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When is it best to look ahead while driving?

I’m trying to get better at driving after I had two accidents in a year. My friend told me that scanning and looking ahead while driving can drastically improve your driving skills. When is it best to look ahead and for how long?

avatar
Eric Schad · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Looking ahead while driving is one of the best
safety tips
you can receive! In general, you should always be looking ahead of you 12 to 15 seconds down the road, which is about 1/8 of a mile.
The reason why you should look that far ahead is to assess what’s going on in front of you. If you look 12 to 15 seconds ahead, you can keep a watchful eye out for:
  • Motorists going the wrong direction
  • Traffic coming to an abrupt halt
  • Oncoming weather conditions
  • Debris in the road
  • Wildlife on the road
While 12 to 15 seconds should be your goal for scanning ahead, you may want to extend this when you’re driving faster on the highway or in a rural area. On the highway, look ahead about 1/4 of a mile or 20 to 30 seconds. In rural areas, extend this to as far as you can see while still maintaining eyesight on the road.
Looking ahead while driving is a great way to stay safe and attentive behind the wheel. But sometimes, things are out of your hands. And that’s when car insurance comes in handy. But don’t overpay for insurance needlessly. Instead, use the
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