Smart Motorist

Public roads are shared by drivers with widely differing abilities and perceptions, in charge of various types of vehicles. Where there's plenty of room for all, driving is relatively easy, but high traffic volume and physical road layout limitations can create stress and frustration. Experienced drivers usually adopt a comfort zone that they feel balances risk, safety, and the law.

21 Smart Driving Tips for New Drivers:

You're biggest risk of having a bad accident is within the first two years of you passing your driving test. Follow these hints and you can reduce this risk.

Freeways are multi-lane divided highways with limited access from other roads. Because there are no stops or cross traffic, they permit you to travel long distances without stopping, as quickly and safely as possible. To make use of the advantages of freeway driving, you should know how to use the freeways properly. Learn to understand and recognize their unique features. This will help to decrease driving time and make fatigue less severe.

If you think proper driving position means having your hands positioned at "10 and 2 o'clock" on the steering wheel (as they taught you in driver's-education class), get with the times! You see, automobiles have changed considerably in the past few years... and therefore, so should your driving habits. 

The 10-2 position is the traditional favorite because, in theory, a higher grip allows a driver to keep the car running smoothly without needing to jerk the wheel suddenly if he is cut off or there is a hazard in the road. But air bags are changing that equation. 

If you break down whilst driving alone, these guidelines may help to make it a less unnerving experience. 

Tire failures, separations and blowouts, are foreseeable events that occur on a daily basis.  We know - and auto and tire makers also know - that at some point after the tread on a tire is worn down, a tire will fail to do its job, which is to remain inflated and intact. 

Though there is usually less traffic during nighttime hours, nearly half of all fatal traffic collisions in Minnesota occur after dark. This is because most drivers are not aware of the dramatic difference that darkness can make in their ability to cope with even the most normal driving situations.

Avoid driving during snowstorms and blizzards unless there is no way to avoid doing so. When it does become necessary, remember that you will not be able to see the road ahead as clearly as you would under normal conditions. Therefore, it is very important to drive more slowly and be prepared to stop suddenly. You should be able to stop within the distance lit up by your headlights.

Winter driving involves some dangerous situations that only occur at this time of year. The hours of darkness increase while daylight hours decrease. Together with fog, rain, snow, sleet, and ice, this problem greatly increases the dangers of driving in the winter months.

Make sure the tires have adequate tread. All-weather radials are usually adequate for most winter conditions. However, some jurisdictions require that to drive on their roads, vehicles must be equipped with chains or snow tires with studs.

Extremely cold temperatures can take your car hostage, according to the AAA. Winter's frigid grip can drain the power from your battery, freeze the fluids in your engine, freeze your gas line and gel your engine oil.

To become familiar with a vehicle's winter-weather operating characteristics, AAA recommends motorists carefully practice slow-speed maneuvers on an empty snow- or ice-covered parking lot. Read carefully your vehicle owner's manual for information on its equipment and handling characteristics.

Ensure that your windshield washer reservoir is filled with no-freeze windshield solvent. Don't fill with plain water, as it will freeze and render your windshield washers useless.