Leisure/joy drives and fun road trips aside, the road can be a dangerous place, and it’s partly thanks to drivers who either don’t know or choose to disregard basic traffic rules and driving etiquettes. It’s also possible that some basic driving etiquettes may simply have slipped past some newbie drivers, and maybe some not-so-newbies!

It’s all right. There are bound to be gaps in our education. But gaps like these should be easy to fix, right?

Whether you’re a new driver still finding your maximum confidence navigating the roads or a seasoned driver who may have forgotten or missed a few items in the list given to you years ago, these 13 basic driving etiquettes should come naturally to you as a safety-conscious and conscientious driver:

1. Don’t go too fast or too slow.

Speeding will not only get you an expensive ticket, more importantly, it will put your life and the lives of other drivers in danger.

On the other hand, driving too slowly, especially out on the highway, could get you hit. If not that, other drivers who are in a rush could find themselves resorting to risky maneuvers just to get around you.

2. Mind the lanes. 

Firstly, stay in your lane, except when you need to pass another car. And when you do have to, take the left lane and do so as quickly and safely as possible. The last thing you want to do is camp out in the left lane going at the exact same speed limit as the vehicle you’re passing and holding up traffic.

Avoid changing lanes indiscriminately. Do so only when you such valid reasons as turning or passing. When you weave in and out of lanes, you put yourself and others at risk of an accident.

3. Know where you’re going (or at least where you need to turn).

Even if you’re out for a leisurely drive around your neighborhood or the neighboring cities, you should have an idea which roads you want to take. And if you do want to take an unplanned turn, decide on it while you still have enough time to alert other drivers and move over to the left or right turn lane. Once there, make the turn as soon as you can.

Make sure to use your turn signal—the correct one, that is.

4. Honk only when absolutely necessary.

The sound of car horns will likely startle and annoy other drivers. It can also be distracting, and when other drivers are distracted, they are more likely to get into accidents.

5. Pay attention while waiting for the light to turn green.

Resist the temptation to sneak a peek at your email messages or social media for the length of time it takes for the light to go from red to green. Be considerate of those who are behind you (more likely than not, they have places to be, on time) who now have to wait a few extra seconds for you to start moving again.

6. Give way to emergency vehicles.

A flashing light or a siren is your cue to pull over so the emergency vehicle/s can pass. That small gesture may just end up saving someone’s life.

7. Yield to pedestrians and make room for cyclists.

Watching out for pedestrians and letting them cross should be as close as a natural reflex for seasoned drivers. For those who are just starting out, it should be among the top things to be alert to. Failure to yield to pedestrians could result in a ticket, or worse, in an accident.

The same goes for cyclists—and yes, sometimes this could mean waiting until there’s enough gap in oncoming traffic for you to drive around them. This is showing consideration for them, especially for the fact that they have decidedly way less protection than you should there be a collision.

8. Refrain from responding to rudeness with rudeness.

Don’t match other people’s rudeness. Keep your temper in check to avoid dangerous encounters with people who may have no qualm about getting in a fight or who are criminally inclined. Think instead of where you really need to be and put as much distance between yourself and the other person.

9. Hold the calls and texts.

To put it simply: Don’t text and drive. Don’t make or take calls while driving.

10. Be polite to law enforcement.

Show some manners when interacting with police officers, regardless of whether you’re talking to an officer directing traffic or getting pulled over.

11. Don’t tailgate.

Tailgating is dangerous. It can make the other driver anxious, and if you happen to be tailgating a nervous new driver, they could end up doing something dangerous and cause a needless accident.

12. Keep the music in your car

Maybe it’s OK to have music blaring out of your speakers while you’re out on an empty road, with nothing fields on either side of you. Otherwise, it’s best if your music heard only inside your car.

13. Acknowledge the courtesy of other drivers.

If another driver lets you pass or makes room for you to merge in, in heavy traffic, acknowledge the gesture with a nod or a wave to show goodwill.

Practicing driving etiquettes on the road shows good manners, yes. But more importantly, it’s one more way to keep yourself and other motorists, as well as pedestrians, safe.

Safety is one guarantee of a positive vehicle ownership experience.

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