You might have the best car in the world. It may have the best technology and even have the best safety features on it as well. But if you are not a responsible driver, then it really amounts to nothing if you have the most expensive and most feature-rich car in the first place.

Remember that when you drive you do not only have a responsibility to keeping you and your passengers safe. You also have the responsibility to drive safely so that you don't hurt others on the road or pavement. Here are some steps to becoming the responsible driver that you should be.

• Start at neutral – You have probably heard it a hundred times but if you still find yourself starting your car when it's not on neutral, then you are probably not as responsible as you think you are. When a car is in any other gear other than neutral, it tends to jerk forward.

Now imagine if this happened and your handbrakes were off. This can be a horrible accident just waiting to happen especially if there are people in front of or behind the car. Remember to check your gear first, whether or not you are driving a stick shift or an automatic.

• Fasten your seatbelt – Again, this is another elementary procedure that every driver should do before getting out of the driveway. Most people will only do this the first few months perhaps after getting their drivers license. Of course, after driving a lot in your neighborhood or on the highway, you might get too confident and forget this step altogether which is not unusual at all.

In fact, many people get into all sorts of accidents just because they forget to fasten their seatbelts to begin with. So remember, every time you get into the car, whether you are the driver or not, fasten your seatbelt.

• Don't speed – Driving a new car is a really nice experience and sometimes people get carried away by speeding up on roads where they are not supposed to. Sure you can show off how fast your car goes but do not do this in areas where there is a recommended speed limit. It's not about getting caught with the authorities.

Not speeding means that you will not risk the lives of your passengers and of those who are walking or driving on the street as well. Reserve all speed for places where you can do it like on the highway. Even then, you should always keep a pace that is controllable so that you don't spin out of control.

• Drive defensively – When driving, you should do so in a defensive manner. You just never know who else is out there who is not a responsible driver. Even if you are the most responsible driver in the world, it doesn't mean that everybody else is. If you notice that someone speeds past you, let that person go. Do not follow him or her in an attempt to overtake them as well. That is just an amateur reaction and can put a lot of people in danger other than yourself.