In high school, many people learn to drive and get their first car. However, so many of these drivers are inexperienced and don’t know what to do in many situations. Fortunately, there are much better drivers out there who know what they’re doing and can provide some much-needed examples for those new to driving.
For starters, one tip is to never trust other drivers. You never know who else on the road isn’t paying attention or doesn’t know what’s going on, and there are quite a lot of these people out there. Always make sure to leave a space in between you and the car ahead that is big enough to react if they start doing something unexpected, such as braking or swerving. The best way to make things easy on other people is to try not to make sudden moves. Always be predictable on the road, and others will be able to react better to you.
The second tip, and most pertinent in our home state of Pennsylvania, is to be on the lookout for deer and other animals on the side of the road when driving in rural areas. Since there are fewer cars, more of your processing power should be dedicated to checking the fields or woods ahead during those crucial hours around dawn and dusk.
A tip you might need at the four-way in Newport is to always stay an extra car length or two back from the intersection when you see a bus or tractor-trailer that is trying to drive into the direction you are coming from. These vehicles have a wider turn and may need to use your lane to get through.
The most important tips for driving in bad conditions are to go slower, realize that it will take you longer to stop, and realize that you may not be able to make a turn at the same speed you would have been able to go in clear conditions. Rain is an example of this, but it’s usually nothing to worry about. Snow and ice, on the other hand, will catch out unsuspecting drivers all the time. If you do go into a turn a bit too fast and start to feel the car slip, you can do what is called countersteering. For example, if you’re going around an icy left-hand turn, the car’s back end may start to slide over to the right. You should turn the steering wheel to the right while letting go of the brake. This will quickly start to point your car straight again. Of course, as you were trying to turn, you may not want to go straight. Once you regain grip on the road, you should start turning in the direction you have wanted to go since this whole situation started.
On the highway, there are many ways to improve your driving. First and easiest: you should not use the left lane unless you are passing someone. This improves the quality of life for all drivers and keeps traffic able to move at a natural pace. When changing lanes, you should not rely entirely on your mirrors; make sure you check your blind spot, which is the area directly behind and to the side of your car. You can do this by taking one second to turn around and look at that area before you move your car into that lane.
When you are leaving the highway, always make sure that you are in the correct lane to exit. When not in a city, this is usually on the right. You should be in that lane long before you need to leave the highway. The reason behind this is to make sure that you don’t surprise other drivers by moving at the last second and going over multiple lanes to make it into your exit.
There are more things to learn about driving than one can learn in a single article, but this should provide a useful introduction to several key areas that can help keep you and others safe and on the way to your destination. Good luck and stay safe on the road during your learning process.
