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Real World DrivingOct 25 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line If you aren't willing to drive correctly, stay off the road.
Preface I would like to say that this is intended for beginning drivers and those looking to study up early on the basics of what it takes to safely and responsibly operate a motor vehicle, but unfortunately there are many people that have been on the road for years that could benefit from it even more. I will be discussing many of the basics of road travel and some of the finer points. It is entirely possible this whole thing will come off as preachy but if so it is not intentional, but many of the most basic rules of the road are lost on some of us that claim to be the best drivers out there. It comes down to this, if it is law and/or punishable as class C misdemeanor, I will be discussing it, whether the fact that it is law in all fifty states to observe road signs or simply that one must signal, even when nobody is around. So with that down lets get to it. Speed Speed limits are there for a reason folks. When in neighborhoods, around schools, hospitals, or even small throughways, it is more important to stick to the posted limit for a myriad of reasons. People cross roads on foot often without looking, this is especially true for children, but extends all the way to college kids on campus. It is not just people on foot though, it is bicycles, scooters, and the idiot who pulls out in front of because the phone conversation they're having was too engrossing to allow them to look first or just as bad, a deer or pet jumps out. When traveling 30 in a neighborhood you will have a much better chance to slow, stop, or swerve to avoid said idiot. If you are doing 50, say, your reaction time is more than cut in half and stopping distances will rise dramatically. This is not always the case on a highway. It is far more important to go with the flow than to self righteously do 55 in the left lane and force people to pass on your right because traffic is actually moving closer to 75, that's just dangerous, and also may yield a variety of splendid gestures from fellow motorists. I am in no way endorsing traveling above posted speed limits, but many of those limits, especially on highways, are massively outdated and inappropriate for the volume and nature of traffic. If you are not comfortable doing 65, 70, 75, or more in the left lane of a busy highway, do as the signs say, Slower Traffic Keep Right. In some states now, blocking the left lane by adhering to posted limits and thus forcing traffic to pass on the right is a ticketable offense. This brings us to the next point, what lane should you be in? Where Is This fool Going? I know many of you have said this as you are forced to follow someone who doesn't seem to be going anywhere, whether in a hurry or not. Whether on local roads or major highways choose the lane that is most appropriate. Choose a lane that is traveling the speed you are most comfortable with, but more importantly know where you are headed and keep that in mind as you near your destination. If you have an exit coming up, get right or left as appropriate before you absolutely need to exit, making the last second dive for a ramp is dangerous and threatens everyone around you, it is also increasingly illegal because of that very threat to other drivers. Well, you might say, what if I really don't know where I am going? Maybe you are in a different state or city than home, maybe just in a part of town you simply aren't very familiar with, this all good, there is a way to safely conduct yourself. If you don't know the area stay right traveling at the lower speed that lane ought to offer so you can better survey the upcoming exits. If, in fact you are in a different city or state, map out the route and review it, but don't go trying to read a finely detailed map behind the wheel. If you have a passenger, let them navigate, its easier on you the driver, and much safer. If you miss an exit, don't dive at it at the last possible moment, get the next one and turn around. If you are in a hurry, you should have left home base earlier. Road Signs They are there help and direct, follow them. If it says no left turn, don't try to make one. If the sign says stop, that means stop, not no-cop-no-stop or the infamous California rolling stop, you stop, period. Yield does not mean forcefully merge and make other traffic that has the right of way avoid you. Yield does not mean stop either, this dangerous and can cause multiple car pile-ups, especially on entrance ramps to highways. At the same time merge means merge, you will have a lane, use it. If worse comes to worse you may have to use the right breakdown for a few hundred feet, but you won't be creating a dangerous situation by stopping or slowing excessively. I know as some of you are reading this you might be saying, "...but when I'm entering I-75 at 6 Mile road..." or "...but when I enter 183 from ..." I know, believe me I know, these are loose tenets, not the rules of God written in blood. One can't always drive the way one should because of poorly designed roads or construction that popped up over night. The best thing you can do is use your signals and use all your mirrors. See what’s coming before you get there, be aware of what’s around you and what's coming up. This brings us to the next point. Mirrors and Signals They are there for a reason, not decoration. One should always have the mirrors set up so that the view from the left overlaps to the middle that overlaps to the right. As good as some mirrors are you may have blind spots, get to know where they are and turn or change lanes with that in mind, don't just assume that someone will move, their vehicle may be much bigger and they might simply stay where they are. If you change lanes to the left use your mirrors, if you change lanes to the right use your mirrors. Don't forget what you see on heavy trucks all the time, "If you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you" Remember this as you slingshot around someone or are simply passing them as you also change lanes, they might do something as simple as change lanes at the same time and put you in an awkward spot. Signal all turns and lane changes, regardless if somebody is there or not. If it is 4am and you are in your own neighborhood, use your turn signals. If there is no one at the 4-way stop with you, use your turn signals. Its not just the law, its common courtesy, and you might not see the pedestrian assuming you aren't making a