5 driving habits to help you become a better driver

We’ve all encountered various characters displayed by drivers on the road—some might make you facepalm, others are just downright dangerous.

And with the advent of social media and dash cams, it’s even easier to expose them. 

While we can’t make others change their driving habits, we might as well improve ours and make driving safer for everyone.

That said, here are some ways to make yourself a better driver. 

Keep your distance 

Always maintain a safe distance between you and the car in front. This gives you an ample amount of time and distance to react, should something were to happen.  

Tailgating is not only dangerous; it also makes drivers around you anxious. Following a car too close also blinds your vision as to what’s further ahead, as the car in front is close enough to block most of your vision. 

Look further ahead 

Looking ahead will grant you extra reaction time to react to any oncoming dangers. In heavy traffic, it’s a good habit to look two cars ahead every now and then in order to anticipate any sudden braking. 

In addition to looking ahead, look where you’re going. This is especially important when you’re driving along curvy roads. 

By doing so, you will be able to judge a corner better; helping you make safer reactions, as compared to reacting only when you approach a corner. 

Smooth driving inputs 

Sudden driving inputs will upset the balance of the car. On wet roads especially, smooth, gentle movements will ensure the suspension and tyres work harmoniously and prevent the car from suddenly losing grip.  

Whether it’s steering, throttle or even brakes, driving smoothly will avoid any unwanted mishaps (or attention for that matter). If you have passengers, they will thank you for not making them nauseous. 

Follow traffic speed 

Of course, driving too fast can be dangerous. But what about driving too slow? Sure, driving slow is safe—but driving too slow will pose danger too. Not to mention that you’ll be annoying everyone around you. 

When merging, keep in mind the speed of other cars. Quickly merge into the lane and match the speed of the traffic—and please don’t cross multiple lanes at once. 

Merging too slow is dangerous as the cars behind will have to slow down unnecessarily just to accommodate you. If the drivers aren’t alert, you might find another car in your boot. 

Use your indicators 

This is by far almost everyone’s pet peeve: cars going left or right without signalling. Is it all too challenging to flick the signal stalk? Beats me. 

Make the roads a safer place by communicating with others on where you’re going by using the brilliant built-in feature that is the turn signal. This in turn will save everyone else the headache and stress as well. 

Those are some handy habits to instil to make driving safer for everyone. Above all, always be alert while driving and it’s almost always better to drive defensively and with patience.

For more advanced tips, have a look at our advanced driver training video: