Do we remember all the basic principles and rules we learned to obtain a driver’s license? Would it be convenient to recycle our knowledge periodically? Next, we will analyze the most frequent vices among drivers, as well as the risk that each of them entails and the correct way to proceed in each case.
1.- Do not keep the safety distance
Respecting the safety distance is essential to reduce the risk of reach since otherwise, the braking distance decreases.
The advice proposed by the DGT to know if we maintain an adequate safety distance is to look for a reference point and count one thousand one hundred, one thousand one hundred two from the moment the car in front passes through that point. If we have finished counting and our vehicle has not yet reached that point, the distance is correct. Otherwise, we will have to increase the safety distance since this will not be enough.
2.- Do not respect the crosswalks
If a driver is not cautious when approaching a crosswalk, an outrage can occur due to the confidence that pedestrians feel when walking through a place where they have priority passage.
As drivers, we must respect the pedestrian’s priority. We also have to make sure, before crossing, that the approaching driver has seen us and is reducing his speed to stop.
3.- Do not signal our maneuvers
Not using the turn signals properly can pose a risk of collision with other drivers who ignore our intentions behind the wheel.
Maneuvers should always signal in advance. Also, it is essential to remember and respect the following safety rule: observe, signal, and then execute.
4.- Inadequate posture at the wheel
Bad postures at the wheel, not only pose a risk to the driver since, in many cases, they also influence our reaction time.
To know how to adopt a correct posture, we recommend you read our post and see the infographic that we published in this blog some time ago.
5.- Distract yourself looking at an accident
The distraction of drivers who look at a road accident can cause retentions and, therefore, new collisions by scope. Always keep your eyes on the direction of movement and be aware of the rearview mirrors. If the authorities and health services are already doing their job, the worst thing we can do is hinder it.
6.- Drive along the center lane
Driving along the central lane is usually an act of insecure drivers. Also, it can induce incorrect maneuvers of conductive golds such as overtaking on the right or double lane changes, with the danger of collision or range.
On roads with more than one lane, we must always drive on the right and use the following, only to perform overtaking maneuvers.
7.- Do not look in the rearview mirrors
Forgetting to look through the rearview mirrors or not doing it at the right time can cause collisions when making turns or lane changes.
It is convenient, every time we get into a vehicle, check and adjust the position of the mirrors. We must also look at them before performing any maneuver and controlling dead spots.
8.- Stop sharply
Abrupt braking is very dangerous as it can produce scopes, wheel locks, and even a road exit.
The DGT, in this sense, recommends driving while maintaining attention, keeping safety distances, anticipating any danger, and warning the detention with the emergency lights of our vehicle.
9.- Join the road abruptly
Abrupt incorporations pose a collision hazard for those vehicles that already circulate on the main road.
To avoid this, we must evaluate the position, trajectory, and speed of the vehicles that circulate on the preferred route, to accelerate and intersperse with each other. Besides, when we circulate on the main road, as far as possible, we will have to facilitate incorporation. It is also important to remember, at this point, that putting the flasher does not give us any preference when joining any route.
10.- Manipulate the mobile phone, GPS, on-board computer or radio
There has been talking on numerous occasions about how dangerous it is to manipulate any of these devices while driving, as there is a distraction that deflects our gaze from the road. At the same time, we travel enough meters not to see a curve, a car braking ahead of us, a traffic light turning red, or a pedestrian that is crossing.
We must always maintain our freedom of movement, the necessary field of vision, and attention to permanent driving and proper posture at the wheel.
11.- Blow the horn as a protest
Peter with the car or make bursts with the long-range lights as a protest against the acts of other drivers, can cause shocks, nerves or the blockage of the person who is not circulating as it should, making the situation worse due to an unexpected reaction
To the extent possible and for our safety, it is preferable to facilitate the maneuvers of other drivers, be friendly and polite at the wheel.
12.- Continuous lane changes
Continuous lane changes and aggressive driving cause braking, scopes, and lateral collisions. When traffic is dense, we must choose the lane based on our destination and remain in it.
13.- Do not increase the separation in the tunnels
Not increasing the separation with the vehicle that precedes us while we are driving through a tunnel, means that there is a higher risk of reach and greater severity in case of an accident, due to the access difficulties that emergency services will have.
The correct thing is to maintain a safety distance of at least 100 meters or an interval of 4 seconds. In the case of vehicles of more than 3,500 Kg, increase to 150 meters or 6 seconds. Besides, it will always be necessary to circulate with the crossing lighting.
14.- Ignore the maximum speed on each track or section
Driving above the speed limits, in addition to supposing a fine, also increases the risk of an accident.
The generic speed limits depend on the type of road, but also the type of vehicle. To review what these limits are, we advise you to review the following image:
15.- Get on the curbs
Air losses can occur in the tires, the known “tire” or deformations in the wheel that dangerously alter the geometry of the steering. To avoid this, when parking, we will have to prevent the wheels from hitting the curb or being partially raised to it.
16.- Do not periodically check the condition of the tires
If a vehicle is traveling with worn tires, with inadequate pressure, or with damaged rubber, the braking distance increases. Also, in the case of rain, there is more risk of aquaplaning, and even a blowout could occur.
It is advisable to check the condition and pressure of the tires periodically. In this way, we can detect in advance if there are malformations, the rubber is in poor condition, or irregular wear has occurred.
17.- Advance in long marches
On single-lane roads per direction, there is a risk of collision if the maneuver starts at a low speed. Besides, on roads with more than one lane for each direction, the movement of the rest of the conductors can be hindered if the overtaking did not carry out properly.
It is always advised, when making an overtaking, to choose suitable places and with good visibility. The gear and speed must be consistent with the slope and the route. The overtaking must always do with determination and use the turn signals to indicate the maneuver to the rest of the drivers.
18.- Hurry up the deposit reservation
Rushing the fuel from the tank can produce a greater absorption of the impurities of the same, and as it passes through the injection system, it can cause breakdowns. Also, circulating in a hurry, the reserve can cause us to be thrown in the least convenient place and moment, assuming the risk and an obstacle to the circulation.
It is advisable to refill the deposit before it reaches the reservation and travel with the full tank on long trips.
19.- Do not place the triangles properly
Failure to place the triangles correctly increases the risk of an accident since the rest of the drivers will not be able to notice so easily the presence of a vehicle standing on the side of the road.
On two-way roads, you have to place a triangle 50 meters in front of the vehicle and another, 50 meters behind. This result makes it easier for us to see from a distance of at least 100 meters. In one-way roads, we will have to place a single triangle 50 meters behind our vehicle.
20.- Abuse the brake down a slope
This action can cause an accident since, throwing the car downhill, forces to slow down in the curves, causing the brakes to warm up and a loss of performance.
To avoid this, the DGT recommends applying the old rule of lowering a port in the same gear that you would raise it, without allowing the vehicle to launch. If we notice hardness in the brake pedal and poor performance, we will have to use shorter gears that help you retain the car and momentarily lift the foot of the brake pedal to cool discs and pads.