Driving: For Idiots

(DFW Edition - may or may not apply elsewhere)


You're reading this for one of two reasons:

1. You were directed here from my Facebook page.
2. Someone linked this to you, and it's possible they think you need driving lessons.


Or maybe not, whatever.

I am by no means a perfect driver - even NASCAR drivers aren't perfect, but they're much better than most of us. However, I feel it's necessary to alert people as to what they are doing wrong, or right, and give them the information they need to improve their driving ability.

USE YOUR INDICATOR!!


Learn to take your foot off the gas.

Your brakes are not meant to reduce your speed by small amounts. That's only a PART of the function of brakes, and a rather small part, as well as situationally. Generally speaking, brakes are designed to slow you to a stop, and quickly slow you down so that you may avoid a collision. When you need to simply reduce speed, take your foot off the gas. In EVERY case, your vehicle will begin to deccelerate, even going downhill. A general idea of physics allows further understanding:

•Friction - the weight of your vehicle on the ground causes friction, which forces your car to slow down. I've gone 70mph heading up to an overpass, and right as I began going uphill, I simply took my foot off the gas. By the time I'd reached the top, I was going at a crawl of about 35-40mph. Obviously gravity aided in my slowing, but that should be sufficient evidence that you don't need to apply the brakes when going up an overpass. On an overpass you can safely go 45-60mph, as well.

•Momentum - although a heavier vehicle has more momentum, it also has more friction. A heavier vehicle doesn't necessarily take longer to slow down; remember, the lighter car may have less momentum, but it also has less friction. (there are some cases where there is an obvious difference, like an 18-wheeler)

With this information in mind, you can stop slamming on your brakes and showing everyone behind you that you're stopping. This will prevent them from slamming on their brakes, and creating a chain reaction... something we all know as a "traffic jam". It's also not necessary to ride your brakes in order to slow down, in fact, over-use of your brakes will cause them to wear out faster, costing you money.

USE YOUR INDICATOR!!


Learn to gauge distance between vehicles.

I see this so much, and it bothers the hell out of me. When there's space enough for roughly one car between myself and another vehicle, but a football field of space behind me, DON'T MOVE IN FRONT OF ME! Just slow down and get in behind me.

If you are driving in any lane, and you have a very large distance in front of you, is there ever reason to hit your brakes or slow down? The thing I've seen most frequently is people will normally be going a good 5-10mph slower than the surrounding traffic, there will be a large distance in front of them, and, for some reason, they slow down when something WAAAAY off in front of them happens, like someone moving into their lane, or that person WAAAAY in front of them slows down for some reason. This is ridiculous, and makes me think they're half asleep or on drugs.

USE YOUR INDICATOR!!


Learn how to approach yield signs.

There are many places where yield signs exist. But let's just say this, yield signs are not stop signs. A safe practice is to always slow down when approaching a yield sign, but only stop if you would otherwise cause a collision, or if they have the right of way (such as at a street light). If the right hand lane at a street light has a yield sign, and your light is green, you have the right of way, don't stop. This happens more than it should, and it's really annoying, so stop it!

USE YOUR INDICATOR!!

Learn to drive in the left lane.

The left lane is intended for faster vehicles and passing. Although the speed limit may be 60mph in a particular area, it's actually quite safe for people to speed somewhat over that limit in the left-most lane (not 90mph, btw). The speed limit is mostly geared toward traffic merging on and off the highway, and is considered a safe speed for approach and departure.

If you are driving in the left lane, and more than 3 people pass you in quick succession, you're going too slow, and you should move over at least one lane. If the majority of traffic on your right is moving faster than you, you should either move over a few lanes, or just get off the highway altogether. Additionally, if you are at the front of a line of cars, and they have no room to get around you, get out of the way by moving over to another lane, which may require you to speed up. It's courteous to let faster drivers pass, and you're just being an ass if you're blocking other people. In fact, it impedes the flow of traffic, which, in many cases, is illegal.

USE YOUR INDICATOR!!

Learn how to pass.

