Drive Responsibly
General Tips:
Simply owning a safe vehicle is not enough. It’s equally important to know the vehicle, one’s own driving skill level and some common sense safety. Many tips appear below – some are obvious, some may not be.
- Make sure you and all your passengers use safety belts or appropriate child safety seats on each and every trip.
- Always drive like you own the vehicle, not the road.
- Quick reaction won’t always stop you from having an accident. Spotting and responding to conditions ahead in plenty of time will.
- Avoid a "road warrior" mentality.
- To reduce the risk of a collision in bad weather, familiarize yourself with your SUV’s performance. Practice driving in an empty parking lot or other open space while the pavement is slick to get used to the brakes, steering and overall handling.
- If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, when making a quick stop, maintain a firm and constant pressure on the brake pedal.
- Check your vehicle mirrors to make sure they minimize your blind spots on either side of your vehicle.
- Be aware of all vehicles and pedestrians around you in traffic.
- Review your owner’s manual regarding handling characteristics of your vehicle and four-wheel-drive operations and performance, where applicable.
- Because SUV drivers have a better view of traffic ahead, sometimes they have a tendency to follow cars at a closer distance. In actuality, a greater distance between vehicles should be allowed to accommodate the longer stopping distance.
- When performing an avoidance maneuver, firm, consistent steering, braking and throttle inputs will almost always work better than a yank on the wheel, both feet on the brakes or jamming the accelerator.
- Check your tires regularly. Ensure proper tire inflations, rotate your tires as needed and replace tires before they’re completely worn out.
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