southernbelledriver

To be a safe driver you must manage the road space around your car. Good drivers keep a safe following distance so they can see well. The more space you allow between your car and the car ahead, the more time you will have to see a hazard down the road and the ability to avoid it. A good space cushion will allow for easier steering and give you a bigger picture of your intended path of travel. Driving in the center of the lane also improves your view of the roadway.

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Every driver should be aware of how dangerous it is to drink and drive. However, driving drowsy can be just as deadly as driving drunk. Sleepiness hinders your reaction time, decreases awareness, and impairs your judgment, just like drugs or alcohol. In fact, people who are very sleepy behave in similar ways to people who are drunk. Fatigue can set in at any time. When you are tired, your ability to react, concentrate, and make complex driving decisions is impaired.  Here are some symptoms of...

Your emotions affect the way you drive. Whether you are calm, anxious or hot-tempered strong emotions can interfere with your ability to think and reason. This reduces your ability to make safe decisions. It is a challenge to not let your emotions interfere with safe driving. Use good judgment, common sense, courtesy, and safe driving rules to ensure your safety and the safety of others.

Good driving habits enable a driver to recognize and stay away from danger as well as react correctly in an...

As summer sizzles on we are sure to see more people on the road including law enforcement and emergency vehicles. You must yield the right-of-way to a police car, fire engine, ambulance, or other emergency vehicle using an audible or visual signal such as flashing lights, bells, or sirens. Pull as close to the right edge of the road as possible and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed or the lane becomes clear to travel. However, do not stop in an intersection. Continue through the...

On my daily commute I see cars jet in, out and around big trucks. My heart stops for these drivers. We may not understand the technique of driving big trucks however, to reduce the chance of a collision with a large truck, motorists must be familiar with a truck's physical capabilities and how it maneuvers.

Please do not pull in front of a large truck and suddenly slow down. The trucker will not be able to stop quickly enough to avoid crashing into you. A large truck takes longer to stop than a...

As the temperatures rise here in Texas, the sun sizzles everything it can touch.  This reminded me about my yearly uneven arm tanning. Anyone who loves comparing silly tans or road trips can relate. I'm not keen on the idea of keeping melted sunscreen in my car so I've looked into window tinting.

Here is what I found out: the darkness of tint is measured by Visible Light Transmission percentage (VLT%). In Texas, this percentage refers to percentage of visible light allowed in through the...

The new child transportation safety campaign from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Ludorum is Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe! The leading cause of injury and death for children continues to be traffic incidents. We can not predict when incidents will occur but we can certainly educate ourselves. The four main focal points are: car seat safety, bike, pedestrian, and bus.

 All 50 states are in agreement that car seats help save lives. A car seat must be the right fit for the...

Living in one of the largest cities, we are familiar with driving through construction zones. Defensive driving in a construction zone starts with driving at the posted speed. The Texas Department of Transportation reports that the number one cause of death and injury in a construction work zone is speeding.

Construction worker’s only protection from oncoming traffic is a plastic cone or drum. In addition, rocks and other debris that can be kicked up by passing vehicles become even more...

As our days become shorter and our nights longer we spend more time driving at night. You must use extra precautions when you drive at night. You will have less time to stop if a hazard lies ahead. Make sure you can stop within the distance lighted by your headlights.

The law says you must turn your headlights on 30 minutes before sunset and leave them on until 30 minutes after sunrise. You must turn your lights on any time you can't see at least 1000 feet (2.5 city blocks) ahead.

You may have to...

To be a safe driver you must manage the road space around your car. Good drivers keep a safe following distance so they can see well. The more space you allow between your car and the car ahead, the more time you will have to see a hazard down the road and the ability to avoid it. A good space cushion will allow for easier steering and give you a bigger picture of your intended path of travel. Driving in the center of the lane also improves your view of the roadway.

Most rear-end collisions are...