Precautions to take before changing lanes
What to do as you change lanes
Final word
Precautions to take before changing lanes
In order to safely and properly change lanes when you are driving in Alaska, the process must begin before you even start changing lanes in the first place. Prior changing lanes, you must turn on your signal. This comes first because it is critically important to alert other drivers before you do anything. You also must make sure that you give other drivers more than enough time to react to your signal. So, putting your signal on first then completing the next steps before you change lanes will give other drivers those few moments of notice they need.
Once your signal is on you should check for other cars in your mirrors. This might seem extremely obvious, but many people forget to do it. However, it is not the last thing you need to do before you start changing lanes. The last thing you need to do before you actually start changing lanes is to check your blind spot on the correlating side of your car. Doing so will allow you to be absolutely certain it is safe to change lanes.
What to do as you change lanes
The most important thing you must do as you are changing lanes is to stay alert. If you hear a car horn a you are changing lanes you should take notice and react. More often than not this means you missed a car in your blind spot, and you must retreat into your original lane (as long as that is still safe). You also should keep your head facing forward but intermittent attention on your rearview and sideview mirrors to check for any aggressive drivers coming up behind you. Finally, until you are completely and safely in your new lane, do not shut off your blinker.
Final word
Changing lanes will not be a dangerous task as long as you take all of the steps necessary to ensure you do it safely. Signal before you start changing lanes, check your mirrors, check your blind spot and always stay alert. Try not to change lanes too frequently in a short period, especially in an attempt to simply arrive somewhere faster. If you need a vehicle of any kind transported to or from Alaska at anytime during the year, you can always get an instant quote by picking up the phone and calling us at (907) 331-3100.
