Having to travel to work often produces stress and is often seen as a non-productive time. Outside the bigger cities, public transportation may not be available or a viable option, so for many, a commute remains necessary. To relieve strain, there are options drivers can take to be safer and happier.

Leave Ten Minutes Early

This extra time relives the stress caused by slow moving traffic and accidents. If not rushed, drivers make safer decisions and are more likely to use caution. This idea was drilled into me by my father when I first got my license and I’ve never been late to an appointment – though I have left the house without combing my hair or putting on my shoes! Those little tasks can always be completed on arrival at my destination.

Don’t Try To Do It All While Driving

There is no reason to use the cell phone, text, eat, read, bathe, put on makeup or otherwise groom while driving. My husband was a truck driver for many years and saw drivers attempting to use their vehicle as an office, bed and bath and cinema. While we might think we can catch up on other tasks, we may become less productive, slower and certainly more dangerous.

Safety is of Utmost Concern

Inattentive drivers may cause accidents. Be on the lookout for dangerous drivers and avoid accidents waiting to happen by allowing them more space. This summer I had a close call with a driver who kept falling asleep. I saw her coming up behind me in the passing lane and she kept swerving into my lane. I slowed down just a little and kept my attention on her and the other drivers around me. She passed me and then her head fell back against the seat. She zoomed toward me and then pulled back just in time. I let her get ahead so I was in less danger of having a collision.

Share the Road Graciously

Other drivers, including the eighteen-wheelers, all have a purpose to their drive. It only takes a moment to let someone into my lane and that reduces everyone’s stress levels. By using signal lights to let people know I’d like to change lanes and not restricting the flow of traffic by slowing down helps other drivers to have a safer commute.

Share the Ride with a Family Member, Friend or Neighbor

My daughter and I shared a vehicle for work this summer. Our commute was twenty-six miles one way. Our schedules didn’t exactly coincide, but she had a perk, her job offered free parking. So we drove to her job in the morning and parked. Since I started a little bit later, I fit in my exercise and then took a free shuttle to get closer to my work.

On some days she had an extra ninety minutes to wait for me after wok. She spent time socializing with friends, running errands, going out to eat or drawing or painting. Like she said, “we both had the option of reading.”

Neither of us complained about the time we had to wait because instead of seeing it as an inconvenience we made it productive! The benefits we gained were time to reconnect and talk about our day and make plans for the next, budget savings because of one round-trip instead of two, built-in exercise time, free parking and shared driving responsibility. By the time we arrived home, we were calm and organized. Granted, this didn’t happen by magic – we planned every day how to make our commute easier!

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