Dear Just Be: My daughter starts driving in two weeks; do you have tips to share?

Basic driving tips (i.e. laws) she probably knows from studying the driver’s manual and preparing for the test, but some driving tips she may not know as well as tips for taking care of the car, I would be happy to share.

First tip that I am sure many people are unaware of is you shouldn’t let your fuel tank fall below a ¼ of a tank. Letting your gas get below a ¼ of a tank shortens the life of your fuel pump. You think by pushing the fuel gage line to E you are saving yourself money, but in actuality you are pushing yourself towards spending at least a thousand dollars on a new fuel pump.

Second tip, when driving your car make sure your tires are properly inflated. Tires that are not inflated properly cause your car to drag and use more gas. You should check your tires at least once every six weeks if not sooner. It is especially important to have your tire pressure checked when you are going on the highway. Many tire shops and mechanics will check and inflate your tires for free. Keeping your tires properly inflated also extends the life of your tires.

The third tip is for driving on the highway and driving with semi-trucks. Semi-trucks don’t have as much control as you would think. It is difficult for semi-drivers to see everything that is around their big rig and need help from other motorists to make sure things are clear and safe. When a semi passes you, flash your lights to let him/her know when it is safe for them to get over into your lane and to be in front of you. Semi drivers can be your friend or your enemy. Unlike other motorists we can’t easily speak to one another, but they can. Before you get in front of a semi-truck make sure you can see BOTH of their front lights in your rear view mirror. If you can see both lights that means you are plenty far in front of them and not cutting them off. Trust me, you don’t want to cut off a truck driver – they can make your drive extremely uncomfortable.

A fourth tip is to help your fellow drivers. If you see an accident ahead pump your breaks to let others know they need to slow down. If you see motorists on the shoulder working on their car or speaking with an emergency vehicle, give them room and move into the next lane.

The last tip and one that is probably hard for new drivers to do is make your car a phone free zone. New statistics show that driving and texting and even driving and talking are just as dangerous as driving after drinking four alcoholic beverages. Both texting and talking while driving are considered distracted driving and over 6,000 people die each year because of it, and half a million are injured in crashes caused by driver’s who are distracted. If you absolutely have to talk make sure it is on a hands free device, keep the call short and more importantly, pull off the road. For more information on the Phone Zone pledge visit Oprah Winfrey’s website