Posts published on October 17, 2017

Stay Safe While Driving: 7 Tips for College Students

BY JANE HURST

Not all college students can have a car while attending school—especially freshmen. But, if you are one of the lucky ones with an auto, you’ll need to follow these driving tips to stay safe on and around campus.

 

  1. Get Familiar with the Area – Before you start driving around your new college town, it is a good idea to get to know the area. Take a walk around, and look at the traffic patterns. Find out where crosswalks are located, and where pedestrians tend to congregate. Don’t forget to check out parking lots to see if there are fees, special permits needed, etc.
  2. Watch for Pedestrians – There are a lot of people walking around a college campus, which means that you need to be more diligent about watching for pedestrians. Remember, they always have the right of way. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for cyclists as well, as many college students use their bicycles as their main mode of transportation.
  3. Watch Out for New Drivers – According to recent studies and transportation experts like Montway a lot of teens and young adults are waiting longer to get their driver’s licenses. That means that you are going to be faced with a lot of new and inexperienced drivers. Statistics show that there are more accidents involving teens in September than any other month, especially in the mornings and afternoons.
  4. Expect More Traffic – College towns are a lot busier than many other areas, and you can expect to see a lot of diverse traffic, from motorcycles to trucks. You need to be prepared for this, and learn how to drive offensively as well as defensively. Be careful at intersections and stop signs , especially as you drive through a school zone in the mornings and afternoons when there is a lot more traffic.
  5. Have Your Car Inspected – You need to make sure that the car you are driving is going to be safe. Make sure that you have it inspected prior to leaving for college and, if there are any safety issues, have them taken care of before you leave. Things that need to be checked include tires, brakes, fluids, headlights, turn signals, steering, and mirrors, to name a few.
  6. Turn Off Your Cell Phone – One of the leading causes of automobile accidents is not paying attention, and often it is because people are talking on their cell phones or texting while driving. If you absolutely must text or call someone, pull off to the side of the road or into a parking lot before you do it. It only takes a second for an accident to happen, and you can’t let your attention waiver from your driving, or let your eyes wander.
  7. NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE – This is the most important driving safety tip of all. Never get behind the wheel if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This is just a recipe for disaster. Arrange for alternate transportation or take a ride-share service like Uber if you are going to be drinking. Make sure that your friends have transportation as well. The last thing you want is to end up in an accident that could have easily been prevented.

Byline:

Jane Hurst has been working in education for over 5 years as a teacher. She loves sharing her knowledge with students, is fascinated about edtech and loves reading, a lot. Follow Jane on Twitter.

 

On 27 September 2017 at 16:03, Jane Hurst <janehurst26@gmail.com> wrote: