ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
On Thursday, Trooper Steve was asked, “What are some tips for driving in heavy, slow traffic?”
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It’s the kind of traffic Trooper Steve said is routine in Central Florida.
“So, first and foremost, I’m going to say something most people wouldn’t agree with: If you are in heavy traffic, I’m going to ask that you lower your radio down,” he said.
The reason why, Trooper Steve said, is because drivers need to be situationally aware and loud music has a distraction effect.
“Not saying, ‘Don’t jam out,” I’m just saying tone it down just a little bit so you can be extra focused,” he added.
He also said it’s important to increase your following distance to avoid bump-and-go traffic. Trooper Steve said slight delayed reactions could cause crashes, so drivers shouldn’t trail the vehicles in front of them too closely.
“If you’re the driver sitting in one of these travel lanes, that extra distance that another vehicle is putting between them and the vehicle in front of them is not for you. This is for safety purposes,” he said. “At the end of the day, when you’re in traffic like this, find the lane that you need to be in, stay in that lane, increase your distance and just drive nicely.”
If you have a traffic question for Trooper Steve, email him at asktroopersteve@wkmg.com.
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