3 Basic Highway Driving Rules To Stay Safe And Avoid Accidents

Most people will drive on the highway at some point in their lives, but moving up from smaller roads to a road like this can be daunting. If you’re used to driving around a city or using roads with only one lane, then life on the highway is decidedly different. You need to follow certain rules – some of which are legally binding while others are more unwritten rules of courtesy between drivers. 

Our post will explain the basic highway driving rules that will help you stay on top of things and remain safe during your journeys! 

Maintain A Safe Speed At All Times

Highways will have speed limits like all other roads, but they’ll usually be a lot faster than the smaller roads you’re used to driving on. You’ll see them on the side of the road like all other speed limits and most highways are set to 70 mph. As explained in this document by the US Department of Transportation some states might change the speed limit on certain highways – and smaller, more rural highways, are likely to be set to 55 mph or lower. 

Regardless, knowing the speed limit is important to prevent accidents or incidents. Speeding is an obvious problem – if you drive way over the highway speed limit, you’re likely to cause accidents by reducing your stopping distance and potentially scaring other drivers as you pass them. 

It’s also very important to maintain a safe speed when entering or exiting a highway. As you approach the on-ramp, you should be allowed to filter in with the oncoming traffic. Use as much of the entrance road as possible to get up to the same speed as the traffic.

The big mistake here is joining a highway too slowly as you’re cautious, but this means all the traffic on the highway behind you as you join is now going 10 or 20 mph faster than you. It forces them to brake sharply, which can cause so many accidents. 

So, know the speed limit of the highway you’re on and get up to speed when joining. If you’re exiting, you’ll need to start slowing down on the exit ramp as the speed limit can change quite dramatically.

Keep A Reasonable Distance Between The Vehicle Ahead Of You

There will always be cars ahead of you on the highway, and this means there’s always the potential for things to go wrong. You can’t account for another person’s driving habits, but you can put yourself in a position to ensure their mistakes don’t harm you and your passengers. 

All you need to do is keep a reasonable distance between your vehicle and the one in front. This can be a couple of car lengths most of the time, though it depends on how fast you’re going. The faster you are, the greater the distance must be. 

Moreover, pay close attention to trucks on the highway. They will have major blind spots the closer you get to the back of the vehicle, so what’s usually a “safe” distance is suddenly dangerous. If they don’t notice you in their blind spot they can brake suddenly and cause an accident or pull out without seeing you try to pull out and overtake them. Knowing what to do if you are in a truck accident can help you recover as much compensation as possible, but it won’t help you deal with the emotional and physical shock of a big highway accident. 

The best advice we can give is to look at the truck’s mirrors. If you can’t see their side mirrors, then the driver probably can’t see you. Maintain a safe enough distance so the mirrors are present and you’re not drifting into their blind spot. 

Use The Left Lanes To Overtake Slow Traffic

A highway will typically have anywhere between 2-4 lanes on each side. Some may have more than this, but the lane structure remains the same across the country: 

• The furthest lane on the right is for the slowest traffic – this is normally where trucks and bigger vehicles spend all of their time as they can’t get up to the recommended speed limit

• The lanes to the left should be used for overtaking slower traffic

The further from the right lane you go, the faster the traffic will be. In all honesty, if everyone played by the rules then the far left lane should be almost empty and solely reserved for overtaking. 

Nevertheless, it’s important to know how to overtake on the highway and which lane to position your car in. You’ll join the highway in the far-right lane with the slow traffic. From here, consider how fast the car is in front of you. If you’re below the speed limit and the distance between you is closing, overtake them using the lane to the left. Be sure to check your mirrors and blind spot before indicating out and driving past. 

Now, if there’s an empty stretch of road ahead or a big distance between you and the car in front when you’re in the left lane, it’s okay to stay in this position – unless it’s a two-lane highway. For two-lane roads, overtake using the left lane and get back to the right. 

For larger highways, you can stay in this lane until you’re forced to move by a car ahead or behind. If you catch a car in front, use the next lane to the left to overtake and repeat the process ahead. Avoid staying in the furthest left lane for too long as it’s bad manners and you may end up causing congestion. People think the fastest way to get through a highway is in the left lane, but that’s not the case. You’ll have a more efficient journey if you stay in a lane until you need to overtake. 

Also, you might be forced to switch back to the right lane if a car comes up behind you. Spot them getting closer and closer before indicating to the right and moving out of their way. You can then switch back into the lane when they’ve passed if you wish. 

Generally speaking, these are the only three rules you need to know about highway driving. Stick to the right speed, maintain a safe following distance, and understand which lanes to use and how to overtake. You’re now ready to give the busiest roads a try!