Be a Great Driver
Driving is like an art, not everyone is physically or mentally able to do it well. To some, it comes naturally, to others, it takes time.
Contents
Steps
Before You Get Behind the Wheel
- Study your permit book. This will help you to brush up on some rules of the road you may have forgotten. This book also contains many safe driving tips.
- Don't get nervous. This will only lead to worse driving. Try not to think too much about what you are going to do. A relaxed driver will tend to make fewer mistakes and will often be able to adjust better if little mishaps do occur. A good way to relax is to listen to soft music on your car radio to calm yourself down.
- Get lots of sleep. When you are tired, it is harder to see and react to things going on outside your car. Getting a good night's sleep will help to relax you for your driving experience as well.
- Clear your field of vision. Try not to have anything hanging from your windshield and/or piled up in front of your rear window. These decrease your field of vision and can distract you.
Once Behind the Wheel
- Practice incessantly. If you practice in different driving situations, your ability to drive well will increase dramatically.
- Always think what drivers around you are trying to do. This helps a lot. Always think one or two steps ahead of your current action so as to reduce hesitation while driving. This will help you avoid accidents.
- Know who you are driving with. If there is a person who has the potential to distract you from driving, have them sit in the back and refrain from talking to you.
- Be confident while driving. One of the worst things you can do while driving is to hesitate. If you choose to move to some area, make sure it is safe and then do so without hesitation. Drivers who hesitate and make jerky moves can make driving conditions hazardous to others around them.
- Know weather conditions. There are many cases where the weather can pose a problem for drivers. Try to avoid these conditions as much as possible by watching the news for forecasts. Practice driving in poor weather conditions in a safe environment, such as a deserted parking lot.
- Do not show off. By driving needlessly dangerously, you only show others you do not believe in your driving skills.
- Be smooth. A good driver may overtake while seamlessly passing oncoming traffic with just two smooth flow-motion maneuvers, while a clumsy driver will make driving straight on a deserted road look dangerous. There's a simple rule: All considerations must be taken before commencing the maneuver. Once you decide to do something, do it without hesitation. For example: Overtaking with an oncoming traffic is a hard decision to take. Once you decide on it, other drivers will be willing to slow down or move aside to let you pass, as long as you maintain your speed and heading. Understanding that you don't have the distance or engine power to complete the overtaking and hitting the brakes in the opposite side of the road would only bewilder any oncoming driver, who would be otherwise willing to slow down or get half of their vehicle in the shoulder of the road to let you by.
- Know your vehicle. Get used to the maximum speed, acceleration, turn radius, overall size and stability of your vehicle. If you're a seasoned 18-wheeler driver, overtaking with only {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of lateral distance wouldn't be a problem for you. If you just got your light vehicle driving license (B category in the EU, also known as a 'child's permit'), you need greater distance.
- Heed larger vehicles. Never threaten large vehicles with your driving! Professional truck drivers are capable of handling situations that would get a less experienced driver killed. If you have a child's permit, remember those 18-wheelers are very quick in their acceleration and very hard in stopping! When you wait for a left turn and you see a 20-tonne Mercedes Actros coming your way, don't rely on the fact it's going to slow down, or be too clumsy to hit you! These modern tractors are capable of moving at {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} especially when fully laden, and most of them do 0 to 100 faster than your car.
- However, a head-on collision between a car and a tractor has never been won by the car hitherto!
Tips
- Read your car's manual to familiarize yourself with all the subtle nuances of the car. If it starts to rain and you're in heavy traffic, you don't want to have to be searching for the windshield wiper control.
- If you don't have the manual, or the opportunity to read it, look around the dashboard of the car to locate the important controls; headlights, windshield wipers, defroster, and anything else you might consider important.
- Know your way around. A good driver is always very good with directions. Worrying about which turn to take and which lane to get in will make you more tense and will also distract you from good driving techniques.
- Remove all distractions from your use, including cell phones, iPods, etc.
- Get a car that has good handling. This will help you keep control of your car in many situations.
- When cleaning your windshield, clean both the outside AND inside of the windshield. Many people make the mistake of not cleaning the inside of the windshield, and because of this, their field of vision is blurred.
Warnings
- Watch for aggressive drivers and stay away.
- If you consumed any drug such as alcohol or a sedative that can impair your reflexes, wait at least 12 hours before driving.
- Do not use your cell phone while driving.
- Don't get in your vehicle unless you are prepared to drive!
- Don't start the engine if you feel stressed. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and slowly count till 10.
- Minimize driving at night as this will make it harder to drive safely.
- Do not eat or drink while driving.
