SonicYellow

Summer is finally near, and I can hear the call of the smooth, dry asphalt and windy backroads… I recently swapped my snows for some decent performance tires, hoping very much that we’ve seen the last of accumulating snow. I anticipate a summer of good, safe and spirited driving with really loud Irish music! Hope to see you out there! (highly recommend http://www.sccnh.org by the way!)

Regretfully, I am reminded almost daily of the inadequate atempts made by the NH DMV to prepare drivers for the road. My desire for good, safe and spirited driving experiences are often thwarted by the unfortunate and unwashed masses that have somehow obtained driver’s licenses.

But hey, I’m no Jeff Gordon. I make mistakes. But seriously, come on. All it takes is a little forethought and practice to become a really decent driver. Doing so would alleviate a remarkable amount of frustration on the road, and drastically reduce the stock valuation of certain anti-stress pill selling pharmaceutical companies.

To this end, (and since I don’t have stock in any pharmaceutical companies) I’ve put together the following rules for the road to help my fellow driver become… how do I say? More like me: A half-way decent driver. This is clearly not a complete list, not an in any way an official list, and it is *possible* that it could contain flaws (however unlikely), so please feel free to give feedback or additions. I’m always looking to improve my driving.

General Principles

1. Anything that obstructs the flow of traffic is the enemy. Don’t be the enemy. This causes road rage in other drivers.
2. Blinkers are notifications of intention – *Use Them.*
3. Be *aware* of your surroundings at all times.
4. Let faster vehicles pass (particularly on the highway)
5. Know Thyself (and thy vehicle) – know what you and your vehicle are capable of. For instance, blind spots, realistic and safe cornering speeds. My father once told me that in racing, you don’t know the limits of your abilities or your vehicle until you spin out off course. Though this method of determining these limits is inadvisable on normal roads, having a good idea of what they are will make you a much safer, more effective driver.
6. Unless you’re strong with the force, you’ll need to predict the actions of others on the road, and anticipate what you’ll need to navigate through it safely and efficiently. The sign of a good driver is the ability to predict and anticipate traffic patterns, and conversely, the sign of a poor driver is the inability to do the like

Specific Rules:

1. Blinker Before Brake – The purpose of a blinker is to provide notification of intention, not notification of what you’re *already doing*. Any change in traffic patterns (particularly unexpected ones) need to be relayed to other motorists *before* they occur, because it’s not always possible to divine lane changes from driving behavior.
2. Move Over for Mergers – This is a no-brainer. If there’s an empty lane to your left while someone is merging, *go there.* It helps mergers dramatically, and helps avoid you trading paint…
3. Right-Turn Break-Down Lane use – Get Out of the Way When Turning – Use breakdown lane 50(ish) feet before turning onto a minor road if possible. This allows motorists behind you to continue without needing to slow down dramatically (or stop) to get by you safely.
4. No Two-Lane Convoys – This is a specific instance General Principle #5: On highways with two or more lanes, matching the speed of a car beside you is *only* acceptable if there is no car behind you trying to get by. Don’t make decisions for other people, particularly when their foot is to the floor, and your bumper is on the chopping block.
5. Space It Out at a Stop – When at a red traffic light or stop sign, leave sufficient space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front in case you need to pull out and go around it. This also helps keep your bumper clean in case someone mistakes the ‘R’ for the ‘D,’ or is new to the idea of a ‘hill-start.’
6. Roll Right After Red – In keeping with General Principle # 1, your main goal when a traffic light turns from red to green, is to get on through… As such, take your foot off the brake as soon as the light turns green. The sooner you are rolling, the sooner the person behind you can get rolling and so on. This drastically reduces the chances that drivers will ‘miss the green,’ and gets you out of the intersection quicker. It is true, you may need to re-apply the brake if the driver in front of you is slow on the uptake, but this shouldn’t be a problem if you’ve left adequate space between you and the vehicle in front of you.
7. Right of Way – Do Not surrender the right of way. Rights of way are specifically designed for safety and efficiency, so when you think you’re being nice, you’re very likely causing more harm than good because you are doing something other than what other drivers expect you to do.
8. Shoulder Work – if your wheels accidentally go off the road and into the shoulder, your vehicle may pull forcefully to the right. Resist the temptation to jerk the wheel to the left, as this can easily deliver you to on-coming traffic.

Winter Rules:

1. Increase Stopping Distances – if you didn’t know this… oy.
2. Avoid Engine Braking – using the engine to slow down a vehicle when conditions are slippery is dangerous because four wheels with abs are better than two wheels skidding for slowing a several thousand pound hunk of metal on ice.
3. When sliding, don’t slam on the brakes – but you knew that already.
4. When sliding, let off the accelerator and point the wheels in the direction you want to go.

Safety Tips:

1. Brake Hover when entering unfamiliar or confusing traffic patterns – This dramatically improves reaction time if you need to stop or slow down.
2. Use your rear-view mirror heavilly when making left turns to minor roads in case on-coming traffic hasn’t noticed you. If this happens, floor it to reduce impact.
3. Keep your wheels straight at intersections – if you are rear-ended and your car is pushed into an intersection, having your wheels pointed anywhere but straight could allow your vehicle to roll directly into traffic instead of out of harm’s way.
4. Do Not Stop in an On-Ramp – On-ramps are specifically designed to to allow drivers to match the speed of the highway. Use the break-down lane if you have to, but stopping in the on-ramp is more dangerous.