You must plan ahead...give yourself enough time to get to your destination so that you are not rushing and do not become frustrated with traffic delays. I always allow an extra 15 minutes for traffic. Traffic frustrations can lead to road rage and that can lead to accidents or deaths.
Be aware of your surroundings. Watch the traffic ahead of you for the red lights of many cars breaking. Be prepared to slow down. One or two cars getting ahead of you is not going to matter that much if you have given yourself that extra 15 minutes. Watch in your rear-view mirror for the nut case that is jumping from one lane to the other and is traveling too fast and too close to the car in front of him. If you see him when he is far enough back, move out of his way. He may not get to where he is going without having an accident, but by letting him go by safely, you will.
Leave the cell phone turned off while you are driving. You can check your messages when you arrive safely at your destination. Remember, you are guiding a several thousand pound vehicle down a highway where not everyone else is as responsible a driver as you are. You don't need to be distracted, this is a life or death operation. Pay attention, not only to your own driving but to the person behind/beside and in front of you.
If you must change lanes to exit or make a turn, give yourself plenty of time to give a signal and safely make the change. Try not to do it in a hurried manner. Give those around you plenty of warning. Often you will see a car give 3 clicks of the turn signal and then zip, they have moved into your lane of traffic. They think it is ok because they gave those 3 clicks...it's not. Give the other drivers a chance to react. And for heavens sakes, do not speed up to cut another driver off. That is where that extra 15 minutes can come into play once again, you won't feel the need to gain that few extra seconds when you can let them go by. It makes for a much calmer commute.
Be aware of your surroundings. Watch the traffic ahead of you for the red lights of many cars breaking. Be prepared to slow down. One or two cars getting ahead of you is not going to matter that much if you have given yourself that extra 15 minutes. Watch in your rear-view mirror for the nut case that is jumping from one lane to the other and is traveling too fast and too close to the car in front of him. If you see him when he is far enough back, move out of his way. He may not get to where he is going without having an accident, but by letting him go by safely, you will.
Leave the cell phone turned off while you are driving. You can check your messages when you arrive safely at your destination. Remember, you are guiding a several thousand pound vehicle down a highway where not everyone else is as responsible a driver as you are. You don't need to be distracted, this is a life or death operation. Pay attention, not only to your own driving but to the person behind/beside and in front of you.
If you must change lanes to exit or make a turn, give yourself plenty of time to give a signal and safely make the change. Try not to do it in a hurried manner. Give those around you plenty of warning. Often you will see a car give 3 clicks of the turn signal and then zip, they have moved into your lane of traffic. They think it is ok because they gave those 3 clicks...it's not. Give the other drivers a chance to react. And for heavens sakes, do not speed up to cut another driver off. That is where that extra 15 minutes can come into play once again, you won't feel the need to gain that few extra seconds when you can let them go by. It makes for a much calmer commute.
