Fewer things are more frustrating or stressful than driving in high traffic areas. To make things worse, one in every four car accidents happen during rush hour traffic. Whether it be because of the volume of vehicles on the road all rushing to get to or from work, or because traffic moves slower causing drivers to become distracted, rush hour is dangerous.
Whether you like it or not, most people have to spend time in traffic. Here are five tips to safe, alert, and calm in heavy traffic.
Slow Down
Traffic slows down automatically when there is a higher volume of cars on the road. Frustration due to slow traffic tempts drivers to either drive faster to avoid a delay or to zigzag between lanes. Weaving between lanes is dangerous as other drivers can’t predict what you will do, so they may also change lanes as you approach. Neither of these options will save you much time. A better option is to drive safely by slowing down, staying in your lane, and proceeding with caution.
Keep a Safe Following Distance
Never tailgate the car in front of you. Maintaining at least a three-second buffer between your car and the car in front of you means that you may have enough time to react if the cars in front of you suddenly brake. Unfortunately, you have no control of the cars behind you, but keeping a front buffer will give you a couple of extra seconds to react in case of the unexpected.
Indicate
Use your indicator or lights to communicate your driving intentions to other drivers. Letting other drivers know what you are doing helps them to prepare what they will do. it also benefits you because drivers will often give you the gap that you need to change lanes.
Stay Alert
Driving in slow-moving traffic can be very boring, but this is not the time to check your phone. Just because you are moving slower does not make it safer. To text you need to take your eyes off the road for about five seconds; these few seconds are enough to cause a crash. If you need to make a call or text, first pull off the road.
Always stay alert, maintaining a general awareness of traffic in front of you and behind you. Check blind spots and watch other drivers. Keep a lookout for road signs, construction works, or weather conditions to prepare yourself for any surprises along the way.
Keep Cool
It is very hard not to get impatient and angry in traffic. However, losing your cool on the road puts everyone in danger, and it leads to irresponsible and aggressive driving. Remember that anger has dangerous health consequences, such as stress and high blood pressure. Keep calm by taking deep breaths and listening to soothing music or audiobooks.
Use these five tips to stay calm and drive safely. Remember that most drivers in high traffic areas face the same feelings of frustration and stress.
Photo by pasa47 | Licensed under cc BY 2.0
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