How to Avoid Driving Pitfalls

Nothing is worse than getting stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic and rushing trying to make it to an appointment, through the school drop-off queue or into work on time. We spend so much time on the road getting between all the different activities in the day. A great way to save time in your day and take on less stress is to save time on your commute! Here are tips to help you navigate the busy roads and avoid common driving pitfalls.

I received compensation and a TomTom GO 600 GPS for this post. All opinions are my own.

Beat Rush Hour – The most frustrating time to be on the road is heading the wrong direction (or any direction!) during rush hour. Rush hour times can vary a bit by area, but generally the worst times to be heading into a big city is between 6-9 am and out of a city between 3-7pm. If you have flexibility to start early, take advantage of it! You’ll get out early, too, avoiding both rush hour slow downs.

Take Alternate Routes – If you get a bit creative and try different routes, you may find a gem detour that lets you avoid major slow spots along your route. Near us, we have one freeway exit sandwiched and a bit hidden between two major ones. We follow the back roads and get on the way less busy entrance and it saves a lot of time, and stress.

Accident Reports – Staying ahead of where the accidents are on your route will help you stay safe on the road. You’ll be prepared for those nearly immediate stops that come on as vehicles approach a pull-over car if you know they’re just miles ahead. Or, you can get off on a different exit if it helps you save the time from the slowed traffic.

Avoid the Right Lane – On both surface streets and the freeway, avoid driving in the farthest right lane. The right lane is used for those turning and exiting, and often means slows. Unless you’re planning a turn or an exit, stick to the middle or left lanes.

Carpool – This may not always work, but if and when you can arrange a carpool, take advantage! It will save you tons of money on your travel expenses throughout the year as you save on mileage and gas by driving with others. You’ll also benefit from using the carpool lane during rush hour times.

Watch for Construction – Keeping alert on construction signs warning of an upcoming project in the works. This will help you avoid the times and dates of construction by taking a different route when possible. Knowing their will be construction on a road you can’t avoid will remind you to plan extra time on the road so you at least avoid the stress of running late from something out of your control.

By using a smart GPS with built-in features to help me avoid driving pitfalls I am better able to be safe on the road and keep my stress low. The TomTom GO 500/600 GPS help you by using real-time traffic intelligence. It helps you get to your destination using the fastest route! TomTom covers 99.9% of the roads, more than any other traffic service available using the world’s largest database of traffic information!

You connect your TomTom GO to the easy-to-navigate smartphone app. TomTom MyDrive allows you to plan your route before you leave the house and send it right to your device! You’ll be ready to hop into the car, hit the road, and save time avoiding those pitfalls all at the same time!