Now that most people have returned to work at various points in January, many may notice the chaos on the roads. Not only do motorists need to manage additional congestion, but some drivers may also be taking bad habits developed over the festive season into the new year.
While MasterDrive always advocates defensive driving, we are aware that December’s quieter roads – with less traffic – can tempt drivers to become complacent or pick up poor driving habits. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, expands: “On quiet suburban roads it is tempting to treat a stop sign like a yield or use speed limits as merely ‘suggestions.’
“Yet, with the return to work, school re-opening and as other daily activities resume, continuing these habits will only make a difficult situation worse. It presents a threat to both drivers and passengers, worsens congestion, exacerbates frustration on the road and sets a bad example for the young passengers in the vehicle.”
If you were guilty of letting your defensive driving lax during this time, incorporate these three corrective actions into your driving immediately to avoid costly and potentially tragic consequences:
- Back to basics
If you did find yourself neglecting following distances, treating four way stops as yields or speeding in low-speed zones, revert to the basics of defensive driving. “Returning to the basics sooner rather than later will reduce your risk significantly. Additionally, accept tempers while driving will be shorter and driving impatiently will only save minutes at best while increasing collision risk dramatically.
“Anticipate other drivers’ actions, scan ahead for potential hazards, and always follow the rules of the road. It will play a role in reducing the congestion, make for a stress-free journey to work, school or errands and, most importantly, help you be a safer driver,” says Herbert.
- Be patient
Significant congestion is an inevitable in the first few months of the year. “Add extra travel time to your journey to account for this. Additionally, mentally prepare yourself for extra time in traffic and use techniques to help you remain calm in congestion. This can be anything from soothing music to podcasts.
“Drivers will inevitably face questionable driving multiple times during a journey as others continue their ‘relaxed’ driving from the festive season. Just as you would prepare for congestion, accept bad driving is unavoidable. Before leaving, choose to ignore this driving and rather focus on improving your own,” says Herbert.
- Be the change you want to see
For part of the journey, many drivers will have young passengers aboard who are learning their future driving behaviour from what they see now. “Take care that they do not learn that bending the rules, mistreating other drivers or losing one’s cool is normal driving behaviour.
“Rather share the lesson to ‘Drive nice, it’s contagious.’ It results in more enjoyable journeys, less congestion and most importantly, safer roads. Be mindful of the young eyes watching you and lessons they may be internalising when repeatedly exposed to bad driving habits,” says Herbert.
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