In an effort to keep yourself save you drive safely, wear a seatbelt and obey the rules of the road. Your auto insurer thanks you for this in the only way that matters, affordable insurance. But what about those unexpected things that happen on the road? How can you prepare for these?

One of the ways to keep safe on the road is to move from the merging lane to the main highway cautiously. Some drivers behave as though they do not have a brake pedal. They think that they have charge of the lane and you should wait until they are have gone on by before you merge. However, to be safe, you need to have a certain amount of momentum. Once you stop in that merging lane, you could be there a long time before there is a safe chance to dive on out and join the big boys in the real world of fast moving traffic. Be extra cautious when there are a lot of trucks.

Another of the ways to ensure you are safe on the road is to travel at a safe distance behind other vehicles. I suggest you make this an even bigger distance than usual when travelling behind a large truck. Trucks cannot see little cars tucked in behind them, especially if you are too close. You are about as visible as a cat to the driver of an SUV.

Also, if you decide to pass a vehicle pick your moment carefully. If you are on a duel carriageway, make sure you have ample clear space ahead. Head on collisions are messy and you are the mess, so don't take risks.

Even on a multi-lane highway care is needed in some circumstances. If you are on a highway and you decide to pass someone who is wobbling around and showing little lane discipline, pick your moment. That person may be impaired in some way, busy texting or talking, or even falling asleep at the wheel. You may feel that you would be safer in front of them, but don't pass on a corner. Anyone who is drifting across lanes is likely to be more of a danger to you on corners than on a straight stretch of road.

The same is true of large trucks; don't pass them on corners even when you are on a highway. The thing you have to know about trucks is that they are a business on wheels, and every time that truck driver has to brake, that business is doing a little less well than it was a second or two before. If the truck driver crosses the line into the next lane on a corner the squeeze is very scary; it is not a contest of equals.

Wait for a stretch of straight road, signal and pass. Make sure you are a good distance ahead before you pull back into the lane the truck is in. Remember, the truck driver does not want to brake unnecessarily.

One way to maintain an accident free record and cheap auto insurance is to drive monitoring and anticipating everyone on the road around you.