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You probably drive every day or soon will. You’re behind the wheel driving lessons taught you the skills necessary to take a drive to work or school. When driving becomes part of our everyday routine, we often forget how serious it is. Driving can be dangerous when done incorrectly and cause accidents that put lives at risk.
Reckless driving, whether accidental or not, is a huge risk we all take when we get behind the wheel. When we take driver education classes, we must have a minimum of six hours behind the wheel training in order to get our licenses. This is because the more experience you have, the safer you are. However, six hours typically is not enough to ensure that a safe driver remains that way for the rest of their life.
Staying safe and keeping others safe is a major responsibility when it comes to driving. Whether you’re a new driver or have been driving for years, there are always ways to improve your skills.
Remember Drivers Education
Your Orange County driving school taught you all of the necessary skills you’ll need to succeed as a driver. However, it’s up to you to continue to hone those skills well after you’ve gotten your license.
Often, drivers get too comfortable behind the wheel and soon forget the simple techniques that make us safe drivers. Sticking with the basics is key to avoiding accidents and making sure you can keep yourself and others safe.
Always remember to signal before changing lanes, obey the traffic lights, and stay within the speed limit. All of the things you learned in driver’s ed are considered “rules of the road.” These “rules” aren’t there to box you in; they’re actually laws you must follow unless you want to get a ticket or put yourself and others in danger.
Read More: How to Avoid Accidents When You Are a New Driver
Avoid Distractions
Another important lesson driving schools in Orange County to teach new drivers is to avoid all distractions. We live in the digital age, where cellphones are omnipresent in our everyday lives. However, using them at the wrong times can be disastrous.
While driving, don’t look away from the road or get distracted by any lights or sounds inside the car. We’re conditioned to look at our cell phones when we hear it go off. It can be difficult to refrain from this behavior, but it’s also life-saving and crucial when it comes to driving.
Driving is never the right time to text or picks up a call. It’s also not recommended that you eat while driving. If you must do any of these activities, you should pull over and out of the way of other drivers.
Believe it or not, the car has distractions of its own, too. Looking only forward when you should be checking your mirrors can be dangerous, especially if you are changing lanes. Make sure that you follow the same techniques that you learned when you first started driving to avoid unnecessary accidents.
Correct Mirrors
Adjusting your mirrors the right way is a matter of safety. Setting your side mirrors for an edge view of the vehicle is not a good practice since the rearview mirror already covers that area. Instead, make sure the mirrors are focused away from the sides of the vehicles so that you can more effectively see your surroundings. Greatly reducing your blind spots will help you more safely and confidently change lanes.
Don’t Tailgate
You should always maintain a distance of at least two car lengths from another vehicle. Additionally, a little more room in between is a great idea so that you can avoid slamming onto your brakes if a car in front of you makes a sudden stop or turn.
If you can double the length without changing the speed too much, it will ensure that your car will have enough time to stop when you apply the brakes.
Go Back to School
Driving is not easy, even if you’ve been doing it for years. If you’re moving to a new city, you might enjoy a behind-the-wheel driving class that allows you to drive with someone who knows the areas before going out on your own.
Read More: What is Adult Driving Education in California and How Does it Work?
You don’t have to wait until you’re a senior before taking another course. No matter what your skill level, we can all benefit from a refresher course. You may also want to take an online class that can help you remember some of the details you may have forgotten over the years.
Defensive driving courses are available to help you drive in such a way that avoids accidents. After all, this should be your goal from the beginning. Being a safe driver means being aware of all of the techniques that you can learn to become a better, safer driver, no matter your age.
Check Your Sight
Being able to see clearly is a huge part of driving. As we age, our vision may deteriorate. When this happens, we can no longer be effective and safe drivers. We might miss important road signs, or worse, be unable to see other people on the road and cause an accident.
If you notice that signs are blurry or that you can’t see well at night, visit your eye doctor for a vision test. Being able to see everything clearly can help you stay safe in the car.
Go Back to the Basics
Remember the first time you learned how to drive? Think about all of the things you didn’t know how to do. Now, ask yourself whether you’re using the correct driving techniques that you learned in school.
If the answer is no, then you may need to correct your behavior. There’s no reason to put yourself in harm’s way by forgetting the basics you learned in driver education.