There is nothing as calming as driving through hills with your loved ones and absorb the beauty of nature. Passing through the lush green trees and experiencing the tranquillity is something that one wants after getting done with the workload. As enjoyable as it is, though one must take care of the safety precautions to deliver it in a safe fashion so as not to spoil the experience. 

Hilly areas have tricky roads, usually covered with snow during monsoon and winters that makes them slippery. Weather conditions can become incredibly unpredictable when it comes to mountainous areas that can directly affect your driving. One must be experienced and trained through a reputed driving school to get on those uneven roads.

Here are some driving tips that will keep you safe during the journey-

1) Give Your Car a Tune-up

Before you head towards the mountains for your perfect vacation, don’t forget to inspect your car. Ensure that vehicles brakes are tight and transmission fluids are filled. Get the systems scrutinized by a professional mechanic who can check heating and cooling systems, battery performance, engine, tyres, exhaust system and brakes. Make sure the tyres are dilated, and a spare is on standby.

2) Fill-up on Fuel

Fuel stations usually get closed in the evening in the hilly areas and travelling to a remote area; you may not encounter many. The other thing that many people do not know is that climbing steep grades require more fuel. Calling for help can become difficult due to network issue in such areas, so it is better to completely fill-up your car before going to such places.

3) Check the Weather Conditions

Before heading towards the hilly areas, keep yourself updated about the weather conditions. Pack all the necessary things required to survive and maintain an emergency kit with yourself. If the weather is freezing, use a sprinkler to clear the glass of any obstruction. If the water has frozen on the windshield, stop at a nearby spot to clean it.

4) Use the Headlights

It is recommended to switch on the headlights during the day time in a hilly region. The reason is that one side of the hill is usually covered in shadow and you do not want it to become the reason of your accident. Therefore, switching on the headlights will warn pedestrians and other drivers about your vehicle. Remember not to flash the high beam on to another car that will blind them entirely and lead to a mishap.

5) Stay Alert-

Although you will get diverted by the breath-taking scenery yet staying focused on the driving must be your priority. Even the briefest moment of distraction can lead to drifting; therefore, focus on staying between the yellow lines. Never be in a rush and overtake other vehicles on the turning points in the rocky region since overtake can lead to falls and accidents as the roads are narrow in mountainous areas.

Clear the driving test and obtain the driving licence before driving any vehicle.

After a long year of studying, writing exams, and moving from one class to another on campus, summer holidays are probably the most exciting thing for college students. Some are eager to get back behind the wheels, while others brace themselves to take it up as their part-time jobs.

But despite all this enthusiasm in teens, many parents feel hesitant in handing over vehicles to them. That may be probably due to their lack of proper driving skills or habit of getting distracted when on the road.

However, if you are one of the lucky ones who have been entrusted by your parents with a nice car, you will need to keep in mind these following tips to keep yourself and others safe on the road:

• Learn and Follow the Road Rules

Before you get in the car, you should know all the road rules, irrespective of where you drive. If you were practicing driving in the past but got out of touch for some time, it is best to refresh yourself with the rules that you learned in driver’s education program.

A good way to start is taking an online driving test or discussing signs or road details that you don’t remember from the course with your elders.

• Avoid All Distractions

According to expert studies, teenage drivers are usually the most distracted and get easily involved in fatal crashes. Now, you may think that texting, chatting, or eating are the only distractions. Well, daydreaming is another big culprit.

Thus, to ensure your safety, don’t let your mind wander off to your studies or personal life. Instead, keep your focus solely on the road.

• Wear Your Seat Belts

Well, this might sound a piece of obvious advice, but most of the college students do not wear a seat belt while driving. They don’t realize how important this one thing is to safeguard against unforeseen accidents.

Hence, no matter how proficient you are at driving, don’t let the risk of injuries or deaths linger on by ignoring the use of a car seat belt.

• Hone Your Defensive Driving Skills

When you hit the road, you get to face a lot of new and inexperienced drivers. And, the only way to prevent yourself from them is to be extra cautious and use those defensive driving skills you learned at professional driving school.

Remember, you have to be proactive and anticipative of what other drivers are up to and do your best to nullify their negligence.

• Watch Out Your Speed

If you are in your teens, then you probably think that driving slow isn’t good for your reputation. However, speed or aggressive driving isn’t great either. Driving rash consumes a lot of gas and also increases the chances of accidents.

On the other hand, if you drive in your speed limits, you can quickly gauge the mistakes of pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers, and potentially save many people from losing their lives.

Each year, thousands of lives are lost due to negligent driving. Distractions arising because of your ringing phone, talkative passengers, or four-legged furry friends may come with more negative consequences than you would imagine.

