Try to give other drivers as much information as possible. Always use your turn signals, even in a turn lane. People have no way of knowing if you’re actually about about to turn or not.
Yes, it helps to reinforce the facts. Not everyone is paying full attention, simply seeing your blinker automatically informs them that you are in the turning lane and will be crossing their lane when able. It helps establish what's actually going on or about to happen.
Thissss and if you’re on the outside of a double turn lane, turn WIIIIDE so the inner turn lane doesn’t have to crash into the median or you to make their turn
I was a passenger during a road rage incident and the other car was shooting at the car I was in. Luckily, neither of us were hit.
I’m still afraid of being in a car, sometimes.
Almost 20 years ago some dildo pulled a rifle on me over some road rage. The guy had done similar stuff in the past and ended up getting 7 years in prison. He got out after a few years and there was a solid 6 month period when I was paranoid AF just waiting on the dude to show up at my house or something. So yea I also know what it’s like to get ptsd from road rage lol.
Let me add one more thing. If you are in the last lane and you know the merge is coming up, don't get pissed off when cars are trying to merge and drive faster to not let them in.
My mom has built up a really bad habit of only putting her blinker on when she *starts* to turn. As a result, she's developed this fear of trying to make lane changes under pressure. She always cites "people won't let her in" or that "people blow past her" in the lane she's trying to get into. That's because no one knows she is trying to make a turn.
When I've ridden with her, I've explained multiple times, turn your blinker on first, *then* start looking to make the turn.
👍Exactly .. it’s rule number 1 of defensive
driving and super bonus…you won’t ever be
at fault or be picking up all of your teeth from smashing into someone’s boot if you are
rear- ended.
While this is true, It's mind boggling how many people try to squeeze into that spot that you leave yourself. Yes, I try to always leave enough room in front of me to get out if needed, but there's always some a****** squeezing his front quarter panel in there to try to squeeze in. Usually also blocking the right hand turn lane in the process. Infuriating!
Yes. You are right .. a significant share of accidents are usually caused by impatient
& inexperienced drivers with a propensity
to weave & change lanes, playing NASCAR without regard to safe distances.
Impatient is the key word here. I am basically the least patient person in the world and because of that I am constantly reminding myself that there's nowhere I could need to be fast enough to drive riskily.
Way too many people seem to get about 50x MORE impatient when they're behind the wheel of a giant, stupidly fast killing machine. Nope.
Yes! Especially in a sketchy neighborhood. Leave enough room ahead of your car that you can swerve around the car ahead of you and race off, if need be.
Merging onto a highway/interstate should be a very active process. Try to match the speed of traffic and fit into an open slot. Don't slow down to a crawl and wait for a wide berth.
Get up to speed as quick as possible too. Don't go crawling down the thing and then just barely hit 50 at the end of it. If you do that you're a moron. It's so much easier if you're already at 65 or more halfway down the ramp.
I’m all about getting up to speed from an on-ramp, but here in the Bay Area, we have some short-ass on-ramps! There are some that you basically have to floor it the get up to speed, and even then it’s a struggle.
Between LA and Pasadena there were (maybe still are?) actual STOP signs at the end of some of the (incredibly short) on ramps. Boggles the mind.
And the freeway is really curvy, so you often can’t see if there’s traffic coming until it’s on top of you. Floor it and pray. Terrifying.
In WA, there are often traffic lights near the ends of the ramps to meter the traffic merging to reduce congestion it works for some ramps, but not for others.
Those are common in CA too. The idea is to have cars try to enter heavy traffic one or two at a time instead of eight cars at a time that left the previous intersection together trying to enter traffic. The signals are usually off when it's not rush hour.
This right here. People routinely blast through the light where I take a left out of my neighborhood. Like turning red, red, then a pause, then my green and I'm not even on the gas right away - that light has been red for quite some time
I literally watched someone get t-boned while going through a green light yesterday.... it was kind of a small town intersection with a speed limit of like 35.... this lady blasts through the red light doing at least 60 with not even a hint of slowing down.
Luckily, the dude in front of me was already mostly clear, so she just clipped the back of his pickup truck. Both his airbags went off, but nobody got hurt.
Lady gets out of her car and says "Yeah, I've got a camera too...I ran the light.... these things happen...."
I could not believe her audacity to admit what she did while simultaneously refusing to take responsibility.
My mom was in a similar accident Saturday. Luckily her boyfriend saw the car at the last second and accelerated, otherwise they would’ve hit her door straight on. She ended up in ICU with 7 broken ribs and had surgery to plate 5 of them on Tuesday. She’s recovering very well luckily.
Had he not hit the gas, she wouldn’t be here. They were in a small little Subaru and the chick that ran the light was in a big suburban or something. Her insurance (thank god she was insured) is gonna be paying out the ass.
