Whether you haven’t driven for awhile and need a refresher about some of the common rules of the road, or you are an entirely new driver not sure how the roads are, look below for some of the common but unspoken rules of the road.
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Be Extremely Cautious of Your Surroundings
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- Never assume another driver’s actions on the road. Just because their turn signal is on does not mean that they are going to turn. – They might have just forgotten to turn it off.
- Be aware of the signs on the roads and whether there might be merging, Do Not Enter, etc.
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Do Not Use Your Cell Phone and Drive
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- We all have busy lives and many of us have conversations with our loved ones throughout the day, but using your cell phone while driving could be one of the most dangerous things a person could do on the road. It takes away from your awareness of your surroundings and makes you a hazard on the road
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Never Drive too Closely Behind Other Vehicles
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- No matter how good your car’s brakes say they are, always leave at least 2 car lengths or 3 seconds between you and the other car. This gives you enough time to brake just in case the car in front of you brakes unexpectedly. A way to measure this length is to find an inanimate object on the side of the road that is not moving and count the time between the car in front of you passes it and when you reach it: “one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand.”
- If a car behind you is driving a bit too close, pumping your brakes a couple times to let them know that you think they you think they are too close is a good way of notifying them safely.
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Practice Makes Perfect!
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- Start out driving in a parking lot. When you’ve mastered the art of parking, confidently turning, etc. move on to backroads. Working your way up to the highway can be intimidating but you can only get better with more practice!
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Check Your Mirrors and Cleanliness of Your Mirrors
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- Make sure that all of your mirrors are at the correct angle for your surroundings while your parked is extremely important for when you’re on the road. You definitely want to be able to see that cyclist coming up on the right side of you so you can avoid a collision!
PRO TIP: Angling your rear-view mirror down at night so that there is no direct glare from the car behind you from their headlights will help your vision!
At FIXD, our mission is to make car ownership as simple, easy, and affordable as possible. Our research team utilizes the latest automotive data and insights to create tools and resources that help drivers get peace of mind and save money over the life of their car.
