Tips for Dealing With Highway Driving and Traffic

Whether you take the highway to work each day or love road trips, there are some things to keep in mind when driving on the highway. Read these tips regarding damage caused by dead bugs, driving etiquette, gas-related issues and more.

Bugs

Damage from bugs is a bigger problem in South Florida than many other regions in the U.S., partly because of all of the Love Bugs in the area, and also because bugs are present year-round. Damage to your paint job caused by dead bugs is preventable in two ways. First, you can protect your vehicle with a protective film which will not only protect your vehicle from bugs, but it will also protect it from nicks from small rocks as well. If you don’t have a protective coat on your vehicle, the best thing to do to avoid bug damage is to wash your vehicle as soon as you can after a long road trip. Pro-tip: WD-40 helps get the bugs off easily (but also strips the wax from the finish.)!

Traffic

Sometimes, there isn’t much you can do to avoid traffic, but if you check your route with apps like Google Maps and Waze before starting your drive, you may be able to see where traffic is and make adjustments to your route to avoid it. When traffic is unavoidable, there are some things you should keep in mind to stay safe. First, we know it’s hard to keep a distance between you and the car ahead of you, but to be safe, try and allow some extra space. The general rule is one car length for every 10 miles per hour. Also, maintain a constant speed, try not to brake when it isn’t needed.

Running Out of Gas

No one wants to run out of gas, especially on the highway. We recommend avoiding this by filling your car up before you get close to empty. This way, just in case you run into traffic, you are still okay on gas. In the event that you run out of gas on the highway, it is important to pull off the highway. If this is not possible, pull off as far as you can on the shoulder. Then, call someone for gas, (AAA, roadside assistance, a friend). Do what you can to avoid having to walk on a busy road to get gas.

Move Over Law

You have probably heard of the Move Over law before, but do you understand it? The premise is simple, if there is an emergancy vehicle on the shoulder of the road, whether on the highway or a small street, you must move over a lane to give emergency responders space for safety. You are probably wondering what to do if that is not an option. The law states that if you are not able to move over, you must slow down to a speed that is 20 miles per hour lower than the speed limit. If the posted speed limit is 20 mph or less, you must slow down to 5 mph.

Overall Highway Driving Tips

Use these overall highway driving tips to have the best and safest highway drive possible!

• If it is raining like it tends to do here in South Florida, keep your high beams and flashers off and drive carefully with your vehicle’s lights on.
• The left lane is for passing and quick driving. If you are cruising along on a road trip, try to stay out of the left lane except for passing.

* Of course these are just some of the many highway driving problems people run into. If you have more questions regarding highway driving, message us on the Miami Lakes Automall Facebook , we will be happy to answer them! Looking for a new car in Miami Lakes ? Check out our inventory at Miami Lakes Automall . *

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