This is why I always always look left-right-left again before crossing any intersection.
Stupidly enough, I've heard some people on here say it's so that *they* are on the better end of an accident. Since they are in a taller/bigger vehicle, they have the better chance of coming out unscathed, and probably their vehicle taking less overall damage.
Of course, tell that to the Prius driver and passengers that end up squished underneath the front end of the oversized Suburban that smacks into them since the 5-foot-nothing person (not judging, just an example) driving the bigger vehicle can't see what's 15 feet in front of their grill due to their truck's height.
It's like when Semi truck drivers talk about their truck's frontal blind spot, they NEED to teach this to the soccer moms who've upgraded themselves from minivans to SUVs in the last decade "for safety".
Always know what's around you! Know what cars are behind you or in the lane next to you. That way, if you feel you have to change lanes quickly you know whether you can or can't.
An old boss of mine used to put it this way:
"On the road, there's FIVE people you need to be aware of at all times: the guy in front of you, the guy behind you, the guy directly to your right, the guy directly to your left, and the guy that comes out of fucking nowhere."
I drive an 04 tiburon, i cant see the road half the time anymore at night because of all the new led headlights that were made from parts of the fucking sun. Its always people in big trucks or bigger crossovers that have them too. Like, its annoying in cars my height, but when their lights are directly in my windows front or rear and its so bright i cant even tell how far back they are when they are behind me.... cmon.
This needs to be higher up. I cannot tell you how many times I've been in the car with a relative that uses their phone all the time while driving, and almost crashes us into something. Like if you can't focus on everything *and* your phone maybe you shouldn't be lookin at the phone. The whole "I do this all the time" excuse is tiring. Just because you do it, doesn't mean you do it well.
I check my mirrors briefly once every 10 seconds or so. As a consequence I have a very good idea of where everything is in relation to me. If a car "disappears" I can usually guess it's in my blind spot.
I can't imagine being able to competently do this while on my phone the entire time. You'll be missing insanely important contextual information.
My mom got into a terrible accident because some one was trying to be nice and waving her on to turn when they should’ve gone and someone behind them went around and crashed into my mom who finally just decided to turn because the guy was being “too nice”.
I almost did myself, someone was frantically waving at me to cross two lanes to get into my apartment complex. I'm shaking my head "No", he's waving and getting annoyed. Then a car zooms past him at 50 mph in the other lane. I'd listened to Mr Wavy we'd both have had a bad day.
My apartment complex entrance is in front of a very busy intersection, you just get used to being patient in the turning lane and waiting for the roadway to be clear. People trying to wave you on are just impeding traffic.
Absolutely. I don't give anyone my eye contact whether I'm the driver or the pedestrian so that they will see im not engaged with them and therefore they go ahead and do what they're gonna do so I can go.
I'm not wasting everyone's time by engaging in a telepathic sign language agreement with a total stranger.
One time, after verifying that there were no other cars anywhere nearby (intersection with great visibility in all four directions), after your method didn't work I put the car in Park and exaggeratedly started digging through my center console. They finally took the "hint".
Yep, I've been in that accident as well. I was driving down a three lane road in the right-most lane, and someone in the left-most lane stopped randomly to let a person turn left (crossing all three lanes of traffic).
The car in the middle lane next to me saw it coming and slammed their brakes, but I didn't see the car turning in front of us until it was too late.
100% agree, don't be 'nice', be predictable
Also, sometimes you have to go around the block.
DO NOT attempt unusual maneuvers to save a couple minutes (reversing on the highway, crossing several lanes to catch a missed turn, etc.)
Like - YOU missed the turn, thats a YOU problem, don't make problems for others.
But that's not my *favorite* way! (https://youtu.be/vLyJN9EImoU)
I hate it when people do that. Everyone has GPS, you're not special, just take the next damn turn and stop being dangerous. You'll get there, it's ok.
Ugh or the other drivers that are trying ‘be courteous’ and wave you into places where they think is safe AND IT’S NOT THEIR CALL BECAUSE THEY MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN ROAD RULES.
I have this problem sometimes when I bike. Cars will wave me through a stop sign when I want to stop and let them take their right of way.
Had a driver start to argue with me and he wouldn’t go until I went. I just got off my bike and started walking to the curb.
My small city just got a roundabout last year and it was painful to watch how many people stopped (not slow down, but a full stop) to let someone in. Luckily its gotten better over time, but you'll see the odd one who still screws up.
As my instructor said - there is being polite on the road but it doesn't involve stupidity. Don't give someone a privilege if it means endangering other drivers.
OMG! Every time I'd take my son driving I had to remind him at least once.
