Generally, when we learn to drive, it is in a somewhat controlled environment. Either you have a professional instructor or your parents who wait for perfect driving conditions before taking you out on the road. But there are times when we must adapt to our surroundings. Whether you are traveling down a quaint country road or dodging cabs on a busy city street, you always need to be focused.

Each kind of road can come with its own set of dangers. Rural roads are infamous for luring drivers into a false sense of security, yet 56 percent of the nation’s 37,261 traffic deaths in 2008 occurred on rural roads. And, if you’re from a city, you know how ominous city cabs and buses can be as they try to navigate the streets.

Wherever you may find yourself, here are some helpful tips on how to stay focused and avoid letting the road in certain regions get the better of you!

Rural Roads

• Rural roads are not limited-access freeways, so watch out for cross traffic and oncoming traffic.
• Be alert for roadside hazards, soft shoulders, ditches, etc.
• Watch out for farm machinery and other slow-moving vehicles.
• Country roads are infamous for unmarked field and farm driveways and entrances. Always keep a lookout for potential hazards like hidden driveways or farm field entrances, as they can become “instant intersections.”
• Avoid highway hypnosis at all costs! This phenomenon occurs when you’ve been driving for a long time down the same long stretch of road. Keep the radio on, listen to an audio book, or have a friend in the car keep you alert. Just don’t do any of these things to the point where you’re too distracted to drive!
• Just because it seems like there is no one on the road but you, speeding on rural roadways is extremely dangerous. Sharp turns, rolling hills, and poor visibility at night makes it imperative that you keep to the speed limit.
• Woodland creatures are always nice to see on the side of the road peacefully grazing or hopping around, but keep your eye out for road signs indicating that they might jump out into the road. Keep focused and drive the speed limit and everyone will get home safe.
• This should go without saying but BUCKLE UP! Drivers and passengers on rural roads are infamous for not fastening their seatbelts. In 2008 77 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from their cars - because they weren’t wearing their seatbelts - were killed. This small step can save your life.
• Do you own a pick-up truck? Do you let your friends ride in the back without seatbelts? Well, STOP DOING THAT. According to 2008 data from the US Department of Transportation, pick-up truck drivers in rural areas accounted for 69 percent of passenger deaths on rural roads. If you value you friends, make sure everyone is buckled up and secure.

City Streets

• Leave yourself more than enough time to reach your destination. Traffic and congestion are unavoidable during certain times of the day, so take some extra time to plan out your trip.
• It pays to check ahead of time to see if construction has turned your chosen path into a virtual parking lot. Triangulating to your destination might be faster than doubling back on the highway.
• Let people in when they're changing lanes or merging into traffic. Don't take something irritating the driver does next to you personally.
• Don’t let cab drivers and buses freak you out. Stay calm and alert at all times and be prepared for them to swerve in and out of lanes. One way to avoid cabs is to stay in the left lane. Cabs will usually travel on the right so they can easily pick up passengers.
• When an emergency vehicle is flashing its lights and/or sounding its siren, state law requires all vehicles to move to the right and stop. This is true regardless of whether the vehicle is coming toward you or approaching from behind.
• Pick a lane and stick to it. Believe it or not, changing lanes frequently will get you there only a few seconds earlier, while greatly increasing your chance of a collision.
• Street parking is abysmal in big cities and since parking lot owners know this, they charge an arm and a leg. If you have to travel into a city, take the smallest car possible. Unless you’re traveling with a large group, a big car or truck will only limit the parking choices and make navigating narrow alleys difficult.
• Drive with mileage in mind. Don't speed up just to slow down. If you're bumper-to-bumper, improve your fuel economy by slipping the car into neutral instead of constantly riding the brake.
• Make your car crime-resistant. Try to park in an area that's well lit and has a lot of pedestrians nearby. If possible, put any valuables in the trunk before you park, so that no one is watching you stow your stuff curbside.