Whether you’ve just started driving or you’ve been driving for years, it’s important to brush up on the skills that will help you to avoid auto accidents. While you probably do your best to avoid accidents, there are some proactive steps you can follow to protect yourself even more.
How to Avoid Auto Accidents
At Pacific Driver Education, we offer a variety of driver education courses to help you obtain your driver’s license, renew a license, or pass the DMV test. Contact us today to learn more about our driver education programs and sign up at our Top Rated Local® driving school in Gresham. We can help you drive safely and lower the risk of a car crash.
Join Traffic Slowly
It can be tempting to think that the best way to merge into traffic is to get up to speed as quickly as possible. If you do this, however, you just might cause an accident. From blind spots and distracted drivers to last-minute lane changes and more, there are many problems that can result from trying to join traffic too quickly. Make a habit of checking twice to compensate for blind spots and drivers who seem to come out of nowhere.
Buy a Safe Car and Maintain It
When you get ready to purchase a car, be sure to do your research to ensure that you are getting a reliable vehicle with a good safety rating. Schedule regular maintenance check ups to keep your vehicle in good working order. The better care you provide for your car, the less likely you are to have an accident due to mechanical failure.
Avoid Distractions
From noisy kids and loud music to ringing cell phones and more, there are many things that can fight for your attention. When you’re driving, it’s important to eliminate as many distractions as possible. Since your focus needs to be on the road, other drivers, and your own vehicle, be sure to pull over when there are situations you need to address immediately — such as the screaming child in the backseat or an urgent phone call.
Don’t Speed
We’ve all been there — you’re late leaving the house for an appointment, getting the kids to school, or another obligation. The temptation to speed can be very strong, but you need to avoid speeding as this is one of the main reasons for auto accidents. In fact, the faster you drive, the worse the accident can be. Be sure to drive the speed limit so you can avoid serious car crashes, speeding tickets, and increased insurance rates.
Practice Defensive Driving
Defensive driving is a particular set of skills that all good drivers should have. These skills can protect you when you’re driving during inclement weather, surrounded by erratic rush-hour traffic, and more. When you sign up for a class at our driving school in Gresham, we’ll teach you some of these important skills so you can be a safer driver. Contact Pacific Driver Education today.
Know Where Dangers Lie
Dangerous driving conditions can exist almost anywhere depending on the road conditions, the time of day, and even the time of year. With that in mind, be alert for areas where you may need to brake more frequently, take sharp curves, look for pedestrians in the crosswalk, or slow down behind school buses. Additionally, be prepared to adjust for shifts in the flow of traffic at highway entrances and exits, tunnels, and bridges.
Keep Proper Distance
If you've ever been rear-ended by another driver, then you already know what can happen when you follow another vehicle too closely. Keeping the proper distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you will allow you to have plenty of room to slow down or stop. This is especially important when road conditions are less than ideal due to bad weather. One added bonus of maintaining the proper distance is that you’ll have room to pull around a car if it is stopped due to mechanical failure.
Look Further Ahead
You always want to keep an eye on the car in front of you, but it is also important to look at the traffic further ahead. Sometimes the person in front of you isn’t paying good attention and will end up slamming on their brakes at the last minute. If you’ve been scanning the traffic ahead of you, then you’ll see the brake lights from other vehicles and can begin slowing down so that you are not forced to slam on your brakes as well.
At Pacific Driver Education, we know that the best drivers are those who not only learn how to drive safely but also learn to avoid the actions of bad drivers. At our driving school in Gresham, we offer driver education courses for teens and adults to ensure that everyone can learn how to be a safe driver. If you’re preparing for your DMV test, we have courses to help with that as well. Contact us today to learn more about the driver education classes you need.