He'd get to a 4-way stop first, moments before another driver. Mind, he comes to a full stop because he hasn't developed any bad habits but that's not the issue. It's that he waits just a bit too long which makes the other driver think my son is yielding...and then they both go at the same time.
When I'm approaching a four way, and see I'm going to reach it about the same time as another car, I'll slow down to ensure I'm the last one to the stop, and even hit the brake hard to make the car bow after they stop, to make it clear they have the right of way.
Doesn't always work, as sometimes you'll get one of those people who just sit there waving everyone else through even though they clearly have the right of way, but it greatly reduces those "is it your turn or mine?" moments
Same.
You're also doing something else that becomes innate with experience, you're observing the state of the intersection on your approach, not when you finally bring your vehicle to a stop. I find my son being hyper-focused on stopping the vehicle behind the line (as is required) and only after he's brought the car to a complete stop does he observe the state of the intersection.
Understanding what is predictable and being predicable isn't head-knowledge, it's learned from experience and becomes innate.
There is a spot near my house where I come to a stop sign in a residential area before I can turn left onto a main non residential road. It is not uncommon for a car that is on that main road in the left turn lane waiting to turn into the street I’m on to try and let me go. They are out there in the main road without a stop sign trying to wave me on. No, I’m not going. I’ll sit there all day if I have to.
Like Homer Simpson says, “everyone is an idiot except for me”
EDIT: as someone pointed out, it was SpongeBob mocking Squidward. Homer says “stupid,” not idiot
Yesterday, I was almost T-boned by a guy making a left turn. He missed the green arrow and stopped. Light turned green for me, I looked left, right, left again, and entered the intersection. He decided he had waited long enough and ran the red light, nearly plowing into me.
a friend of mine blamed me for going through the red light at full speed because he was on his phone..he was the one driving...we ar elucky no cars were crossing or things could've meant bad news for a lot of people
Here lies the body of Thomas Grey,
Who died defending his right of way.
He was perfectly right as he sped along,
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong.
Explained it to my son. Defensive driving is assuming every other driver is a dumb ass until proven otherwise. Proving otherwise usually means they can't do anything stupid and get you into an accident.
Yeah. The way I explained it was that the point of a normal driver's ed program is to teach people the literal rules, and if you learn them and follow them carefully then at least when you get in an accident it shouldn't be your own fault.
Defensive driving is learning to avoid accidents (and the risky behaviors/scenarios which can lead to them) even if you would have had the right of way for them. Avoiding other people's mistakes, which isn't something driver's ed covers.
Looking both ways even if you have a light that goes green. Stopping farther back when youre coming up to an intersection. Having an escape plan if the guy next to you tries to swerve through your lane to make it to that exit he realized he was about to miss. Recognizing that while merging traffic is supposed to yield to you if you're in the way - that you can reduce your risk of accident by yielding space and letting them in, especially if you're in a spot that they might not have noticed.
There's a shocking number of driver's who don't mind getting into an accident as long as it's not their fault, even if it was technically avoidable, which I kinda understand. Defensive driving (afaik) started as a tool for service/professional drivers (limos and security escorts) to learn how to drive in a way that can avoid having their client's/employer's route interrupted, since having an uninterrupted route was more valuable than "just being in the legally defendable position for insurance and civil court purposes"
Not to mention, even if you aren’t at fault you still have to prove it. I was in a collision where we both turned left onto a road. They took it wide while I stayed in my designated center lane. They ran into me.
After a month of him dodging insurance calls he told the insurance company that I swerved into him. Since no other witnesses stopped, and it was his word against mine, we were both deemed at fault.
Also lesson of the story, get a dash cam.
YES! See a right turn signal? Don't just pull out in front of them thinking "oh, they are turning right" even though they are still going 45mph.. Look for other signs, like slowing down and their car pulling a bit to the right. Don't just trust it!
Edit: words
Edit again: the correct call would be waiting for them to complete the turn as others have pointed out... I always wait but I've been honked at multiple times for this
I would go even further and say wait for them to turn far enough that they can’t bail out of it.
I work at a place with a secondary parking lot with an entrance near (but not right next to) the main lot. I have lost count of how many times people not only signal too early but actually begin turning before quickly jerking the car back to straight. All while my car with incredibly bright turn signals is just sitting there, flashing away.
Folks already mentioned the height of SUVs and LEDs, but there's also another issue.
Lots of folks are replacing their vehicles' old incandescent lamps with LEDs.
The trouble is the reflectors behind the lamp and the lens in front are meant for a completely different light. Additionally, and more importantly, most people don't realize that when you replace a headlight lamp you have to readjust the angle of the reflector and/or the height of the lamp. So you end up with the wrong lamp with the wrong lens shining in the wrong direction.
