11 Driving Tips That Might Save Your Life

1.  Headrest: By looking in your vanity mirror, make sure the top of your headrest is at the same height as your ears. Next, adjust the angle of your seat back so there’s no more than 4 inches between your head and the headrest.

 

2.  Steering wheel: Adjust the seat and/or the steering column so that your chest is as far from the wheel as is reasonably comfortable. However, make sure you don’t go so far back that you have to fully extend your arms to reach the wheel.

 

3.  Headlights: Flip your headlights on even during the day. Studies of daytime running lights show they can reduce head on collisions by 5 percent and accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists by 12 percent. 

 

4.  Climate control: Set your cabin temperate to whatever’s comfortable, and then if you feel drowsy, drop it 15 degrees. Swedish researchers discovered that when drivers continually lower and then raise the temperate at random intervals lasting 5 to 8 minutes, their alertness increases. The scientists say the cooler temperatures may disrupt the alpha brain waves associated with drowsiness.

 

5.  Tires: Worn tires reduce your stopping distance by as much as 25 percent. So grab a quarter, and with George Washington’s head facing you and upside down, place it in any tire groove. If the top of GW’s head is visible, you need new rubber soon. The classic penny measurement indicates only the absolute minimum. Also, check tire pressure monthly – under inflation causes blowouts, and those automatic monitors may kick in only when the pressure is down 25 percent.

6.  Cell Phone: There is no getting around it – talking on the phone while driving is dangerous. Canadian researchers recently concluded that driving while talking on a headset is just as distracting as holding the phone to your ear. The best practice is not to talk on the phone (or text!) while driving.

In addition, here are some dangerous driving situations in which following your instincts may not be the safe thing to do . . . .

 

7.  You accidentally veer off the road. 

 

Your instinct:  Swerve back onto the road.

 

The right response:  Lift off the accelerator. “Gently straighten up your car and scan ahead for obstacles,” says Paul Gerrard, the director of global training at the Audi Driving Experience in Sonoma, California. He also says that if you swerve back right away, you will likely overcorrect, careen across the road, and lose control. Maintain your composure and look for a smooth transition where you can reenter the road. If you’re straddling a high curb, slow to 25 mph before attempting to drive over it.

 

8.  Your tire blows out.

 

Your instinct:  Stomp on the brakes.

 

The right response:  Don’t brake. Instead, take your foot of the gas, hold the wheel firmly, and gently counter steer to overcome any pulling or fishtailing the blowout has caused, says Debbie Prudhomme, the cofounder of Training Wheels driving school, in Minnesota. Let the weight of the car slow it down, and when you feel in control, lightly apply the brakes, signal, and pull off onto the shoulder. 

 

9.  You see a deer ahead.

 

Your instinct:  Swerve.

 

The right response:  Hit it. Animal impacts account for only 0.6 percent of fatal crashes, but if you swerve, you could end up in a head-on collision with a car or a tree, says Jeff Payne, the founder of Driver’s Edge, a nonprofit performance-driving school. 

 

10.  You’re about to rear-end the car in front of you.

 

Your instinct:  Brake hard.

 

The right response:  Break even harder. “Push the brake to the floor,” says Gerrard. “This sounds obvious, but statistics show that people who think they’re braking hard are using only about half the car’s braking power.” Gerrard recommends practicing in an empty parking lot so you’re familiar with the amount of pedal pressure needed.

 

11.  You hit black ice.

 

Your instinct:  Turn away from the slide, and hit the brakes. 

 

The right response:  Wait a split second.  “You have to decide quickly: Will I regain traction before I lost control and/or hit something?” says Payne. “If you think you will, then keep your foot off both the gas and brake until your tires grab again.” At the same time, point your car in the direction you want it to go. Sliding out of control? Slam on the brakes, says Payne. Your car will slide in one direction, which will at least make it easier for other drivers to avoid hitting you.

 

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