No one wants to be pulled over by the police for bad driving… Or worse, cause an accident! Whether you are new on the road, or a veterant driver, you may wish to get better. While adopting defensive driving is the way to go, there are some habits you can take on to make headway of your driving skills. Here are 5 of them.

1. Keep your hands at the proper positions

It is not unusual to witness drivers having all types of hands positions on the steering wheel. However, you should keep in mind that the best position is the 10 past 10 o’clock (position on a clock). The latter gives you more control and stability when driving. Ergonomic, your muscles tend to be more relaxed in this position, allowing you to hold your arms this way for longer periods of time. 

2. Look further ahead

Only focusing on the car in front of you can be very deceitful. You have no idea of what is going on further up the road. To help you anticipate and react to dangers, you should try to scan the road up to 12 seconds ahead. Not only does this help to eliminate nose-to-tail accidents, it also reduces wear and tear on your brakes. Indeed, when taking a step back to better observe your surroundings, you can adjust your speed much earlier.

3. Don’t weave between lanes

Unfortunately, many accidents are caused because of impatient drivers in traffic jams.  They try to gain an edge by jumping between lanes. What many people do not realise, is that the lanes move almost at the same speed… It is the weaving of cars to and from the lanes that slows down traffic flow, as cars brake more often. It is, therefore, unnecessary to endanger yourself and others by constantly changing lanes.

4. Adjust your mirrors properly

Many people neglect this step, as they do not fully understand the concept. However, good adjustment can really be helpful for drivers. Whenever you see parts of your car in the mirrors, you have created unnecessary blind spots. Instead, focus on the road as much as possible. You should only just be able to see your car tilting your head. Once adjusted, do not forget to check them frequently! 

5. Respecting speed limits

Limitations are a maximum, not a target. Learn to reduce your speed when the conditions indicate to do so. Indeed, one should understand the requirements of the roads based on his or her environment. It can be perfectly fine to drive at 80 km/h on the highway, but you might want to reduce that speed when it is raining.