4 Safety Tips for Driving on Highways

Are you planning your first highway trip? Does this trip feel like a major challenge because you haven’t driven on the highway? If yes, then the most important rule of driving on the highway is safety first. 

Photo by Samuele Errico Piccarini on Unsplash

While this is a primary requirement for all forms of driving –in-city or highway- the reality is the need for safety is very important on highways. It’s how you stay safe and alive for the duration of the trip. If you need some proven safety tips for highway driving, the tips in this article will do just fine. 

Be Mentally and Physically Alert

Highways are a different kettle of fish. Traffic speeds are routinely higher than when you’re driving within city limits. So, make sure that you’re well-rested and are mentally alert before embarking on your trip. 

If you need to take some tea or coffee to improve your mental clarity while you’re behind the wheels, by all means, do so. Always look out for other road users and vehicles. 

Maintain Speed Limits

Many people are often tempted to speed excessively on highways. Don’t do that. Maintain and stay within the speed limits –there are usually well-placed signs. 

If you don’t and you’re caught by the traffic police, you will be charged with overspeeding and/or other traffic violations. If this happens, you should talk to a traffic offence lawyer to either contest those charges, knock down the fines, and ensure the points are not added to your driving record.

Be Careful When Merging With Traffic

If you’re merging onto the freeway or motorway, the first thing to do is accelerate to match the flow of traffic. Then, pay attention to traffic in the lane that you’ll be entering. 

Turn on your turn signals if you have to exit your lane to enter the highway –although most motorways are built so you can continue on your lane for 50-100 metres before merging. 

Remember to slow down a little to yield to drivers already on the highway if you need to, before merging. Most drivers are reasonable and will slow down a smidge to allow for merging. Most importantly

Overtake Only When it’s Clear

Only overtake other vehicles when the lane ahead is clear and you don’t anticipate a sudden swerve from other vehicles onto that lane. This is particularly important when you’re behind trucks and it’s just a two-lane road. 

Make sure that the truck driver sees you. This means avoiding the truck’s blind spot and making sure you’re not riding alongside them. Most truckers are reasonable in the sense that they will maintain their lanes. 

But, it’s important to let them know you intend to overtake. The best way to do this is to beep the horn 1-2 times so they know you’re there. When they give you the go-ahead –usually through a hand signal- speed up and pass them. Honk once to say thanks. 

If you want to overtake and cross to their lane, do the same but pull up ahead in your lane and turn on your indicator lights or turn signals. They’ll honk once or twice to tell you it’s safe, then merge onto their lane, switch your indicator lights right and left two times to say thanks.

Finally, remember to periodically glance at your instrument cluster –your dashboard- to check for any warning lights. Once you spot any, look for the nearest place to pull over and stop.