Staying safe while driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic isn’t always easy.
A lot can go wrong with so many cars squished together on the same highway.
You could get into collisions, people can cut you off, people can rear-end you…
There’s almost no limit to the number of potential catastrophes you could find yourself in.
So this brings up an important question.
How can you actually stay safe when you’re driving in this type of traffic?
How can you keep yourself from getting into a dangerous wreck or vehicular accident while navigating rush hour traffic in a major metropolitan area?
These are good questions.
And to be honest, it’s not always altogether clear how to answer them correctly.
So in this post, we’re going to do a deep dive and explore 5 different tips that you can use today to help you stay safe while driving—even while you’re trying to navigate bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Let’s dive into it.
1. Stay Calm
One of the big problems with bumper-to-bumper traffic is that it can get people riled up and tense.
And this can result in a lot of road rage and stress.
When people get stressed out, they tend to drive more erratically.
And this puts them and everyone else at an increased risk for danger.
Therefore, you stand to make yourself a lot safer by staying calm, even while in that frustrating bumper-to-bumper traffic.
It may not be the funnest way to drive or to travel—but at least if you stay calm, you can avoid making irrational choices that could lead to accidents or injuries.
2. Leave A Little Bit Earlier
One of the most stressful things about bumper-to-bumper traffic is that it tends to eat up so much time.
And when you’re already running behind, this can be especially frustrating.
To counter this, you may want to think ahead and leave a bit earlier—especially if you plan to encounter such traffic.
This won’t necessarily do away altogether with the stress of it, but at least it will help you to stay on time and avoid making you late—which would otherwise just add to the frustration.
3. Entertain Yourself (Safely)
When stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, you may realize that you’ll often sink into bouts of boredom.
Not only is this ‘no fun,’ but it can also contribute to a lack of safety—because it could cause you to lose your focus and stop paying attention to the safety of the drive.
One of the best ways to combat this is to entertain yourself safely while stuck in such traffic.
You can listen to the radio, listen to podcasts, make phone calls with your hands-free device, or even listen to audiobooks.
4. Stay A Safe Distance Behind The Car In Front Of You
Maintaining a safe distance behind the car directly in front of you is a crucial key to avoiding car accidents in thick traffic.
If the car in front of you suddenly slams on its brakes, do you have enough room to stop?
If a car suddenly swerves in front of you, will you have enough room to slow down and give them space?
If you drive too closely to the car in front of you, the answer to these questions will likely be ‘no,’ and you’ll be much more likely to get into a wreck.
5. Stay Aware
Staying aware of your surroundings, even in bumper-to-bumper traffic, is really important.
Try to stay aware of where your turn-off is so that you can get into the right lane when the opportunity comes to do so.
Be mindful of what other drivers are doing around you so that you can avoid potential danger.
Pay attention to what the car in front of you is doing… so that you can avoid getting tangled up in bad driving choices on their part.
As a general rule, staying more aware of your surroundings is one of the best ways to stay safe while doing anything… and this includes driving in thick traffic.
Conclusion
Now you know how to navigate bumper-to-bumper traffic like a pro.
Use these tips, and you should definitely be able to safely reach your destination.
You’ve got this.
Now get out there, enjoy the drive, and make it happen.
