6 Surefire Ways to Cut Minutes Off your Daily Commute

We’ve all been there, and most of us are there at least 5 out of 7 days a week. And where is the “there” I’m talking about? STUCK IN TRAFFIC. You know the sinking feeling and heaviness that comes over your brain as you turn a corner only to find yourself trapped in a sea of cars. Or your crusing along on the freeway at a great speed, only to see a wave of red lights up ahead as you slow down and eventually crawl to a stop behind other cars suddenly caught behind a traffic accident.

But there are ways to beat the traffic – and when these 6 tips are followed, you can regulary cut minutes, even hours off your daily commute:

#1 Listen to the Radio or TV traffic news

If you’re traveling during regular commute times (morning or evening) be sure to start your day by checking out the traffic reports online, on the radio or on the tv. You’ll learn about Sigalerts (those big problems on the freeway that really slow traffic), recent accidents, truck spills, slippery roads, you name it. Once you know what’s happening in your area, plan your morning commute accordingly and either take your regular direct route (freeway?) or take some side / back roads.

#2 Follow your gut instincts

You know how sometimes you just “feel” like you should go left instead of right? You just “knew” that car was going to cut in front of you without signalling? You just “thought” you’d better leave work a few minutes early if you want to get home in time for dinner? In all those instances you’re following your gut instinct. Sometimes we don’t know why, we don’t know where and we don’t know how – but if your gut tells you to do something – pay attention!

#3 Ask co-workers for shortcuts

Your co-workers and friends are goldmines of shortcut information. Shortcuts ares sometimes guarded like gold (because they are worth a lot!), but once you get the conversation going, most people are willing to share shortcuts with others, who in turn share their shortcuts. The more we all disperse our cars on different routes, the faster we’ll all get where we’re going. Some of the best shortcuts at http://www.mytrafficshortcuts.com have come from friends and co-workers.

#4 Leave a little early

Whenever you’re going to a new location, or one where you know you’re almost guaranteed to hit traffic, always try to leave a little early. Not only will that relieve your stress if/when you do hit traffic, you will also sometimes miss a chunk of traffic just by leaving 10-15 minutes early.

#5 Utilize online maps

Google has the most amazing maps, and I especially like and utilize the drag feature. If you’ve done a directions search and are not sure if you like the route, simply click and drag on the route line and create your own route. The Google map will re-configure your new route and give you the new time and length.

#6 Drive during off-peak hours

If you can, plan your driving and errands during off-peak hours. That doesn’t mean you need to grocery shop at 3:00am (although you’ll have no traffic at that time! 🙂 but it does mean that sometimes if you wait an hour or two, especially in the morning or late afternoon, you can miss the brunt of traffic.

Once you start regularly using these 6 tricks and tips, you’ll be astounded at how much time you’ll save every day – and every minute counts!

Peace & safe driving.