Driving distractions are usually categorized into three main types – visual (taking your eyes off the road), manual (taking your hands off the wheel), and cognitive (taking your mind off the task of driving). And while you may think that texting and driving are the only distractions that can happen, there are actually many others including eating food, drinking your favorite beverage, applying makeup, changing the radio station, or even using a GPS.

Then there are large amounts of visual processing on-going in the brain and a lot of coordination happening between hands and legs. All these things altogether can at times hamper the brain’s ability to interpret and react to what other drivers are doing. As a result, drivers are less likely to see and easily hit any object coming. Due to this reason, a good driving school always teaches its students to become more attentive and ensure safety for everyone around them.

Following are some great tips to help you reduce your distractions and drive safely on the road:

1. Complete your grooming routine at home. One should always give himself or herself the desired time to dress up, shave, and do makeup in the morning. If you don’t have much time, then wait until you reach your destination and finish your rest of the grooming routine there.
2. Limit the usage of your cellphones. Your phones should be meant for emergency purposes only. Even hands-free calling or voice texting can take away your attention and increase the risk of a crash.
3. Take a halt if you are drowsy. Drowsiness has known to cause a majority of accidents among the U.S. drivers.  So, if you anyhow feel tired or sleepy on the way, don’t hurry. Get off the road and take some rest in between.
4. Secure your children and pets. With kids and pets in the vehicle, there can be huge distractions. Therefore, secure them in the back seat so that they don’t block your road view or bump into your steering wheel.
5. Don’t eat on the go. Though it is not difficult to eat while driving, juggling with your sandwich or a cup of hot coffee can be extremely risky especially when driving in high-traffic areas. Plus, there is always a possibility of spilling the food either on yourself or your car.
6. Decide your route in advance. Operating your navigation system while driving can do you more harm than good. Just a second of taking your eyes away and you can end regretting it for life. So, check the GPS before you onset for your journey and pick the best route possible.
7. Restrict the number of passengers in the vehicle. Most states put a limitation on the number of people that can travel in a vehicle; which is important to maintain a balance of the vehicle as well as sustain the focus on the road.

Share these tips to help keep your loved ones safe. For more information on attentive and defensive driving, join our driving programs today!

Driving after dark becomes risky. Road fatalities are more during the night than in the day time. It depends on the driving skills of a person and the safety precautions he is taking while driving. Apart from the driving skills, the thing that leads to accidents in the dark is the vision which includes depth perception, peripheral vision, and ability to distinguish color. 

Driving in unpredictable weather conditions also increases the probability of accidents. Therefore, it is recommended to drive on the road only after taking professional driving classes from a reputed institute. Once you pass your test and obtain the licence, you are eligible for driving.

 We have come up with some tips that will help you drive safely after the sun goes down-

1) Aim your Headlights-

Headlights can shift their focus due to excessive driving or if your vehicle is used daily. Even the brand new cars can have slightly pointed headlights. Make sure to get the headlights fixed so that they can aim better on the road. 

Even the lights that aim correctly can cast a dim glow, that is why it becomes necessary to clean them because they might be blocked due to the dust and dirt from the roads. Replace them if they are broken or doesn’t glow brightly.

2) Dim your Instrument Panel and Dash Lights-

Bright dashboard LEDs and demonstration screens can reflect light on the windshield that can block the view and distract you causing accidents. Cars are incorporated with dashboard dimmers switches to dim the lights for this reason.

3) Avoid Wearing Dark Glasses-

Many people tend to wear dark glasses during the night for styling and protecting eyes which can actually reduce the visibility leading to accidents. 

Should people wear glasses while driving at night or not? Yes, people can wear prescribed lenses with an anti-reflective coating that blocks unnecessary light from flashing inside your lenses while permitting more light to pass through.

4) Increase Distance and Reduce Speed-

Everybody is in a hurry to rush to homes once the office is over but keeping a certain level of patience becomes essential sometimes. Avoid over speeding and tailgating. Make use of 3-second rule which says that there must be a gap of 3 seconds between your vehicle and the vehicle in front, once it passes through a designated area.

Otherwise, use your headlights for gauging the distance and maintaining the visibility.

5) Don’t Stare at Oncoming Lights-

High beam vehicles coming from the opposite side can disrupt your concentration. They can cause a blurry effect for a few seconds that can make you lose consciousness and you can easily strike your vehicle into another.

It is best to shift your gaze towards white lines on the road which will prevent you from being temporarily blinded by the headlights.

