Best Tips for New Drivers

When someone has only recently gotten their driver’s license, there is going to be a bit of a learning curve as they try to improve their driving skills. But to improve their driving abilities, they first need to get a new Honda Civic lease in Los Angeles so that they have a vehicle to practice in.

Once they have gotten a nice vehicle, they can begin to practice their driving and significantly improve their abilities as a result. To help new drivers become better at operating their Honda HRV in Los Angeles as quickly as possible, here are some tips to make them more capable drivers.

Put Both Hands on the Proper Wheel Positions

A big part of being able to properly control a vehicle has to do with the hand positions that someone uses. If the driver is only ever keeping one hand on the wheel, then it limits the amount of control that they have over the vehicle. This is especially true if the driver is only keeping one hand on the wheel and has it placed somewhere on the bottom half of the steering wheel.

By having such a low grip on the vehicle, it will only allow the driver to turn the wheel by a certain angle before being obstructed by their own body. To avoid this and provide themselves with the maximum range of motion when it comes to moving the steering wheel, the driver will need to ensure that they are always keeping both of their hands on the steering wheel and making sure to also hold them in the proper positions.

It is recommended that the 9 and 3 positions are the best spots for someone to put their hands. While the old recommended positions were a bit higher up, by placing them only slightly lower, it does not take away any freedom of movement and can lessen the strain put on the driver’s arms. Therefore, they should be able to maintain their grip on the steering for hours before getting tired. This is incredibly important if someone is going to be regularly making longer commutes.

Make Sure to Always Use the Turn Signals

There are many drivers out there who are under the impression that they do not need to use their vehicle’s turn signals when doing certain maneuvers. However, this is simply not true and these turn signals need to be engaged whenever the vehicle is changing its position at all. This is what allows other drivers to be aware of their intentions and react accordingly. So not only is it improving the safety of the people in the vehicle but also the safety of everyone else near them on the road as well.

In many cases, it is not a case of someone simply choosing not to use their turn signal but rather of a case of them not knowing that they even need to use it in that specific scenario. That is why it can be helpful for new drivers to go over a list of situations where they are going to need to use their turn signal and then make sure to turn them on whenever they find themselves in any of those situations.

While making a turn at an intersection and changing lanes are some of the most obvious and commonly understood examples of when someone will need to use a turn signal, many other situations will require them to be used as well.

For example, when someone is trying to parallel park, they should turn on their right-hand turn signal to let other drivers know that they will be pulling into the stall and that they will need plenty of room behind them to do so. They should also use it when they are in a lane where the road splits, which is often due to an off-ramp, to tell other drivers which lane they are planning on taking.

Even when there is no one nearby, it is still good to get into the habit of always using turn signals in any of these situations. Otherwise, they are far more likely to fall into the habit of accidentally forgetting to while there are other vehicles immediately surrounding them, which will increase their chances of being involved in an accident.

Avoid Slowing Down or Stopping While Trying to Merge

Far too often, someone will be driving behind someone who seems like a fairly capable driver until it comes time to try and merge into another lane of traffic, which is when the individual decides to slow down or even outright stop their vehicle. By doing so, it is not only very inconvenient but also incredibly dangerous as well.

This is because it is the exact opposite of what someone is supposed to do when trying to merge and will take other drivers by surprise, which increases their chances of not being prepared to react to this situation and instead rear-ending the driver.

Plus, it slows down the drivers behind the vehicle, which makes them more likely to start significantly speeding once they can pass the driver and makes it more likely that they will cause an accident ahead. And this time delay is not just something that disappears once the driver finishes merging. It can actually last over an hour in that exact spot because of the backup of vehicles that causes a bottleneck situation to occur.

So to benefit everyone involved, these new drivers need to make sure that they are avoiding slowing down or stopping when trying to merge. Instead, the proper merging process involves increasing the vehicle speed to match that of the people in the lane of traffic they are trying to join. The driver will also want to engage their turn signal to let the other drivers know that they are wanting to come into their lane of traffic.

They should then either slightly speed up or slow down to line up with a gap in the vehicles where they can safely transition into the flow of traffic. By doing so, it will help to ensure the safety and satisfaction of everyone behind the driver when they are attempting to merge.

Posted in Hollywood Used Cars | No Comments »