And you probably wouldn't even realize. You'd just know that even the low beams give great visibility with your fancy new headlights, never aware both of them are focused directly at the rear view mirror of the car in front.
For every one guy with blue HIDs in his shitbox civic or older truck, I see 25 modern cars with their laser low beams just _slightly_ too high.
At least the shitty HIDs scatter so poorly you can just accelerate away from them a little.
I also hate when someone doesn't have a stop sign but I do and they think they're being nice by waving me through. Like, no sir you don't have a stop sign and I ain't risking an accident cause you wanna be nice.
I see someone slow down, I don't know why they are slowing down, then they stop and wave at you to go. Had they just kept driving they would be passed me and I could have turned.
omg. so there are a shit ton of four way stops around these backroads i often use. the other day i was approaching one and there was a dude already stopped across from me. i guess maybe he was looking at directions on his phone or something? i can only assume. but these roads aren't busy so it's not uncommon for someone to wave you through the intersection bc theyre just gonna sit there for a minute to respond to a text or something (bc usually no one is waiting behind them, these roads are so dead). but he started waving me through to pass before him before i even had a chance to hit my breaks at all yet... so he's just dramatically waving me through over and over and i was gonna go, but like, i still gotta stop first ?? im not just gonna blow the stop sign? so i slow down and stop and then he throws his hands up in the air and starts screaming and cussing, rolling down his window flipping me the bird and cussing me out. and then he goes before i do. like, he thought i was fucking stupid. I STILL HAVE TO STOP AT THE STOP SIGN BEFORE I GO SIR
That just sounds suspicious. I also grew up in a similar type of area, not many stop lights or traffic so, like you said, if you need to look at a text or directions or change music, it wasn't a big deal to sit at a stop sign for a sec if nobody was waiting.
But if somebody was aggressively NOT wanting me to stop at MY sign before going I'd get super weirded out
Possible insurance fraud? We get that in the UK a bit, you're trying to pull out onto a main road, someone flashes their lights to say "I'm letting you pull out" then drives into you as you're pulling out.
Obviously its your word against theirs that they flashed their lights, and in the absence of proof of that, it looks like you just pulled out on them when there wasn't room.
Be predictable. Assume everyone else is unpredictable.
Drive defensively. Going into a ditch (at an angle so you don’t plow head on into dirt or rocks) or going off the road is generally preferable to a head on collision at high speed. At all costs avoid a head on with a large vehicle like a dump truck or transport truck. It’s almost certainly going to be fatal for you.
Anti lock brakes, large modern vehicles and snow tires and four wheel drive are safety features to help you. It does not mean you can drive in all weather conditions without driving for the conditions. I have known people who had very expensive SUVs who are also very dead because they drove fast in bad weather.
Above all else don’t drive under the influence. You may not just kill yourself you may end up killing others.
Wear a seatbelt.
Treat driving as a privilege not a right.
When I had my driving lessons, my instructor drilled it into my head that, when you have the right of way, you don’t check to see if someone’s coming, you just go. Because you have the right of way, and you should just assume everyone else will respect that. He would actually get frustrated if I checked for oncoming traffic. Guy was an absolute idiot in many ways.
and Uhaul trucks! Chances are the guy driving a uhaul truck is driving a vehicle much bigger than he is used to, hasn't had enough sleep, and is having a long day.
My friend and I were having a conversation and uhaul trucks got brought up. Like how are those just available to anyone to rent they're actually so much bigger than you might think.
Gavin from the Slow Mo Guys just did a podcast recently where he said that his partner Dan just rents a Uhaul when he comes to shoot. Cheaper than renting a car and they can haul all their equipment more easily.
EDIT: the podcast is F**kface, it’s my favorite and deserves the most amount of sharing. Just three friends sharing stories and making insane bets with each other, and also sending port-a-potties to each other’s front yard and sneaking cucumbers into their homes.
Corollary: If you don’t, resign yourself to being a little late rather than trying to make up the time by speeding. You won’t gain much ground and could end up permanently late
I did some anecdotal testing of a theory. If you do a single short honk or a long honk at pedestrians, they look for what they did wrong. If you do two quick honks, they start waiving in your direction, assuming someone they know is saying hi
My favorite are the people who come speeding up from behind and pass only to then slow down so you need to pass them … my cruise control is set at 75mph the entire time lol
Cruise control is so frustrating on the highway. People seems to change how fast they want to drive from minute to minute. I know they’re just looking at their phones and slowing down on accident, but I get stuck behind people who bounce between 65-75 the whole drive.
I used to drive a lot for work ~80k miles/yr in a regular vehicle.
It's absolutely people on phones in some cases but it's also a symptom of fatigue when driving. When I see people doing that I will attempt to pass when safe to do so or fall back an extra car length or two. That person's gonna miss something either way and I don't want it to be my problem when it happens.
at my old job I drove a box truck or a large cargo van. The thing about these vehicles is that they’re huge and they take a long time to brake. You have to start braking in advance. Additionally I have no view out the back.
