Driving is one of the most important skills that we develop in our life, but it can also be one of the most stressful. Having the ability to transport yourself anywhere is extremely convenient, but it does come with a few downsides. Not only is car maintenance expensive, but insurance also can be quite expensive. Aside from that, you are also always at risk of getting into an accident if you are not careful when you are driving. In order to greatly reduce your risk of getting into an accident, it is highly recommended that you practice your driving skills and understand what you are getting into before you step behind the wheel.

Keep A Safe Follow Distance

Most accidents on the road are caused because people are following another car too closely. The general recommendation when driving is to leave two seconds between you and the next car. How can you calculate this? Pick a spot on the road and wait for the car in front of you to reach it. As soon as they do, begin counting and stop when you reach that spot on the road. If the time is two seconds or greater, you are following at a safe distance and should keep driving as per usual. If the time is shorter, you should slow down a little to allow for a little more room between the two of you. The fine folks at learntodrivedrivingschool.com.au mention this and stress that this is an important lesson that is also taught at driving schools as well. Enrolling yourself in a driving school is also a great way to ensure that you know all the road rules as well before starting to drive. If you want to drive safely, ensure you are keeping a safe follow distance.

Always Check Your Mirrors and Blindspots

One of the next biggest driving skills you have to develop and make a habit is checking your mirrors and blindspots. Your mirrors will alert you to anyone nearby and they are extremely important when making lane changes. When it comes to finally making the change though, you also have to check your blindspot. Every car has a certain area where the mirrors cannot see. Deciding to merge or change lanes without checking your blindspot can be a recipe for disaster as a car could be there without you even knowing. Get used to looking to your right and left often and checking your mirrors every few seconds. The more alert you are to your surroundings, the better you can react if something happens.

Use Your Signal

There are many jokes floating around the internet about people who don’t signal their turns or lane changes. While they might be funny to laugh at online, they are certainly not a fun thing to witness on the road. You won’t have to drive for too long to encounter someone who doesn’t indicate what they are going to be doing on the road. This puts everyone around them including themselves at risk, as people cannot anticipate in a situation like this. Whenever you are going to be making a turn or changing lanes, you have to use your signal. It is against the law to make changes without it. Even if the road is completely empty, you should still build good habits and signal whenever possible.

Maintaining Proper Speed

It is true when they say that speed kills, but driving too slowly can also be extremely dangerous as well. Speed limits are posted for a reason and you are to follow the speed limit as closely as possible. Of course, this all depends on the driving conditions, but if you are in a position where you are able to go 40, they expect you to go 40. Driving slowly can put other drivers in a position where it is impossible to merge, as it is unsafe to merge when speeds greatly differ. If you are uncomfortable with going the posted speed limit, you should not be on that road and should instead be using side roads or slower roads to complete your trip. Maintaining proper speed is an important skill that you need to know and master.

These are all very important aspects of driving that you will have to learn either before you get behind the wheel or when you start out. The longer it takes for you to learn these four skills, the more of a risk you will be towards other drivers on the road. Do your part in keeping the road safe by becoming an expert at navigating the roadways.