Want to get better at driving? Accelerate your driving skills with these 10 tips

Ask anyone who drives a car and they’d tell you learning how to drive a car was the best thing that could ever happen to them. Learning to drive a car gives them a sense of liberation and excitement. However, while learning to drive isn’t a daunting task, becoming better at driving can be challenging. Fortunately, there are several ways to become a better driver. Here are a few tips to help you get better at driving.

How to get better at driving?

When it comes to driving, there’s always room for improvement. If you accept this as a fact and are willing to change your ways, you’re already on your way to becoming a better driver. The primary things you need to become a better driver are having a presence of mind, understanding the car’s essential operations, and knowledge of traffic rules.

However, there are a few things that your driving instructor might not teach you. So allow us to shed some light on a few key skills required to stay focused while driving. These tips range from learning how to adjust your mirrors properly to efficiently using your car’s safety features. So let’s get started.

To get better at driving, you must…

Look further ahead

Most drivers have no notion of what’s going on up the road, especially if they only watch the car ahead of them. Scanning the road up ahead will offer you a significant amount of time to anticipate and react to threats and will help you avoid nose-to-tail collisions with the vehicle in front of you. Looking ahead also saves you money on gas and lowers brake wear and tear because you can alter your pace much earlier.

Read: How to reverse park your car like a pro driver

Adjust your mirrors

Most drivers adjust their side mirrors to see the vehicle’s edge. However, the rear-view mirror can already see that part of your vehicle. Instead, sit at the wheel with your head against the driver’s side window and adjust the mirror so you can see the vehicle’s edge. Tilt your head over the center console for the passenger-side mirrors, and adjust the mirror until you can see the side of the vehicle.

Adjusting the mirrors in these positions will considerably reduce your blind spots. It’s hard to eliminate all blind spots, so always look over your shoulder before turning or changing lanes.

Also, don’t forget to make use of the mirrors. According to experts, a competent driver retains a feeling of what’s happening around their vehicle. They do this by glancing at the mirrors every five seconds, long before making any moves.

Read: 10 driving habits that are bad for your car

Do not tailgate

Tailgating is when you drive too closely behind the driver in front of you. If you tailgate another vehicle, you’re more likely to collide with the back of the vehicle in front of you since you have less time and distance to react and brake.

Driving too close to the car ahead of you results in less gap between the two vehicles. Hence, it forces you to accelerate and brake more frequently to maintain that gap. And, as some of you may know, accelerating and braking constantly takes a toll on fuel efficiency, which means it’s going to cost you more at the gas station.

Avoid overspeeding

Even if you are not exceeding the speed limit, you may be driving too fast. If you learn to read traffic signs, you’ll be able to read the road much further ahead and choose the most appropriate speed. 

Of course, exceeding the speed limit is considered excessive speed, resulting in a fine. In reality, because of other traffic, traffic signals, and intersections, the time gained by speeding is small for most trips — you’ll probably gain a minute or two. However, you will consume significantly more gas and risk receiving a fine. Here’s how speeding tickets can affect your car insurance rates.

Read: Safety tips for driving with pets in your car

Do not weave in and out of lanes.

Impatient drivers will try anything to get an advantage, even leaping between lanes, while traffic is going slowly. In reality, the lanes always move at approximately the same speed, but people jumping between lanes significantly slows traffic. 

Traffic would move considerably more quickly if all drivers stayed in their lanes. When you change lanes, the car in front of you and the one behind you have to brake. Because of you, everyone in that lane slows down. Meanwhile, other vehicles try to fill the space you left, so one of them weaves across and begins the braking procedure all over again.

Read: Here’s how texting while driving is increasing your car insurance rates

At this point, you may be saying to yourself that you already follow the above tips to a T. Well, if you do, that’s great! However, if you are convinced following the above tips still hasn’t made you a better driver, here are a few more.

Get better at driving by…

Continuing to move your gaze

As they go down highways or interstates, many drivers tend to gaze at one object for several seconds, usually the vehicle ahead of them. However, this can lead to a condition known as target fixation, which prevents you from noticing you’re coming closer and closer to that vehicle.

Instead of looking straight ahead, practice checking your rear-view mirror every five seconds. And do not forget to scan the road for other cars.

Taking an advanced driver training course

Most of us take one driving lesson while in our teens and then forget about it until we’re 75 or 80 years old. However, the laws of the road and cars themselves can alter dramatically over time. Many of us establish harmful habits that we may not realize are endangering us.

Hence, it is good for all drivers to take a refresher course to keep their skills sharp. What’s more? Taking an advanced driver training course can help you reduce your car insurance rates. Here’s how.

Read: 8 tips to help you pass your driving test

Pulling over if you are feeling sleepy

Fatigue is the leading cause of most accidents on our roads. It begins with simply delaying your reactions, proceeds to microsleeps, in which your brain shuts down for a brief period, and then culminates in you falling asleep at the wheel and causing a major accident. Pullover and take a 15-minute break or a power nap if you’re fatigued.

Learning more about your car’s safety features

Many drivers are unaware of their car’s suite of safety features. However, knowing what features your car has and how they function will help you go a long way in avoiding accidents. 

For example, while you may know that your car has anti-lock brakes, which prevent the brakes from locking up under hard braking, it isn’t going to be of any use if you think it will certainly help you avoid an accident. The speed you are traveling at and how quick your reactions determine your car’s braking distance. It doesn’t matter if you have the latest and greatest technology in your car unless you learn their flaws and use them efficiently.

Read: 20 driving quotes we love

Getting the right car insurance

Knowing that their car insurance policy covers them adequately is enough to make them a better, more confident driver for many out there. Of course, having the right car insurance coverage has other benefits, such as free roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown, etc. However, if there’s one thing we know about drivers, it’s that they hate to overpay for car insurance.

Some of you may know that your car insurance rates are determined by your driving record, among several other factors. Hence, car insurance can positively affect your driving since the cleaner your driving record, the lower your rates will be. To shop for the right car insurance coverage for your needs, tap the banner below.

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