After obtaining your driver’s license, you can drive to your destination effortlessly. Ensure you know how to drive in a big city for a breathtaking experience in New York.
The experience can be frustrating for first-time drivers and people new to busy roads and slower driving paces.
Here are some tips to help you navigate busy roads with thousands of vehicles. Let’s dive in.
10 Tips on How to Drive in a Big City
1. Avoid Rush Hour
If you are a beginner driver, don’t start your experience on New York highways during rush hour since it may elevate your frustration. Avoid driving between 7 to 9 am when people rush to drop their kids at school or 5 to 7 pm when drivers are running home.
At this time, you will encounter heavy traffic, and you may meet aggressive drivers that may be impatient with new drivers, which may lead to dangerous confrontations.
If possible, stay off metropolitan roadways. The traffic build-up at the hour will increase your time on the road, and there are higher chances of collisions.
2. Understand the City
It becomes easier when you have information on the roads you are about to navigate. You must pay attention to traffic lights and obey them. Remember to come to a complete stop when required.
In most cities, you will find closed roads; checking the road signs will ensure you won’t drive in those areas. Stick to the city speed limits and avoid traffic tickets or being in the speeding statistics for road fatalities.
3. Watch Out for Pedestrians
When approaching crosswalks, you must allow pedestrians to pass for their safety. The NHTSA raises a concern about keeping pedestrians safe since the number of pedestrian-related fatalities is worrying.
Maintain safe speeds when driving in big cities with more pedestrians. Apply extra caution when driving at night and in adverse weather conditions. If you see cars stopping at the crosswalk, don’t pass them since you may hit someone.
When backing up from your packing space, look at your mirrors to ensure no pedestrians or cyclists are passing. Remember to stay within the speed limit when in a school zone and stop when necessary.
4. Plan for Parking
If you are yet to think about the parking space, you may spend more time looking for one that will work for you. When traveling to the city, ensure you get there a few minutes earlier to look for the best parking space.
Ensure the parking area is safe, and with your new skills in parallel and angle parking, you will easily maneuver into the space. Look for a legal parking area to avoid towing, which will worsen your day.
Avoid parking reserved for people with disabilities unless you are registered to use it. With a safe parking space, you will feel free when running your errands in the city.
5. Look Out for Cyclists
Cyclists are common in big cities and may make impaired judgments that can lead to collisions. Some people love bicycles since they navigate on busy streets. Always keep a safe distance since most don’t observe the road rules.
And some cities have a bicycle lane, so ensure you don’t get to it for their safety. your defensive driving skills will help you navigate around them.
6. Avoid Distractions
Distracted driving is on the top list of road fatalities and has claimed many lives. When driving in a big city, you should keep your eyes on the road for a safe maneuver. Using phones when driving is the most common distraction, and you might get in a clash as you try to reply to that text message.
Put off your phone or keep it in flight mode, and if you are waiting for an important call, pull off the road for the conversation. Some people get distracted when eating or applying makeup in the car.
When training your teen on how to drive in a big city, remind them of the dangers of distracted driving since they tend to overlook them. Loud music may distract you from hearing other cars honking.
7. Watch Out for Taxis
Taxis are a significant obstacle in big cities, and you must stay alert to ensure they won’t get in your way. Some taxi drivers will swerve from one end to another, and you should keep a safe distance.
Watch out for those taxis picking up passengers since they can make sudden movements.
8. Stay in Your Lane
For smooth traffic flow and to avoid collisions, ensure that you stay in your lane. Stay in the right lane whether driving in the metropolitan area or downtown. On the road, you will encounter cautious drivers.
In most cities, cars are parked on the roadside, leaving a one-way road where you must be careful not to hit parked cars or people moving from the parking space.
9. Stay Calm
If you haven’t been driving in cities, you must keep calm for a fantastic encounter. At first, the anxiety feeling is usual, and remaining calm will help you overcome it.
Ensure that you pay attention to the road, obey the traffic rules, and check your environment keeping a reasonable distance from other cars, increasing your reaction time.
Avoid tailgating in traffic jams and keep off from confrontation with other drivers. Stay vigilant; if you feel anxious, you can talk to our driving instructors about it. A deep breath will help you stay at peace when stuck in traffic.
10. Plan Ahead
When thinking about how to drive in a big city, you should prepare well before deciding on a lane change which can be challenging in traffic. Check your mirrors to ensure there are blind spots.
You can cover the brakes to prepare for emergencies since the road is full of aggressive drivers and tailgaters who want to overtake and drive closely to other cars.
Wrapping Up
Driving in the city can be stressful, even for experienced drivers. You will find the experience exhausting since you must cope with traffic jams, plus you will come across aggressive drivers. Ensure you know the city you intend to visit or drive in.
At Pierre Paul driving school, we ensure our students overcome the fear of driving on highways, and our driving instructors for anxiety, are willing to help. Book our driving class for the best skills to operate in the city.