Smart & Safe Driving Tips
Great
driving tips to
you become a safer, smarter, better driver. Fuel Saving Tips further down the
page.
Check out our growing list of
driving tips to help you, your family and friends stay safe and on the right
side of the law.
Changes to Road Laws
There are
many road law changes each year. If you haven’t studied the new national
road laws, grab a Drivers Handbook from your friendly Service SA office.
Those annoying drivers who keep cutting you off may be doing the correct
thing. Do it today. It could save you a lot of embarrassment or far worse.
Or check out the link to our
Road Rules
info.
Speed Limits
Speed
limits on South Australian roads aren’t what they used to be. The open road
limit outside the metro area is now only 100kph. 110kph only applies on
specifically signposted roads! Many of our hills roads now have an 80 ‘k’
limit. Other 80 k roads have now been made 70.
The general
speed limit in the Adelaide metro area and any other town or built up area
is 50 kilometres per hour. If you see a sign saying something
different then the signed speed applies. Simple as that. If you are not
sure, stay under 50 kph until you see a sign saying something different.
Don't get caught out.
Keep Your Pet Safe Too
For many, our dogs are an integral part of our family. With this in
mind, remember to treat their safety with as much
respect as we would our children. If dogs are not restrained, in
the event of a crash, they can be seriously injured, and can also cause
serious injury. Check out the Drive Blog for more on pet safety at
http://drivesmartdrivingschool.wordpress.com/ and add
your own comments and thoughts on this subject.
De-stress your Drive
Driving
in traffic can be stressful. Here are a few ideas that may help.
-
Drive a
little slower.
-
Allow
yourself more time to get to your destination.
-
Hang well
back from the car in front.
-
Accept
the fact that nothing you do will make things happen any quicker and try to
relax.
Warn Others What You Are Doing
You can
have some influence over what happens behind you in traffic. Always know who
is behind you and what they are doing. Then let them know what you are
planning to do, well before you do it! So first, check your mirrors, (then
if turning signal), then brake, all in plenty of time.
Speeding - Not Worth It
Speeding
is expensive. There are the fines, the extra fuel usage. If things go
wrong, the crash repairs, injury and pain. There’s also the extra stress of
knowing all this and choosing to ignore it! Drive a bit slower for a couple
of days. I bet it takes you little or no longer to get around! Give it a
try!
Red Light Runners
Protect
yourself from red light runners by looking to the right, the left and
for turning vehicles before you enter every traffic light controlled
intersection. Develop this simple habit and you have a good chance of
avoiding what can be a very serious accident. Getting hit hard from the
side hurts!
Safe Following Distance
Keeping a
safe following distance between you and the car in front is one of the best ways
to stay out of trouble on our roads. The best way to avoid crashing into the
rear of the car in front is to simply allow enough distance between their
vehicle and yours. The minimum safe following distance in good dry conditions is
the distance your car will travel in three seconds.
How
to apply the three second rule...
When the car in front passes a pole or line on the road start counting..... Thousand and one, thousand and two,
thousand and three. If your car has passed the marker before
this time you are too close!
FACT:
Most people follow at less than half the distance they can actually stop in!
Stopping Distances
It takes at least
four metres more to stop from 65kph than from 60. Imagine a child running out into the road in front of a car that’s doing 60 kilometres an
hour. Imagine that car stopping just in time. If the speed was 65 the
result would be very different!
Observation:
Hang back so you can see. The more room you give yourself, the more time you
have to assess what is happening around you and make better and clearer
choices about what to do to keep yourself safe.
Limousine Braking
When braking under normal circumstances, being
firm at first is the most efficient & effective, then ease off as you come to
a stop; it is smoother and
reduces excessive wear. This process also reduces the chance of being hit from
the rear, as it
encourages the vehicle behind to get on their brakes firmly, early then ease off.
If you apply the brakes gently at first, then slam them on hard later, it
tends to catch the following traffic by
surprise & they hit you.
Lane
changing
Plan ahead & change early. Look well
ahead to make sure you have plenty of time to make changes that best suit
the traffic
flow.
Drive Smart Defensive Driving Courses
A
Drive Smart Defensive Driving Course
will help you put into practice all these driving tips and many more. On road, real life driver training that will help make sure you are the safe,
smart thinking driver you need to be.
If you felt your
Learner training was a bit lacking and are looking for a few tips on becoming a
better driver, congratulations! This is really important stuff. Be sure, call
08 8285 4059 and talk to us about how a Defensive Course could change your
driving for the better. City, Country and Gravel Road
Courses available.
Fuel
Saving Tips
Below are a few quick tips that really work.
If you have any suggestions to include, please
email and let us know.
Double or triple your
following distance (Depending on how close you follow now). This
means you will be a much safer driver and saves fuel because you can drive much
smoother and see further ahead.
Let the driver in
front of you use his fuel to create the above mentioned following
space. Move off gently letting the car in front accelerate away
from you. Accelerating gently at all times can save up to 1/3 off
your fuel bill compared to regular harsh acceleration and braking.
Drive Slower
especially on country roads. Cruising at 100kph instead of 110
is safer and uses much less fuel.
Learn how your car
air conditioner operates. Set it to make best use of out side
air temperatures rather than running the "compressor" all the time.
Slip into "neutral"
while sitting in traffic. This reduces load on the engine plus
allows engine (in most auto cars) to run slightly faster helping your air conditioner to
operate more efficiently especially on very hot days. Both of which
save fuel.
Keep tyres inflated
to optimum pressures. These are often higher than "factory
recommended" pressures which are all about comfort rather than safe
and efficient driving. Talk to your mechanic or tyre dealer.
Get rid of
unnecessary "stuff" in the car. Every extra kilo you carry round
with you uses extra fuel.
Keep your car tuned
and in top running order. For example a slightly clogged air
filter will cause your car to use extra fuel. Talk to your mechanic
about which items would save you fuel if you changed them a little
more often than the manufacturers' service manual suggests.
Plan your trips.
Think about how much you drive. Do you really have to make that
extra trip today or could you combine it with another trip you are doing tomorrow.
Use public transport.
Work out whether the car is the best option. For example, there are
times when taking public transport is much better than driving
around for ages trying to find a park at busy times or major events.
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