When you invest in a European supercar or luxury vehicle, your investment costs significantly more than that of other drivers with everyday vehicles. It is likely a long time since most of us have taken our driver’s test, so it never hurts to brush up on safety tips. This way, you make yourself a better, safer driver, prevent accidents and avoid costly accident repairs on your vehicle. Here are five tips for being a safe driver.
Always Use Your Mirrors
One of the worst habits that we can fall into while driving is forgetting to use our mirrors. Your side view and rear mirrors are here for your safety, so you can observe other vehicles as well as objects that are around you on the road. This bad habit can lead to side-swiping or rear-ending accidents, especially in situations where people don’t use their mirrors when changing lanes or merging on the highway.
Maintain Safe Distance and Your Lane
Following other cars too closely on the road is another bad habit that far too many drivers get into, often without even realizing it. Tailgating is not only very dangerous, but it’s also a fineable offense in many areas. The general rule of thumb is to maintain at least one car length in front of you at all times. This way, you increase your chances of slowing down to a safe distance should the car in front of you hit the brakes suddenly.
Additionally, avoiding changing lanes is important when making a turn at an intersection. Swerving suddenly into the other lane is potentially dangerous and can disrupt the flow of traffic, even if there isn’t a lot of it on the road. When you’re making a right turn, stay in the right lane. When you’re making a left turn, stay in the left lane. This will prevent accidents and help prevent the flow of traffic from becoming disrupted.
Avoid “Tunnel Vision”
Staring at one thing for too long, such as the pavement or car traveling in front of us can be possibly dangerous. It’s normal to sometimes catch ourselves making this mistake, but it’s best to scan the road instead. Glance in your mirrors every 5 to 10 seconds, keep a mental picture of other vehicles on the road and try to “scan” the road and objects around you. This way, you can stay alert and focused, and possibly avoid accidents.
Contact the Bentley and Rolls-Royce Experts
Here at Otto’s European Coachwerks, we are sticklers about maintaining safety – both when driving and before or after doing so. On top of this, we are Bentley and Rolls-Royce certified. As such, we get top billing for often hard-to-find parts that other repair shops simply don’t have. We share the passion for these world-class machines that you have as an owner. We have been repairing European cars for over 20 years, so you know that you can rely on the know-how of the Bentley and Rolls experts here at Otto’s. Call today to schedule a discreet appointment or for directions.