Comfort Driving Tips

You need good vision and good hearing, and you must be alert and responsive.
Never drive when:

1. You have been drinking alcohol.
2. You have taken any prescription or over-the-counter medicine that can cause drowsiness.
3. You are under the influence of any drug that may affect your performance or perception.
4. You are very tired.
5. You are emotionally upset — these can all cause you to become less alert and less responsive.

A simple trick to increase awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses is to do a "running commentary" once, out loud, as you drive. This will give you a more complete picture of everything that is happening. You may notice new factors that can affect your safety. And lastly, it may improve your self-knowledge, making you aware of potential weak points and dangers, like lack of concentration or mistakes in anticipating behavior of other drivers.

Night driving can be a pleasure if you are aware of the special alertness demanded by low visibility. A few fundamentals:

1. Keep your headlights and tail lights on for the entire period between dusk and sunrise.
2. Put your headlights on low-beam when another vehicle is within 600 feet, or when driving behind another vehicle.
3. If your car breaks down at night, make sure that other drivers can see your car and stop in time.
4. Turn on the hazard warning lights and, if possible, pull off the road.
5. Avoid stopping just over a hill or just around a curve.
6. Take good notice of roadside reflectors and any other helpful visual signals to stay on the road at night.

Going too slow can be hazardous, but whenever you find yourself in difficult conditions like fog, rain, snow or glare, reduce your speed. Don't rush or lose patience.