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How to Navigate Intersections Safely: 6 Useful Tips

busy intersection

Driving carefully is essential when you’re out on the road, especially if you are a beginner driver and want to keep yourself safe from possible accidents. There are particular roads and routes where you have to be more meticulous to stay safe. In particular, you have to be wary of intersections.

Intersections have multiple moving parts, and ensuring they move smoothly is crucial to seamless and safe navigation. If you want your journey at intersections to be a breeze, here are some useful tips you can follow.

1. Be Prepared by Researching Routes

Before you set out, you should have a rough idea of the route you plan to take. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re more likely to get lost and face problems. But if you know your destination in advance, you can check the road conditions, potential traffic situation, and what exactly you must do when you get to the intersection.

So, read up on the roads you will be taking and get to know the intersections you’ll pass by. They are often large and busy, so you need to familiarize yourself with the area. This way, you know where you are going if you get lost.

2. Give Yourself Enough Time to Travel

When you hit an intersection, you need to give yourself enough time to drive through it. This is especially true when a major road you’re on becomes smaller or when you need to turn right or left to another major road.

You should also be mindful of traffic patterns. Do you know when and where the heaviest traffic is at a particular intersection? If you know these things, you can factor it into your travel time, so you won’t be rushing when you are on the road.

3. Avoid High-Risk Intersections If You’re Not Too Skilled

Often, intersections with more movement and higher traffic volume are more dangerous and stressful to navigate, so you should avoid them if you’re not a confident driver. If you are still not comfortable with these intersections but you have no choice, try to navigate them during non-peak hours.

4. Observe Speed Limits

Speed limits are there for a reason, and that is to keep you safe. It is especially true with intersections. You should be extra careful with your speed when you are at an intersection. Get an idea of how fast you can go and hit the brakes if you have to.

5. Check Your Rearview Mirror before Continuing

While your main focus is to get over to the other side of the intersection, you can’t forget that you are not the only other driver on the road. Other drivers are out there; some are not paying attention, and there may even be a few who erratically drive. This is especially true when you are at a major intersection where many vehicles are on the road.

You need to constantly check your rearview mirror when you are driving, especially when you are in an intersection. Other vehicles coming from other directions are also making their way to that intersection, and you need to be mindful of your safety.

6. Don’t Break the Traffic Rules

Stoplights, road signs, and laws are there for a reason—so you stay safe. The narration of rules of the road and traffic signals are some of the things you expect to find in a driving course. So, you need to know what they mean and obey them.

For instance, it doesn’t matter if you’re a professional driver or a beginner. Whenever you’re on the road, and you see a stop light, you need to stop.

Final Thoughts 

Driving at intersections is not a walk in the park, but with the right amount of knowledge and a lot of practice, you can easily drive the road. Don’t forget to follow these useful tips to help you navigate intersections safely and smoothly.

Improve your driving skills and master driving at intersections by enrolling in Midtown Driving School. As the best driving school in Langley, we assure you that you will learn about navigating the roads best and keeping yourself safe. Call us today to get started