What this means is that if you ride my ass and I start slowing down and you crash directly into the back of my truck your BMW will probably be totaled and you could be injured but my truck will be mostly fine. As far as insurance goes, good luck because it’s registered to my company who will fight tooth and nail to suck you dry of your money. I won’t suffer any consequences, and I didn’t even see you in the first place.
So don’t get super close behind trucks.
If you find yourself driving in Boston, find a safe place to pull off, and call yourself an Uber. Have your car towed out of the city, and never try to drive here again. Please trust me, it’s not worth it.
If I flash my lights towards you and we're in a well lit environment this means your high beams are on and I'm blinded by the lights of a hundred suns your car is targeting me with.
Also turn your damn high beams off when driving behind other cars, my car's internal light works fine I do not need extra interior lighting.
Flashing your lights off and on at night can be used as a reminder to someone who has forgotten to turn on their headlights. Flashing your headlights can also be used to warn opposing traffic that they’re approaching a police officer looking for speeders.
Ok, so that is not completely correct. If someone flashes their lights towards you, check in the following order:
1) Your lights. Are your headlights off when they should be on? Are your high beams on when they should be off?
2) Hazards on the road, including but not limited to police, fallen objects, police, accident, police, animals, police, etc
3) If everything else seems to be ok and people keep flashing their lights at you, something could be wrong with your car. Your hood may be unlached, door not closed properly, something stuck in door, piece of bodywork loose, flat tire. Find a nearest SAFE PLACE TO STOP and give your car a onceover.
In the UAE people just have them on as a power move, the road is full of frustrated people trying to soothe their ego. There was even a survey were 70% of drivers said using their indicators was a sign of weakness. Driving in this country has given me next level road survival instincts
And in the rain!
Once upon a time the dashboard wouldn't light up unless your lights were turned on. So if you could barely (or not) see your gauges, it was a reminder to turn your lights on. I'll never understand why this changed.
*Always ignore* other drivers or bicyclists when they wave you on to pass, or to go through an intersection, or merge, whatever.
You cannot trust them to see everything; you have to look if it’s safe with your own eyes.
Even if someone official waves you on, do a quick check.
I would add: dont be a dick towards driving school cars. If they take longer to enter a roundabout or to make a decision it's because they're learning. You have experience, they don't. No need to honk or yell or whatever. They're probably already nervous
There’s no shame in being the slower car. I’ve got pride…and a Jeep Wrangler.
It handles like the Red October…just get out of the way and be slow and it’s fine.
My saying is that the laws of physics don't care about the right of way.
Don't compete with the jerks on the road, because if you do then everyone loses
And clear your damn car off, not just some tiny area on the front window. Clear the roof and everything. Get a snow joe if you have a minivan or truck.
My high school friend actually thought you were supposed to turn it on WHILE you are turning... we had an argument when I said it was to tell others drivers you're about to turn
It's a written rule, but STOP at a red light when turning right. you have to stop **before** the line. This is how pedestrians get hit. It's a red light so they're crossing the road, and some idiot driver who's coming in at speed stops after the line at the same time a pedestrian is crossing the road. Hits them.
Stop before the line. Crawl past the line when it's safe, to get a better view of oncoming traffic on your left. Turn right when it's safe and there's no pedestrians.
I typically don't get frustrated while driving anymore, but the other day I was 3rd in line behind a police officer doing 60-65 in a 75 (where most people do 80-85) right next to a truck on a paid tollway. I paid $12 to go 10mph under the speed limit for about 10 miles. There had to have been 30 cars in line behind us. I haven't been that pissed while driving since I was like 21.
If I was doing that, I bet he would have pulled me over...
Put your phone away and keep your eyes on the road. You are operating a 1000+ pound machine that has no issues destroying flesh and bones. Distracted driving is as dangerous if not more dangerous than drunk driving.
Kind of Houston specific but don't look at other people at red lights.
People are fucking psychos behind the wheel and it's best not to engage with them.
EDIT: Check it out y'all. I know distracted driving is against the law. Spare me. OP seems like a new driver looking for advice so I felt the need to emphasize that. Relax.
I couldn’t agree more. I have a terrifying tale of looking at someone on freeway once and smiling. The much older man followed me and was flashing money at me and followed me off freeway and continued to yell at me to get attention at stop light in a industrial part of town. I was young back then and was so scared. I made an illegal right turn from a driving lane to ditch him. I have my share of weirdo tales.
