SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
If you have a driver's license, you should know the basic rules of the road - buckle your seat belt, use your turn signal. But there's obviously a lot more to it than that, and situations may come up that you might not feel prepared for. Marielle Segarra, host of NPR's Life Kit, has some driving tips for us.
MARIELLE SEGARRA, BYLINE: OK, let's start with something pretty common when we're behind the wheel, bad behavior by other drivers. Maybe you're going the speed limit, but somebody's tailgating you, driving right up behind you, trying to get you to go faster. Maybe you're tempted to speed up or curse them out. Hector Carias, an officer with the California Highway Patrol, says, Don't do it.
HECTOR CARIAS: I always say, hey, let them by. There's no reason for you to try to speed up or compensate for somebody else's impatience. Move over one lane, let them pass and then continue on your path.
SEGARRA: While we're on the topic of other people, sometimes they're going to be rude to you. They might get aggressive. But Carias says we can't control other people's actions.
CARIAS: We can control our own actions. Oftentimes, when things escalate, it's because there's retaliation of some kind, right? Someone was giving you the finger or whatever that might be, you retaliate accordingly and then things can escalate from there.
SEGARRA: If someone is getting to the point where they're following you for a while or they're threatening you or flashing a gun, then you call 911.
CARIAS: More often than not, our dispatch will stay on the phone, and we'll give you direction. What you don't want to do is you don't want to stop. Continue on the road, and then we'll give you a designated maybe exit or location where an officer will try to meet you at that location.
SEGARRA: OK, next up, if your car stalls or runs out of gas while you're driving, Carias says don't panic.
CARIAS: A lot of people are inclined to maybe slam on the brakes. What you want to do is release the accelerator. If you can, try to veer to the shoulder. Try to get out of the traffic lane, and try to come to a safe stop on the right shoulder of the freeway or highway.
SEGARRA: Also, put your hazard lights on, and if you can, move from the driver's seat into the passenger seat - which he says is often a safer place to be in these situations - buckle up and call for help. Now, if you ever see smoke or fire coming from your car engine, turn off the engine, get out and get at least 100 feet away and also well away from traffic. That's according to the U.S. Fire Administration, which also says, don't open the hood, and do not try to fight the fire.
If you get into a minor collision, once you see that everyone's OK, Carias says, you'll just need to exchange information with any other drivers. That means driver's license, insurance info and vehicle info like the plates and registration number. Also, he says, if no one is seriously injured or hurt in a crash and you can still drive your car, it's OK to move it out of the traffic lanes.
CARIAS: A lot of people think that once they get involved in some type of incident, that they have to leave the cars there - right? - in order for a crash to be investigated. That's not necessarily the case, specifically when we're referring to minor traffic collisions.
SEGARRA: If you get into a more serious crash, call 911. If you have minor injuries, try to remove yourself from the car, but you might want to stay put if your injuries are serious or you're unsure how bad they are. And remember, there are lots of ways to lower your chances of getting into a serious car crash, like driving at the speed limit, avoiding driving in extreme weather and always using your turn signal. For NPR News, I'm Marielle Segarra.
PFEIFFER: For more tips and advice from Life Kit, visit npr.org/lifekit.
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