5 Quick Tips for Safety on the Road

July 13th 2005 5 Quick Tips for Safety on the Road By Pete Lance The road is a dangerous place. Any driver on the road has life-and-death power over his passengers and everyone he encounters on the road, including other drivers. Do not, ever, lose your focus when you are driving. Here are 5 quick tips to ensuring your safety on the road. 1. Drive safely, or don't drive. There are many things that can go wrong on the road. But there are also things that you can do to lessen the risk on the road. Two rules: Do not drive when you are drunk, sleepy, or not in full control of yourself. Do not drive when you are not in full control of the car. 2. Be cooperative. Driving is all about teamwork. You have to work as a team with the other drivers on the road so as to ensure nobody gets hurt. You can do anything that people will reasonably expect you to do. But don't ever surprise other drivers by doing unexpected things. This can cause big trouble, especially on the highway. 3. Think ahead. You need to give your fellow drivers time to react to anything you do. Don't do anything sudden. Signal before you change lanes or turn. Do things evenly, be it changing lanes, accelerating, slowing down, etc. Allow the other drivers to mentally compute where you are going to be. 4. Cool it. Don't let your emotions take control of you. Never get angry with other drivers, no matter how unreasonable they are. It is inevitable that drivers make mistakes, even grave or stupid ones. Some drivers will even weave in and out of traffic, just to get to the front, and in the process irritate everyone else. Don't get angry with them, and never get back at them in anyway, or you may become a hazard yourself. Always remember to stay