Driving safely on the road is of utmost importance to protect you, your passengers and others outside your vehicle from serious injury or harm. Below are some basic tips for safe driving that everyone should follow in order to keep you and those you love out of harm’s way.

ALWAYS SIGNAL A LANE CHANGE

Did you know that more than thirty percent of U.S. road accidents happen when drivers change lanes?  The DMV recommends you signal for five seconds before moving into another lane.  Check your mirror, signal, look over your shoulder to see if motorcycles, big rigs or other vehicles are around, and then move safely into the next lane.  Just five seconds is all it takes.

STAY ALERT

As a responsible driver, you should always be aware of your surroundings. Scan twelve seconds down the road ahead to avoid surprises. Check your mirrors and blind spots, and look for pedestrians, bikes, motorcycles, and, of course, other cars. And be sure to leave your cellphone alone. Staying alert behind the wheel is a hands-on, full-time job.

ENTRY AND EXIT YOUR VEHICLE SAFELY

Check in the direction of traffic to make sure it’s safe to open the vehicle door.  Please don’t swing it into traffic without checking first because you could take out a bicyclist or lose your entire door!  Also, if you have passengers, it’s best to have them get in and out of the vehicle on the side of the sidewalk, away from traffic.

KEEP A SAFE DRIVING DISTANCE

Keep enough space between you and the car ahead so you have time to react in the event of an emergency.  Don’t tailgate. The California DMV recommends using the three-second rule.  It should take no less than three seconds to reach the point where the car ahead had been when you started counting.  Those three seconds can help you avoid a collision!

BE COURTEOUS – DON’T BLOCK OTHER DRIVERS

If the car ahead of you signals to change lanes in front of you, don’t accelerate to block them from making the lane change.  This behavior endangers both you and the other driver.  And please don’t change lanes if it forces the car behind you to brake.  Be courteous and let’s all get where we’re going safely.

KEEP PASSENGERS SAFE

Before you shift into drive, check that your passengers have securely fastened their seatbelts, and then fasten your own seatbelt.  Children under the age of eight must be secured in a car seat or booster seat.  Make sure child safety seats are properly anchored in the vehicle, and the child is securely fastened according to the seat manufacturer’s instructions.

PARK PROPERLY WHEN ON A HILL

This driving tip is an important one about parking.  If you’re parking on a hill with the front of your car facing downhill, turn your wheels in toward the curb.  If your car is facing uphill, turn your wheels out toward the road.  This way if your parking brake fails, the curb will stop your car from rolling away.  These simple steps can keep your car from becoming a runaway vehicle.

INSPECT YOUR VEHICLE

Take a quick look around the outside of your car.  Check that your tires are well-inflated and that there are no obstacles in the way like bikes, toys or other objects.  Most importantly, make sure no children or pets that could end up in your path.  Taking a minute to look around your vehicle could make a big difference.

BE AWARE OF MOTORCYCLES

Some of the saddest words in any traffic report are “motorcycle down.”  Please take that extra moment to watch for motorcycles when out driving on city streets, or changing lanes on our freeways.  It is legal for motorcycles to split lanes in California, but the Highway Patrol recommends that this only be done between lanes one and two counting from the middle.

WATCH OUT FOR BICYCLES

Cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as other drivers.  Bikes can use dedicated left turn lanes, and have the right to occupy a full travel lane when necessary, but should mainly ride as close to the right curb as possible.  Take care when passing bicycles and give them plenty of room.  Cyclists are small and fragile compared to you and your two-ton car.

TREAT BROKEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS LIKE A STOP SIGN

What do you do when all the lights at an intersection are flashing red?  You treat it like a four-way stop.  Let’s start with east and west, one car from each lane can go, then one left turning car from those directions.  Next, one car from each lane North and South can go, then one left turning car from North and South, then repeat.  If a traffic officer is there, follow their directions no matter what the lights are doing.

PULL OVER FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES

If you see a police car, ambulance, or firetruck coming toward you with their lights and siren going, pull over to the side of the road and stop.  Also, never follow an emergency vehicle to the scene of a fire, traffic crash, or disaster.  You could be arrested.  Just get out of the way so they can do their job.  Someone’s life could hang in the balance.