Driving Tips > Safety Columns
Get the lead out… of your foot
Gas prices are up. Speeding fines are up. You know that convictions can cost you money when it comes time to renew your insurance or driver’s licence.
How can you break the habit of rushing from red light to red light or tearing down the highway like your tail lights are on fire? Lou Gervino, Driver Education Manager at Manitoba Public Insurance, has some ideas.
Identify your issues
“For a lot of people it’s an issue of
time management,” he says. “Some
people seem always to be running late,
and try to make up for lost time.
“Sometimes all it takes to break the speeding habit is to develop another habit – leaving a few minutes earlier.”
Paying close attention to your watch before you leave and to your speedometer once you’re on the road will make you a safer, more relaxed driver, says Lou, who appears daily on the 60 Second Driver on CTV.
A surprising number of drivers blame their speeding on not knowing what the speed limit was.
“Again, it’s just a matter of glancing at your speedometer regularly and staying attuned
to posted speed limits on all our highways and streets,” he says.
Don’t join the pack
Some drivers say they find themselves speeding just because they’re keeping up with
the traffic around them.
“Speeding to keep up with other traffic is still speeding and any driver in the pack could still get a ticket. Remember that the fines for speeding usually start at $144 for 10-12 kilometres over the speed limit. Then there are also the demerit points that get added to your record.,” says Lou. “We know that speeding is a contributing factor in about 30 per cent of all fatal crashes. Controlling your speed is one of the skills that makes you a good and safe driver.”
For more information, watch The 60-Second Driver on CTV, or visit the following sections on this website:
- Speed Limits in The 60-Second Driver
- Speeding in Road Safety
- You can access a 60-Second video on Speed Limits directly
