Newly licensed teen drivers have the highest risk of being in a car crash during the first few months of unsupervised driving. Such accidents happen due to speeding, inexperience, or distractions.

Fortunately, you can minimize the risks of being in a crash by exercising diligence on the road. You can avoid distractions, plan your routes, and obey traffic rules that keep you and others safe. Here are driving tips for new drivers.

Plan Ahead

A successful drive starts even before you turn the ignition. Start by inspecting your vehicle. Check the tires, set your seat and steering wheel comfortably, and adjust all mirrors to ensure good visibility behind your car.

Once you've checked the car, set the route to your destination. Setting the course prevents you from adjusting the GPS as you drive. Set the music or program you intend to listen to on your drive. Keep the music at a reasonable volume to keep it from distracting you.

Avoid Distractions

Driving requires mental energy. You're already multitasking when maintaining a safe distance, keeping a reasonable speed, following traffic rules, and anticipating risky situations.

Adding distractions such as talking on the phone, texting, adjusting your radio, wearing makeup, eating, or enjoying the sights outside your car takes your attention from the road. For example, when you're talking on the phone, your focus shifts to what the other person is saying. Such distractions increase the risk of making mistakes.

You can avoid distracted driving by:

• Keeping your phone on silent while driving. If you must call, pull over, make the call and resume driving once you hang up
• Pulling off the road if you feel drowsy or exhausted while driving
• Limiting the number of passengers in your car. In New York, drivers under 21 cannot carry more than one passenger
• Eating before or after you drive

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Driving requires you to engage all your senses. You must identify potential risks and react to them in time. You can remain mindful of your surroundings while driving by:

• Checking your blind spots regularly
• Looking out for pedestrians and children darting into the street
• Checking your rear and side view mirrors  
• Be alert to what obstacles lie ahead of your car
• Be aware of what other drivers in front of you are doing
• Maintain the proper speed according to the speed limit, traffic conditions, and weather conditions

If you struggle with being aware of your surroundings while driving, learn a few defensive driving tips for new drivers to arm yourself with the necessary skills to keep yourself safe on the road.

Anticipate Possible Risks

Anticipating potential risks is a defensive driving technique every new driver should learn. It means being aware of possible threats behind, ahead, and to the sides of your car. It means driving while keeping in mind the bigger picture on the road.

You can anticipate potential risks by:

• Paying attention to signs from other road users. For example, when a vehicle signals a lane change
• Observing road signs
• Identifying the weather and road conditions that could affect driving safely
• Looking out for road workers
• Asking what-if questions to anticipate what other road users might do. For example, if you're driving on a residential street, ask yourself, "What if a young child darts into the street?" This question may compel you to slow down to a safe speed that allows you to react should that incident occur.
• Paying attention to cyclists, pedestrians, animals, and emergency vehicles

Be Predictable

Roads are safer when drivers are predictable. You can make yourself predictable by signaling other drivers when you want to change lanes or turn.

The following driving tips for new drivers will help you become a predictable driver:

• Maintain a constant speed.
• Avoid switching lanes constantly. It won't get you to your destination faster.
• Use the proper lanes when turning at intersections.
• Pumping your brakes lightly to indicate you want to stop or slow down.

Being a predictable driver requires you to familiarize yourself with road and highway rules.

Maintain a Safe Distance Behind Cars

Rear-end collisions are common when vehicles are driving too close to each other. Always maintain a safe following distance when driving. Doing so gives you sufficient stopping distance and reaction time.

Maintain at least a 3-second following distance with the car in front of you in ideal driving conditions. If you're unsure you're at a safe following distance, count how long it takes to pass a stationary object after the car ahead passes it. Slow down and allow more distance if it takes less than three seconds.

You should maintain a longer following distance when driving in the fog, rain, or storm, as your car needs more time to stop due to slippery roads.

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