Whole generations will never learn the basics of safe driving.

[joeekaitis]

Thanks to budget cuts that eliminated driver education in the classroom and driver training on the road in public schools, most teens are learning to drive like a bunch of a**holes from an a**hole named "Dad". Now, I'm sure a lot of folks on this board DID experience classroom, simulator and behind-the-wheel education and remember some of those safe driving rules. A few might even be practicing them to this day!

As a gift to future generations, post some of those pearls of wisdom which, in the not so far away past, made the roads a much nicer place to drive.

Your humble author begins:

The 100-300-500 Rule

Signal within 100 feet of a turn, dim your high beams within 300 feet of the driver ahead and within 500 feet of approaching traffic.

Attain, Maintain, Sustain

Attain freeway speed as quickly and safely as possible before entering freeway traffic. Maintain a safe following distance of at least 2 seconds at all times. Sustain speed until completely out of traffic.

A right turn begins and ends in the right lane.

If you can't see the near crosswalk stripe or limit line, you can't be certain you've come to a full legal stop outside the intersection.

The Five Steps in a Legal Right Turn on Red Signal

1. Activate turn signal.
2. Come to a full stop behind the near crosswalk stripe or limit line.
3. Yield right-of-way to cross-traffic pedestrians and drivers.
4. When safe to do so, perform the turn, finishing in the right line.
5. Cancel turn signal.

Speeding, weaving from lane to lane and tailgating is not the same thing as "go with the flow" driving.

The "10-mile-spread" means within 5 miles above or below the posted speed limit, not 10 miles above.

Change lanes only when you can see the entire front end of the vehicle in the adjacent lane in your rear-view mirror, not the side-view mirror. This is especially true of 18-wheel big rigs whose fully loaded braking distances are similar to an unladen locomotive engine.

Every 1% of downgrade adds about 10 miles an hour to your effective braking distance, i.e.: descending a 2% grade at 70 miles an hour yields a braking distance equivalent to stopping at 90 miles an hour on a level road.

Any others, world?

 

[rll70sman]

Joe, thank you for speaking up about modern driving habits! It seems Californians drive similarly to those here in Minnesota. The word "awful" just doesn't do justice. My gripe is speeding. People seem to forget that speed limits have a purpose, not only to keep people safe on the roads, but also to conserve gasoline by maintaining consistent speeds. Pickup and big SUV drivers, more often than not, love to hog the road and tailgate car drivers. I absolutely hate that!

 

[volvoguy87]

Some thoughts.

When you see the lights flashing and the gates coming down, STOP! The train ALWAYS has right of way. Do not try to beat the train, you are on the losing end of that game of chicken.

Also, the yellow traffic signal means "prepare to stop." The red signal means "stop" no matter how recently it changed.

Left turns on red are legal in many areas from a one way street onto another one way street. The same rules for right on red apply.

When 2 cars stop at an intersection at the same time, the one on the right has right of way. (This was not taught in my drivers ed class.)

Don't tailgate at stop signs and traffic lights. The driver in front of you might drive a stick shift and may roll backwards a little before accelerating if on a hill (as a stick shift driver, people stop on my bumper ALL the time!).

If traffic is stopped ahead of you and you enter an intersection on a green light and then stop, realize you are going to block traffic when the light changes! Only enter an intersection if you can clear it. Otherwise, stop at the line, even though the light may be green.

If you're using your windshield wipers, turn your headlights on, even if it's only an intermittent use.

If you drive a big vehicle, adhesive convex mirrors can be a godsend.

Be aware of the blind spots of other drivers, not just the blind spots of your own car. Trucks and vans can have HUGE blind spots, not just semis.

Know how to parallel park properly.

Use your parking brake! (My car was almost hit 2 weeks ago because someone parked their car in neutral without setting the brake. Their car rolled across a nearly flat parking lot and nosed into the car parked off my front fender. Had the trajectory been off by just a little, my car would need a new front end. Instead I was spared by less than a foot.

USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS! When merging, parking, turning, or leaving a parallel parking space. People rarely drive through telepathy, the turn signals are how we know what you intend to do.

If you see someone using their turn signal, let them merge in!

