Few things in life are more exciting than getting your driver’s license and hitting the road for the first time. For most new drivers, a new license also comes with a sense of freedom like they’ve never experienced before. But it also comes with a lot of responsibility. In this article, we’ll share 15 useful tips to keep new drivers safe. Some are pretty obvious, but there might just be a few you won’t read in a driver’s education textbook.
It’s probably no big revelation that adjusting your mirrors appropriately is one of the first things you should do before driving a car.
However, your driver’s education course might not share with you all of the little tips and tricks related to your mirrors, specifically when it comes to blind spots.
To ensure you keep blind spots to a minimum, adjust your outside mirrors so that you can drive past a parked car in reverse while keeping the image of the car in your mirror.
As soon as you can no longer see the parked car in your mirror, you should be able to see the vehicle in your peripheral vision. Adjust your side mirrors as necessary.
As for your rearview mirror, adjust it so that you can see your entire back window completely.
Remember, as you adjust your mirrors you should be sitting in your normal driving position.
As a new driver, parking can be surprisingly nerve-wracking.
At the time, it seems there’s nothing more embarrassing than pulling into your high school parking lot and scraping your front bumper because you pull too far forward.
To keep from scraping the curb, pull forward until you can just spot the curb below the bottom of your side mirror. That will ensure you have plenty of space between the curb and your front bumper.
Parallel parking is one of the most challenging tasks you’ll face as a new driver.
The risk of scraping your wheels on the curb is always there. A tiny piece of tape can be a big help when it comes to parallel parking.
When you’ve managed to successfully parallel park with no help, sit in your normal driving position and look out the front windshield.
Stick a small piece of tape to the bottom right where your line of sight meets the curb.
Use the tape as a guide the next time you have to parallel park.
Driving in the rain comes with its own set of risks, and that’s especially true if you’re a new driver.
When driving in heavy rain, the first thing you should do is slow down!
Hydroplaning is a serious risk, and if you plow through deep, standing water, you risk damaging your electrical system.
Deep water can also reduce the effectiveness of your brakes.
To keep your brakes dry, gently press your brake pedal a few times while still applying pressure to your accelerator pedal after you drive through a puddle.
The increased friction on your brakes causes heat, and that heat will evaporate any water on your pads or rotors.
Being a safe driver is all about awareness, and as a new driver, you probably do a pretty solid job of keeping an eye on the vehicle right in front of you.
However, when you’re in heavy traffic, you should also look ahead and observe taller vehicles like semi-trucks and lifted pickup trucks.
The drivers of those vehicles have a better view and can see further ahead than drivers in normal cars, so they’ll usually spot accidents and other hazards early.
If you see them slowing down and changing lanes, you should plan to follow suit.
Your vehicle’s car battery is measured by something called “cold cranking amps.”
In short, it’s a measure of how much “power” your battery can generate in freezing temperatures.
The colder the weather, the harder your battery has to work to turn your motor over. In extremely cold weather, turn your car’s high beams on for a bit before you try to start the engine.
By powering your headlights, your battery will warm up a bit, giving it a better chance of turning your starter when you crank the ignition all the way.
Look, we know getting your driver’s license for the first time is an exciting thing and while we enjoy the Fast and the Furious movies as much as anyone, the simple truth is that speeding is dangerous.
In fact, it’s one of the leading causes of fatal wrecks involving new drivers.
If you want to drive fast, get some professional instruction on a closed track, and in the meantime, you can check out our tips for driving fast.
If you’re a new driver, your most important accessory up this point in life has likely been your cell phone.
That all changes when you get your first set of keys. A car is an expensive piece of equipment that requires regular maintenance to keep it safely and efficiently operating.
Make sure you keep an eye on your fuel gauge and try not to let your tank dip below half full if you can help it.
You should also learn to check your other fluids like oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant, etc.
Have your vehicle’s tires rotated regularly and routinely check the tire pressure to prevent premature wear.
As the old adage goes, “if you take care of your car, it’ll take care of you.”
Wearing your seatbelt should be another obvious “must-do” when you’re a new driver.
There’s really no excuse not to buck up anymore. However, there are still a shocking number of teens who don’t do it.
In fact, more than half of the fatal accidents involving teenagers were a result of the passengers not wearing seat belts.
Keeping your speed down and buckling up will go a long way in keeping you safe on the road, but there’s always someone out there who will likely be driving even slower than you are.
We get it—it’s frustrating when you get behind someone who insists on doing 30 in a 35-mph zone.
But, whatever you do, don’t tailgate! Most rear-end collisions are a result of following too closely.
The easiest way to ensure you’re keeping a safe following distance is to give yourself 3 seconds between you and the car in front of you.
In other words, pick a stationary object on the side of the road and when the car in front of you passes it, start counting.
You should be able to count to at least 3 before your vehicle passes that same object.
As a new driver, you need to be focusing on the road ahead and keeping your vehicle in your lane.
When you’re messing with your phone or stereo, it’s hard to accomplish that.
So, if you want to listen to tunes, make sure you fire up your playlist before you pull out of the driveway so you’re not messing with it while driving.
If your vehicle has hands-free accessories, use them.
Remember, most car accidents involve more than one vehicle.
So, even if you’re the greatest driver in the world, there’s still a chance that another, lousy driver could hit you.
So, it’s important to keep an eye on other cars and drive defensively.
If you see another vehicle weaving and swerving in and out of traffic, keep a good distance away from them.
The faster the speed limit, the more distance you should put between you and the car in front of you.
You want to make sure you have enough time to react in the event of an accident.
Texting or talking while driving is one of the leading causes of accidents.
Many states have made it illegal to have your phone in your hands while driving. Even if you live in a state where it’s still legal, leave it alone!
The only (slight) exception is if you’re using your phone for GPS purposes.
In that case, plug in your destination before you leave and make sure your phone is attached to your dashboard in a spot that’s easy to read without taking your eyes off the road for very long.
Above all, leave the texting for when you’re parked.
Turn signals aren’t optional. But, for some reason, many drivers today rarely use them.
That’s also why many of those drivers get into accidents.
So, do the right thing and signal before you turn or change lanes. It’s courteous to other drivers and it’s the law.
This one should be obvious.
Alcohol and driving can have fatal consequences. You could kill yourself or someone else.
If you drink and drive and don’t get into an accident there’s still a chance you could get pulled over by law enforcement.
At that point, you can kiss your newfound driving privileges goodbye.
Look, if you’re going to be out partying, you’re not going to lose any cool points if you call an Uber to get back home.
You might even get lucky and get one of those Uber drivers who brings their puppy in the car with them.
Trust us, puppy cuddles are a lot more fun than a field sobriety test.
Getting your driver’s license is a major rite of passage.
It’s also a major responsibility. The tips outlined above can keep you safe and your vehicle in tip-top condition.
It’s impossible to avoid every possible hazardous situation that you might encounter on the road, but being knowledgeable and prepared will give you the best chance of coming through them unscathed.