6) Don’t Drink and Drive-

Don’t put yourself and others at risk by driving under the influence of alcohol, it will not only result in an accident, but it will cost you high penalty as it’s against the law.

You must visit a professional driving institute for learning more rules and safety measures to drive correctly.

Three factors make up a good driver – technical driving skills, the amount of driving experience, and complete knowledge about road rules. Even if you have learned how to merge safely and parallel park your car with ease, a valuable driver education program is what you need to be as safe as possible on the road.

Although it may seem unimportant, driver’s education is immensely helpful for anxious teenagers who are waiting to get behind the wheel. Such training teaches the students how to operate a vehicle on busy highways, at night, and also during uncertain circumstances and weather conditions.

Driver’s education lays down a lot of emphasis on small yet extremely significant things such as adjusting a vehicle’s steering wheel, seat, and rear and side-view mirrors; safe entering and exiting from traffic; using turn lanes; changing lanes; and controlling vehicles’ speeds. Plus, it develops the ability to foresee hazards well ahead of time and escape unsafe situations before it gets too late.

Besides, the driving rules and regulations change with time and attending a driver’s education class works as a refresher. Thus, even experienced drivers avail a great amount of benefit when they attend these programs.

Here are five reasons why you also should opt for a driver’s education program from a renowned driving school this year

• To Gain Confidence In Your Driving Ability

You may think you know everything about roads and driving rules, but when you enroll for a driver’s education course, you gain a better understanding of cars and safety regulations. As a result, you obtain great confidence and sufficient level of faith in your abilities to drive in all sorts of difficult situations.

• To Inculcate a Sense of Responsibility

Students that take driver’s education classes are told that any mishap or accident is their personal responsibility. They are constantly reminded that they have to take care of the safety of themselves and passengers. This gives birth to a strong awareness in them and curbs an unfair sense of freedom.

• To Learn Defensive Driving Skills

The best part about driver’s education programs is that new as well as experienced drivers are taught how to drive defensively; which is extremely important to promote their well-being on roads. The emphasis of such techniques is entirely on maintaining safety on the streets and not becoming an aggressor anyhow.

• To Acquire Mechanical Knowledge

Despite having years of experience in driving, many drivers fail to handle basic mechanical issues of their car. They don’t know how to change the tire or handle an overheated engine. Neither do they have any knowledge about the radiator nor about the oil pan. But, having such information is crucial and proves to be highly valuable when something goes wrong when the driver stands all alone on the road.

• To Avail Auto Insurance Premium Discounts

A majority of car insurance companies in the United States provide discount rates at as high as 25-30% for drivers who complete a driver’s education course; hence, saving you a substantial amount of money in the long run.

When it comes to the driving test, many fail it because of nervousness, or shortage of knowledge, or improper guidance, or lack of practice. The pass rate even lowers for those who appear in the driving test for the first time. 

However, reasons for failing the driving test are not restricted to the ones mentioned above. There are many specific mistakes that drivers make during the test. 

If you are also going to appear for your driving test, then you might be fretted of committing the blunders that can stop you from clearing the test. Experts recommend learning from the mistakes of others. So, in this article, we have listed the common reasons for which people fail their driving test. 

• Not having the expertise to control the vehicle – Your ability to control the vehicle matters because it is one of the things your testing official will notice carefully. Try not to drive with one hand as it can leave a negative impact on the examiner. Have a firm grip over the steering to make sure that you are in full control throughout. 

• Not using mirrors properly – Driving test is all about checking whether you are a safe driver or not. It means you have to be attentive all the times and see what’s going on around you. And to stay alert, it is crucial to make constant use of all the three mirrors. Every time you change the direction, apply the brake, start or stop the vehicle, keep scanning the mirrors. Remember your examiner will be noticing every minute action of yours. 

• Not driving within the speed limits – Drive too slowly or drive too fast; both will be counted as negative points. So, the secret to clear the driving test is to know the speed limit. Also, don’t drive below the speed limit as the examiner can assume that you don’t have the right knowledge about what the speed limit is. 

• Not observing at junctions – Every year, many accidents occur just because people pass the junctions carelessly. Please don’t do it! Be attentive and cautious while making a move. Observe the road mindfully before crossing. 

• Not coming to a complete halt – Not stopping the car completely when you should, such as at red light or stop sign can be a silly mistake. Just slowing down is not enough at such points, and the examiner can give you a negative for it. 

• Not applying the brakes correctly – Applying the brakes carefully is an indication of a good driver. Also, when it comes to braking, different vehicles have different levels of sensitivity. To make sure that you are good at using the brake, practice driving as much as you can. Taking the road test preparation course can be your saviour.

