Top Five Things That Make You a Good Driver

A good driver is a safe driver and developing good driving habits helps you and your passengers avoid situations that could potentially lead to accidents. Avoiding accidents can not only save lives and prevent injuries, but also save you the time and trouble that accompany them. Many insurance companies reward good drivers by lowering car insurance premiums as time passes without accidents. To ensure that your car insurance rates are as low as they can be, be sure to compare prices on sites like CarInsuranceQuotes.net. The following five tips will help to keep you safe and your rates low by making you a good driver.

Maintain Optimal Visibility at All Times

Good drivers ensure that they maintain the best possibility visibility of the road and their surroundings at all times. Even something as seemingly harmless as a decoration hanging from the rearview mirror can prevent you from seeing important obstacles and hazards. Another potential threat to your visibility is any ice or snow that has accumulated on the windows of the car. You should always scrape all of your vehicle’s snow- or ice-covered surfaces entirely to ensure the safest possible visibility conditions.

Make Sure That an Intersection is Clear Before Proceeding Through it

Whether you’re stopped at a traffic light or an intersection controlled by stop signs, it is always important to make sure that the intersection is clear before proceeding through it. It can be tempting to press the gas pedal as soon as the light turns green, or it is your turn to go, but failure to look both ways first can be a hazardous mistake. It is always better to be safe than sorry, and a quick but thorough survey in both directions will ensure that there are no other drivers entering the intersection.

Stay Out of Other Vehicle’s Blind Spots

While it is sometimes difficult to do, it is always a good idea to stay out of other vehicle’s blind spots. This is especially true on interstates and highways. By keeping enough distance between your vehicle and theirs, you are ensuring that the other driver will have the opportunity to see you before changing lanes. The other driver should, of course, be checking his or her vehicle’s blind spots before taking such action, but their actions are out of your control, and you must do what you can to help everyone avoid accidents on the roadway. This leads to…

Always Check Your Blind Spot Before Changing Lanes

Just as you would expect other drivers to check their vehicle’s blind spots before changing lanes, you should make sure that you are always doing so as well. Even if you believe that you are completely aware of the vehicles around you, you should still check your blind spots before maneuvering on a roadway. In some situations, another vehicle could have been driving within the shadow of your blind spot for some time without you realizing that they were there.

Keep Distractions Inside Your Vehicle to a Minimum

Distracted drivers cause a great many accidents every year. Avoid using a mobile phone, eating, applying makeup, or any other such distractions while operating a vehicle. If your passengers are distracting you from your task of driving, be sure to let them know that their actions are distracting you. As the driver, their lives are in your hands, and they will certainly respect your request.

Good driving practices are easy to learn, and can make a big difference on your overall driving abilities. By applying these practices to your driving on a regular a basis, they will soon become habits. Your good driving habits will surely be appreciated by not only your passengers, but also the drivers that share the road with you.