It’s an amazing experience when you hold your Maryland driver’s license in your hand for the first time. This is the culmination of numerous nights spent reading the Maryland Driver’s Manual and countless hours practicing driving with family and friends. Your license means you no longer have to be a passenger in a car: you’re now a driver. These are a few tips we’d like to share with all new drivers in Rockville, MD.
Don’t Speed
It might be tempting when in a hurry to get somewhere to step on the gas harder than you should. Many drivers rationalize this by believing that they can control their cars at high speed and that accidents can’t happen to them. They’re wrong. Speeding is responsible for more than 13,000 deaths in the US every year. Damage caused by speeding-related accidents costs society over $40 billion a year.
The faster you travel, the longer it takes to stop if you need to. Often, you may have only seconds to react to prevent an accident. If traveling at a higher speed than the posted limit, you probably won’t be able to stop in time. The chance of injury and severe damage to your car increases exponentially at speeds over 45 mph.
Don’t Be Distracted
Many things can distract a driver. One of the most important distractions is your cellphone. Cellphones are one of the greatest inventions in the last fifty years. They allow you to talk to anyone anywhere. Cellphones also provide access to more information than ever before. They’re also extremely addictive. Most people, when they sit down, automatically pull out their cellphone. This makes cell phones a serious distraction.
Other distractions include talking or arguing with someone else in your car, channel surfing the radio, and daydreaming. There are numerous other possible distractions. As a new driver, it’s important to resist the temptation of this multitude of distractions. To drive safely, you have to focus entirely on your driving and the other vehicles and pedestrians around you.
Don’t Tailgate
Sometimes when you drive, the car ahead of you doesn’t seem to be going anywhere fast. Some drivers can decide to tailgate by driving extremely close to the rear bumper of the car in front of them. The rationale behind this risky behavior is that the other driver in front will want to avoid an accident. The other driver, it’s assumed, will speed up or pull over to the side to allow you to pass.
Tailgating is a dangerous practice. If the car ahead of you has to slam on its brakes, your car will likely rear-end them. This will result in three problems: a bill for repairs to your car, a ticket for dangerous driving, and a possible lawsuit from the other driver.
We hope you’ve found these tips useful. While you’re enjoying your new life as a driver, visit us at the dealership or start browsing for your first car today! We have a wonderful selection of new Toyotas & used cars that will make it easy to find the right one for you.
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