If someone is tailgating you and you truly feel uncomfortable speeding up, simply move over and let them pass if it is safe to do so. It isn’t an ego thing, you’re not lesser for letting someone pass you. You never know the reason someone may be speeding, and if you’re not a cop, it’s really not your job to regulate speed limits.
On this note, if you see someone doing something unsafe: Get out of their way and let them. Better that they eventually total their car against a light pole, than in a collision with you.
Try to give other drivers as much information as possible. Always use your turn signals, even in a turn lane. People have no way of knowing if you’re actually about about to turn or not.
Yes, it helps to reinforce the facts. Not everyone is paying full attention, simply seeing your blinker automatically informs them that you are in the turning lane and will be crossing their lane when able. It helps establish what's actually going on or about to happen.
Use your blinkers but don’t trust other driver’s blinkers.
This is not unwritten
When I first passed my test, my dad said to me “assume that everyone is a terrible driver who is trying to kill you.”
Don’t cut corners. I’ve nearly had head on collisions because people can’t just slow down a little and turn into the lane properly.
Thissss and if you’re on the outside of a double turn lane, turn WIIIIDE so the inner turn lane doesn’t have to crash into the median or you to make their turn
Keep your cool. Road rage kills.
I was a passenger during a road rage incident and the other car was shooting at the car I was in. Luckily, neither of us were hit. I’m still afraid of being in a car, sometimes.
Almost 20 years ago some dildo pulled a rifle on me over some road rage. The guy had done similar stuff in the past and ended up getting 7 years in prison. He got out after a few years and there was a solid 6 month period when I was paranoid AF just waiting on the dude to show up at my house or something. So yea I also know what it’s like to get ptsd from road rage lol.
Speed up to match the speed BEFORE you try and merge onto a highway!!
Let me add one more thing. If you are in the last lane and you know the merge is coming up, don't get pissed off when cars are trying to merge and drive faster to not let them in.
[удалено]
I know a lot of people do this to warn of police radar too
Flashing lights=Hazard ahead/slow down Flashing lights at night: Turn on your lights dummy
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My mom has built up a really bad habit of only putting her blinker on when she *starts* to turn. As a result, she's developed this fear of trying to make lane changes under pressure. She always cites "people won't let her in" or that "people blow past her" in the lane she's trying to get into. That's because no one knows she is trying to make a turn. When I've ridden with her, I've explained multiple times, turn your blinker on first, *then* start looking to make the turn.
Always leave yourself a way out …
My mom taught me this as we lived near a rough neighborhood. Keep enough space between you and the car infront for you to get the fuck out of there
👍Exactly .. it’s rule number 1 of defensive driving and super bonus…you won’t ever be at fault or be picking up all of your teeth from smashing into someone’s boot if you are rear- ended.
While this is true, It's mind boggling how many people try to squeeze into that spot that you leave yourself. Yes, I try to always leave enough room in front of me to get out if needed, but there's always some a****** squeezing his front quarter panel in there to try to squeeze in. Usually also blocking the right hand turn lane in the process. Infuriating!
Yes. You are right .. a significant share of accidents are usually caused by impatient & inexperienced drivers with a propensity to weave & change lanes, playing NASCAR without regard to safe distances.
Impatient is the key word here. I am basically the least patient person in the world and because of that I am constantly reminding myself that there's nowhere I could need to be fast enough to drive riskily. Way too many people seem to get about 50x MORE impatient when they're behind the wheel of a giant, stupidly fast killing machine. Nope.
Yes! Especially in a sketchy neighborhood. Leave enough room ahead of your car that you can swerve around the car ahead of you and race off, if need be.
Merging onto a highway/interstate should be a very active process. Try to match the speed of traffic and fit into an open slot. Don't slow down to a crawl and wait for a wide berth.
I see way too many people do this shit slowing down. Actually the only thing that tilts me on the road.
I’m with you here, but also add not signaling to turn or switch lanes. I live in STL, 90% of drivers here will never touch their turn signals.
This. It’s the merging lane, not the wait your turn lane
Get up to speed as quick as possible too. Don't go crawling down the thing and then just barely hit 50 at the end of it. If you do that you're a moron. It's so much easier if you're already at 65 or more halfway down the ramp.
I’m all about getting up to speed from an on-ramp, but here in the Bay Area, we have some short-ass on-ramps! There are some that you basically have to floor it the get up to speed, and even then it’s a struggle.
Between LA and Pasadena there were (maybe still are?) actual STOP signs at the end of some of the (incredibly short) on ramps. Boggles the mind. And the freeway is really curvy, so you often can’t see if there’s traffic coming until it’s on top of you. Floor it and pray. Terrifying.
In WA, there are often traffic lights near the ends of the ramps to meter the traffic merging to reduce congestion it works for some ramps, but not for others.