turn because your signal isn't on and crosses the road because of it. If you are in a business district with many business entrances opening onto the street don't activate your signal 15 entrances before the one you are taking. People behind you may assuming you are traveling around the world to the right and stay right on your azz until you finally brake at which point they very well might plow right into you. At the same time, using your turn signal as you turn or change lanes or worse yet, after, is just like not using it at all. Ask yourself this, is not signaling, a simple flick of the wrist worth a potentially fatal crash incident? If you are in a Tercel and the guy behind you is in a Ford F-350 Super Crew, you're going to lose if the stuff hits the fan, this is fact. In this way a signal could literally save your life. All Up In That Following to closely is not only illegal, but also massively dangerous, especially at highway speeds. Not only do you deprive yourself of reaction time, but distance as well. If something happens two cars ahead that forces a panic stop, you will be the last one to know as you rear-end the person you were following so voraciously close, and guess whose fault it will be in court or as far the insurance companies see it, yep, you, regardless of how stupid the person in front of you was driving. As speed increases so does stopping distances, dramatically and if you're in a hurry, you should have left earlier. Want to send a message to the slow guy you come up on? Flash your brights twice as they do all over Europe, most folks, though it is not a tradition in this country, will know what you want. If you tried that to no avail, and you are forced to pass right, do so, but be aware of the traffic on your right because the driver behind you may have the same idea and a faster car so before you know it they might already occupy the space you were going to use to pass. Basically it comes to this, always leave a safe braking distance between you and the car ahead and double that when raining. If cars are consistently getting in front of you because of the braking distance you are giving yourself, move right one lane and let the faster traffic have that lane. What If? What if indeed. All manner of things can occur on the open road and one needs to be prepared. If you experience a blowout at speed whether on the highway or in the hood, first and foremost stay calm, freaking out will only distract you from what you need to get done. Hold the wheel firmly, signal, and move to the side of the road. Nine times out of ten, the folks behind you will see whatever happened and give you room. If you are on a busy highway and pulled up next to a Jersey barrier with little room to the left, try, if you can, to get out of the right side of the car to avoid being hit by the cars on the left. If this is not possible, be very sure it is safe to open your door before you do. If you cannot safely change a flat on the left side of the car because of traffic, call a wrecker or someone who can help. Barring this, because of no cell phone, make your way off the highway to a safe place. Be sure lastly to always activate your hazard lights. Maintenance Always make sure your car is in good repair. Plenty of oil, fuel, and other fluids are always the way to go. Properly inflated tires are crucial, varying pressures in your tires or one that is low when all the rest aren't can produce unpredictable driving characteristics and even more so under heavy breaking or rapid and sudden maneuvers like emergency lane changes. Always make sure all you lights are working, this includes turn indicators as well as headlamps. Which is cheaper, a $110 ticket for failure to signal (because a light is burned out) or a $2 replacement lamp? Keep your windows clean and make sure your wipers are working well. Even the cheapest wipers are only about $4 each and ultimately cheaper in the long run than a collision because of poor visibility. Make sure your defrosters are functional as well, if they aren't that can be just as bad as dirty windows. Final Basics and No-Brainers Don't flip people off, no matter how PO'd you are. This a good way to get followed home, get in a fight or even shot. I will admit that I have had guns pulled on me twice, needless to say I don't flip people off anymore even if they offer me the bird first. Don't speed up to keep people from passing or simply changing lanes, it's infantile and dangerous. At the same time, don't play the slow game to teach some person a lesson, you never know who is in that other car and whether or not they are willing to rear-end you in their POS to teach you a lesson. This stuff happens people, every day. Yellow does not mean speed up and red really does mean stop. Running reds and forcing yellows is a poor habit to get into, and if a wreck does occur, there very well may be many, many people there to see you cause the accident and when the cops show up, large tickets could be handed out and in the age of video surveillance, it could get very uncomfortable in court if it goes that far. Don't cut people off, out of spite or for any other reason. This gets back to mirrors, use them and chance are you won't be cutting anyone off. Doing so only to have the person pull up next to you at the stop light just makes you look stupid and c'mon now if you are that much of a hurry, you got it, shoulda left earlier. Don't drive around with your brights on at night, it is dangerous for oncoming traffic and for the people traveling the same direction in front of you. This is also something that will get you shot. The quantity of road rage homicides are probably much higher than you realize and its basic things like shinning other drivers that can spur such rampages. A man in Britain beat another driver to death with a tire iron at busy intersection in full view of 20 some odd other motorists for exactly that. Yes, he's obviously a nut job, but my point is you never know. Don't drink and drive. Don't smoke a fat blunt and get behind the wheel. Don't get railed and bop on down to yer friends house. Do you see where I am going with this? Drugs and alcohol affect judgment and reaction time. Bad idea folks, real bad idea and thats not even addressing the fines, court costs, punitive damages, manslaughter charges and/or jail time. OK, I'm Done Be safe, be reasonable, be smart and you will get there alive and in good spirits. Yeah I know it was long, but I had to write it. If you read the whole thing, than you are braver than most, bravo.  |
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