Safe motorway driving is something that everyone should take seriously, whether young or old, whether a veteran of the road or a novice. Because so many of the things that make motorway driving safe are so simple it may be easy to take them for granted. But complacency on the road is as big of a danger as inexperience, so the following tips should be remembered by all.
It's alarming to see how many people fail to indicate when changing lanes on the motorway. Even if it seems that changing lanes is perfectly safe, you should let other road users know of your intention - if drivers on the inside and outside lanes both drove into the middle lane because it was clear and so didn't indicate the results could be fatal. It goes without saying that you should not only check your mirrors but also your blind spot when changing lanes.
You can help keep a safe braking distance by keeping to the speed limit; just remember that in wet or icy conditions this distance increases considerably and more time will be needed to brake. In these cases you should keep plenty of distance between you and the car in front and travel at a much slower speed.
The braking distance is not only made up of the time it takes for the car to physically slow to a stop, but also your reaction time - how quickly you are able to realise there is a problem and do something about it. Obviously if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs this reaction time becomes much longer and can lead to devastation. Driving in a fit state is absolutely essential at all times, but never more so than when driving on the motorway.
While inexperienced drivers may find themselves initially nervous on the motorway they should at least be placing all their concentration on the task of driving. As we get older we may begin to feel like we are indestructible. However, ignoring the basic fundamentals of safe driving isn't a risk worth taking, so it's important not to forget them.
It's alarming to see how many people fail to indicate when changing lanes on the motorway. Even if it seems that changing lanes is perfectly safe, you should let other road users know of your intention - if drivers on the inside and outside lanes both drove into the middle lane because it was clear and so didn't indicate the results could be fatal. It goes without saying that you should not only check your mirrors but also your blind spot when changing lanes.
You can help keep a safe braking distance by keeping to the speed limit; just remember that in wet or icy conditions this distance increases considerably and more time will be needed to brake. In these cases you should keep plenty of distance between you and the car in front and travel at a much slower speed.
The braking distance is not only made up of the time it takes for the car to physically slow to a stop, but also your reaction time - how quickly you are able to realise there is a problem and do something about it. Obviously if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs this reaction time becomes much longer and can lead to devastation. Driving in a fit state is absolutely essential at all times, but never more so than when driving on the motorway.
While inexperienced drivers may find themselves initially nervous on the motorway they should at least be placing all their concentration on the task of driving. As we get older we may begin to feel like we are indestructible. However, ignoring the basic fundamentals of safe driving isn't a risk worth taking, so it's important not to forget them.
