Relax
Avoid aggressive driving by relaxing and having patience. By not being in such a rush to reach your destination you will be a calmer person and won't need to speed and run red lights. A yellow light means slow down, not speed up. Always stop at red lights.

Be alert to signs of fatigue
If you start to feel tired when driving pull over in a safe area and let someone else drive. If you are alone, pull into a safe location such as a well lit rest stop and take a short nap or get out of the car and walk around for a few minutes. Stop as often as necessary. When traveling on long trips, eat light. Large, heavy meals can make you drowsy.

Practice common sense safety rules
Always wear your safety belt and make sure all your passengers are buckled properly, even on short trips. If traveling with children, educate yourself on the many kinds of child safety seats and restraints. Choose which system is best for your child and always follow the directions. Make sure children ages 12 and under are always buckled up in the back seat, the safest place to ride.

Keep your eyes on the road
Avoid taking your eyes off the road by eliminating any possible distractions ahead of time. Before setting out on a drive, be sure that important items are within easy reach, i.e. directions and maps, sunglasses, etc. Reduce to a minimum possible diversions of your attention from driving such as changing tapes or compact discs and always pull over to a safe place to use your cellular telephone.

Lock your vehicle and pocket the keys
The majority of stolen vehicles are left unlocked, often with the keys in the ignition. Whether you leave it for a moment or for several hours, always lock it and take the keys with you. NEVER leave your vehicle with the engine running. This is an open invitation to the "joyrider".

Secure Valuables and Parcels

• Never leave unattended in your vehicle, cheque books, credit cards, or other such articles. Lock valuables in the trunk.
• Park in well-lit and busy areas.
• This is important for both your personal safety and the protection of your automobile and its contents.
• Secure your registration.
• Carry your vehicle registration with you.

• Traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day, yet many of us are unaware of night driving's special hazards or don't know effective ways to deal with them.. One of the obvious reasons for the dangers of night driving is darkness. Ninety percent of a driver's reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night. Depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.
• Fatigue and drowsiness also add to the danger of night driving. They make driving more difficult by dulling concentration and slowing reaction time. Alcohol is the single most significant factor in fatal traffic crashes, playing a part in more than half of all motor vehicle-related deaths. That makes weekend nights more dangerous. In fact, more fatal crashes take place on Friday and Saturday nights than at any other time in the week.

Effective measures to minimize these after-dark dangers can be taken by preparing your car and following special guidelines while you drive:

• Clean headlights, taillights, signal lights and windows once a week, more often if necessary.
• Don't drink and drive. Not only does alcohol severely impair your driving ability, but it also acts as a depressant. Just one drink can induce fatigue. Also avoid smoking when you drive. Smoke's nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night vision.
• Aim your headlights properly. Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road Being seen is as important as seeing. Turn your headlights on if there are any doubts. Lights will not help you see better in early twilight, but they'll make it easier for other drivers to see you. Don't over dive (setting the beams down) your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated area. If you're not, you are creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle. Keep your headlights on low beam when following another vehicle so you don't blind the driver ahead of you by the reflection of your headlight in his rear view mirror.
• If an oncoming vehicle doesn't lower beams from high to low, avoid the glare by watching the left edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.
• Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicle's speeds and distances at night.
• During long drives, make frequent stops for light snacks and exercise. If you're too tired to drive, stop and get rest.
• If you have car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. Warn approaching traffic at once by flashing the torch/flash light and place reflecting triangles near your vehicle and 300 feet behind it. Turn on flashers and the dome light.
• Observe night driving safety as soon as the sun goes down. As your eyes are adapting to the constant change in amount of light, twilight is one of the most difficult times to drive.