What Should Be Noted on Highways?

[VanPaislee]

Highway driving safety should be prioritized. Below are the key precautions for driving on highways: Tailgating: Maintaining too close a distance can be dangerous. In emergency situations, trucks, due to their heavy loads, can only slow down but not stop immediately, making rear-end collisions highly likely. Forced Lane Changing: When changing lanes at high speeds, it's essential to keep a safe distance from the vehicle behind. However, it's common to encounter cars forcing lane changes without signaling. Overtaking from the Right: In China, vehicles are left-hand drive and drive on the right side of the road. This setup results in poorer visibility on the right compared to the left. Drivers often focus more on the left rearview mirror, and the right mirror has more blind spots. Overtaking from the right is harder for drivers to notice, and the close proximity at high speeds can lead to accidents in emergencies.

[VonAlexis]

Before every highway trip, I make it a habit to walk around the car and check the tires. Insufficient tire pressure or bulges can lead to dangerous blowouts at high speeds. Summer is the most feared season for tire bursts; it's safer to keep tire pressure 0.2 bar higher than when the car is cold. I remember once seeing a car ahead suddenly have a blowout, swerving left and right like it was dancing, which scared me into slamming on the brakes to keep my distance. When overtaking large trucks, never hesitate—signal three seconds in advance and decisively pass. Halfway through overtaking, the truck driver suddenly honked, and I floored the accelerator, speeding up to 140 to create a safe distance. If you see small animal carcasses on the road, don't swerve abruptly—I've seen a car hit the guardrail trying to avoid a stray cat. At rest stops, don't just scroll through your phone; check if there are stones stuck in the tires and if the temperature gauge is normal. These details can be lifesaving.

[AngeloAnn]

After long hours on the highway, I've summarized a few golden rules: maintaining a three-second following distance is the most practical, and in rainy weather, you should increase it by half a car length. The other day during a heavy downpour, the spray from the car ahead completely blocked my view, so I immediately turned on the hazard lights and slowed down. Always check the mirrors before changing lanes—once, a motorcycle suddenly appeared from my blind spot, and the small convex mirror I stuck on my side mirror saved me. Afternoons are the easiest time to feel drowsy; chewing extra-strong mint gum works better than pinching your thigh. Don't get angry and cut in line at construction zones; just follow the diversion lines honestly to avoid scratches. Turning on your lights in tunnels isn't just about following rules—it makes your car more visible to others in the dim environment. When exiting the highway, move to the right two kilometers in advance. Once, I missed an exit and had to brake hard, and the blaring horn from the truck behind me scared me into a cold sweat.

[OAmir]

As someone who frequently drives long distances, I dread encountering four situations the most: during traffic jams, there are always cars using the emergency lane, resulting in rescue vehicles being blocked for half an hour; in areas with patchy fog, drivers don’t use fog lights but only hazard lights, acting like moving roadblocks; driving at 80 km/h in the overtaking lane while staying parallel to another car, ignoring the flashing lights and honking from vehicles behind; suddenly slowing down or even reversing before an exit, causing a chain of emergency stops behind. Now, I always turn on real-time navigation before hitting the highway to avoid accident-prone areas in advance. On rainy days, I deliberately slow down when crossing bridges, as bridge surfaces are more prone to water accumulation and skidding than regular roads. At night, when encountering drivers with high beams, I switch to the anti-glare rearview mirror—better than engaging in road rage. When overtaking large trucks, I turn off the music to listen for unusual noises; once, I heard a 'clicking' sound from a wheel hub and managed to avoid a vehicle ahead with a loose tire just in time.