Defensive driving tips for winter
The rainy weather and longer hours of dark mean that winter can wreak havoc on the roads. Don’t let yourself be a statistic. Here are a few tips on defensive driving to keep you safe on the road, which in turns keep your passengers and other road users safe as well.
Practice mindful driving
No, this isn’t an eastern meditation driving mantra, but if it helps you to “ohm” while you drive then go right ahead.
Mindful driving basically means to always be vigilant and pay attention to what is happening on the roads. This is perhaps the most important defensive driving tip – no matter what time of year it is. Remember, sometimes it’s not just your own mistakes you need to prevent. You need to see other people’s mistakes soon enough to react. Be mindful when you drive.
Be cautious at intersections
Many accidents happen at intersections, so always think twice. Even if it is your turn to cross, you should still anyway look both ways before moving. If it looks like someone is going to jump the light, slow down without becoming a hazard yourself.
Always have a buffer
Getting rear-ended often happens when you stop at a robot. To reduce the chances of this, leave a wide between you and the car in front of you. If someone approaches too fast from behind, you can use the gap to manoeuvre out of the way. At the very least it will mean you don’t incur damage in both the front and back.
Maintain the 2-second rule
You should always be at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. It is easy enough to implement this. While driving, pick a landmark, like a sign post, and see if the vehicle in front of you passes it at least two seconds before you do. If you pass the landmark in less than two seconds, slow down to increase the following distance. Don’t feel pressurised by cars behind you to drive faster than what is safe.
Check your blind spots
One of the simplest ways to prevent causing accidents is to get in the habit of always checking your bling spots before you change lanes or turn. Check the five blind spots, as set out as part of the K53 driving guideline. You should also constantly make sure you’re not in someone else’s blind spot.
Swerve properly
Sometimes there is not enough time to come to a full to prevent an accident, or it can be very unsafe to do so. In this kind of situation, you should try swerve out of the way to miss the hazard. However, try to make sure the lane you’re swerving into is actually empty, and manoeuvre your car back to the original lane as quickly as possible.
Get serviced
This isn’t a driving tip, but it is still a must for safety. Make sure that you vehicle is properly serviced at the right time. This is especially important for people driving older models or pre-owned cars. If you are due for a service, get it done before the winter months really set in, because the wet, icy roads and poor visibility mean that your car needs to be in the best shape possible.
Don’t toss this list to the side in summer. Always keep the tips in mind. Remember that a good driving record has been shown to keep your insurance premiums low. With the price of petrol today, that’ll be a welcome reprieve.