Tips on Driving in Busy Traffic

Driving on crowded roads might be slow, but is not less dangerous. And let's not forget, it is very tedious too. The key point to remember when driving in busy city streets is 'situational awareness'. Here are some tips on driving safely on crowded traffic:

1. The first rule while driving in busy city streets is to drive slow. Driving in city traffic is frustrating and you are tempted to floor it at every opportunity you get to make your journey the shorter as possible. But, you should also remember that the faster you drive, the harder you have to apply the brakes. This results in excessive wear and tear in your car components. Don't simply rev up the car ahead and slam your brakes for a halt. This can also be dangerous as the car behind may not be as fast as slamming the brake as you and lead to an accident. Keep calm, take it easy and driving will be better.

2. The most important thing necessary while driving in city traffic is to de-stress. Relax your arms, shoulders and body while driving. Breathe in and out deeply. Repeat as many times you need to. Listen to good music that will help you relax. Listen to something that will make you laugh.

3. Match the gears with the speed of the car to prevent being dangerously close to stalling. Try not to ride the clutch as it will wear your clutch plates faster and also hamper your fuel efficiency.

4. The ideal technique to keep moving in a slow traffic is to wait till the car ahead has moved a few feet. Then shift to the first gear, release clutch completely and move. Similarly, when stopping in traffic, press the clutch, move to neutral and release the clutch.

5. Make optimum use of your internal mirror and external rear view mirrors. Use the left side mirror to locate any 2 wheeler or other vehicles trying to slip past from the left. You can also get small convex mirrors and fix them to your external mirrors for a wider field of view.

6. If you are traveling in an unfamiliar part of the town, carry a GPS device with you. This will at least ensure that you know the directions so that you don't have to stop in the traffic to ask for directions. Most Smartphones have inbuilt GPS and Google Maps to help you with the directions.

7. Avoid distractions in the form of mobile phones and loud music. Today most cars have built-in units. It's good if your car has one or you can install one separately. Keep music volume low enough to hear the horns of other vehicles.

8. For better learning skills, get admission to a driving school where professional instructors will guide you with the techniques of driving in different situations.

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