With more of us on the roads than ever before – getting from A to B safely should be of paramount concern for all of us. But since we cannot control the actions of other road users, we must look to ourselves to lead by example.
Here at Vans4Lease, we’ve got some tips to be the safest driver you can be.
1. Plan Your Route: Know where you’re going ahead of time. Use the Internet before you set off to check weather and road conditions as well as traffic activity on your route. Then you can avoid delays or allow extra drive time.
For longer trips, include a rest stop every two hours. Stop sooner if you are tired.
2. Maintain Your Vehicle: Read your vehicle’s manual and follow the recommended schedule for servicing. Conduct your own routine check-ups on tyres, brakes, lights, wipers, and fluid levels. For good visibility make sure your mirrors, windows and outside lights are clean. Secure any loose items or cargo that could become a hazard.
3. Being a safe driver means being both physically and mentally prepared to drive. Being well rested, alert and attentive enables you to respond quickly when other drivers do not make that choice. Take a break if you start to feel tired.
4. Minimize Your Distractions: People, objects, and events inside and outside your vehicle can distract you. Driving demands total concentration.
5. Know Your Surroundings: Look out for trouble. Scan the roadway continually for hazards. Keep your eyes moving, looking from one side to the other. Know what is happening well ahead of you, watch for taillights. Know what is to the rear and sides of your vehicle. Use the mirrors to keep an eye on traffic behind you.
6. Share Your Space: You share the road with drivers of various ages and skill levels. You also share the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and vehicles of varying sizes. Sharing is caring!
7. Watch Your Speed: Posted maximum speeds are for ideal driving conditions. Adjust your speed for traffic, road and visibility conditions or when not operating at your best. Higher speeds magnify your errors and provide less time to identify and react to a hazard, stopping distances are longer and crashes are more severe.
8. Keep Your Distance: Give yourself room to manoeuvre. You’ll need it in a crisis. To protect yourself, keep a large “safety cushion” around your vehicle. This will enable you to change lanes safely and give you room to take evasive action in emergencies. Keeping a safe distance between vehicles increases your ability to see and to be seen by other drivers.
9. Signal Your Intentions: Be courteous and signal your intentions so other road users know what you plan to do next. Be predictable. Don’t hesitate to use your horn or headlights to establish eye contact, when needed.
10. Always Wear Your Seat Belt: Being properly secured keeps you in control of your vehicle and ready to react to a hazardous situation. So buckle up!
Vans4Lease will be sharing more tips on staying safe on the road so watch this space!