It’s important to accelerate gently on the roads in order to practice safe driving. Accelerating too quickly can be dangerous and may lead to collisions or other traffic infractions.
Why Does This Increase My EverDrive Score?
Accelerating gently on the roads is a safe driving practice and will increase your EverDrive score. The image to the left illustrates how sudden acceleration (5 mph) can decrease your score. When drivers speed up too quickly, they may put themselves, and others, at risk. For example, think of stop-and-go traffic on the highway. If you accelerate suddenly each time traffic moves, you risk rear-end collisions and decrease your ability to stop short if a hazard arises.
EverDrive measures the rate of change in velocity, and assigns risk points to values that exceed .3g in magnitude. The app also considers the context of the acceleration, vehicle’s speed and the type of road it occurred on.
Drivers who operate their vehicles more smoothly by accelerating gently or coasting are less risky on the road. There’s no reason to go from 0–60 mph so suddenly, as accelerating gently even helps increase your fuel efficiency, as much as 33% on highways.
Also, considering how tailgating is reportedly one of the most aggravating driving behaviors to other motorists, you might as well take your time to gently speed up. There’s no reason to rush as accelerating quickly is not likely to get you to your destination much faster.
In general, fast acceleration is a sign of aggressive driving behavior. Stay focused on the road, drive appropriate to the conditions, and remain calm behind the wheel.
How to Accelerate Gently:
- Tap the gas pedal lightly and without unnecessary force.
- Be aware of speed limits.
- Drive calmly, not aggressively.
- Be aware of surroundings.
- Look ahead and drive according to the conditions.
EverDrive provides you with useful information about your driving skills so you can review your driving performance and overall score. Users receive a quick snapshot of their skills and detailed information about their trip. Your score is determined by your driving habits, including the tendency to speed, ease into turns, accelerate gently, brake gradually and frequency of distracted driving behavior. Follow these tips for accelerating gently and improve upon your safe driving skills today.