by Ethan Melandri

Driving on the motorway requires excellent observation and concentration skills because of the high speeds involved. However long periods of sustained motorway driving can become very mundane causing concentration levels to wane, and allowing bad driving habits to creep in. Therefore it is very important to constantly assess the road and traffic situation as they can change suddenly and quite dramatically, requiring quick and dynamic reactions.

Inappropriate speed for the prevailing road conditions is the biggest single cause of accidents on the motorway. At 70 mph an alert driver in a high performance car will take 20 meters to react to a hazard and then a further 50 meters to come to a stop, providing his brakes and tyres are in excellent condition. That means it will take most drivers in excess of 70 meters to come to stop in an emergency.

These increased stopping distances at motorway speeds demonstrate the need to maintain at least a two second gap between you and the vehicle in front. To gauge your distance, pick out a roadside marker and then count how long it takes your vehicle to reach it after the car in front has passed it by.

Some drivers are not as kind as others. These drivers will take up the space you have between the vehicle in front of you by passing you. While this is irritating and angering you do not want to follow in their behaviour. Instead you should drop back to maintain a safe distance from the new vehicle in front of you.

In some cases a motorist may tailgate you. You do not want to let this alert your behaviour. Instead when you have a moment to pull off the road you should do so, letting the other driver by. Chances are some day this reckless driver is going to cause an accident, and you do not want to be there when it happens.

Traffic on a motorway can change suddenly. A traffic jam can occur before you are aware. To protect yourself from dangerous situations you should make sure you are looking ahead. By glancing as far ahead as you can you can spot hazards, thus you can warn other drivers, by switching on your hazard lights, of the issue.

If you have been driving on the motorway for a while it can be easy to feel quite bored and inadvertently let your mind wander, especially as very little driving input is required in terms of steering or gear changes. Ideally you need to aim to stop every two hours at a service centre to combat this fatigue and give yourself a chance to relax and refresh before continuing on your journey.

If you still have some distance to go before you have the chance to pull off of the motorway and rest, then there are a few things you can do to help fight the fatigue. Consider turning the air conditioning down to cold or opening a window to get some fresh air onto your face. Turn up the radio or start a conversation with your passenger and switch off any driver aids, like cruise control, to sharpen up your concentration and awareness levels.

It is very easy to become complacent when driving on the motorway in a nice warm car listening to your favourite music. However you need to maintain your concentration and observation levels throughout the journey and be ready for any potential hazards when they occur, because when accidents happened on a motorway they happen very quickly and often with fatal consequences.

About the Author:
To help enhance a driver's night time vision and safety on the motorway many cars now come fitted with D2S xenon bulbs as standard. For cars fitted with normal headlights a new xenon range of upgrade bulbs, like the H1 headlight bulbs, are designed to quickly and easily replace ordinary halogen bulbs.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: Car Articles