{"id":19917,"date":"2019-02-06T01:06:09","date_gmt":"2019-02-06T00:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wheelsforwomen.ie\/?p=19917"},"modified":"2019-02-06T01:06:09","modified_gmt":"2019-02-06T00:06:09","slug":"how-to-be-a-safer-driver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wheelsforwomen.ie\/index.php\/how-to-be-a-safer-driver\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be a safer driver"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Driving like most things becomes a routine and bad habits are easily formed, in fact, a recent survey estimated that new motorists develop bad habits and turn into \u201cbad drivers\u201d in just 10 weeks writes Geraldine Herbert<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

So here are some simple strategies to help make our roads safer for you and all other road users.<\/p>\n

Skills that put you in control<\/strong> \u2013 Consider taking an Advanced driving course, these courses cover types of driving that aren\u2019t typically included in standard driving lessons and can improve your confidence on the road and your knowledge of how to drive in challenging environments.<\/p>\n

Follow the three-second rule<\/strong> – Driving too close behind the car in front is also known as tailgating which increases your chances of having an accident. By leaving an adequate distance between you and the car in front this means you will have adequate time to break or react if necessary. When the car ahead of you passes a certain point, such as a road sign or a lamp post, count \u201cone-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand- three.\u201d This takes approximately three seconds. If you pass the same point before you finish counting, you are following too closely. The rule only works in normal traffic under good weather conditions so in heavy rainfall or fog increase the number of seconds depending on how extreme the weather is.<\/p>\n

Slow down<\/strong> – The faster you drive your car, the longer it takes to stop so ensure at all times that your speed matches the conditions of the road. When there’s rain or snow, or if it’s dark, slow down Remember also that speeding not only increases your chances of an accident but it also means you use more fuel and it may lead to fines, penalty points and even disqualification<\/p>\n

Cut out distractions<\/strong> \u2013 Your chances of an accident more than doubles if your eyes are off the road for more than two seconds, so stay focused when driving. Talking on the phone while driving is not safe, even if you have hands-free as it takes your mind off the road, and that increases your risk of a crash. Also when travelling with children ensure they have everything they may need within arms reach.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Geraldine Herbert<\/strong><\/p>\n

6th February 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Driving like most things becomes a routine and bad habits are easily formed, in fact, a recent survey estimated that new motorists develop bad habits and turn into \u201cbad drivers\u201d in just 10 weeks writes Geraldine Herbert So here are some simple strategies to help make our roads safer for you and all other road […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19921,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[356,117],"tags":[1450,1219,3534,1236,2185,2186,3535],"yoast_head":"\nHow to be a safer driver - wheelsforwomen.ie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wheelsforwomen.ie\/index.php\/how-to-be-a-safer-driver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to be a safer driver - 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