Focus your attention on driving. Distracted driving is estimated to be a factor in 25 to 50 per cent of all traffic crashes.
* Keep your distance. Give yourself room to react. You will need it in a crisis. The faster you travel means less time to safely react to situations.
* Drive at a speed that is reasonable for conditions. Speed Limits are posted for ideal driving conditions. When traffic, roadway, weather or visibility conditions are less than ideal, consider driving at a slower speed. Crashes at higher speeds generally cause more severe accidents.
* Scan your environment. Be aware of upcoming cross streets and decision points. Spotting a traffic sign or signal early allows you to be prepared to stop.
* Maintain your vehicle. See that all cargo is properly secured. Set all your temperature controls and pre-set the radio and CD player prior to driving.
* Create a "Safety Cushion" around your vehicle. When merging into a lane make sure that you expand your "safety cushion" to allow adequate distance and reaction time between your vehicle and the vehicles in front of you.
* Eliminate blind spots. Adjust your side and rear-view mirrors in advance of driving to provide as much sight-distance as possible.
* Know your limitations. The decreasing daylight means you will be commuting in twilight or dark conditions. A driver's vision, including depth perception, colour recognition and peripheral vision is affected by darkened conditions.
* Know your surroundings. Be aware of trucks and buses, as they need more room to turn, change lanes and stop in traffic. Trucks and buses take longer to accelerate from a stop or slowing pace, be patient. Share the Road. When starting from a green light at an intersection, always check one last time to verify that there are no pedestrians.