How To be a better car driver – Top 10 Tips

While some of us love the idea of driving a car, daily commute to your workplace can actually make it a boring affair. But if you go deep into understanding driving the cars, you will realize its a fun-filled world out there. There are a few tips and tricks related to your car and driving that can be useful in some tricky situations. More so, you can help your friends and relatives in times of distress and even be an opinion leader if you know these simple driving tips.

Here's top 10 car driving tips every driver should know!

There comes a time in every driver's life when you have to leave your beloved car for a new car, or unfamiliar car per se. Since you are regular to your car, you are aware of the fuel tank position, but in an unfamiliar car, it can prove to be an embarrassing situation. Or maybe not, because the car you are driving will tell you where the fuel tank is! There's an arrow on the fuel gauge that points to the side where your tank is on! Life saver, isn't it?

Driving a car is not an easy task in a country like India, where nobody follows any rules and regulations and accidents are a regular affair. If, by any chance, you end up hitting another vehicle or an object, causing a dent on your vehicle or bonnet, don’t panic. If the dent is small, you can remove it by using a plunger. Just push the plunger firmly against the dent and pull back to see the magic. The suction force will pull out small dents in most of the cases.

This one is strictly for those who own a garage, or has a designated parking spot with a wall in the back. One of the most difficult thing to do while driving is your car is parking the car correctly without touching the bumper to the wall. There's a simple trick that will ease out your trouble to a great extent. All you have to do is hang a tennis ball in a way that it touches the rear windshield of your car and there's still some gap left between the bumper and the wall. Now the next time you reverse your car, all you need to focus is on the tennis ball touching the glass. Voila, you are a parking pro now!

The windshield of a car is susceptible to cracking as it is made of glass and is in front of the car, meaning more prone to damage from any flying object like a stone. If your vehicle’s windshield has suffered a crack, it will most probably spread and a minor crack will end up in a major crack. If you see that the crack is spreading, apply clear nail polish on both sides of the windshield crack and let it dry in the sun. This technique will stop the crack spreading and you can visit the nearby shop to repair.

One of the most formidable and important tip is to keep your at a distance from the car in front of you. Called tailgating, could end up hitting the rear bumper of the car in front of you if the driver hits a sudden brake. To avoid such type of accidents, stay at least 2 seconds behind a vehicle in the city traffic or 3- 4 seconds on the highway. The time difference will ensure you have sufficient time to brake safely if the vehicle ahead of you halts abruptly.

How much is 2 seconds, you may ask? Well, if you are driving at a speed of 100 kmph, 2 seconds difference means you have to keep your car at least 55 metres behind the car in front of you.

How many times have you run into a person who suddenly opens the door of his/her parked car? Quite often, we know! To avoid such situations, always be patient and take your time to look for occupants inside the parked cars. If there are occupants inside the car, slow down your car and anticipate for a sudden opening of the gates.

Who doesn't love a dash of fresh air in their hair while driving at high speeds on the highway. But as much as you love it, rolling the windows down will increase the drag on the car. Aerodynamically, drag is a bad news for the car and it is designed in such a way that the drag is minimal. More the drag, lesser is the fuel efficiency. So, it is advised to roll up the windows and sunroof to get the best mileage from the car. 

Driving uphill or downhill can be a really tough task, especially if you are not used to it. However, the biggest price is to be paid by the car itself, which has to suffer a lot on the mechanical front. If you are driving downhill on a steep incline, be advised to keep your vehicle in the lowest possible gear. Doing so, you will be using engine's braking power to slow down the car and not your car's actual brakes, saving them from early wear out.

Another small yet important point is how to keep your steering wheel cool if your vehicle is parked out in the heat? The simplest trick is to turn the steering wheel 180 degrees before stepping out of your vehicle. This way, the part of the steering wheel which you hold while driving will be in the shade, while the bottom part will be on the top, heated.

Last but not the least is a very important and life saver tip. While driving at night, we all come across the blinding glare of the approaching car, that is even worse in high beam. If you keep looking at the approaching vehicle, you won't be able to see any other thing on the road due to the harsh glare of the headlights. The easiest way out is not to see the lights directly and look at the lower left side till the vehicle passes by. This way you will be able to protect yourself from temporary blindness.