Driving is stressful enough as it is without having to add more pressure to your situation. There are so many things to remember such as when to use your turn signal, when to look over your shoulder, the proper reaction at a four way stop, etc. These are all things that most of us do without even thinking twice about it, but which can be extremely stressful for someone who is just starting out as a new driver.
Think back to when you had your first driving lesson with either your mother or father. What were some of the key points that they told you back then that you still remember? What about your first driving lesson that you took at your high school when you were jammed into the back seat of the driving instructor s car with three of your friends? What were the key points that you absolutely had to follow, otherwise you would risk having the instructor embarrass you by slamming on the breaks?
Driving should not have to be something that stresses you out. There are many people who hate driving and avoid it at all costs simply for the fact that driving makes them feel stressed out. However, this doesn t always have to be the case. In fact, there are several things (good habits if you will) that we can begin to practice form a young age so that when the time comes for us to be behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, it will already be ingrained into our subconscious. The first thing is to remember to always use your turn signals. Not using your turn signals is the number one thing that you will hear me gripe about all of the time because that s just it: it happens ALL OF THE TIME where I live in North Carolina. However, it isn t only North Carolinian s who don t seem to get it when it comes to using your indicators in your car. Rather, the situation has become so bad that various other states within the United States have begun to seek out other measures of “gently” reminding drivers to always signal before changing lanes.
In New York, when you first get onto the major highway leading to the Verrazano Bridge, there are electronic signs that actually flash a message across them, reminding drivers of two things: 1) always buckle you seat belt and leave a safe distance in between the road ahead and 2) Always use your turn signals before you change lanes or merge into traffic. People belittle this gesture, but it has actually saved more lives than anyone can even begin to imagine. For example, the other day, I was driving on the road when it was raining and in front of me, I noticed that there was a driver in the far left lane who looked like he was about to merge into the center lane (where I was), and then there was another driver in the far right lane who also looked as if they were going to merge into the center lane. Before anything could happen, I immediately slowed down a a preventive measure.
Sure enough, both vehicles tried to merge into the center lane (without signaling at all), and for a millisecond, the one vehicle put on their indicator as a sort of afterthought. If it hadn t been for one of the drivers looking over at the last minute an quickly maneuvering out of the lane, there would have been a serious accident!