Tips For Driving Safely
No matter how competent and safe you think you are at driving, even the most experienced drivers can become involved in an accident.
Take a minute to read these tips on safer driving.
- Don’t trust other drivers to be careful on the roads. However hard you are concentrating on the road and your surroundings, the driver coming towards you may be fiddling with their phone, the stereo or just generally distracted.
- As a rule, during dry weather conditions, you should leave a minimum of 2 seconds between you and the vehicle in front. Double this to at least 4 seconds when visibility is low, and double the distance again during severe weather conditions. Keep the space around your vehicle clear to create an escape route out of trouble. Avoid driving alongside other vehicles especially if it places you in their blind spot. If someone drives alongside you, adjust your speed to create space between you.
- Observe and anticipate what is happening on the road ahead and watch other road users around you. This allows you to react quickly to a hazardous situation and time to plan to avoid possible danger.
- Take your time driving in built-up areas or congested conditions. Keeping your distance and sticking to the speed limit allows you more time to pay extra attention to your surroundings particularly where there are junctions, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, take extra care to anticipate what pedestrians and other road users might do.
- If the person behind you is tailgating or driving erratically then, when safe to do so, pull over and let them pass. You can’t control what other road users do but you can avoid putting yourself in a dangerous position.