Lane discipline is one of the most overlooked factors of traffic safety on our highways. Safety starts with the fundamentals, such as where one stands on the road. A sluggish vehicle in the overtaking lane is just as likely to cause an accident as a fast vehicle overtaking from the slow lane. Maintaining the proper lane is essential for safety and traffic control.
• Pick a lane and stick to it
Unless a deviation is unavoidable, commit to your lane and stay in it. As a car user on public highways, swerving across numerous lanes is extremely dangerous and irresponsible. Determine your preferred speed and take the appropriate lane. A slow-moving vehicle should always stay in the left lane. Stick to the middle lane when driving at a safe speed and check your rear view mirrors from time to time to see what's going on behind you. Only use the fast lane to make an overtake, then return to the center lane to allow other vehicles to safely overtake you.
• Safety indicator
As a responsible road user, utilize your vehicle's indicators or blinkers to signal your lane change maneuver far in advance. By swerving into or out of a lane without warning, you are causing a surprise to other road users. Always plan ahead of time and use turn signal indicators to communicate your intentions. Turn indicators are a simple but effective technique to shift the position of your car laterally on the road while remaining safe.
• Make sure your back is covered.
Identifying what is happening behind you is an important piece of information to evaluate before changing lanes. Is a faster vehicle attempting to pass you? With a brief but conclusive scan in the rearview mirrors, you can address such dangers. The mirrors provide important information that might help you stay safe while driving. Before changing lanes, always double-check your mirrors. When using rear view mirrors, there is usually a blind region where vehicles passing you by are not visible. Before performing a lane shift, double-check that there's no car in your RVM's blind area.