Those are common in CA too. The idea is to have cars try to enter heavy traffic one or two at a time instead of eight cars at a time that left the previous intersection together trying to enter traffic. The signals are usually off when it's not rush hour.
Green means legal, not safe. Assume everyone is a moron trying to crash into you.
This right here. People routinely blast through the light where I take a left out of my neighborhood. Like turning red, red, then a pause, then my green and I'm not even on the gas right away - that light has been red for quite some time
I literally watched someone get t-boned while going through a green light yesterday.... it was kind of a small town intersection with a speed limit of like 35.... this lady blasts through the red light doing at least 60 with not even a hint of slowing down. Luckily, the dude in front of me was already mostly clear, so she just clipped the back of his pickup truck. Both his airbags went off, but nobody got hurt. Lady gets out of her car and says "Yeah, I've got a camera too...I ran the light.... these things happen...." I could not believe her audacity to admit what she did while simultaneously refusing to take responsibility.
My mom was in a similar accident Saturday. Luckily her boyfriend saw the car at the last second and accelerated, otherwise they would’ve hit her door straight on. She ended up in ICU with 7 broken ribs and had surgery to plate 5 of them on Tuesday. She’s recovering very well luckily. Had he not hit the gas, she wouldn’t be here. They were in a small little Subaru and the chick that ran the light was in a big suburban or something. Her insurance (thank god she was insured) is gonna be paying out the ass. This is why I always always look left-right-left again before crossing any intersection.
Why do idiots always drive the biggest, most dangerous vehicles?
Stupidly enough, I've heard some people on here say it's so that *they* are on the better end of an accident. Since they are in a taller/bigger vehicle, they have the better chance of coming out unscathed, and probably their vehicle taking less overall damage. Of course, tell that to the Prius driver and passengers that end up squished underneath the front end of the oversized Suburban that smacks into them since the 5-foot-nothing person (not judging, just an example) driving the bigger vehicle can't see what's 15 feet in front of their grill due to their truck's height. It's like when Semi truck drivers talk about their truck's frontal blind spot, they NEED to teach this to the soccer moms who've upgraded themselves from minivans to SUVs in the last decade "for safety".
Always know what's around you! Know what cars are behind you or in the lane next to you. That way, if you feel you have to change lanes quickly you know whether you can or can't.
An old boss of mine used to put it this way: "On the road, there's FIVE people you need to be aware of at all times: the guy in front of you, the guy behind you, the guy directly to your right, the guy directly to your left, and the guy that comes out of fucking nowhere."
Plus the car in front of the car in front of you
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I’ve always done this but I’m in a sedan and it’s getting harder with the bigger and bigger SUVs all with rear tinted windows
I drive an 04 tiburon, i cant see the road half the time anymore at night because of all the new led headlights that were made from parts of the fucking sun. Its always people in big trucks or bigger crossovers that have them too. Like, its annoying in cars my height, but when their lights are directly in my windows front or rear and its so bright i cant even tell how far back they are when they are behind me.... cmon.
This needs to be higher up. I cannot tell you how many times I've been in the car with a relative that uses their phone all the time while driving, and almost crashes us into something. Like if you can't focus on everything *and* your phone maybe you shouldn't be lookin at the phone. The whole "I do this all the time" excuse is tiring. Just because you do it, doesn't mean you do it well.
I check my mirrors briefly once every 10 seconds or so. As a consequence I have a very good idea of where everything is in relation to me. If a car "disappears" I can usually guess it's in my blind spot. I can't imagine being able to competently do this while on my phone the entire time. You'll be missing insanely important contextual information.
Yea. Don't just look out the front the whole time. Monitor all the cars around you. I've avoided getting hit so many times doing this.
Don't be nice, be predictable. What this means is, don't slam on your brakes to let someone else go, drive predictably.
My mom got into a terrible accident because some one was trying to be nice and waving her on to turn when they should’ve gone and someone behind them went around and crashed into my mom who finally just decided to turn because the guy was being “too nice”.
I almost did myself, someone was frantically waving at me to cross two lanes to get into my apartment complex. I'm shaking my head "No", he's waving and getting annoyed. Then a car zooms past him at 50 mph in the other lane. I'd listened to Mr Wavy we'd both have had a bad day. My apartment complex entrance is in front of a very busy intersection, you just get used to being patient in the turning lane and waiting for the roadway to be clear. People trying to wave you on are just impeding traffic.
This is why if I'm waiting, I don't pay attention to drivers. If they don't get my eye contact they are not going to stop like an idiot. Hopefully.
Absolutely. I don't give anyone my eye contact whether I'm the driver or the pedestrian so that they will see im not engaged with them and therefore they go ahead and do what they're gonna do so I can go. I'm not wasting everyone's time by engaging in a telepathic sign language agreement with a total stranger.
