Let’s face it: The last time many of us gave any thought to the rules of driver safety was when we had to pass a written and road test to get our licenses. The good news is that, as long as we don’t let our licenses expire, we don’t have to re-test.
However, this is both a blessing and a curse. It’s convenient not to have to re-take the exam every time we renew our license. This also means that we go for years, if not decades, learning bad driving habits. We forget key rules of driver safety and responsible vehicle ownership until an accident occurs.
Thankfully, this checklist is here to help you remember the basic rules a safe driver should follow.
Situational Awareness Is Key
Many rules of the road, like allowing 3 seconds’ worth of space between yourself and the car in front of you, rely on your situational awareness. This also applies to other driving rules such as:
- Turning your headlights on at dawn, dusk, or during inclement weather
- Keeping your eyes on the road and maintaining a steady, controllable speed
- Watching and obeying all road signs, including speed limits, stop signs, and yield signs
- Looking to your sides and behind you before backing out of a parking space
All of these driver safety rules come down to one thing: Your awareness of your surroundings.
Distracted Driving Kills
While there are many smart driving innovations in the automotive industry that make driving a less hands-on process, it’s better not to be distracted. Distracted driving costs many people their lives and livelihoods each year. You can be a smart driver and avoid distracted driving by:
- Not eating or drinking while driving
- Never driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
- Keeping your phone, GPS, and other distractions out of reach
Taking these steps will keep your focus on the road, making you a safe driver rather than a statistic.
Keep Your Car Insured
Maintaining a car insurance policy is a critical part of vehicle ownership in most states. Many states can outright suspend your license if you don’t carry a certain amount of insurance on your vehicle.
Even if you, yourself, are a safe driver, you need to have insurance so that you’re covered when someone driving around with no insurance crashes into you. If you don’t have it, all the driver safety courses in the world can’t save you from the bill you may have to pay as a result.
Looking for More Useful Driver Safety Tips?
Driver safety is both more simple and more complex than we give it credit for. While most of the guidelines come down to following your common sense, a look around will tell you that common sense on the road is anything but common. Still, if you, yourself, are a safe driver, you’re less likely to run into problems while on the road.
If you need more useful tips for driver safety, then why not check out our blog? We update each day with more car-related articles like this one.