If you have a friend that trusts you enough to lend you their vehicle, it’s important that you treat your friend’s car like you would treat your own. Of course, if you don’t have the safest driving habits in the world, you will want to treat your friend’s vehicle even better. Here are five safety tips to follow each time you take control of a car that belongs to someone else:

1. Obey Traffic Laws

When you are driving your friend’s vehicle, make sure that you obey all local and state traffic laws. You should always be aware of the speed limit along the route you are traveling; remember to use your turn signal when it is appropriate and obey all road signs. If you are stopped at a red light, or approaching a green light, be sure to look both ways as you approach the intersection. Obeying traffic laws and driving with common sense will help to keep you, your passengers, and your friend’s vehicle safe.

2. Don’t Pack the Car with Passengers

Studies have shown that teenagers who transport groups of their friends are more likely to be involved in a traffic collision. If you are borrowing your friend’s car, don’t turn it into your own private party bus. Keeping your passengers to a minimum will ensure that you are better able to pay attention to the road in front of you, lessening your chance of being involved in an accident.

3. Don’t Drive Distracted

No matter whose car you are driving, you should do your best to remain focused on the task at hand. Never text, talk on your cell phone or read emails while driving your friend’s car. If you must talk on the phone or send a text message, wait until you can safely pull over to the side of the road or into a parking lot.

4. Don’t Drive Impaired

If you are going out for a night on the town, take a cab instead of borrowing a friend’s car. If you do drive another person's car, don’t drink alcohol or take any drugs. Driving impaired not only puts you at risk, but you risk the lives of your passengers and others on the road. Driving impaired also increases the chance of destroying your friend’s car if you are involved in a collision.

5. Maintain Insurance

If you don’t own a vehicle, it stands to reason that you don’t have auto insurance. If you will be borrowing your friend’s car, make sure that you purchase a temporary insurance policy. While this type of policy isn’t necessary if you will only be using the car for an hour or two, it’s incredibly important if you will be using the car for several days or more. Don’t assume that your friend’s car insurance will cover your medical expenses or the damage to the vehicle if you are the one who is driving and has an accident.

If you have a friend that is willing to let you borrow their car, respect your friend’s property and use the same safe driving habits you would use in your own car. By following the five tips above, you can be sure that you will return your friend’s vehicle to them in the same condition it was in when you took it.

Donna Bender blogs about temporary auto insurance. You can get short term coverage if you will be driving a friend's car for only a few days. Click here to find out how to get 7 days of car insurance.