• Not responding to road signs – Ignoring the road signs is the biggest mistake you can commit during your driving test. So, never do it! Learn everything about the traffic signals and road signs before appearing in the driving test. 

Further, if you want to clear the driving test the it is highly recommended to take the professional driving tuition. It will boost your confidence.

Roads in the USA have never been so busier the way they are today. With increasing disposable income in the country, more and more people are investing in their personal vehicles and relying less on public transportation. This automatically makes driving on congested roads a big challenge and calls for the learning of defensive driving skills, especially for first-time drivers.

Defensive driving simply means to drive in a way that you are able to defend yourself against possible collisions and prevent the chances of accidents. Equipping oneself with defensive driving skills helps in identifying potential hazards on the road and acting immediately. Such adeptness not only gets you to the destination safely but also save you hundreds of dollars on auto insurance.

When you are on the road, you can never make assumptions about other drivers’ intentions or anticipate what they might do next. So, instead of getting tensed up and waiting for an accident to happen, implement the following techniques and be ready every time to defend yourself:

1. Keep Yourself Calm

Almost every one of us is guilty of driving wrong at one time or another because of an unstable state of mind. What we feel inside is how we react to others on the road. That is why an attitudinal change is required, particularly when driving to work. Focus on being in a perfect frame of mind before you step with your vehicle on the road and be completely relaxed when you arrive at the office.

2. Pay Attention to the Road Rules

This may sound like a no brainer but a lot of drivers actually don’t care about the road signs, the speed limit, and the traffic signals. They either end up driving rashly or go the wrong way on one-way streets. They forget that whatever they would do would affect the driver who is ahead and behind and can cause an accident really quickly. Thus, make sure you obey all the traffic rules and lights and stay within your prescribed speed limit.

3. Plan Ahead for the Unexpected

When you drive, you cannot control people’s actions but can surely make a plan to keep yourself safe and act immediately for the safety of others. When you learn defensive driving, you develop a keen eye to scan the road ahead and look beyond the foreground. This allows you to be well-prepared for what is to come and give you ample time to react.

4. Learn to Drive on Special Roads and in all Weather Conditions

Weather is a major culprit in most motor vehicle accidents in the USA. The weather conditions change pretty soon and unless you are a defensive driver, you cannot adapt to them. So, it is best to undergo an advanced driving course if you wish to drive on special highways and in bad weather conditions or during the night.

When it was your childhood, your parents looked after you. They gave you everything you needed for a good life – food, shelter, care, and love. But as the years pass by, the responsibility gets swapped. Your elderly parents become dependable on you and their deteriorating health becomes a point of concern.

With time, seniors encounter degenerated vision and slow reflexes that highly impact their driving ability. Driving is no longer safe for them, especially for the ones having age-related health conditions such as dementia. That is why it becomes essential for you to regularly monitor their driving abilities.

An important point to note is that all drivers are different and the time to stop driving for each one of them may be different. There are many senior drivers who can put the younger drivers to shame with their quality of driving and there are many others who are victimized by severe health ailments and are forced to leave driving at their early age.

So, look out for the following signs before you prevent your older family to get behind the wheel:

1. Hearing or Sight Loss

Getting older doesn’t automatically mean that your elderly parent should stop driving. However, if you see them struggling with road sign reading or ignoring the honks of vehicles behind, it is an alarming situation. They may persist on getting hearing and visual aids but there comes a time when such aids can do very little in mitigating the potential risks while driving on the road. Explaining them the scope of damage that can happen is the only way out.

2. Dull or Slow Reactions

If you see your parents or senior family members running the red lights and the stop signs or failing to brake when an animal comes out suddenly on the road, it is a warning sign. It could be a child next time. Hence, you have to help them understand that they need to give up on their driving, not as a punishment but for their and others’ safety. 

3. Reduced Concentration

It is normal for the seniors to start forgetting and abandoning their minor tasks, but what if the same happens in the case of driving? Well, there can be disastrous consequences. Elderly people tend to get easily distracted by a conversation, changing of radio channels, or adjusting the temperature controls of the car. So, such tasks should be delegated to the person sitting by and let them focus on the road entirely. If these precautionary measures don’t help, it is strongly recommended by driving experts to ask the seniors to stop driving.

4. Dented or Damaged Car

Those minor dents on the car bonnet, cracks on the wing mirrors and broken tail lights are the outcomes of small crashes that your parents may not be even noticing. Older people face a hard time getting in and out of the parking space and often bump into the vehicles behind them. This may lead to a more serious accident in the future. Thus, ask them to be more careful next time or simply get over driving.