
How did you do? If you got all ten driving techniques, you are a master! Seven to eight means you are holding your own, but if your score is six and below, you might want to take a defensive driving course or a professional driver’s ed to hone your skills and keep you safe on the road.