When I was stationed in Germany with the Army every quarter we’d have road safety classes. Now most classes were given with death by power point and this class was no different. But for most of us who loved driving on the Autobahn this class was actually interesting because we talked about black ice, car maintenance and the dangers of it. Without fail someone from the armed forces would get into a wreck because they didn’t know how to drive in Europe. I remember some friends going to the UK, Spain and Italy and getting into wrecks. It was a mess because they were foreigners on travelers insurance and had to deal with serious injuries they caused.
A responsible man is familiar with his car. He might not be able to take it apart and replace the engine. But he knows how to maintain it or when to have that done. He knows the safety measures to drive safely and if in an accident what to do. He knows how to drive his vehicle because we all know not every vehicle is the same.
Keep these Car Driving Tips in mind:
Car Safety Precautions:
These precautions exist to ensure everyone gets from A to B. A man knows who is in his car. If there’s a child make sure there’s a child seat. Make sure everyone is wearing a seatbelt. Make sure the doors are all closed securely. These should all be done before you drive off.
Vehicle maintenance:
We all know someone who didn’t change their oil and then got mad when the bill is higher to fix the damages. You’ll be surprised how many accidents occur because car maintenance wasn’t done. Every car’s manual has a scheduled maintenance plan. If yours doesn’t have one then Google it. It isn’t that hard.
Take care of your belongings!
Some of the basics of car maintenance are:
- Oil change every 3 to 5 thousand miles.
- Flush your radiator every 2 to 3 years.
- Watch the tread on your tires.
- Check your windshield wipers.
- Tire balance
- Tire pressure (Can be done easily at most gas stations)
- Vehicle Battery (Both battery life and outside corrosion)
- Brakes
But safety precautions and maintenance tips alone are not enough to reduce the number of road accidents that occur each day. General safe driving tips will also come in handy to help reduce this. We all develop bad driving habits that can result in unnecessary risks. Never forget to check your blind spots by turning your head and looking. Tail gating is one of the worst habits and high causes of accidents. Especially here in San Diego when it rains. Tailgating puts both automobiles at risk as the driver in front may require applying emergency breaks at a moment notice. This means that the trailing vehicle will either ram in to them or swerve unnecessarily in order to avoid a collision.
We all speed or go too slow at some point. This isn’t going to change but it needs to be done safely. 5 miles over is speeding. 5 miles under is dangerous for those around you going the speed limit.
Maintenance, maintenance.
Bad Weather:
Our favourite topic! What should you do if you encounter black ice? What do I do if my car’s stuck in snow and I’m going to be late for formation? You’ll be surprised what unsafe acts soldiers do when they’re afraid they’ll get punished for being late. All car driving tips go out the window.
If you encounter black ice….first you should know that it doesn’t look black , it’s clear and you’re seeing the black asphalt below it. Second, don’t slam or pump the brakes. This will just lock up and you’ll go sliding into whatever’s in front of you. What you should do first, after driving slow and careful, is de-accelerate and keep your steering wheel straight. For more details on what to do check out this site. What you’ll see in the video below is going way to fast and slamming on the brakes.
Bad weather has been attributed as one of the major causes of serious injury from road traffic accidents. Thousands of claims are filed each year around the world. It’s no joke and I’m sure we’d all agree that we’d hate to have one filed against us or be the one having to file because someone else wasn’t practicing these car driving tips. Under these conditions we have to be more cautious as compared to when driving in clear weather. Winter and summer tires, tire tread, wipers and anti-freeze become huge factors in bad weather.
Don’t be that one: Be Responsible and Practice these Car Driving Tips
Check out this video of a crazy black ice driving accident during bad weather and you’ll see how easy it is to be that one.
Talk about someone needing a lesson in car driving tips…
Photo credits:
1st Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iloveblue/
2nd Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aigle_dore/
3rd Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfslim/
Oh how I miss the death by PowerPoint =)
I never drove on the autobahn as a man, but I remember riding on it as a child when my parents were stationed in Germany. I have to admit I need to know more about my car, I typically take it in for oil changes and let the mechanics tell me what’s wrong.
The Autobahn is fun! It does have speed limits in certain spots but overall the fast lane is the passing lane and you’ll see some crazy speeds there.
Maybe I’ll make a power point for you 😉 haha!
Check your batteries when they start to get older. I remembered that the hard way when my car was dead at 6;30 in the morning at the gym when I had wet hair and shower sandals on. Also always keep jumper cables in the car!
That sounds horrible! I’m going to add jumpers to the article. How could I forget that! Thanks for the reminder.
Amen brother! Car maintenance is so easy and helps prevent so many things!! Just do it, people!
Thanks TB!
I was driving my wife to work last week and the roads were really bad. Morning traffic had turned the roads to several inches of slush. At one point, I did loose control and started drifting into the oposite side of the road! Luckily road was pretty quiet at that point, but still pretty scary, even when you know what to do.
When you loose control, never brake! That’s probably the worst thing you can do. Technically, you shouldn’t counter-steer either but I did because there was nothing behind me and the curb to my right looked a lot more inviting than the oncoming pickup. 🙂
Glad to hear you both made it out safely. These things can happen with no warning leaving you with only your gut reaction. Good thing you knew what to do.
Don’t forget the brakes. Even if your not mechanically inclined, it’s not that difficult to check your brake pads. Most newer cars have really open rims as well, making it easy to see how much pad is left. One other thing I would add is to add distance between you and the car ahead hen the road is wet or visibility is poor. That’s saved me from a stupid rear ender more than once!
Both important points! Not sure how I forgot “brakes”. Essential to every car maintenance plan. And keeping a safe distance is also important; even when it’s good weather.
Great tips John! I would also like to point out how important it is to check out for blind spots for better and safer driving experience. So true, it’s a must for every driver to ensure that the vehicle is in good condition but we shouldn’t forget that a responsible attitude towards road safety will keep us away from danger while on travel.
Thanks Gregory! You’re absolutely right. I recently took a Motorcycle Class and blind spots were emphasized, and it applies just as much for cars.
“A man knows who is in his car. If there’s a child make sure there’s a child seat. Make sure everyone is wearing a seatbelt. “
I love these points. It makes me feel like I’m a responsible driver. In addition to the important points mentioned above, let us not forget our driving skills. If you are a terrible driver, I think it’s time to sharpen your driving skills by getting a short driving course. Nothing can substitute driving skills even that of modern technology in ensuring driving safely.
Thanks for the informative article John!
Glad to hear you’re driving responsibly out there. I agree that drivers lacking adequate skills should take a class. But I also think our drivers license test is far to easy. I’ve taken it in Germany and seen how hard it is in Japan too. I also think some drivers should never be allowed to turn right on red. Every week I end up hitting the brakes because they don’t speed up.
Wow John. Your title is a bit biased since ladies make up a large proportion of the driving public and equally need to be aware of car servicing.
Sarah, thanks for sharing. We are a blog by men and write primarily too men, hence the article title. But yes alot of what we write applies to woman also and appreciate our female readerships feedback.
Car should be charged on a regular basis Check charger ammeter (the meter on the charger itself) to be sure charger has turned on. Charger will be hot to the touch during charging and may run for up to 12 hours.
Thanks for the tip! I’ve never heard of having to do this. My car battery is checked at every oil change though and I believe that is efficient.
Great tips Shared but you forgot about some things like brakes.
But anyways these tips are also valuable
Brakes definitely are important. I’m going to add it to the list. Thanks for sharing.