The Cooper Firm

1. Keep scanning the road and areas ahead of you. The car in front of you is not the only thing to watch. By keeping your peripheral vision alert as well as the car in front of you, you spot cars entering your lane of travel, sudden stops ahead of the car in front of you. As a result, you react earlier than if you had been staring down the driver in front of you.

2. Drive with your hands in the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock position. This gives quicker response time and maximum vehicle control.

3. Avoid the fast lane. Most highway accidents occur in the left lane. The fast lane leaves a driver with only one direction in which to escape a potential accident. Moving into the other lanes gives more options for maneuvering, plus it makes you less conspicuous to highway patrol.

4. Keep your car serviced regularly. Regular maintenance of a car helps its performance. Proper performance may be the reason you are able to avoid an accident.

5. Don’t skimp on tire purchase or maintenance. Tires are, quite literally, where the rubber meets the road. You want to check your tires inflation and wear regularly. Higher quality tires help insure successful emergency maneuvers.

6. Avoid nighttime driving. Nighttime may have less traffic, but your field of vision is decreased as well as others on the road. Fatigue and others drivers who may have been drinking increase your chances of having an accident.

7. Control of the steering wheel. Where do race car drivers sit? They sit close enough to the steering wheel so that their wrist sits on top of the steering wheel when their arm is outstretched and their back is against the seat.

8. Beware of blind spots, yours and theirs. Adjusting your mirrors is necessary, but don’t rely solely on them. There are blind spots despite use of mirrors. Turn to look behind you before changing lanes. Be aware of driving in another car’s blind spot, especially trucks since their blind spots are notoriously large.

9. DO judge a car by its cover. Cars that are have body damage, cracked windows indicate an inattentive owner, which often means an inattentive driver as well. Move away from these drivers.

10. Learn to drive like a race car driver. High performance driving schools are the best way to improve your skill as a driver. You will be able to practice accident avoidance maneuvers and skid recovery in a controlled environment.