If you find yourself regularly behind the wheel of a car, then you should already have a set of safe driving tips committed to memory. That’s why you take a driving test, right? Some things are – or should be – obvious and adhered to by everyone on the road: don’t drive drunk, always wear a seatbelt, indicate before you turn, and so on. But the world of driving safety is evolving, and so are cars. Driving today is not quite the same as was even ten or twenty years ago and with that comes not only new challenges, but also new technology to help you along the way.
Driverless cars are the future development that everybody is looking forward to, but they could be some way off yet. Nevertheless, there are range of new technologies that are changing the face of motoring. Not least among these is the eventual rise of the electric car, a development that has already made some significant differences to life on the road. In addition to this, the sheer number of cars is ever-increasing, and all this despite the recent trends towards carpooling and public transport. For sure, it is a different world for the driver today.
Some driving tips, however, never change. But even so, many are not as obvious to every driver as they should be. Safe driving goes far beyond the obvious, and there are actually several ways to optimize safety for yourself and everybody on board. And when it comes to driving non-conventional vehicles (and that includes electric cars) there are additional safety tips that you should certainly keep in mind.
And if that wasn’t enough, it also matters tremendously where in the world you find yourself driving. Driving in rural environments is a different kettle of fish to driving in a busy city, driving in some cities is different from driving in others, driving abroad can necessitate some important changes too.All of these go far beyond the basics learned for a typical driving test.
Read on then for some of the less obvious driving tips, and how to survive as a motorist in the 21st century:
Pay Attention to the Weather
How you drive is something that is massively contingent on the weather conditions outside. Obviously, driving in heavy rain or when there is poor visibility necessitates that you slow down a bit and proceed carefully. Ideally, every motorist on the road should be doing this, but that is rarely the case. This is because enforcing certain driving regulations that only apply during bad weather would be impossible. The weather is just too changeable, and for many experienced drivers only the most exceptional weather will prompt a change of attitude.
The trick, then, is to strike a balance. Drive carefully in fog, rain, and snow, but do not suddenly become super timid, crawling around corners or going at an unacceptably slow pace on main roads or elsewhere. Being overcautious can be dangerous in its own way, and not everybody else on the road will necessarily be accommodating. A good tip is to simply avoid driving altogether if the weather is too daunting. Public transport infrastructure is usually geared towards the typical weather in a particular area and so leaving earlier and getting the train or a bus is nearly always an option. On cold days, black ice and slippery roads can be lethal, so unless you feel totally comfortable driving in these conditions, it is best not to.
Keep Your Vehicle in Top Condition
This tip is certainly nothing new to the world of driving and it is fairly obvious the benefits of making sure your vehicle is well maintained and that all the safety features are in a good working order. Nevertheless, the definition of “top condition” can be subjective, and many drivers simply can’t afford neither the time nor the money to keep their car in a loosely defined “top condition”. The trick is to observe whether any problems with your car actually make driving more difficult for you. If you just don’t feel comfortable anymore following some slight tyre wear, or if poorly maintained local roads make flawless suspension a necessity, then you’ll know just when to get your car serviced.
Optimize the Onboard Safety of Your Vehicle
This is a tip that can mean many different things, and which is changing all the time. One thing that will certainly make your driving experience safer is to make the best use of new safety technology, which is constantly being developed and refined. This does not mean that you need to equip your vehicle with every latest safety gadget to make your driving safe, but there are some products that are well worth making use of.
For example, new radar or laser technology can inform the driver of approaching obstacles and trigger an alert when getting too close. This can be invaluable, especially for new or inexperienced drivers (it is also great for those who have trouble parking in tight spaces). There are also a series of invaluable onboard safety items that can bring peace of mind to the driver, for example compact powder extinguishers for cars. These can avert the most serious of problems if something goes wrong. Keeping abreast of technological developments, and then investing in the products that seem to be the most useful, is the way to proceed.
Be Aware of the Differences Between Different Types of Cars
Not all cars are the same, and a great modern safety tip is to be aware of the differences if you upgrade or change to a different type of vehicle. If you are driving an electric car, for example, then all the responsibilities involved in engine care become obsolete. It is now battery care that you need to think about, and that comes with a whole host of different responsibilities, such as seeking out shaded parking spots and avoiding charging it all the way up 100% each time. The same is true for any non-conventional car, so bear this in mind if you suddenly find yourself behind the wheel of a truck or a minibus instead of your usual Ford Ka.
Ultimately, safe driving is only an umbrella term that encompasses a great deal of situation–specific safety tips. It is naïve to think that you know everything there is to know – regardless of how long you’ve been on the road.