How To Become A Good Driver

We all think that we are the best drivers in town. We skip off the red light signal. We think that we own the road since we have paid our share of tax. We abuse anyone who doesn’t let us pass while we are in high speed. We do all sorts of stupid stuff just to prove the point that we are the best possible drivers in town but we don’t even realise that all these features makes us the worst driver, as these are the most important guidelines one has to follow while driving a vehicle. So to earn yourself a status of BEST DRIVER read the following provided steps.

Most of us while driving tend to drive subconsciously while we are engrossed in our other tasks like field phone calls, chat, eat or drink. How can we forget the most important aspect of the driving and call ourselves the best driver in town? No, we are not. The most crucial and the most important step of safe driving is ‘paying attention’. Now don’t try and fool yourself with those counter points of your saying ‘no, we pay attention’ but the truth is you don’t didn’t I say that it’s your subconscious mind driving and lemme’ enlighten you with the fact that most of the accidents is caused due to the inattention on the part of driver. If you want to talk, then go park the car and  talk. What’s the matter with parking and taking your call? But we don’t get that point until we ourselves get into the worst situation.

The second step is called driving defensively. Driving defensively refers to driving cautiously, giving yourself the proper space and time to react to a problematic situation. It is your ability to physically direct your car from any harm when such problematic time arises and also it is the ability to read traffic and predict the hazardous situation. If you have both these capabilities then you are definitely supposed to drive with a calm state of mind. Since, being agitated obviously serves to slow down your judgment and reaction ability. Which is exactly what alcohol does, but we’ll talk about it later. Right now the, major concern is to make you a sound driver. Back on the track, a sound and calm mind will keep you focused, which will allow you the time and space to react, say for the simplest example, letting your car in the ditch is better than any head on collision if there is a choice between two.

The third crucial element in the quick decision making is space. I might have said this couple of time already but then ‘space’ is actually one of the major concerns. How do you expect a safe return when you drive just four inches away from the vehicle ahead of you? You really won’t get the choice in that condition. Also it blinds you from the traffic. Obviously you won’t be able to see anything besides the vehicle in your front and that is one of the major loss of information. So, give yourself at least car lengths or more. Even the two seconds rule is also good. If you are familiar with that then use that rule. Remember that you are driving YOUR car and not racing against anyone.

In the night you drive at a much faster pace because you are not able to see any hazards of driving but at foggy conditions you drive slowly because you are not able to see anything let alone the hazards. So the trick of the trade is driving within your limits. Drive at a more measured pace. Avoid driving fast especially in two situations, first at the time of first rains when the rain washes the dirt on the road making it more hazard prone and embedding oil in the rough surfaces. In this type of situation go slow, allow your tyre to find traction, and give yourself time and space in order to stop  ahead of the trouble. The second is the foggy situation. In this situation it is advisable that you should use the low beam of your car only so that you can stop carefully and at the right time if the visibility is too low.

Now there’s a myth that the mechanical failure are the causes behind most of the accidents. This statement is true yet false. Yes mechanical faults are the main problem of many accidents but not majority of the accidents. But anyways accidents are accidents, why not pay attention to that. So, if you have a tyre blown out, the first thing you’ll do is that you’ll apply brakes. DON’T DO THAT. Rather applying the brakes in such situation ease off the accelerator, hold the steering wheel firmly and keep the car going in your lane as it slows. Switch your hazards on and then slowly pull off the road. Always remember that the hazard lights indicate trouble. Use them judiciously and do check your rear view mirror every single time you change direction.

Here are few more guidelines that should be kept in mind while driving to achieve the status of the BEST DRIVER:

1. Do take the advice seriously of wearing your seat belts properly and also make sure every passenger in your car is also wearing them properly.
2. Adjust your whiplash restraint in a level where the top of the whiplash is at a higher position than the top of your head
3. Never try to over estimate the size of your car in order to fit more and more people in it.
4. Don’t try to show off to any one that you can drive in a super fast speed as well. Stick to the speed limits.
5. People think that they can fend the red signal and go away with it easily but they don’t know what is waiting for them afterwards a CRASH. So never jump a red signal and always slow down your speed if you see an amber signal.
6. Make sure your car visibility is good i.e. the windscreen is clean and free from dust or fingerprints.
7. Indicators are called indicators because it is provided to give the indication to the fellow driver driving besides or nearby to you. Use them properly.
8. Please don’t drive like you own the road. Yes, we know you have paid income tax and every other tax, good for you. But that doesn’t gives you licence to drive like you are in the race track.
9. Avoid playing loud music. I know it’s your car and you can do whatever you want but then why don’t you think we are talking about your own safety. It might make you avoid hearing any siren or horn.
10. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.
11. Make sure your car has enough fuel in the tank to reach the desired destination without any problems.
12. Don’t fiddle with any switches while driving the car.
13. You must check out any motorcycles in the lane before changing your lane.
14. Always use the handbrake while the car is parked even on the signal so that it won’t slope downwards.
15. You must ensure your tyres are in a good shape and properly inflated.

Now, here are some tips while overtaking any vehicle:

1. Don’t overtake if you are in doubt about the time and space
2. Don’t overtake if you have to go through the solid white line in order overtake.
3. Don’t over take on some rough or overcrest road.
4. Please understand that it’s not a rat race. It’s not a hard and fast rule that you need to overtake anyone who just overtook you.
5. Overtake if there is dotted line.
6. Overtake when you have plenty of area to pass by.
7. Always use indicators and headlights while overtaking any vehicle.