If You Miss Your Exit, Keep Going Forward
August 17, 2011 | in Rules of the Road: Driving TipsAlmost all drivers at one point or another have realized a few seconds too late that they missed the exit they were supposed to take on the freeway. This happens for any number of reasons, such as a momentary distraction, another driver making a lane change difficult or even a GPS offering slightly confusing directions. When you miss your exit, you simply need to keep driving and get off at the next available one but this isn’t always the approach taken by drivers.
It’s common to see someone try to slide onto the off ramp even after they’ve passed it but that has the potential for a serious accident. Any kind of sudden movements like that give other drivers little or no time to react, which often times requires them to make a similarly quick movement in order to accommodate. Sometimes drivers that miss their exit will slam on the brakes on the shoulder of the road, hoping they can still make the appropriate turn, but this also should never be done.
You may have even seen drivers try to back up on the freeway or another off ramp in order to correct their mistake. Even if you think you can’t afford the time it will take to exit at the next opportunity, you certainly can’t afford the potential consequences of one of these reckless maneuvers. It’s why it’s so important to stay alert and aware of your surroundings when driving so that you’re fully prepared to get into position for a safe exit on the freeway.
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