What is your reaction to the following situation?
You are driving down a road with ample space between you and the car you are following.
A car pulls out of a side road in between the two of you, causing you to slow down slightly. Not enough to hit the brakes, but enough to make you adjust your speed.
Do you:
1. Speed right up to him, slam on the brakes while honking your horn and giving him the "Your #1" salute?
2. Keep your speed up and pass him, then slow down to show your displeasure?
3. Flash your lights and let him know he cut into your safety space?
4. Adjust your speed and reestablish a safety zone?
If you answered anything other than the last answer, you may want to rethink why you got so mad at someone you most likely have never seen before and never will again.
That person may be guilty of bad judgement, but what was your speed? I will bet you were over the posted speed limit. In most cases this limit was made so that drivers can enter and exit roads at a reasonable speed. One of the hardest things to do is to judge a car that is coming at you. So don't take it personally, the person was not trying to do anything to slow you down, just trying to merge with traffic. And don't pull the "why didn't he wait until I passed?". Do you think he is Superman with x-ray eyes?
Now there are drivers who are dangerous and the best thing to do is to get a license plate and report them to the police. Not a perfect system, but the only one we have.
The best response is to see the driver and start to think about what to do if he does pull out. In this instance you don't want to slow down and give him room (unless there is a long line of cars in back of you) as there is no rule or courtesy that says you have to let him in; however, by thinking about this you will reduce your reaction time if he does pull out.
Next time - instances when you should leave room for someone to merge.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Space - I Need my Space!
Once of the exciting things about NASCAR racing is how close they run on a superspeedway. Inches apart at 200 mph, the tension builds until "the big one" comes and you have a 20 car (or more) crash. So it can't be that bad to run close to someone on the highway, right? After all we are only doing 60 mph, not 200 mph?
Let look at something:
1. These are 40 of the best drivers in the country,
2. Their cars are properly prepared for racing with all extra safety features
3. They have spotters and flaggers warning them of danger
And they still crash!
Why? Because they cannot react fast enough. Now, lets look at you:
1. All the other drivers around you are "idiots",
2. Your car is only maybe "safe" in a crash of about 25 mph - and that is if you are wearing a seat belt and using air bags.
3. No one is there to warn you of what is ahead.
The 2 second rule is still a valid one. When the car in front of you passes a mark, could be a telephone pole or a bridge, you count "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi". If you pass the mark before you are finished, then you are too close.
But what about on a multi-lane road? I will elaborate on this in another post, but here are some guidelines:
1. Never drive beside another car.
2. Never drive in their blind spot
3. Don't put yourself in a position to block another driver when they need to change their space. This is a little more tricky and again, for another post.
Oh, another difference between you and the NASCAR driver
4. He has a spare car in case he crashes, and he does not have to pay to get the car repaired.
Let look at something:
1. These are 40 of the best drivers in the country,
2. Their cars are properly prepared for racing with all extra safety features
3. They have spotters and flaggers warning them of danger
And they still crash!
Why? Because they cannot react fast enough. Now, lets look at you:
1. All the other drivers around you are "idiots",
2. Your car is only maybe "safe" in a crash of about 25 mph - and that is if you are wearing a seat belt and using air bags.
3. No one is there to warn you of what is ahead.
The 2 second rule is still a valid one. When the car in front of you passes a mark, could be a telephone pole or a bridge, you count "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi". If you pass the mark before you are finished, then you are too close.
But what about on a multi-lane road? I will elaborate on this in another post, but here are some guidelines:
1. Never drive beside another car.
2. Never drive in their blind spot
3. Don't put yourself in a position to block another driver when they need to change their space. This is a little more tricky and again, for another post.
Oh, another difference between you and the NASCAR driver
4. He has a spare car in case he crashes, and he does not have to pay to get the car repaired.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Turn Signals - The Auto Text Message
There are jokes about turn signals - how Cadillacs always work because they are never used, or how old drivers drive with them always on. The fact is that turn signals are the only device that you have to speak, car to car. It always amazes me that people don't know how to use them.
The first rule is that they send a warning. "I am about to change lanes", I am going to make a right turn". They should never be "I AM making a left turn". The concept is to tell another driver what you want to do, so they can make adjustments.
Note, I said, what you want to do, rather than what you are doing. Using your turn signals does not give you the right to do anything.
Signaling that you are turning right lets the driver in back of you give your room as you slow down. It tells him not to speed up into your space if you are planning on changing lanes.
How soon should you signal? That depends on the situation. I would rather signal early and give drivers a chance to adjust, rather that waiting for the technically correct moment and forcing them to react. An example. If I am turning right onto a street just past a driveway, I would not necessarily wait until after the driveway to signal. The other driver can figure out by your brake lights and speed, where you will be turning. Similarly, on the highway, signalling a few seconds before you change lanes, gives other drivers time to adjust their speed.
Sometimes, you signal in order for other drivers to give you room that is not already there. You may see a lane closing and want to move over. The other driver would be blocked from seeing that, however; if they see your signal, hopefully they will give your room.
There are other ways to signal, using your brake lights, flashers, and headlights. Your turn signals are the most usefull and as such you should practice using them all the time, even when you think no one is around.
The first rule is that they send a warning. "I am about to change lanes", I am going to make a right turn". They should never be "I AM making a left turn". The concept is to tell another driver what you want to do, so they can make adjustments.
Note, I said, what you want to do, rather than what you are doing. Using your turn signals does not give you the right to do anything.
Signaling that you are turning right lets the driver in back of you give your room as you slow down. It tells him not to speed up into your space if you are planning on changing lanes.
How soon should you signal? That depends on the situation. I would rather signal early and give drivers a chance to adjust, rather that waiting for the technically correct moment and forcing them to react. An example. If I am turning right onto a street just past a driveway, I would not necessarily wait until after the driveway to signal. The other driver can figure out by your brake lights and speed, where you will be turning. Similarly, on the highway, signalling a few seconds before you change lanes, gives other drivers time to adjust their speed.
Sometimes, you signal in order for other drivers to give you room that is not already there. You may see a lane closing and want to move over. The other driver would be blocked from seeing that, however; if they see your signal, hopefully they will give your room.
There are other ways to signal, using your brake lights, flashers, and headlights. Your turn signals are the most usefull and as such you should practice using them all the time, even when you think no one is around.
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