But there IS good news! When you practice safe driving habits, you help reduce the chance of having a highway accident.
How many of these tips do you incorporate into your highway diving?
- When merging onto a highway, you should be at average traffic speed
- If drivers are entering the highway and you are traveling in the right lane where they enter, move to the left lane; if that's not possible, then slow down to allow them to enter traffic
- The faster the speed, the more distance you need, so put plenty of distance between you and other vehicles. Many experts advocate the two-second rule, which means start counting when you see the vehicle ahead of you pass a fixed object, then count, "one-thousand one, one-thousand two." If you reach the fixed object before "two," then you are following too closely
- Try to maintain average traffic speed — vehicles going much slower or faster are at greater risk of having an accident, and — of course — use common sense regarding posted speed laws
- Use extra caution when driving at night or in bad weather; adapt your driving to roadway conditions
- Avoid sudden moves since it does not allow other drivers time to react
- Continuously scan the roadway ahead of you for signs of trouble, like construction and traffic slowdowns
- Be aware of other drivers around you, particularly those beside you or slightly to the rear; and remember semi-tractor trailers and big trucks take a longer time to break than a car, so use caution
- Make sure your rearview mirrors are properly adjusted before you drive
- If you're driving long distances, take a break every few hours as reaction time and overall driving skills decline as you get tired
- When exiting the highway, begin to signal well in advance and do not significantly slow down until you start to turn off the highway
Safe driving!