Fast, Not Furious: Helpful Hints for Mastering the Art of Highway Driving
If you’re still new to driving, it can be tricky to stay out of people's way on the highway. Most people don’t know how to handle fast drivers. Here’s what you need to know.
Take Someone With You
Ideally, you would take a few extra driving lessons prior to your test, and spend some time taking defensive driving classes so you can get experience with more advanced aspects of driving. But, if you can’t do that, it’s a great idea to take someone with you when you drive. Maybe you could convince your parent or an experienced friend to come along with you.
Avoid taking a car full of friends on your first drive on a highway — it’s way too distracting. Most car accident claims made by teenagers and young drivers are serious. And, many of them happen on highways and are the result of distracted driving.
Match Your Speed When Merging
When getting on the highway, it’s important to match speed with the flow of traffic. On-ramps are designed to let you get up to speed very quickly so you can merge. However, you must also obey the right of way laws on the highway. Those already on the road have the right of way. Your job is to match speed and anticipate traffic patterns so you can get up to speed quickly without forcing others off the road or out of their lane.
If you stop on an on-ramp, the cars behind you may not. They may crash into you or push you into oncoming traffic. This is why on-ramps are risky. At the same time, they’re a necessary part of getting on the highway.
Use Your Mirrors
Make the most of them. Your mirrors are a huge part of your driving experience and an important safety device. Start off by making sure yours are clean and correctly positioned.
Make the most of your mirrors. Don’t forget to turn your head to check your blind spots. With traffic moving at top speeds, it’s difficult to see everything in a mirror.
They’re there to guide you and give you more information, not to replace your direct vision and windows. Plus, your driver’s side mirror contains a blind spot behind your seat and the door jam and pillar.
You must look over your left shoulder to see who’s coming up behind you.
Drive The Speed Limit
Older and more “experienced” drivers are terrible about this. Many people flaunt the laws and travel over the speed limit because they’re in a hurry. But, even new drivers speed. And, many times it’s because they’re not paying attention to road signs or they’re impatient or overconfident.
Keep Right
Sometimes, you’ll find highways have more than 3 lanes. It’s good etiquette to stay in the right-most lane. Stay clear of the middle and left lane unless you’re passing a slower vehicle.
While in the right lane, watch for vehicles trying to merge on the highway. While you have the right of way, not everyone pays attention to this basic rule, and they may try to merge anyway. Stay out of their way to avoid an accident.
The 2-second Rule
The 2-second rule is a good way to get your spacing right. Choose a fixed point like a streetlight or bridge and when the car in front of you passes it, count. You should count 2 full seconds before you pass the same landmark. If you count fewer seconds, then you are following too closely.
Harrison Barnes works as a driver in the food industry and spends a lot of his working days on highways; he's seen it all. He enjoys sharing his tips online to reduce stress and increase safety on our roads.
