If you want to keep your car insurance premiums down, one of the best ways to go about it is to drive defensively, thereby reducing your risk of being involved in an accident. A lot of accidents come about as a direct result of motorway congestion, much of which could be avoided if everyone adhered to the correct etiquette for motorway driving. Here are a few tips to help you ease congestion, and prevent accidents, when you are out on the motorway:

Get up to speed on the slip road before you merge with traffic, as if the cars you are moving in front of have to slow down suddenly, this could cause a dangerous motorway pile up.

Drive in the left hand lane at all times unless you are overtaking. Often, a car travelling relatively slowly in one of the overtaking lanes can cause miles of tailbacks, without that driver even realising.

If the weather is dry, and visibility is fine, you should always leave at least two full seconds between you and the vehicle in front at all times to give you some room for manoeuvre if they should brake or change lanes suddenly. In wet conditions, you should leave four or more seconds between you and the vehicle in front.

If you have left a decent gap between yourself and the car in front, there should be little need to use your brakes unless you are approaching a queue. Most drivers will automatically brake when they see the brake lights of the car in front coming on, which can cause a dangerous chain reaction.

Indicate early when you are planning to change lanes, and do not forget to check you’re your mirror and your blind spot before moving out.

When you drive alongside a vehicle, particularly a longer vehicle such as an HGV, you are in their blind spot, meaning that they may try to pull out in front of you without seeing you. Needless to say, it is wise to avoid this situation wherever possible.

When you are coming up to the rear end of a queue, alert the drivers behind you by using your brake lights, and if the conditions require it, your hazard lights as well. Keep a safe distance and check your mirrors on a regular basis for vehicles that are coming from behind.

Keep up your speed when you are leaving the motorway until you are well onto the exit slip road. Avoid braking or unnecessary slowdowns on the motorway unless the slip road out is very short or includes a tight bend.

Keep an eye on the behaviour of the driver in front, as if they are gaining on the vehicle in front, looking in their mirrors, or drifting to one side of the lane, they may be about to overtake, and you should give them some extra room if it is safe to do so.

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