From fender benders to serious crashes, anything can happen when behind the wheel of a Dodge Durango. This isn’t said to scare you, but rather cement the fact that driving is risky business and should be taken very seriously. There are all sorts of mishaps that can happen on the road, so here are some defensive driving tips to help you stay safer.
Never trust a turn signal. How many times have you witnessed a vehicle driving down the road with its turn signal on, but it never changes lanes or makes a turn? This is most likely due to the driver not being able to hear the blinker or because they are not paying attention. Whatever the reason, imagine now that you are stopped at a stop sign and you see this same vehicle coming own the road from your left. You assume they are going to make a turn onto the street you are existing - they do have their signal on after all. But, do you trust them to really slow down and make the turn? In this scenario, the best idea is to stay put. Otherwise, pulling out in front of them may lead to a serious accident. This doesn’t mean you have to wait five minutes for a car a mile away to finally stroll by. Instead, always make sure there is enough space between you and any other car, whether their turn signal is on or not.
Never assume another driver sees you. When you’re driving, it’s pretty much a one-person operation. Just as you don’t always see certain things on the road, others don’t either. Whether making a turn, changing lanes or pulling into traffic, never assume other drivers see you or that they will react correctly to your maneuvers.
Avoid tunnel vision. Driving is not only about you and the car in front of you. It’s about the big picture in front of and all around you. Many drivers get tunnel vision following the vehicle directly in front of them. This is very dangerous because as stated previously, you should never fully trust another driver’s blinker; you should also never fully trust the car that’s in front of you. By looking up and out at the big picture before you, you will be able to see if there are cars stopping ahead if there is an accident and so on. Avoid tunnel vision to ensure you know what it happening around you when behind the wheel.
Never try to beat a red light. Stoplights can be a pain. Especially if you’re in a hurry. But as the saying goes, better safe than sorry. Rushing through a yellow light to be getting stopped at a red light is dangerous, putting you at risk for hitting someone or someone hitting you. Don’t forget that running a red light puts you at risk for getting a ticket, too, so save your money and keep yourself safe by stopping when yellow and red lights shine.