Most experienced drivers know there are things they should and should not do on the road. Even so, bad habits can creep in if guard is not kept up. When it’s time to brush up on the rules for safety, there are a number of things to pay attention to.

To increase chances for safety on the road, make sure to:

• Avoid distractions – Distracted driving isn’t just about using cell phones while behind the wheel. It includes eating, drinking and other things that take your eyes off the road and/or your hands off the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were almost 6,000 deaths attributed to this bad driving habit in 2008 alone.

• Maintain a safe distance when following other cars – The general rule of thumb is to allow several car lengths or at least two or three seconds between your vehicle and the one in front of you. This allows for reaction time. Do keep in mind that safe distance rules can be impacted by poor driving conditions. In general, you enough space to have time to react if the car in front of you slams on the brakes.

• Maintain visibility – Whenever possible, make sure to not follow behind vehicles that block your vision of traffic lights and traffic ahead of you. The farther down the road you can see, the better.

• Take care when passing or riding alongside big trucks – If you can’t see a truck’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you. Give plenty of space to big rigs and remember that their blind spots do differ from smaller vehicles.

• Slow down – Unless you are on a track, driving is not a race. Make sure to do the speed limit, adjust speeds for poor conditions and exercise common sense.

Even highly experienced drivers can run into situations where they start developing poor habits. It’s always a good idea to brush up on your defensive driving habits.