Do you like to watch people?

You are driving down the road and you notice a person in a gas station, pulling away from the pumps, and stopping just short of the road. You know the person wants to move into traffic, but what else can you learn? First, even though you cannot trust it, does the person have their turn signal on? I will bet most of the time they will not. However, you can still figure out which way the person is going but looking at how they angle the car in the exit and which way they are looking.

You can learn a lot about a driver by watching. Is the driver young or old? Are they on a cell phone (illegal in most states) or arguing with their kids in the back seat? Do they seem attentive or ready to nod off?

How about their car? Is it weaving back in forth? Driving too fast for conditions? Driving slower than conditions - like the driver is trying to find his or her destination and might suddenly make a turn?

Now think of your driving - what signals are you sending to others? Are you telling them what you are going to do or are you sending mixed signals?

See, it is fun to watch people.

Seat Belt use

Having driven race cars for 30+ years, and seeing some major accidents (including some of my own), also having been in 3 accidents during this time on the road, I think the following PSA is one of the best I have seen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-8PBx7isoM&feature=player_embedded

I will add more as I find them - they physics is undeniable - you are safer with belts than without.

Winter driving alert!

With winter comes snow and different driving techniques. One of the problems is not going but stopping. One of the tricks was when stopping on slick roads was to move over near the curb and use the sand which washed to the side of the road to help with traction - well, maybe not anymore. With more towns using a sand-free salt mixture to help keep the roads clear, there is no more sand on the side of the road! In fact, since the salt melts the snow and it runs to the side where it refreezes, the old trick may be worse. So the new thought is, go slow, test for traction and stay where it is best. Slow cars on freezing roads will eventually melt the ice due to pressure and heat from the car itself. Don't assume that clear roads are ice free roads.