When you no longer feel comfortable driving on the highways or freeways because your vehicle’s bearings whine, the suspension makes you feel like you are driving a boat, and you are prone to breakdowns at any given time, it is time to visit Cash for Cars. Cash for Cars has the network of salvage yards on call and a convenient online service that lets you find top dollar for your junked and aging vehicles. But, no matter what you drive on the highways and freeways, you can benefit from these safe highway driving tips.
What is the Difference Between a Highway and a Freeway?
While all freeways are essentially highways, not all highways
are freeways. This is because freeways are meant to open up traffic and give
you unfettered access to encompassing miles and miles of terrain without
stopping. A freeway is usually entered and exited via sloped ramps with very
few distractions along the route to tempt motorists to do anything but drive as
far as the eye could see. A highway, by contrast, is generally full of
temptations as commercial entities prop up their baits on the sides to lure in
passers-by.
A freeway is divided with concrete barriers and landscaping to
separate the sets of lanes that are both coming and going in opposite
directions. A highway has no such barriers and may have a central lane for
making turns to cross over into businesses on the other side if it goes through
a residential area. Because highways don’t have the freedom of freeways, you
will find more traffic signs and lights to impede traffic.
It is even thought that many freeways were developed to double
as airport runways in the event of an emergency. The engineering is definitely
built upon keeping them as straight in line as possible to reduce fuel
consumption and accidents from driver error. Driving long distances in a
straight line requires less concentration and motor skills. It is, therefore,
easier to drive on a freeway without fatigue for longer periods of time.
Key Highway Driving Tips
1: Use Alternate Routes
to Avoid Traffic Lights
When you are driving on a highway, it is the traffic lights that
tend to slow you down. Traffic lights where two highways cross each other can
lead to utter gridlock at rush hour traffic times. You may have to sit idle at
these lights for 5 to 10 minutes because the traffic is backed up and congested
for many other cross points behind it. The traffic will creep along in these
instances and barely trickle free as motorists maneuver and look for any
escape.
You should avoid highways that get jammed up every day at
critical crossings by taking alternate routes that may seem longer on other
days. There are almost always other highway routes that run parallel to the
direction you are doing which can be accessed and traverse in less time even if
you have to enter them from several blocks out of your way.
2: Scrupulously Obey the
Speed Limits
Although it is common for drivers to go as much as 10 mph over
the speed limit on larger freeways because everyone is speeding, it is not a
good idea to try and make time on highways in more commercial areas. The police
typically have speed traps set up to force drivers to slow down and stop when
they are coming close to commercial areas from another town. You should also take
more care with your turn signals because undercover police may be around in
many areas looking for traffic infractions.
3: Be Careful with GPS
Navigation Apps
Many drivers today use GPS navigation apps like Google Maps on
their cellphones or other programs that provide them a clear and easy to follow
visual map of directions. While these applications can be useful for locating
hard-to-find places on the fly, it is easy to misjudge where exactly you are
supposed to turn. This can be especially bad on one-way streets where the risk
of a head-on collision is highest.
There are also situations when the GPS has it totally wrong or
when they want you to make an illegal U-turn. Always ditch the GPS instructions
and try to manually map things out if you feel any doubts about the quality of
the directions. There are certain areas that are more poorly mapped out than
others.
Using GPS can also put you in the bad habit of taking convoluted
driving routes that are more frustrating to traverse or more time-consuming
even if they are technically shorter in distance. Although a lot more can be
said, these are just some general tips for driving on the highway.
An Additional Key Tip for Driving on the Highways at Night
Driving on the highways at night is a whole other ballgame. The chief problem is visibility. This is especially true in inclement weather when visibility is further compromised. Although motor vehicles are equipped with bright lights that make it easier to see turn signals and the contours of a vehicle when you are cruising along, some drivers may be suffering from fatigue.
When people are tired and driving, they are more dangerous than
drunk drivers. Falling asleep at the wheel has led to many fatalities of adults
and innocent children. When people are very tired and trying to get home from
work at night or haven’t quite woken up in the morning, they are essentially in
a hypnagogic state.
They may be hallucinating and functioning in a surreal dreamlike
state that does not consider the serious consequences of anything. They may be
confused about what to do in certain traffic situations such as a 4-way stop or
a determining who has the right of way at other intersections. Here are some
tips for driving on the highway at night that just may save your life.
1: Drink Coffee with
Caution
Although some people hate caffeine and the energy crash that it can cause hours into the day, it may be a good idea to get in the habit of drinking just a cup to lift the morning fog. They even have flavors of coffee called Morning Fog as a testament to their effectiveness.
If you don’t want to become dependent on the tiring
crash-and-burn effect, however, you may want to try a milder stimulant like
cocoa-rich chocolate or hot chocolate in the morning. You can even brew your
own slightly sweetened or unsweetened cocoa drinks to reduce your calorie
intake.
Chocolate contains caffeine but is not as addictive as coffee. Drinking coffee at night can make you more fatigued and should not be the go-to choice when you are doing long bouts of driving on the highways. Nevertheless, a little bit of stimulation can keep you sharper and improve your reaction times.
Sell Your Old Car
The best tip of the many highway driving tips that we can give
you is simply to sell your aging vehicle and move into something safer. Driving
on the highways, nowadays, can be very intense and may require a lot of
concentration as late-model drivers zip along without worries. Late-model
drivers often rely on so many safety features to alert them of blind spots and
impending collisions but can make it dangerous for you to drive.
Go to Cash for Cars to get rid of that lemon before you run into more serious breakdowns and accidents driving it. They offer you higher-than-average pricing and have a large network to accommodate drivers all over the nation.
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