When you’re on the road, you should always be focused on protecting yourself and your fellow drivers. Getting where you’re going as quick as you can isn’t nearly as important as the life sitting in the car next to you. Driving with consideration for your safety and that of others around you is known as “Defensive driving”.
Defensive driving tries to instill in motorists, a consideration for the lives, time, and money of everyone on the road, despite the conditions around you. Essentially, it’s an exercise in how not to be a total jerk on the road. You know who we’re talking about! The kind of guy who turns left from whatever lane he so chooses. We’re talking about the type of person who blares their horn the very instant a light turns green. We’re talking about the sort of inconsiderate monster who blocks lane after lane of traffic just so they can merge into their favorite lane.
Every year, the Canadian used car industry accounts for more total vehicle sales than the new car industry. This means that more and more used car drivers are hitting the road every year, clogging up the highways, and increasing the risk of accident. Practicing defensive driving doesn’t just increase your safety, but can also help improve the longevity and performance of your vehicle. This means greater safety on the road, more cash in your pocket, and less time spent servicing every part of your car that breaks down. Talk about a win-win! So, here are some defensive driving practices that can also help improve the longevity and performance of your car.
One technique that is essential to driving defensively is accelerating and braking smoothly and evenly. From a safety standpoint, this helps you to control your vehicle better in any road condition. It minimizes the chances of collision and helps traffic, flow more consistently.
Smooth acceleration is also great for the health of your car, as it reduces the overall strain on the engine, tires, and body of your vehicle. Accelerating too quickly overtime can wear down your system and contribute to the dis-alignment of your tires. Accelerating smoothly will treat your engine like the fine Canadian woman she is (even though your car was probably made overseas, to you, she’s Canadian).
What’s more, braking smoothly will also help with the natural wear and tear on your brake pads. See, most people don’t realize this, but a brake is actually like a giant clamp that grabs your wheels mid-rotation and squeezes them into submission. This means, of course, that your brake system can fatigue easily, and can often mean disaster if they go unchecked.
Additionally, accelerating and braking safely means that your vehicle is less likely to suffer any cosmetic damage to the bumpers or hood. This means less time and money spent popping out dents or touching up paint.
Another defensive driving tactic that can really do a lot of good to the integrity of your vehicle is to plan your trips, however brief, ahead of time. This gives you a plan of attack going into your drive, that will allow you to make more informed, and safer decisions down the road.
Planning your trip is integral to your safety as making moment to moment snap decisions about turning and merging is more likely to lead to a crash. Knowing exactly where you’re going and how you’re getting there is a sure fire way to keep yourself and others safe. What’s more, it’s good for your car! Planning your trip ahead of time means fewer needless miles put on your car as you try to find where you want to go and how to get there.
More mileage means more servicing, more wear on your system, and lower trade-in value down the line. A trip to the store might not seem like a big deal, but over time these things stack up, and before you know it, you’ve worked your car up to it’s next servicing and have to fork over a pretty penny. Knowing where you’re going and how you’re going to get there protects you, other drivers, your system, and your wallet.
Driving defensively can maximize your car’s longevity, keeping you from needing frequent service. Accelerating smoothly, braking gently, and planning ahead are all strategies everyone should incorporate into their driving style. Still, when it does come time for any sort of tune up or servicing, Ridetime’s new state of the art facility in winnipeg is more than capable of meeting your needs.
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