Many of you reading this drive at least a few times a week. For me, at the time of writing this, I am working as a software developer on Ancestry.com. I have a 20 minute commute to and from work each day which involves driving on the freeway and in the city (albeit a small city). One of the most bizarre things happened last week while I was driving. I already am very observant of the driving of others around me, and what happened stood out more than most I’ve seen.

 

Entering the freeway

 

Freeways are roads used to drive as quickly as possible to other areas. They are made without stop lights or stop signs, and minimal turns. Generally, you get on a freeway from a city, where there is a road that turns on to it. As you do this, most of the time, there is a stretch of road you drive in that eventually merges with the freeway. This means that the road you are driving on will eventually be part of the freeway, and as such, care must be taken to look for other drivers who could potentially clash with you. And those same drivers must also keep an eye out for people entering the freeway, so as not to cut them off.

 

I was on a freeway with three lanes, driving home. There was a car, preparing to enter the freeway and onto the right lane. There was a car already driving in the right lane, that appeared it would hit the ‘merge’ spot at the same time as the car preparing to enter. All this was happening about 50 to 60 feet in front of me. So I slowed down a little bit as the car already on the freeway was not giving an inch. In the car trying to merge appeared to be a young college male, and he ended up having to drive on the shoulder of the freeway as there was no room for him to get on. I’ve never seen this happen before. He drove on the shoulder of the freeway on the right for a good 15 seconds, before he finally got space to merge in.

 

As such, DrJerm is going to provide you with some tips that will make your driving experience much safer, relaxing, and enjoyable.

 

Relax

 

Realize that you don’t need to zip at a million miles an hour everytime you get in your car and have to go somewhere. It’s ok to relax and enjoy stops at stop signs and red lights. It’s okay if traffic gets a little slow. Just sit back, meditate, and think of things you are going to do. Practice this, and what used to be inconveniences for you while driving will turn into opportunities to think and organize your thoughts.

 

Constantly Survey and Watch Other Cars

 

Driving while watching and anticipating the moves of others has prevented me from rear ending cars, getting side swiped, or getting into dangerous driving situations. Not only that, it has allowed me to be courteous while driving and provide opportunities for other cars to be safer. When I saw that the two cars were going to have a problem with the merge on the freeway, I slowed down, so I was not in the way. Had I just kept going, I would have been right next to the offending car that blocked the merging car, and could have potentially caused an accident.

 

Stay at or Just Above the Speed Limit

 

Driving at, or just above the speed limit ensures that you won’t have a cop with flashing lights startling you while driving. It also means you will have more time to react to situations around you. Avoid the temptation to go more than five miles an hour past the speed limit. Not only is it more safe, it is more gas efficient (if you are driving a gas powered car).

 

Let Others in Front of You

 

It’s okay to let someone in your lane in front of you. Resist the urge to speed up when someone tries to get in your lane. Most people are not trying to get in your lane because they saw your car and deicded that offending you was suddenly their prime objective for driving. No, most people are driving because they are trying to get somewhere. And unfortunately, most people try to as speedily get there as possible. Try enjoying the ride for a change.

 

Keep a Safe Distance in Front of You

 

I keep at least four car length in front of me on the freeway, usually five or six. This means many people will cut in front of me, and that is fine. I just slow down a little and keep driving. When I have to slow down because of an accident or traffic congestion, I don’t have to slam on my breaks. I can hit the breaks, and have plenty of time to slow down or stop. Resist the urge to get as close to people in front of you as possible. Doing this shows impatience, and also greatly increases the risk of hitting them, should the need to stop arise.

 

Please Signal

 

Some people like to drive and change lanes, moving around without any notification that they are doing so. Whether this is because they just don’t care, or for any other reason, this is unsafe. Please use your blinker to indicate you are changing into another lane or turning. Not only is this safe, but it is courteous and just might brighten someone’s day.

 

So Why Does This Matter?

 

This matters because following these, and other safe driving tips, will help you be calmer, more courteous, and more safe as you drive. You will notice that driving is no longer a chore, waiting at a red light isn’t a big deal, and that before you know it, you’ve arrived at your destination!

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