Being a safe driver is advantageous for a number of reasons, including how it can affect your auto insurance rate. While being in accidents and getting multiple tickets can cause your insurance rate to climb, a prolonged period of incident-free driving can lead to a rate that decreases. The length of time you drive safely in order to get a favorable insurance rate can vary among insurance providers, but you can typically expect to start seeing a reduction in your premium after three years. Need some help getting to this milestone? Here are three safe-driving habits that you should try to implement.
Deal With Tailgaters Properly
Having a tailgate follow you closely can be annoying, but the real risk to this behavior is that you'll apply your brakes and the other motorist will slam into you and prompt you to make an insurance claim. There are a number of safe ways of dealing with tailgaters. It's generally inadvisable to speed up to increase the distance between your vehicles and it's never a good idea to apply your brakes to discourage the tailgater from following closely. Instead, make a point of maintaining your speed. Doing so shows the tailgater that you're a consistent driver and pretty soon, he or she should pass you.
Keep A Safe Following Distance
Don't fall into the habit of being a tailgater yourself. Following behind another motorist is a quick and easy way to find yourself in an accident. It's valuable to employ the three-second rule. This rule stipulates that you should keep a minimum of three seconds between you and the driver that you're following. You can track this distance by starting to count as soon as the other driver reaches a specific point on the road; if you reach the same point before three seconds are up, it's time to back off a little. Three seconds is the rule, but it's beneficial to increase your following distance further at higher speeds and in inclement weather.
Leave Space At Stop Lights
Many drivers make the mistake of sitting just a few inches behind another motorist when stopped at a red light. The problem with doing so is if a driver rear-ends someone behind you, there will be a chain reaction and you'll be pushed into the driver ahead of you. You should always stop with enough space that you can see the tires of the vehicle in front of you. If you can't, you're stopped too closely.
Contact an insurance company like Consumers Coverage Corporation to learn more about ways to decrease your insurance premiums though safe driving.
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