Comfortable summer driving tips

1. Be aware of your physical condition.

You need good vision and good hearing, and you must be alert and responsive. Never drive when:

• You have been drinking alcohol
• You have taken any prescription or over-the-counter medicine that can cause drowsiness
• You are under the influence of any drug that may affect your performance or perception
• You are very tired
• You are emotionally upset – this can cause you to become careless.

2. Consciously work on acquiring the right level of awareness and attitude.

A simple trick to increase awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses is to do a "running commentary" once, out loud, as you drive. This will give you a more complete picture of everything that is happening. You may notice new factors that can affect your safety. And lastly, it may improve your self-knowledge, making you aware of potential weak points and dangers, like lack of concentration or mistakes in anticipating behavior of other drivers.

3. Intersections demand extra alertness.

Chronological age alone is not a good indicator of driving capacity. However, as a senior driver, you may notice that your reaction time, vision or hearing has declined. Be especially alert to the judgment of family, friends and others about your skills. You may want to take a refresher course, or share your driving obligations with another person. If you notice that driving is causing unacceptable stress or risk, you may want to seek alternatives. Make sure you have up-to-date information on public transportation and other services. Here are a few of the signs of diminished capacity for driving safely:

• Series of minor collisions or near misses.
• Wandering thoughts or inability to concentrate while driving.
• Inability to read ordinary road signs.
• Other drivers honk at you frequently.
• Being spoken to about your driving by police, family, and friends.

4. Become a good night time driver.

Night driving can be a pleasure if you are aware of the special alertness demanded by low visibility. A few fundamentals: Keep your headlights and tail lights on for the entire period between sunset and sunrise. Put your headlights on low-beam when another vehicle is within 200 metres, also when driving behind another vehicle. If your car breaks down at night, make sure other drivers can see your car and stop in time. Turn on the hazard warning lights. If possible, pull off the road. Avoid stopping just over a hill or just around a curve. Take good notice of roadside reflectors and any other helpful visual signals to stay on the road at night.

5. Slow down.

Going too slow can be hazardous, but whenever you find yourself in difficult conditions like fog, rain, snow or glare, reduce your speed. Don't rush or lose patience.