Driving is one of the most dangerous things humans do on a routine basis, and it means that folks should be constantly looking to improve their driving. It can be a harsh reality check when people get into an accident or receive a ticket from the police, but there are always areas that need work when we get behind the wheel.
You want to keep your driving record clean so that you can avoid fines and insurance price increases. What exactly is a clean driving record? It’s a record of a person’s driving that tracks things like moving violations, speeding tickets, and accidents that you caused.
These things all indicate whether you have made major mistakes as a driver, and shows that you need to improve. We’ll talk about some of the ways that you can improve your driving, from getting more sleep to not being distracted while in the car. We’ll also talk about some of the measures you can take to hone your skills, like taking a driving class.
#1 – Get a Car That’s Easy to Drive
Some of the difficulties we have when driving comes down to the vehicle we choose. It’s tempting to buy a nice SUV or a big pickup truck with that raise you get at work, but these vehicles are bigger and harder to handle if you aren’t familiar with them. Don’t go out of your way to get something that will hinder your driving.
If you know that you need some work behind the wheel of a big vehicle, try test-driving it several times at the car dealership. See if a family member will lend you their vehicle a couple times so you can try to adjust to it. If you find out that you lose confidence with an SUV, you should stick to one of the easier cars to drive.
Models like the Honda Civic and the Subaru Legacy have great safety features and they are sedans that handle extremely well. The smart technology in some of these cars is ranked very highly, with options like lane assist and alerts when you have someone in your blind spot.
These items can cost more money when buying a new car, so talk to the salesman about any discounts you can get or when sales will occur. But driving one of these types of cars will definitely improve the driving skills of even the most unskilled drivers.
#2 – Take a Class
We often think of driving classes as only being for teens, but sometimes experienced drivers need someone to teach you how to refine your skills on the road.
Taking a defensive driving class will provide you with hands-on experience like parallel parking, checking your blind spot, when to switch lanes, merging onto the freeway, and so much more. You don’t need to feel embarrassed if you need to get another tutorial on these skills.
You can also get auto insurance discounts if you show your agent that you have recently taken a driving class. Every bit of money off helps you, and it also motivates you to continue to drive safely. If you combine driving safely with taking a class, you won’t get pulled over for making mistakes on the road, and you won’t get into accidents as often.
#3 – Cut Out Distractions
There are so many distractions on the road and inside the car while we are driving. We need to work on cutting them out and focusing on the highway. Let’s start by talking about passengers. Parents know all too well how hard it is to entertain their kids at home, and it gets even harder when they are bored in the car.
Try to give them something that can keep their attention. Encourage them to bring a video game or watch a show on their phone. This means they won’t be bothering you and asking you to entertain them while your attention needs to be on the road.
This will also theoretically limit the number of fights that siblings get into. Kids try to irritate each other when they don’t know what else to do to stay busy. Make sure each sibling has a game to play so they don’t accuse each other of taking all of the screen time from the other person.
It’s also the driver’s responsibility to make sure they don’t get distracted by decisions that other drivers make. Road rage is one of the worst things that can happen to someone, as drivers make horrible decisions when they are angry at someone else.
Take a deep breath, ignore people who swear at you, or honk their horns. Try to calm the situation down instead of adding more fire to it. Defensive driving classes can help give more techniques for keeping your cool.
#4 – Be Rested
Sleep deprivation is a major problem in the U.S. Sleepy drivers are constantly getting into car accidents or making mistakes while behind the wheel because they are not alert enough to operate the vehicle. The number one way to change this is to simply get enough sleep each night, but some people are too busy with families and jobs to get a full eight hours.
If you are feeling sleepy while driving, you can try some of the usual tricks to stay awake. This ranges from turning on the radio to blowing the air conditioner on you. These aren’t great methods, but they work better than just forcing yourself to stay awake on your own.
Again, try to find a way to get more sleep each night, especially if you are going to be driving a long distance. Pull over on the side of the road and try to regain your focus if you are feeling especially groggy.
Driving isn’t an easy skill to master, even though people get in cars every single day to go to work and take care of their families. Not being a good driver is not good for your safety or your finances. Getting into accidents, running red lights, and ignoring the rules of the road will make your driving record start to look ugly.
Maintaining a clean driving record will save you money and possibly save your life at some point. Don’t take it for granted. Improve your driving and you can live life to the fullest.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, Clearsurance.com. He wants to help people identify what they need to improve upon when driving a car.
