Tips for driving safely and effectively

1. TIPS FOR DRIVING SAFELY
AND EFFECTIVELY
No matter how much experience you
have behind the wheel, driving can be an
absolute rollercoaster experience if you
don’t use common sense and follow the
rules of the road.
So before going anywhere with your car,
it’s best to prepare yourself for what lies
ahead, be it traffic, potential accidents or
even unexpected car problems.
Here are some driving tips to keep you
safe within the confines of your vehicle –
and get you to your venue without a
hitch.

2. Plan your route
Always include a route that allows for
travel on secondary roads should there
be massive traffic
buildup on the paths you normally use.
The MMDA has a Twitter account that
broadcasts traffic conditions every 10
minutes.
For further traffic updates, AM radio
stations DZMM (630 khz on your car’s AM
band) and DZBB (594 khz on the AM
band) in particular have traffic updates
every hour atop the hour.
(Image: www.mmda.gov.ph)

3. Do your pre-flight check
Always check your engine’s internal fluids
before leaving. You can easily tell if a
certain part has trouble due to the
droplets on the asphalt or garage floor
that your car leaves when it’s parked.
A black liquid (often shiny during rainy
conditions) means that your car’s engine
is leaking oil. A green or rusty brown
liquid means that your car’s radiator is
leaking coolant, and may overheat.
Also check your tires before leaving, both
for tread wear and tire pressure.
Follow your car’s recommended tire
pressure and always keep a tire pressure
gauge handy in the car.
As for tread wear, stick a 25-centavo coin
in the tire tread. If the tread doesn’t
halfway cover the “Republika ng
Pilipinas” phrase on the coin, the tires
need to be replaced.

4. Always practice safety
The risk of blunt force trauma – due to
your body hitting the dashboard or
windshield – is reduced when you and
your passengers wear their seatbelts.
Plus, it’s the law!
If you drive with children, always place
them at the rear seats, whether they’re
in a child safety seat or not. Kids sitting in
the front seat are at risk of severe head
injury or death if the airbag deploys.
Keep a distance of one car length
between you and the vehicle in front,
two to three car lengths if you’re on an
expressway.
If you cannot see the silhouette of the
rear tires of the vehicle in front of you,
you’re too close.
Also, don’t use your mobile phone while
driving It gives you a longer reaction
time, particularly during braking and
traffic signal alertness.
It also impairs your ability to stay in the
proper lane, and shortens the distance
between you and the vehicle in front.

5. Adjust the driver’s seat
Make sure that the driver’s seat is
adjusted in a way that you can turn the
wheel at full tilt left or full tilt right. To do
this, imagine the steering wheel as a
clock face.
Put both arms forward at the steering
wheel’s 12 o’clock location, and adjust
the seat so that your wrists are atop the
steering wheel’s 12 o’clock.
Once the driver’s seat position is set,
place your left hand at the ten o’clock
side and your right hand at the two
o’clock side of the steering wheel.
That way, it is easy to turn the wheel
without crossing your arms.
This position is a massive help if you’re
driving at speed (60 kph or more) and
something or someone suddenly gets in
front of the car, or if your brakes and/or
tires fail.

6. Maintain proper steering
position
When turning the steering wheel, don’t
cross your arms. For example, on a right
hand 90 degree turn, use your hand at
the ten o’clock side of the wheel to
“push” the wheel’s rim and the front end
of the car in the direction of the turn.
Simultaneously use your hand at the two
o’ clock side of the wheel to “pull” the
wheel’s rim and stabilize the car.
If you deem that just one full turn is
lacking, rapidly put your hands at the ten
o’clock and two o’clock sides of the
wheel, and repeat the process.
Never use one hand to maneuver the
steering wheel.
Should someone or something get in
front of the car, you won’t be able to
easily maneuver away from the potential
prang.

7. Mind the clutch
If you are driving a manual transmission
(m/t) vehicle, do not ride the clutch –
meaning, don’t rest your left foot on the
leftmost pedal or clutch pedal every time
you accelerate.
It wicks away the clutch lining, which
serves as a heat insulator coming from
the engine to the m/t, and makes shifting
difficult.
Also, do not rest your wrist or arm on the
m/t stick. Doing so will destroy the
rubber bushings that keep the stick in
place every time you push a gear into a
slot.
If you are driving an automatic
transmission (a/t) vehicle in stop-go
traffic, do not place the a/t stick on
“(D)rive” and step on the brake pedal if
you are not moving or won’t be moving
for some time.
Instead, place the a/t stick on “(N)eutral”.
You preserve the a/t’s clutch lining by
putting the a/t stick on “N” when your
car is in a standstill.
(Image: www.catalogauto.com)

8. Wear proper footwear
Don’t wear flip-flops (read: tsinelas) or
high-heeled shoes when you drive.
Flip-flops can get wedged under the gas
pedal or the brake pedal, and may either
get the gas pedal stuck or prevent the car
from stopping.
The extended heels, on the other
hand, can catch your car’s floormats or
carpeting, and may either wedge your
shoes to any of the pedals (gas, brake or
clutch).
Inappropriate driving footwear can also
lump your vehicle’s floormats in such a
manner that they become a hindrance to
brake pedal travel.
Wear flats or go barefoot instead.
(Image: www.amazon.com)

9. Don’t drink and drive
Even just drinking two bottles of beer in
two hours or a shot of hard drinks brings
your blood/alcohol content or BAC level
to 0.04 which means your reaction time,
peripheral vision, vision depth, and
ability to do two tasks simultaneously
(such as hand-eye coordination) is
severely hampered.
It also gives you a sense of
overconfidence, and makes you take
greater risks.
If you feel sleepy – be it due to alcohol,
exhaustion, driving monotony, or medical
drowsiness – go to the nearest gas
station or rest stop and get some sleep,
preferably a 15 minute nap.
Do not stop on the road shoulder, and
remember that a nap is only a stop-gap
solution, not a cure-all for driving
drowsiness.
Also, don’t get behind the wheel in an
angry or stressed condition. It messes up
your concentration and may lead to
accidents or, worse, incidents of road
rage.