Being a woman and on top of that as a mother, it puts you into a peculiar situation when it comes to driving on the road. Chauvinists often consider women to be poor drivers whether they openly admit to it or not, which is why for a mother traveling on the road, you always have that extra pressure to quiet down those voices surrounding you. Keeping that perspective in mind, this post will help you in jotting down all the necessary precautions that you need to take while assuming that you are on driving wheel and your loved ones are traveling with you. So let us begin:
Driving License
The first and foremost important thing to do before you hit the road is to make sure that you have your driving license on yourself. This is an absolute must, so no matter what decisions you need to make and whatever is causing you to hurry, always make sure that your state driving license is within your reach.
Road Sense
Now, this could be extremely vague or quite specific, since the capacity to know what kind of behavior is considered safe while in traffic can vary. However there some guidelines which are considered universally acceptable such as:
- allowing people to pass you when you are driving on the far left-hand lane, and only move to the right lane when it is safe to do so,
- always yield to pedestrians,
- avoid excessive use of horns, in fact, only use them during emergency situations,
- be aware of bicyclists on the road,
- broken or hashed lines mean that you can switch lanes when it is safe,
- broken or hashed yellow lines mean you can pass carefully while paying attention to traffic coming towards you in the opposite direction,
- driving on the right side of the road,
- mandatory stop at an intersection to allow emergency transport vehicles to pass if you see their lights flashing and their sirens running,
- never cross a solid yellow or double yellow line,
- solid white lines is a sign to stay on your lane,
- stop your car whenever you see a pedestrian crossing a street,
- when making a left turn at an intersection, always pass in front of cars that are also making a left turn in the opposite direction, do not make a pass behind them,
- white lines are used to separate different lanes of traffic that is traveling in the same direction,
- yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions
Traffic Laws & Regulations
This section is dedicated to road signs and traffic signals such as:
- Minimum Speed which is a large vertically rectangular sign that shows you how slow a vehicle is allowed to travel in that particular area,
- One Way which is a thin horizontal rectangular sign that shows the right way down the street,
- Parking & No Parking signs,
- Railroad Crossing which has a large X, RR, or a pair of crossed train tracks imprinted on it,
- Speed Limit which is a large vertically rectangular sign that shows you how fast a vehicle is allowed to travel in that particular area,
- Stop sign which is a red octagonal sign with the letters written in white,
- Yield sign which is a white or yellow triangle to indicate the allowance of oncoming traffic the right of way,
Furthermore, it should be known to you that it is completely legal to make a right turn at a red light unless indicated by a NO TURN ON RED sign. It is, however, illegal to make a left turn at a red light without question! Lastly, oncoming traffic always has the right of way, so let them clear the space before making your turn.
Inspecting Your Vehicle
Always check your car before driving for the following issues:
- Any leaks or spills, this includes fluids for brakes, steering, and radiator of your car.
- Make sure that your car’s tires are properly inflated and they are in good condition.
- See for yourself if all the rear lights of your car are properly functioning including directional signals, reverse lights, and brake lights.
- Also, check if the front lights are working properly including directional signals and headlights.
- Inspect the seats inside of your car’s cabin, including back seats and front seats.
- Make sure that your windshield is in prime condition and there is nothing blocking your vision.
- The same goes for your windows as well.
- Check the engine temperature gauge before starting your car.
- See to it that your heating and air conditioning systems, as well as the vents, are working correctly.
- Check your car’s oil on a weekly basis, the brake and power steering fluids, as well as the engine transmission, cooling liquid on a monthly basis.
- For longer trips make sure that your car battery is properly tested.
- Windshield wipers must work without any flaws.
- Always keep an inflated spare tire.
- Make sure that the jack and other tools are working and available.
Safety on Road
Some general rules include:
- Vulnerable road users include cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians, be aware of their presence.
- Remain within the speed limits as it drastically reduces chances for fatal accidents.
- A driver with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of over 0.05 g/dl is unsafe.
- Seat belts reduce injuries and fatality by 50%-75%.
- Drivers that use mobile phones are 4 times more likely to crash.
- Child safety is a must, never forget to place them in their restraints such as booster seats and their seat belts.
- Avoid roads and routes with unsafe designs and constructs.
Always Prepared
As a mother we know that you always have room for more so here are some suggestions:
- Buy safer vehicles that pass your state’s tests for safe travel to avoid car accident injuries.
- Always keep your emergency numbers in an easy to access spot within your car.
- Take a good long nap before you decide to make a long trip.
- If traveling on the road is making you tired, take a break.
- If you need to pull over, make sure that your vehicle is off the road.
- Always keep a lookout for weather updates near your area.
- A detailed map is much better and comes in handy when traveling to remote areas where GPS connectivity is low.
- Car insurance is a must to manage unpleasant occurrences.
- Make sure that you have more than enough gas to spare for your trip.
- Teach your young ones to follow the rules at all times.
- Make an emergency kit as per NHTSA’s instruction that should include: a flashlight, water, flares, warm blankets, jumper cables, a first aid kit, and a fully charged spare cell phone.
We hope this post was able to offer you some great insights as to how a mother can ensure the safety of her loved ones while traveling on the road. For more questions and queries, please feel free to let us know of your comments in the section below.
