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New drivers, especially teenage drivers, have a higher risk of getting into a car accident than experienced, older drivers. Car accident prevention begins with helping new drivers gain the experience and skills necessary to stay safe on the road.
To help new drivers stay safe on the road, the state of CA mandates that every new driver get at least 50 hours of driving practice before taking their driving exam. Behind the wheel driving school lessons are required and can help new drivers to have a better chance of developing good driving safety skills.
Developing good driving safety skills in conjunction with following the below safety tips can help ensure that every new driver stays safe on the road.
Have Limits
The risk of a fatal car accident increases with every additional passenger, so if you’re a new driver try to limit the number of passengers you have in your car till you become a more experienced driver.
Try to limit your night driving as well. For every mile you drive at night, the risk of a fatal car accident is three times higher than in the day time.
Practice Driving in Poor Weather Conditions
If you’re a new driver, try to practice as much as you can in poor weather with a qualified instructor before trying it on your own.
In places in California like Los Angeles and Orange County where it doesn’t rain that often, getting plenty of supervised experience driving in poor weather may be a challenge. But by enrolling in a driving school in Anaheim, you should be able to get information on driving safely in poor weather from your driving instructor – which will help you to become a better driver.
Use Cell Phones for Emergencies Only
You will learn in Anaheim driving school that texting or talking on a cell phone is illegal while driving. Unless you have a hands-free phone, put your cell phone away when driving.
If you absolutely must return a text or make a call, find a spot to pull over. Avoid doing this on congested freeways and roads, because it can be dangerous to stop when there is traffic or traffic is moving quickly. The best place to pull over is at a public parking lot so that you can safely get off the road and back on when you need to.
Avoid Aggressive Driving
Around half of the drivers who encounter aggressive driving react by engaging in aggressive driving behaviors like tailgating, honking, yelling, and obscene gestures.
If you encounter an aggressive driver on the road, don’t take it personally and be polite even if the other driver is not. Safety should be your number one concern when driving, so if this happens, use it as an opportunity to set an example for other drivers by being courteous, not reacting, and safely moving out of the way.