If you're on a limited-access road like an Interstate Highway, consider moving a lane to the left as you approach an on-ramp so traffic merging in has a space to merge into. You can then merge back in a few moments after the other drivers have joined the flow of traffic.

Go around your car regularly and inspect it for damage, wear, and to make sure that ALL lights are functioning as they should be.

Check your tire pressure regularly and keep the tires properly inflated.

If your vehicle has a mechanical problem that renders it unsafe to drive, don't drive it! Have AAA tow it to a shop and get it fixed or fix it yourself.

Have a mechanic on file! Be it at a dealership or an independent shop, just have one you trust. A dealership can service your car, even if it is a very old one. Take your car for maintenance to try out a mechanic. You don't want to try a new one when your car has a major problem.

Follow the maintenance schedule in your owners manual. It's there to keep your vehicle in safe, efficient, and reliable condition, even if your vehicle is old and well-used.

Have your wheels balanced, rotated, and aligned periodically. It's done for safety, to keep your vehicle driving and handling properly, to preserve the tires, and for fuel economy. Most places will have a deal where you pay for a service plan and you can get as many alignments as you want for a period of years. This is usually a good deal.

If you aren't up to the task of maintaining your vehicle or having it maintained, then you shouldn't be driving.

During bad weather and fog, SLOW DOWN and plan ahead for a longer drive.

If you get tired, stop and have a rest.

Don't text and drive.

Avoid talking on the phone while driving.

Always wear your seat belt and make your passengers do the same.

Have insurance coverage.

That's all I can think of right this second,
Dave

 

[whirlcool]

Studies have shown that driver who whiz around other cars, speed excessively, and generally drive in a reckless manner often have no education, no common sense and no job skills.

But then how do you explain the yuppie mommy in the Suburban whizzing around town cutting people off on the way to soccer practice while talking on a cell phone?

 

[dirtybuck]

In My Rearview Mirror Yesterday..

Some BITCH in a red Subaru holding a cigarette in one hand and cell phone in the other! WTF???!!

Also, a few things I will NEVER forget from driver's ed in high school:
Leave Yourself an OUT!
3 seconds at a Stop sign.
Before leaving a Stop sign, check right, then left, and then proceed.

 

[mixfinder]

Enter and Exit at Freeway Speed

My single biggest gripe are drivers that slow down the entire freeway system by trying to enter a freeway at 30 miles an hour or braking to 25 before taking an exit. I want to install giant grips on the onramp that grab your tires and launch you into the right lane at 60 miles an hour. Better yet is a traffic cam that records the look on their faces! All conflict aside I must say I encounter much more sharing and mindfully taking turns on Seattle freeways and streets than some other places I have traveled.

 

[volvoguy87]

Onramps.

One issue I have is that my much-beloved old Volvo can't compete on on-ramps these days. When the speed limits were raised, the on-ramps weren't lengthened. My Volvo is not a powerful car (114 horsepower and nearly 4,000 pounds of Volvo). I often can't accelerate to highway speed by the end of some on-ramps, particularly in congested urban areas where traffic whizzes by while still being bumper-to-bumper. I've lost count of how many times I've been run off the road in the last 11 years.

If you see a big vehicle, or an old one, that you think can't accelerate like a frightened jackrabbit, please move over and let them in.

Many thanks,
Dave

 

[maytagbear]

I stopped driving

for various reasons in 2003.

All of these sugestions have been good.

My gym teacher was the classroom teacher, my American history teacher was the in-car teacher.

Ohio has some terrible drivers. I often say: "The State of Ohio will license anyone with 40.00 and a pulse. Pulse optional."

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[alr2903]

Maybe, with all the budget shortfalls in schools lately, the automobile insurance companies and petroleum companies would like to contribute to drivers training, for well qualified students, (they can read, write and do basic math). Most every student will hopefully one day drive to a job. Maybe they could trim a little pork off ball teams (not P.E.), music, and art. I would also like to see auto racing, outlawed, it's a dangerous, polluting waste of oil, that sets a bad example for everyone. alr2903

 

[58limited]

I think it is a good idea to have the insurance companies contribute to the cost of driver's ed classes. After all, teaching good driving habits can reduce accidents, and thus insurance pay outs.

