Driving Resolutions

Losing ten pounds? Quitting cigarettes? Or just giving up WWF Smackdown? If you haven’t made your New Years’ resolutions yet, you might add a few from behind the wheel. A change or two to your driving style can make all the difference on the highway — and could even save your life. The top ten driving resolutions recommended by our experts:

Buckle up yourself and your children properly. No single thing can prevent more highway accident injuries and deaths than belting in, especially for children and small adults.

Concentrate on driving. If you must use a car phone, have it professionally installed in your car. If you must eat on the road, pull over for fifteen minutes so you’re not balancing a 64-ounce drink in your lap while doing 70 mph on the highway.

Stay in control. Aggressive driving isn’t only happening in commutes. If someone irks you or makes threatening moves, don’t challenge them: slow down and blend into saner traffic. If necessary, drive to the nearest police station for your own safety.

Become a mirror-checker. Not for makeup or hair, but for the flow of traffic. You can see a lot of incidents coming your way if you scan your mirrors — rearview and side mirrors — every half a minute or so.

Pass left, drive right. The left-most lanes are meant for passing. If you’re not passing or not completing a pass in less than a minute, move over and let others by.

Park with a conscience. Other people’s cars deserve the same care you’d give your own. If a space is too tight to open your doors comfortably, find another one.

Learn how to stop in a hurry. While anti-lock brakes are standard or available on most cars today, many drivers still aren’t familiar with how they work. If you’ve got a car with them but have never experienced them in action, find a local parking lot and feel them working.

Create some breathing room. The proper following distance of three car lengths is almost nonexistent in today’s traffic-clogged commutes. But on the open road, there’s no reason to travel tightly packed, convoy-style. Open some space between your bumper and the car ahead, and you’ll cut the risk of being a statistic.

Pay attention to flashing lights. Whether it’s an emergency vehicle, police car, or a fellow driver flashing to pass, pay heed and pull right.

Change lanes safely. Miss your exit? Need to make the next right-hand turn — but you’re in the left lane? Don’t move across three lanes of traffic, or cut off other drivers — wait until the next opportunity, go back, and try it again.