When people think about driving skills they usually imagine rally drivers. They indeed have amazing driving skills but the skills they display during a competition are not the ones average folks need. When exposed to day to day traffic, other types of driving skills need to be focused on.

1. Defensive driving

This should be the most important skill everyone should develop. It is important to anticipate the behavior of other traffic participants. Knowing when drivers may merge into your lane or when they might make a mistake that could cause a traffic incident is very important. It is also very important to be mindful and think about other traffic participants and how you can make things better. Hoking at someone that cut you off is not making the situation any better. Anticipating their behavior and slowing down to avoid a conflict has a much more positive effect.

2. Get to know your car well

It is very important to know the limits of your car. This means that if you want to develop your driving skills, you need to be confident in your driving skills and your car. You should always have a very clear picture of how fast you can accelerate, the distance it takes for your car to stop at different speeds, how it handles cornering, etc.

3. Proper driving habits

You should always adopt proper habits such as holding the steering wheel correctly, having the proper distance from the steering wheel and the pedals and have the mirrors adjusted properly. These small habits can help improve your driving skills. You should also avoid things such as driving with only one hand, keeping your foot on the clutch, or having a hand on the shifter. Lastly, remember to always have your hands relaxed. A tight grip on the steering wheel will decrease your ability to steer properly, react fast and it may cause injuries in case the airbag is triggered.