My pet peeve: driving SLOW. There is no need to drive 10-15 under in good weather; especially when you are in a 30/35/40 zone (yes, I was behind two cars, side by side, doing 18 in a 30 zone last night).

Also, in my area, slow drivers get in the left lane of the north/south highway. "Well gee, the exit to get onto I-10W is a left exit, I gotta get over now even tho the exit is 10 miles ahead"

 

[toggleswitch]

Watch my @$$ not hers!

OOOH I can't stand taxi drivers. They drive with two feet (in an AUTOMATIC!), are afraid of high speeds on highways and generally can't stay in one lane. Yes folks, rumour has it to get a driver's license to drive a taxi in NYC one does not even have to take a road and/or written test. What they DO make them learn (this is hearsay) in school is:
1- How to use soap and water
2- How to shave
3- How to use deodorant
4- How to brush their teeth.
5- How often to change clothing (i.e. daily)
6- Incense burning (to cover "stank") is not permitted in taxis.
7- The heating and A/C shall be "on" upon ANY passenger's request.
8- Cellular/mobile phones of ANY type are not allowed to be used by taxi drivers. Oo course thas never stopped anyone.

I SO WISH I WERE KIDDING!

A few things kill on the roadways:

1- Unfounded fear and hesitation.
2- Minidng everyone else's business and not watching what YOU do on the road.
3- Excessive-testosterone causing driving aggressively/foolishly.
4- Distracted driving. Such as, say: Adjusting bra and panties and pad as one smokes a cigarette, applies make-up yaps incessantly about their feelings or gossips on the cell phone (of course, never hands-free), drives slowly and fearfully and is flippng stations on the radio while feeding their kid.

How about focusing on the road?

While muti-tasking may be an accepted practice, doing it successfully has never really been proven......

I have very nicely and gently asked the driver NOT to mess with the radio while merging onto a particular highway. "This is a bad merge and the oncoming traffic will nearly always be invisible to you, so please leave the radio alone and TURN YOUR HEAD. The radio can be attended to LATER!"

I find that I drive faster with my "powerless" stick and more carefully with my powerful American-made automatic. The stick vehicle holds the road better and is tighter. The American car is too loose and "mushy" for me.

I am learning to slow down (reasonably) i.e. speed limit or near it, as I get older and see that my response times are slowing down!

AN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON THE PLANET. YOU ARE NOT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE! Yes your parents have trained you to believe that you are special, chosen, above everyone else, and the center of the known universe. But, by the time one is granted their drivers' licesne they should have figured out that there are other people on the planet and the courtesy of using a turn-signal is not optional; safety demands it. Because I can guarantee you that no one can anticpate your next stupid move EVERY time! LOL

[this post was last edited: 5/26/2010-15:27]

 

[hunter]

what about this?

Green means "Proceed with CAUTION"

It does not mean "go!"

 

[toggleswitch]

YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY- unless someone gives it to you!

 

[toggleswitch]

The most important thing one puts into a car?

L I F E

 

[autowasherfreak]

Stop when lights flash red! When I have been outside I don't know how many times I see cars passing a stopped school bus with flashing red lights and the stop arm out! If I could remember their license plate number I would turn them in to po-po.

 

[blackstone]

Driving is a Privilege, not a Right.

This idea seems to be forgotten.

 

[petek]

Overall it's not too bad around here on the hiway to Toronto etc. People merge in pretty good and rarely ever a left lane slowpoke.It's the gd semi's that are a PIA. Most have governors on them now and can't go much above 5mph over the speedlimit so why is it one always has to pass the other and take 10 minutes doing it while cars pile up behind.. That's about the worst. It's only 2 lanes each way out of town here so that can be frustrating..
In town I'd say the worst thing are the folks who don't put their left turn signal on until they get to the light leaving you no chance to move over into the right lane and you get stuck behind them. Happens more than 50% of the time I figure. Secondly how many of the folks in this town can't negotiate a left or right turn into the correct lane. Overall though it's not bad.. A helluva lot better than it ever was in Calgary but Vancouver was probably the absolute worst drivers ever.. and I've driven in nearly all ten provinces and 42 states, Vancouver takes the cake. Hopeless they are.. they all drive slow in the left lane.. Funny thing is if they're going into Washinton state as soon as they cross the border they stay in the right lane like they should. Weird.