5 Lesser Known Road Safety Tips

You know not to go full speed on icy roads, and you may know to give yourself some extra time for braking in the rain. But there are a lot of safety tips that aren't such common knowledge. Here are a few worth keeping in mind if you want to keep your record clean and your auto insurance affordable:

Music matters. A study conducted in Israel tested a group of drivers and found that the safest were those who drove without any music. The heart rates of these drivers would fluctuate according only to what was on the road. By contrast, those drivers who listened to calm music maintained a calm heartrate, but had a slower response time, And those drivers who listened to fast-paced music were more likely to speed through stop lights. A good rule of thumb here is to avoid music, if possible. If that’s not feasible, try and avoid listening to distracting music.
Watch truckers' headlights. There's a sort of secret-code here. Multiple flashes from an oncoming truck means hazard ahead. Two flashes means there’s speed trap up the road, and flashing hazard lights mean that the highway traffic is coming to a sudden stop up ahead.
Use your headlights on overcast days. You might have noticed that on overcast days, colors tend to blend together. But when your headlights are illuminated, you can better make out what’s ahead of you. Greater visibility means fewer accidents.
Keep your car out of your rearview mirrors. You get a broader picture of the road when you tilt your mirrors so that you're not just looking at your own car.
Stick to right turns. UPS drivers have fewer accidents and make faster deliveries because they almost never make left turns. That sounds impractical, but it works. Think about it: How many times have you been stuck in traffic because you were waiting for a left turn? How many near-misses have you experienced while cutting across traffic to the left? There may be times when it simply makes no sense to avoid a left turn. But if you can plan your route to make right turns than left turns, you'll get there quicker, and you'll get there safer.

Keep these tips in mind. The safer you drive, the less likely you'll have to file a claim on your car insurance.