The most common freeway mistakes

Every day we see dents, scratches, and major damage to peoples cars. While many of the minor pieces of damage occur in car parks and around our suburban streets, most of the major damage occurs when travelling at high speeds. Having the luxury of being able to travel through the Adelaide Hills, and into the city with no traffic lights, stop signs, and very few delays means a lot of us can live in the country and work in the city without spending 4 hours a day on the road, and those of us who frequently travel on the freeway know how frustrating it can be driving around people who aren’t doing the right thing. Often this frustration leads to accidents. Here are the most common and ho we can avoid them.

The Right Hand Lane

Some people call this lane “the fast lane,” and while it is designed to be there so those who are moving at a higher velocity than others can safely go around them it is not designed to have drivers stay in this lane. Many people chose to ignore the signs that say “Keep left unless overtaking,” and this lack of consideration for the road laws, and for anyone else around them increases the likelihood of accidents immensely. Even if there are very few cars on the road it is still important to keep left, especially going downhill to avoid runaway trucks or emergency vehicles.

While I’m sure everyone reading this is a considerate driver who keeps left unless actually passing someone, there are a few things we can do to be as safe as possible around those less considerate individuals who tend not to care as much about there safety or the safety of others.

Avoid trying to pass on the left – While sometimes this can be used as a last option we have found most blindspot accidents occur when going from right to left, due to the blind spot being on the passenger side of the vehicle. The reason the passing lane is on the right is that it is far safer to overtake moving to the driver’s side as the range of vision is higher. 

Avoid tailgating – It’s so tempting to ride someone’s bumper when they are driving at a snail’s pace in the overtaking lane, but this is often the easiest way to get into a collision. Even though they may be breaking traffic laws by being in that lane and obstructing the flow of traffic, the driver that hits a vehicle from behind is in the wrong

Alternatives – Often those who chose to have complete disregard for others fall into a certain category and are in their own world and have no traffic awareness, therefore tailgating is not only dangerous on its own, but also due to the unexpected and sometimes completely random movements of these drivers can cause accidents all on their own, and being anywhere near their rear bumper, or blind spot can spell disaster. When choosing to overtake on the left, be sure to do so after plenty of time in the left lane. For example, sometimes when approaching a car in the right lane at a speed far quicker than they are moving they will move over at the last moment just as you do. A friendly beep can sometimes do the trick. While many people get offended by being beeped at, sometimes it’s the only way to safely navigate around someone. Be sure not to hold the horn down for too long though, this can cause frustration and erratic driving, often resulting in an accident.

If you are being tailgated

Do your best to move out of the way. Often it can be tempting do drive slower due to being harassed by other drivers, however, this can cause a snowballing effect of frustration and sometimes road rage, becoming dangerous for all road users. If you are being tailgated be sure you are going an appropriate speed for your wherever you are driving. If you intend to turn, be sure to use your indicator with plenty of time before your turn – Road law stipulates 5 seconds. This will often cause the vehicle trailing you to give you extra space to turn before you do so.

Be sure to do your best to stay safe out there, but if you need a quick online quote click HERE or give us a call

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