Passing isn't hard, but people make it look like it is. If you need to pass someone, make sure you have room between the vehicle that will be in front of you, and the vehicle that will be behind you after completion of passing. ALWAYS speed up to either the speed of the rear-approaching vehicle (or faster, which is preferred) so that you can prevent a collision, i.e. don't cut them off. Pass on the left unless it's imperative that you pass on the right, such as a slow driver in the far left lane.

Also use your indicator every time you pass. And just because you do, it doesn't mean you have the right to move over immediately following use of the indicator. (I'll be discussing indicators further down)

USE YOUR INDICATOR!!


Learn when to use hazard lights.

When you are a hazard on the road, this is when you use the hazard lights... wow, really?! Shocking. A few instances to shed some light on the matter:

•Broken headlight - Too often I see people with a broken or missing headlight, and all they do is turn on their high beams. This is inconsiderate and reckless, it needs to stop. An individual in this position should turn on their hazard lights, slow to no faster than 5 miles under the posted limit, and move to the right-hand lane. Completely getting off the highway is best for all unless the person requires highway travel to get to their destination.

•Slow driver - If you wish to drive very slow for ANY reason (e.g. you like slow speeds, your vehicle is overweight, there are potential projectiles hanging from your vehicle) slow to no faster than 5 miles under the posted limit, get in the right hand lane, and turn on those hazards.

Notice a pattern? Turn on hazards, slow down, & move to the right. This allows normal and faster traffic to continue without your hazardous position compromising their safety.

As a personal addition, when the roads are iced or snowed over, I find a lane in the middle and drive slowly with my hazards. This seems contradictory to previous advice, but by driving in the middle, you have more room to avoid a collision and slow down, in the event you lose control of your car.

USE YOUR INDICATOR!!

Learn how to enter/exit a highway.

Think of an on-ramp like your own personal launching pad, it's designed to allow you to increase your speed to match that of the highway traffic. If you're driving 35mph up the ramp, you're not going to merge well with the highway traffic, and they and the drivers behind you on the ramp will find you to be an asshole. Just speed up and get on the highway, or don't drive on the highway, it's simple.

Exiting is somewhat the opposite. If you pay enough attention, those yellow speed limit signs aren't actual speed limit signs, they are warnings... but for what? For every yellow limit sign, I've noticed the limit is the same as the speed limit of the service road to which it attaches. So when it says the limit is 40mph, that means the road you are approaching has a speed limit of 40mph, simple right? Apparently not. People seem to think this is the limit of the off-ramp, so they tend to slow down immediately following their exit from the right-most lane of the highway. This is obnoxious and wrong, and it needs to stop. All you have to do to slow down properly is... take your foot off the gas, and apply brakes if needed, but only for brief bursts, no need to ride the things.

USE YOUR INDICATOR!!


LEARN TO USE YOUR INDICATORS!!!

For the love of all that is good and right in this world, PLEASE use your indicators, very often, very frequently, and only when necessary. Here's a short list of times when you NEED to use your indicator:

•Changing lanes
•Turning onto another street
•Turning into/out of a parking lot or driveway
•Backing out of a parking space
•When entering/exiting an off-ramp or overpass


A general rule for when you would need to use your indicator could be one of the following:

•If your steering wheel will be turning more than 90° in any direction (a quarter of a turn)
•If your destination is not DIRECTLY in front of you, even if you are making a slight change of course

One of the biggest reasons to use your indicator is because it's the law. I've known people who were pulled over and ticketed for not using a turn signal when changing lanes or turning on to another street. Oh, and let's not forget accountability if you get into a wreck. Say you didn't use your indicator, and a collision occurred because the other person wasn't aware you were moving over, it's your fault, and you get to lose lots of money for being ignorant.


If you pay attention to all these tidbits, then your chances of a collision will drop, not to mention you will likely see an improvement in your attitude while driving, since you'll be more aware and less chaotic, the environment should change for the better.


Hopefully this tutorial has been enlightening.
Drive safe... PLEASE, because otherwise you're annoying!!