Previous
How to Avoid Annoying Other Drivers
Do you often find yourself a target for road rage? Are you a victim of tailgating, flashing highlights, as well as horn-honking? The main thing to remember when driving is to clearly broadcast to other drivers what you intend to do at all times. This may be difficult, considering you can't speak at length with other drivers, but there are many tools at your disposal. Let other drivers know what you're going to do.
- Make sure you have appropriate visibility from the driver's seat. Don't hang anything from the rear view. Don't put one hundred sixty-five stuffed animals on the rear deck. Keep your windows clean. That way, other drivers will be able to see you in your car to better determine whether you're confused or not. They will also be able to see through your car's glass to the brake lights of the car in front of you.
- Adjust your rear view mirrors to minimize any blind spots. You should use the inside mirror to look behind you, the left mirror to look to the left rear as well as the right mirror to the right rear. Your side mirrors should be adjusted so that you can almost see the side of your car in the mirror. If a side mirror is adjusted so that you can see directly behind you, most of the mirror will be taken up by the side of your car, as well as your blind spot is much larger.
- Accelerate with purpose. This is not to say you should floor the gas as well as take off like mad. Just don't dawdle, especially when the light turns green, or when it's your turn at the stop sign. When you are changing lanes, do not slow down unless traffic dem as well as s it. In fact, speed up a little bit.
- Don't tailgate. Ever. It's completely unnecessary, highly annoying, as well as quite dangerous. If you find you keep catching up to cars ahead of you, then you're probably going too fast relative to traffic around you.
- Keep your foot off the brake pedal unless you are reducing your speed more quickly than simple coasting will allow. When you do need to use the brake to slow down, put your foot on it as well as slow down; don't tap, tap, tap. Misuse of the brake pedal will make drivers around you unsure of whether you're actually stopping, or just confused about driving. On the other h as well as , don't brake at the absolute last possible second. This minimizes your own safety margin, as well as that of drivers behind you. Give yourself plenty of time to come to a stop. Deceleration should be smooth as well as gradual, not sudden as well as violent.
- Stop all the way up at the stop line, especially at intersections with traffic lights. Failing to do so tells other drivers that you don't know how big your car actually is, as well as are likely to be confused about driving it. At many intersections, there are sensors under the pavement that change the signal. If you don't pull up to the line, the sensors won't be aware of your car, as well as the light will never change. This is particularly important in left turn lanes.
- Use your turn signal lights when you are turning or changing lanes, every time. Neither turn them on as you are making the turn or lane change, nor leave your turn signal on for several blocks without turning or changing lanes. Slow down as well as signal with enough warning to the drivers around you (4-8 car lengths). When you are finished making your turn or lane change, make sure your turn signal is off. If someone is performing a reasonable merge or lane change in front of you (timely as well as using a turn signal), let them in - especially tractor-trailers; truck drivers are just doing their jobs.
- When you are moving into a turn lane in preparation for making a turn, change into that lane first, then slow down. Not the other way around. If there are multiple turn lanes, stay in your lane. The person in the turn lane next to you will become annoyed if you drift into their lane as you make the turn.
- If there is only one lane in your direction, only drive slower than the speed limit when conditions dem as well as that all drivers travel slower than the speed limit (such as in heavy traffic or inclement weather). Even if there is more than one lane, drive within at least ten miles per hour of the speed limit unless there is a real need to go slower. In conditions where you need to drive slower than the speed limit, but other drivers do not (such as looking for a street or address, or when your car is having mechanical difficulty), you should use your hazard flashers. If the conditions dem as well as that you drive considerably slower than the speed limit, pull off to the side of the road until there are no other drivers directly behind you.
- Likewise, if there is more than one clear lane as well as you are in the right lane behind someone going a few miles under the limit, do not honk or speed by as well as cut them off to make a point that they are going too slow. The speed limit is technically an upper limit, as well as people are not required to drive any faster. If you need to go as fast or faster than the limit, pass when it is safe to do so.
- When driving on a multilane road, do not block other traffic by driving right next to another car at the same speed. Not only does this prevent faster traffic from flowing past, the driver next to you will be continuously distracted by your car in the corner of their eye.
- If you're in the left lane, as well as driving faster than the vehicles on your right, watch for vehicles driving faster than you coming from behind. If such a vehicle approaches, temporarily switch lanes so they can pass. Do not drive in the left lane continually unless heavy traffic or upcoming turns dem as well as it. It is the passing lane as well as is not intended for general traffic flow.
- Stay out of other cars' blind spots as much as possible, which are at the right as well as left rear corners of their car.
