It’s natural to be anxious behind the wheel, especially if you’ve just experienced an accident on the road. Do certain motor situations make you feel like making a U-turn and driving home? We totally understand – everyone has driving scenarios that they don’t like or feel uncomfortable with. But here are a few tips for keeping cool and calm at the helm.

MULTI STOREY MADNESS

Before you leave, check the time. If you leave at peak hours, the multi-storey car park will be chocka full. Prepare yourself for this eventuality and make your plan of action. Will you drive around until you hit gold or will you lurk and wait for a space? Our main tip is to keep zen and don’t start stressing out – just keep going around until you find an open space.

Motorway Driving

Lots of cars going at crazy speeds. We can understand how this wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Try staying in the left hand lane and only use the middle and right lanes for overtaking. Don’t be that person that hovers in the middle. Just truck along at 60 – 70 mph in the slow lane. Living life in the fast lane is overrated.

Night Trucking

As a passenger, travelling at night can be a pleasant experience – all those pretty lights and, for long journeys, a back seat snooze where you dribble all down your brother’s shoulder. For drivers, it’s not so fun. Fatigue and a difficulty seeing obstacles can make the journey hellish.

Try to stick to roads you know well and don’t be afraid to go a bit slower than usual. Leave larger gaps between you and the next vehicle than you would in the day. Signal earlier than you normally would. And try not to get lost!

Round The Roundabouts

Roundabouts generally try to create order in chaos, but they don’t always succeed. Stick to the rule: left lane for left turns and straight ahead, and right lane for everything else. However, if there are markings on the road, showing you which lane you need to get into, follow those.

Always indicate when you’re about to turn off. Even if you’re in the wrong lane, don’t switch mid-way, as you could cause an accident. It’s better to exit on the wrong turn. Don’t panic or try to cheat the system, otherwise this can cause more problems, creating a greater risk to have a driving offence.

Overtaking

Before you consider overtaking, make sure the opposite side of the road is completely clear and that the white lines are intermittent (you can’t overtake when there is a solid line). Don’t overtake on blind corners or dips in the road. Never take chances with this, even if you’re in a rush. Drop back a little and signal early that you plan to overtake. Then, accelerate, pull out and pull back in as soon as you can.

Never overtake however when the road conditions are dangerous or if your vision is obscured, as this can lead to tragic accidents.