What should you pay attention to when driving on the highway during Tet to ensure safety?

Nghi Son - National Highway 45.

The number of highways in the transportation network is increasing, contributing to increasing the connection between provinces and cities, creating favorable conditions for travel. However, in reality, there are also many traffic accidents occurring on highways, the cause of which comes from the lack of skills and experience of some drivers when driving on highways.

Therefore, in addition to complying with traffic laws, improving skills and knowledge are necessary to help drivers drive safely on highways, especially during Tet when the number of vehicles increases.

Choose the right lane

Highways usually have multiple lanes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right lane depends on the type of vehicle, speed, and driver skill.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, driving instructor at Dong Do Driving Training and Testing Center, said that with the expressway lane close to the center of the road, drivers can drive at the maximum speed allowed. However, not occupying the left lane, when the car is not running at the maximum speed, not occupying the left lane will cause frustration for cars wanting to overtake. Remember: go faster on the left and slower on the right.

The emergency lane on the highway is the rightmost lane. This lane is usually narrower than the other lanes and is separated by a solid line. The emergency lane on the highway is for vehicles that have encountered an accident to stop and wait for a rescue vehicle. In case of an accident, if the driver wants to stop in the emergency lane, he/she must turn on the hazard warning lights, then observe the vehicles moving behind, and change lanes one by one until entering the emergency lane.

Drive at the right speed, keep a safe distance

Regulations on highway speed will usually have maximum and minimum speed signs. Maximum speed signs on highways are white, red border, black letters, normally the maximum speed on highways according to regulations is usually not more than 120 km/h. Minimum speed signs are blue, white letters, usually regulating the minimum speed from 50 - 60 km/h.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, driving instructor at Dong Do Driving Training and Testing Center, recommends that drivers need to follow the signs, especially the speed limit signs on each road section to drive at the correct speed.

In addition to obeying the speed limit, when driving on the highway, drivers should pay attention to keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front. This is an important factor to help drivers handle unexpected situations from the front, avoiding collisions. On the highway, there are often signs regulating the minimum distance between two vehicles.

If driving at 60 km/h, the minimum safe distance from the vehicle in front is about 35 meters. From 60 - 80 km/h, the minimum safe distance is about 55 meters. From 80 to under 100 km/h, the minimum safe distance should be 70 meters and from 100 to under 120 km/h, the minimum safe distance from the vehicle in front is about 100 meters.

When driving on the highway, drivers should pay attention to keeping a safe distance from the vehicles in front (Illustration photo).

Observe and change lanes only when conditions permit.

One of the important factors that help drivers drive safely on the highway is to pay attention to observing and changing lanes. According to Mr. Thuan, before changing lanes, drivers need to carefully observe ahead. If safe, turn on the turn signal, observe and change lanes. When changing lanes, the speed will increase, decrease or remain the same depending on the actual situation and the speed limit of the new lane that the road has just entered.

Never change lanes repeatedly, as this will endanger you and other vehicles on the highway. Also, drivers should not change lanes when approaching a turn.

How to overtake other vehicles?

With this skill, Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, driving instructor at Dong Do Driving Training and Testing Center, said that when overtaking a vehicle in front, there are usually two cases: overtaking a vehicle in the same lane and overtaking a vehicle in a different lane. If you want to overtake a vehicle in a different lane, you should drive to a position where the image of the vehicle is in the view of the rearview mirror of the vehicle in front. Maintain speed, then flash your lights, observe, and if it is safe, continue to accelerate to move the vehicle within the permitted speed limit to overtake the vehicle in front.

In case of overtaking a vehicle in the same lane, you also need to signal by horn and turn signal. After signaling, if the vehicle in front does not signal, pay attention, let the vehicle move and gently steer the vehicle to move to the next lane. When driving in the next lane, accelerate until you have created a safe distance, the vehicle behind is clearly visible in the mirror, then merge back into the old lane.

How to merge into the freeway?

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, a driving instructor at Dong Do Driving Training and Testing Center, said that before driving onto the highway, you need to turn on your turn signal to signal and ask for the right of way.

On the highway, there will usually be a lane for vehicles to prepare to merge onto the highway. When entering this lane, you need to observe through the rearview mirror. If you see a continuous line of vehicles running in the lane that the driver wants to merge into, you should wait. Look around, find a safe space and accelerate slightly to prepare to merge into the highway lane. When merging, you need to observe and move decisively but do not merge too suddenly.

Regarding the fact that the maximum speed limit on 6 limited 4-lane highways has just been increased to 90km/h, the Vietnam Road Administration recommends that vehicles participating in traffic must also comply with the 2008 Road Traffic Law and other relevant legal documents; national technical standards on road signs, and must control the speed and ensure a minimum distance between two vehicles traveling on the same highway lane.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/lai-xe-tren-cao-toc-ngay-tet-can-luu-y-gi-de-dam-bao-an-toan-1922402082246276.htm