Lifesaving rush hour driving advice
Autodealer has compiled a list of recommendations which are specifically formulated to get you to work and back home in one piece
During those hours our roads are carrying the most traffic and everyone is in a rush.
Autodealer cares for its readers’ safety, and therefore has compiled a list of recommendations which are specifically formulated to get you to work and back home in one piece:
Minimise distractions
Phones, kids and loud music…
Those are distractions and while you can get away with it on a leisurely Sunday drive to the beach, driver awareness in rush hour traffic should be taken to the next level.
Most new cars feature some sort of ‘hands free’ communication system which works in conjunction with the onboard audio setup, but receiving a call or having messages read out to you are still distracting in a big way.
Decide whether being connected is really that important during the 30 minute commute to work?
If the answer is ‘no’, switch your phone off.
It’s all about proper planning, so make sure who’s buying the milk and bread today before leaving work and not on the way home.
Also, teach children to sit still and to keep quiet while mommy is driving in heavy traffic.
Their lives depend on her being fully aware of what’s going on around her.
The same goes for playing loud music.
Hearing plays an important part in driving a car and being able to hear someone blowing his hooter or braking hard are extremely important.
Hands on, eyes open
Doing 100 to 120km/h on a heavily congested highway requires extra care.
Firstly, keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times in the quarter-to-three position.
This will allow you to have better control over your vehicle for when someone does something stupid in front or next to you.
Also, constantly scan the road ahead as well as behind and next to you by briefly looking in the mirrors.
By doing this you will recognise possible danger situations in advance and give yourself time to respond accordingly.
Knowing the person behind you is talking on his phone means that you have identified a possible rear-ender, and can avoid it by moving to another lane or leaving him behind before reaching the next traffic light.
In front, keep an eye out for people who drive irregularly and stay clear of them.
Allow yourself space
Keeping a following which allows you enough room to react in emergency situations is cardinal; because it’s no use identifying a dangerous situation before it happens but not being able to avoid it.
The old two-second rule is just a guideline.
You as driver have to assess the conditions and decide whether you have enough room between you and the car in front to save the day when something goes wrong.
Yes, if you increase the distance to more than a car’s length you will get an irresponsible driver squeezing in, but keep calm and don’t split his scull with the wheel spanner at the next stop.
Rather apply the brakes and some serious inner Zen because you want to do the rush hour run all over again tomorrow, instead of a one way trip in a coffin to the cemetery.
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