Wearing seat belts is, of course, the first step to safe driving. The following additional measures might also save your life:
Count to three. Maintaining sufficient space between your cars and others is vital. Driving instructors recommends a minimum of three seconds’ following distance. To figure this, pick an object on the roadside ahead. When the car in front of you passes it, start counting one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three. If you get to that object before you reach one-thousand-three, you don’t have three seconds of following time-time needed to avoid accidents.
Let tailgaters pass. If someone’s tailgating you, get out of his way. You’re better off being safe than right.
Expect the worst. Many drivers do not come to a complete stop at stop signs. When you’re driving and see someone approach a stop sign, assume the person’s not going to stop.
And when you stop at an intersection and another car approaches with its turn signal on, don’t assume the driver will turn. Instead, wait until he turns. He may have had the signal on for miles.
Stay outside. In dense, multi-lane traffic, drive in either the outside-left or outside-right lane. That allows you someplace to steer if a problem develops. If you’re in the middle, all you can do is brake.
Pervasive sleepiness is interfering with our ability to function-and drive. Falling asleep at the wheel is one of the most significant, unaddressed problems on the highways. To find out if you are sleep-deprived and vulnerable to falling asleep at the wheel-see if you recognize any of these symptoms:
Ø You struggle against fatigue throughout the day nearly every day
Ø You depend on caffeine (or another stimulant) to keep you alert all day.
Ø You suffer memory lapses.
Ø If you stop to rest during the day, you fall asleep within five minutes.
Ø You’re irritable and argumentative, and you don’t know why.
Ø You need an alarm to wake you up at the same time every morning. (Well-rested people are awakened by their biological clocks about when the alarm would go off.)
Biological psychologist who studies sleep habits offers the following tips to ensure a safe drive:
Get plenty of sleep. Doctors recommend at least eight hours a night. If you can’t get that much, catch up on the weekends. Unless you’ve “stored” sleep, it’s difficult-often impossible-to fight your biological clock.
Count to three. Maintaining sufficient space between your cars and others is vital. Driving instructors recommends a minimum of three seconds’ following distance. To figure this, pick an object on the roadside ahead. When the car in front of you passes it, start counting one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three. If you get to that object before you reach one-thousand-three, you don’t have three seconds of following time-time needed to avoid accidents.
Let tailgaters pass. If someone’s tailgating you, get out of his way. You’re better off being safe than right.
Expect the worst. Many drivers do not come to a complete stop at stop signs. When you’re driving and see someone approach a stop sign, assume the person’s not going to stop.
And when you stop at an intersection and another car approaches with its turn signal on, don’t assume the driver will turn. Instead, wait until he turns. He may have had the signal on for miles.
Stay outside. In dense, multi-lane traffic, drive in either the outside-left or outside-right lane. That allows you someplace to steer if a problem develops. If you’re in the middle, all you can do is brake.
Pervasive sleepiness is interfering with our ability to function-and drive. Falling asleep at the wheel is one of the most significant, unaddressed problems on the highways. To find out if you are sleep-deprived and vulnerable to falling asleep at the wheel-see if you recognize any of these symptoms:
Ø You struggle against fatigue throughout the day nearly every day
Ø You depend on caffeine (or another stimulant) to keep you alert all day.
Ø You suffer memory lapses.
Ø If you stop to rest during the day, you fall asleep within five minutes.
Ø You’re irritable and argumentative, and you don’t know why.
Ø You need an alarm to wake you up at the same time every morning. (Well-rested people are awakened by their biological clocks about when the alarm would go off.)
Biological psychologist who studies sleep habits offers the following tips to ensure a safe drive:
Get plenty of sleep. Doctors recommend at least eight hours a night. If you can’t get that much, catch up on the weekends. Unless you’ve “stored” sleep, it’s difficult-often impossible-to fight your biological clock.
Take Breaks. For long trips, stop at least every two hours. Stretch, exercise and grab a nutritious snack. Avoid heavy meals and too much caffeine. If possible, switch drivers frequently.
Stay alert. Avoid driving a car full of sleeping passengers. A "designated companion" should stay awake to keep you alert. Talk, sing, listen to audio books or tune in to radio talk shows.
Don't get too comfortable. Do without cruise control and open the windows to maintain maximum alertness.
Don't drink. Fatigue intensifies the intoxicating effects of alcohol, so avoid drinking.
Stop driving. Get off the road at the first sign of drowsiness. At night, get off the highway completely. Pulling onto the shoulder invites rear-end collisions; drunken and fatigued drivers frequently run into stopped cars when they follow the tail lights of the car ahead of them.
If you've ever been driving and realized you couldn't remember what happened a few moments before, you may have experienced "microsleep," a one- to 15-second loss of awareness. Microsleep is a clear warning that you need to get off the road immediately. Your next lapse could be your last.
