On multilane roads remember that other drivers have blind spots. * Be particularly watchful in school zones, at blind intersections, and around pedestrians and workers. Stay as far away as you can. * Avoid operating a vehicle if you are overly tired, drowsy from medications, ill, or extremely stressed or excited. Be alert. Know what you'll do if a driver swerves or stops suddenly. * Be a loner.Here's some information that should bring you to a screeching stop: Your lifetime odds of being killed in a motor vehicle accident are about 1-in-100. If someone seems determined to enter your lane, yield the right of way. * Use caution approaching curves and the crest of hills. If possible, notify the police. * Hold the wheel at about three and nine o'clock so you can steer quickly and precisely. Protect Your Space * Maintain a safe following distance by staying three to five seconds behind the car ahead. Avoid clumps of cars on the highway. * Pull off the road to use a cellular phone. * Be cautious at stoplights and stop signs. They are set to protect you and pedestrians. * Look for these warning signs for impaired drivers: wandering from lane to lane; driving unusually slow or fast; running stoplights and signs; moving erratically or out of control; and driving with lights off at night. High Power LED Lights * Watch for drivers who are preoccupied or driving dangerously. At higher speeds a three-second gap will not give you enough time to take evasive action if an emergency occurs in front of you. Pull over after signaling, or slow down slightly without braking and allow them to pass. Increase your distance at night, on rough roads, and in bad weather. The best offensive against roadway hazards is driving defensively. * If an approaching vehicle is signaling to turn, wait until it actually turns before proceeding. Strive For Perfection * Try to make every trip a "perfect" trip. * Search the roadway and off-road areas twenty to thirty seconds ahead for potential hazards. Move forward or back. * Always buckle up. * When you're in the right lane of a multilane highway, help traffic merge smoothly by moving over a lane if traffic permits. * Proper, routine maintenance can help you avoid mechanical problems that can cause an accident. Also, avoid driving next to other vehicles so you have more room to react to other drivers. * Honor speed limits. Look both ways before you enter a green-light intersection, or when you have the right of way. * At 40 mph, stay four seconds behind; at 50 mph and higher stay five seconds behind. Defensive driving means driving safely, in spite of conditions around you and the actions of other drivers or pedestrians. Rush hour is especially challenging. Don't linger in them if you are at the rear side of another vehicle. Furthermore, each year one of nine drivers is involved in a reported motor vehicle collision. Increase your following distance as your speed increases. According to the National Safety Council, drivers who buckle up have a 45 percent better chance of surviving a crash, and a 50 percent better chance of surviving without a moderate-to-critical injury. * Stay alert. No eating, drinking, fiddling with the radio, or distracting conversations. Be ready to brake at all times, and expect drivers around you to stop or change lanes abruptly. * Tailgaters are a dangerous nuisance. Stay Alert, Plan Ahead * Assume a "what if" posture. * Signal lane and turn changes. * Don't play chicken. They count on you to react to them, instead of watching out for you. * The most dangerous spots to encounter pedestrians are those places where you don't expect to see them.
