This, That, and Then Some

Road Safety, Not Rage

There are literally millions of drivers on the road at any given time in this country. During these times, there are tens of thousands of vehicle collisions - all preventable! Yes, that’s right….ALL of them are preventable. They are called collisions for a reason, not accidents.

Road rage, aggressive driving and lack of courtesy have all added fuel, to an already explosive and dangerous situation. Many commuters spend hours on the road going to and from jobs, or travelling as part of their job. Freeways and streets are more crowded than ever, and big cities are the worst in traffic/street ratios. Tempers flare, as slowing traffic and discourteousness abound.

There are ten simple, common sense tips that can assist your overall driving experience, and make it a safer trip. In return, this helps  you as well as the other drivers. Some of these are pet peeves, so please bear with me if I rant! Disclaimer: I am not a driver’s ed teacher, cop, or expert on vehicle codes or rules. This is my interpetation as a daily driver.

1. Stay in your lane!   All too often, the “grass is greener” applies to driving as well. When traffic appears to be moving faster in the next lane, most of the time, it isn’t moving faster, just catching up. Then, it jams up again. Don’t be tempted to jump into the next lane just because there is an open space. All this does, is provide the perfect opportunity to cause a collision. If everybody stayed in one lane, and changed lanes only when they needed to, traffic would move a lot smoother!

2. Drive the Speed Limit!   When driving the speed limit is safe, of course. Watch the traffic. Are they moving at the speed limit? Statistics have shown, exceeding the speed limit is inherently unsafe - but so is driving below the speed limit when unneccessary. To prevent hindering traffic, causing drivers to swerve around you, keep up with traffic! Slow drivers can get tickets too! If you are unable to keep up with the traffic, or are unsure if you are going in the right direction, pull off the road and get your bearings before moving on!

3. Don’t Run that Light!   Nor should you roll through a stop sign! Both of these are not only dangerous, but extremely discourteous to those patiently waiting for the light to change for them. Running the red light can and will lead to collisions or blocking the intersection, impeding traffic. “Orange” lights or “California Rolls” through a stop sign don’t exist!!

4. You Have a Turn Signal  Use it!!  The turn signal is not only there for courtesy, it is a major safety issue. If you are going to turn, please use your signal to let the drivers, ahead and behind you, know what you are going to do. There is nothing more frustrating then riding behind someone who suddenly stops to make a right turn, with no signal to warn you!

5. Tailgating   I can’t tell you how dangerous, and how stupid this is…tailgating will NOT make you get there faster, nor will it make the driver you are following speed up! Most likely, you will piss that person off, get a ticket, or get into a collision when they have to stop suddenly, and you have no space to avoid hitting them! With all the road rage out there, you might wind up pissing off the wrong psycho by tailgating!

6. Don’t Take it Personal!   Speaking of road rage, chances are, not everyone who cuts you off, or stops suddenly is doing it on purpose to piss you off! If you take every instance personally, you are quickly adding yourselves to the statistics of road rage psychos that take the next step and become violent against innocent drivers. By the same token, don’t “flip off” someone or lean on your horn as “retaliation”. Who knows what kind of person is in that car? You could wind up dealing with someone who takes road rage to the next, violent level!

7. If You Can’t Talk and Drive   Don’t do it! Cell phones are meant to be convenient, but not if you are holding up traffic, making dangerous lane changes or driving unsafely in general.  If you can’t use a cell phone and pay attention to the road, pull over and make your call! If you don’t, and more collisions due to cell phone usage are added to the list, then guess what? They’ll continue to ban cell phones in cars until no one in any state can drive and talk on a cell phone!! How’s THAT for convient?

8. Watch for Motorcycles   I can’t say this enough. Motorcycles are small, fast and easy to miss if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings. Motorcycles are known for splitting lanes in heavy traffic, so watch out! This is one of the reasons jumping into an open space in a lane that isn’t moving anyway is stupid! Motorcyclists can receive more injuries in a traffic collision than you can, sitting in that metal box! This rule applies to those who are seasoned, careful and courteous motorcyclists as it does to the newbie motorcyclists. One rides smart, the other one rides like a smartass (i.e. stupid!). So watching for motorcyclists is a full time job! When you see one splitting lanes in heavy traffic, be courteous and safe…if you can, move over slightly so the motorcyclist can get through safer and easier. He/she will thank you for it!

9. Your Car is NOT a Couch!  Don’t read a magazine or newspaper, don’t do your nails, your hair, your make-up, dig through the cusions, watch DVD’s, etc., etc. ‘Nuff said!

10. Emergency Vehicles   This can be fire trucks, ambulances, paramedics or police vehicles. When you see the flashing lights or hear a siren…pull over!!!!  Not only is it the law, it’s a matter of safety for you, AND for them. Can you imagine what would happen to you, if you needed that paramedic to arrive within ten minutes to save your life, and they couldn’t because some driver refused to get out their way when coming to rescue you? Think about it.

I hope this helps you to see how overall courteous and sensible driving can lead to less collisions and less stress. Don’t let the traffic get to you. It will always be there, there will always be rush hour, and there will always be delays. Just sit back and enjoy the music! Safe driving to all!  Peace!