Courtesy of AAA and CDOT

• Be extra cautious on weekends, when more motorcyclists take to the road.

  • Always look twice when pulling onto a roadway

• Provide motorcyclists adequate room to maneuver. Never follow motorcycles too closely.

  • Follow at least three to four seconds behind them.

• Allow extra maneuvering room in areas with potholes, pavement transitions and  railroad crossings. Motorcyclists may need to slow down, stop or adjust their lane position.

• Never try to share a lane with a motorcycle. Motorcycles have the same right to lanes as any other vehicle.

• If a motorcycle is nearby, check your mirrors carefully before changing lanes.  Motorcycles may be in your blind spots or difficult to see because of their smaller size.

• Avoid distractions such as your phone.

Courtesy of AAA

• Trucks create wind gusts. Keep both hands on the wheel when you pass a truck or when a truck passes you.

• Leave plenty of room between you and a truck when stopping on a hill. Trucks may roll back as the driver takes their foot off the brake.

• Don’t speed up when a truck is passing you. Instead, stay to the right and slow down slightly. Let the truck pass you. This will give the truck driver room to pass safely and get you out of the truck’s blind spot faster.

• If a truck driver is signaling to change lanes, give the driver space. An average truck changing lanes at highway speeds needs an eight-second gap or 700 feet – the length of 2 1/2 football fields.

Courtesy of Continental Tire 

There are three steps to drive through a curve safely:

1.  When approaching a curve, slow down appropriately and position your car to the side of your lane which is opposite the direction of the curve. If the road winds to the right, for example, move to the left side of your lane.

2.  As you continue to drive through the curve, smoothly position your vehicle towards the other side of your lane.

3.  When approaching the end of the bend, gradually ease back to the normal position in your lane, then accelerate out of it in a straight line.

This driving technique follows the line of the widest possible arc; it reduces the severity of a curve, and thus places less stress on the tires and reduces the risk of skidding out of control. Moreover, drivers have a more unobstructed view of the road ahead and more time to react to any hazards.

You must stay alert for other drivers and traffic while rounding a curve. If other vehicles are too close to the center of the road while you're driving through a curve, it could put you at risk of a head-on collision.

It’s very important to stay in your lane at all times and pay attention to oncoming traffic.

Courtesy of Continental Tire 

• Operate your vehicle slowly and smoothly, including brakes, steering, acceleration and changing gears.

• Gently accelerate the vehicle using low revs and shift to a higher gear as quickly as possible.

• Maintain a greater braking distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you.

• If the car begins to skid, try not to panic. Steer gently into it. Do not take your hands off the steering wheel nor slam on the brakes.

• Turn on your headlights. If visibility drops below 100 yards, turn on your fog lights if you have them. But remember to turn them off when visibility improves.

Courtesy AAA 

When sun glare is an issue, slow down and use extra caution, especially while driving through school zones.

Tips when driving into the sun:

• Invest in polarized sunglasses – they can help reduce glare.

• Utilize your sun visor – it can help to block out the sun.

• Leave more following room – when the sun is in your eyes it can be hard to see what the car ahead is doing. This is one more time when it pays to leave more room between you and the next vehicle.

• Drive with your headlights on to increase your visibility to other drivers.

Additional tips:

• Keep your windshield clean, inside and out.

• Check your windshield for pitting and cracks.

• Avoid storing papers or other items on the dashboard.

• If having a difficult time seeing the road, use lane markings to help guide you.

Rarely will visibility be absolutely perfect while driving, but if motorists know this and make the proper adjustments, you can minimize any additional risks that come with less-than-optimal visual conditions.