#1: Incorrect Speed
To avoid speeding, always know the speed limit, regularly check the speedometer, and allow enough time to reach your destination. Assess the driving conditions and adjust your vehicle speed accordingly. If a vehicle is following closely behind you, slow down to encourage them to pass rather than speeding up.
#2: Violating Right of Way
Failure to yield, disregarding traffic signals, and driving through a stop sign are all examples of right-of-way violations. To scan the intersection- look left, look straight ahead, look right, and then scan back left again. This proactive driving technique will delay your acceleration by two seconds and help ensure the intersection is clear before you enter it. For more information regarding who has the right of way, check out our blog post: https://www.topdriver.com/education-blog/4-rules-4-way-stops/
#3: Turning Improperly
To make a proper turn, keep the car close to the curb or road shoulder to prevent other vehicles or pedestrians from moving into the area between your car and the curb. Use your turn signal, approximately 100 feet before the turn, to let other drivers know what you are doing. You may need to yield to pedestrians or vehicles already in the intersection and then complete the turn into the appropriate lane without crossing into other lanes.
#4: Passing Errors
A driver must use caution when passing another vehicle. On a two-lane highway, the left lane should be clearly seen and free of oncoming traffic for a distance great enough to permit passing. Do not turn back into the right-hand lane until you can see the entire vehicle you have just passed in your rearview mirror. You must return to your lane before you get within 200 feet of an oncoming vehicle. The driver you are passing must not increase speed until you have completed your passing. Driving off the pavement or main traveled part of the road is not allowed when passing another vehicle on the right or the left.
#5: Following Too Closely
Following Distance is the distance between you and the car in front of you on the road. This distance should be at least 3-5 seconds. Your Following Distance can be measured by selecting a stationary object on the roadway, like a tree or a lamp post, and beginning to count (one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three one-thousand) when the rear of the vehicle in front of you passes that object and continuing to count until the front of your vehicle reaches that same object. The necessary following distance can be affected by various aspects of the driving environment that we will discuss during this course.
Keep these tips in mind to prevent these 5 unsafe driving behaviors. To learn more about dangerous driving habits and how to avoid them, click here.