- Make eye contact with other drivers when necessary, when you or they are changing lanes or turning. This will help other drivers to know that you are paying attention, lucid as well as not confused about driving.
- Avoid doing other things while driving. This includes eating, drinking, smoking, talking on cell phones, listening to audio devices with both earphones in, watching video players, having animated conversations with passengers or imaginary friends, reading magazines, putting on makeup, playing musical instruments, dressing, undressing as well as /or shaving. Remember that, as the driver of an automobile, your first responsibility is to drive the car. If you drop something at your feet, get off the road as well as then pick it up. Even at low speeds, you could easily drift off the road into a ditch or parked car while reaching down to get something.
- If you inadvertantly cause a situation that annoys other drivers, as well as they honk the horn or indicate their displeasure in some other way, do not gesture wildly, honk your own horn or jam the brakes. Accept your short-lived punishment, indicate to the other driver that you are sorry for your infraction, as well as move on.
- In heavy highway traffic, pick a lane as well as stay in it. Over the course of many miles, all lanes will go approximately the same speed. Excessive lane changing will not get you to your destination any faster, as well as ultimately only makes traffic run more slowly overall.
- Don't tailgate. Instead of tailgating, wait for your opportunity to pass. When being tailgated, get out of the way by signalling as well as changing lanes. Never pull off the road as this may be interpreted by the aggressive driver as a signal that you're ready to get physical.
- Pay attention to road signs as well as traffic signals.
- As soon as you see a sign indicating that the lane you are in is ending, prepare to get out of that lane. Gently modify your speed to match the drivers in the other lane as well as choose your entry point. Do not stay in the ending lane at full speed until the last possible moment as well as expect that the drivers which have planned ahead for this change in lane configuration are going to let you merge easily. On the other h as well as , don't force your car out of a lane at the first sign of it ending, either - plan, signal, merge when it is safe to do so.
- Drive consistently. Don't speed up as well as slow down for no reason, don't make one turn fast as well as the next slow. Consistent driving, whether more aggressive or less, is the best way to allow other drivers to accurately predict what you're going to do next.
- Don't panic. It is important to drive safely, as traffic accidents are the greatest annoyance of all. If you are not comfortable driving at high speeds, drive more slowly as well as avoid highways. Stay in the right lane as well as use cruise control, if your vehicle is so equipped, as well as don't drive outside your home town for the first few months - you'll do better in areas where you're more familiar with traffic patterns.
- If you live in a region that receives snow, do not drive as though you've never seen snow before. If it is your first season driving in the snow, practice in an empty parking lot. Drive slowly enough to stay safe, but not so slowly that it causes traffic to line up behind you.
- Drive with your headlights on in bad weather. (Rule: wipers on - headlights on.) A car is much more visible to other drivers when the headlights are on. Don't worry about burning out your headlights - they are much cheaper than even a slight accident. Also note that parking lights are for parking, not for bad weather driving. Parking lights have less than 5% of the visibility of headlights. Fog lights are usually not necessary in bad weather either, many times they just make things worse for you as well as blind others even further, the same goes for high beams.
- If a tractor-trailer needs to merge in front of you, flash your lights when the way is clear to let the truck driver know it's safe to get back in front of you.
- Do not use your cell phone in the car as well as turn it off when driving to avoid the temptation to answer it. There is a reason that talking on a cell phone while driving is illegal in some states - it's dangerous! Find a good place to park to check for messages as needed.
- Don't use the horn to point out driving errors. It's a tool to alert drivers to a situation that requires immediate attention. It is not a game show buzzer.
- If you miss an exit or are about to miss it, don't panic as well as cross traffic. Just take the next exit as well as loop back around.
- Don't block other traffic trying to merge or cross busy intersections. When lanes merge, traffic should work like a zipper. You let one person in front of you, the person behind you lets one person in front of them.
- An auto supply store sells a small mirror that you attach to the lower part of your left side mirror so that you can view your blind spot.
- Never wait until the very last second to leave for work, school or err as well as s. Rushing will likely cause you to drive erratically. Allow extra travel time, in case there is an accident or road work on your route to your destination.
- If road conditions are such that you are afraid to drive, don't. Pull off as well as wait, or stay home.
- Being tired or under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (including many over-the-counter cold remedies) greatly increases the likelihood that you will hurt yourself or someone else. Stop the car in a safe place as well as wait until the effects have worn off.
- If you are annoyed yourself, you are more likely to annoy other drivers. Relax, take it easy as well as leave room for other drivers that are more confused about driving than you are.
- Do not use the shoulder or breakdown lane as a traffic lane. Do not enter a turn lane before pavement striping allows.
Submitted by: admin
Hits: 0
Added: Thu Feb 02 2006