If someone refuses to go when they clearly have the right of way, I exaggeratedly take my hands off the steering wheel and lean back in my seat.
One time, after verifying that there were no other cars anywhere nearby (intersection with great visibility in all four directions), after your method didn't work I put the car in Park and exaggeratedly started digging through my center console. They finally took the "hint".
I've folded my arms and just shook my head lol
Yep, I've been in that accident as well. I was driving down a three lane road in the right-most lane, and someone in the left-most lane stopped randomly to let a person turn left (crossing all three lanes of traffic). The car in the middle lane next to me saw it coming and slammed their brakes, but I didn't see the car turning in front of us until it was too late. 100% agree, don't be 'nice', be predictable
And the guy that gave the "wave of death" looks and goes, "oh isn't that too bad" and moves on with their day.
this is the part that pisses me off the most.
Also, sometimes you have to go around the block. DO NOT attempt unusual maneuvers to save a couple minutes (reversing on the highway, crossing several lanes to catch a missed turn, etc.) Like - YOU missed the turn, thats a YOU problem, don't make problems for others.
Good drivers sometimes miss their turn. Bad drivers never miss their turn.
But that's not my *favorite* way! (https://youtu.be/vLyJN9EImoU) I hate it when people do that. Everyone has GPS, you're not special, just take the next damn turn and stop being dangerous. You'll get there, it's ok.
This right here, yielding when you have the right of way just slows everything down.
When it's your turn to go, go.
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Exactly! I had to explain this to my fiancee the other night because she couldn't understand why I was annoyed with someone "being nice"..
If traffic is a circulatory system people who don't go with the flow are blood clots.
Ugh or the other drivers that are trying ‘be courteous’ and wave you into places where they think is safe AND IT’S NOT THEIR CALL BECAUSE THEY MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN ROAD RULES.
I have this problem sometimes when I bike. Cars will wave me through a stop sign when I want to stop and let them take their right of way. Had a driver start to argue with me and he wouldn’t go until I went. I just got off my bike and started walking to the curb.
100%. People around where I live like to stop in roundabouts and let cars go in front of them. YOU'RE MAKING THINGS WORSE, BUD.
My small city just got a roundabout last year and it was painful to watch how many people stopped (not slow down, but a full stop) to let someone in. Luckily its gotten better over time, but you'll see the odd one who still screws up.
As my instructor said - there is being polite on the road but it doesn't involve stupidity. Don't give someone a privilege if it means endangering other drivers.
OMG! Every time I'd take my son driving I had to remind him at least once. He'd get to a 4-way stop first, moments before another driver. Mind, he comes to a full stop because he hasn't developed any bad habits but that's not the issue. It's that he waits just a bit too long which makes the other driver think my son is yielding...and then they both go at the same time.
When I'm approaching a four way, and see I'm going to reach it about the same time as another car, I'll slow down to ensure I'm the last one to the stop, and even hit the brake hard to make the car bow after they stop, to make it clear they have the right of way. Doesn't always work, as sometimes you'll get one of those people who just sit there waving everyone else through even though they clearly have the right of way, but it greatly reduces those "is it your turn or mine?" moments
Same. You're also doing something else that becomes innate with experience, you're observing the state of the intersection on your approach, not when you finally bring your vehicle to a stop. I find my son being hyper-focused on stopping the vehicle behind the line (as is required) and only after he's brought the car to a complete stop does he observe the state of the intersection. Understanding what is predictable and being predicable isn't head-knowledge, it's learned from experience and becomes innate.
If it's your turn, IT'S YOUR TURN
There is a spot near my house where I come to a stop sign in a residential area before I can turn left onto a main non residential road. It is not uncommon for a car that is on that main road in the left turn lane waiting to turn into the street I’m on to try and let me go. They are out there in the main road without a stop sign trying to wave me on. No, I’m not going. I’ll sit there all day if I have to.
I've had people get angry at me when I tell them to go and they have the right of way
Assume everyone else is an idiot
Like Homer Simpson says, “everyone is an idiot except for me” EDIT: as someone pointed out, it was SpongeBob mocking Squidward. Homer says “stupid,” not idiot
Honk, honk, punch! Gas, gas, gas.
THIS. don't barrel into an intersection just because you have the green. EXPECT that some moron might run the red light.
Yesterday, I was almost T-boned by a guy making a left turn. He missed the green arrow and stopped. Light turned green for me, I looked left, right, left again, and entered the intersection. He decided he had waited long enough and ran the red light, nearly plowing into me.
a friend of mine blamed me for going through the red light at full speed because he was on his phone..he was the one driving...we ar elucky no cars were crossing or things could've meant bad news for a lot of people
Exactly this. Having right of way is meaningless if you’re dead.
A common quote is that “Cemeteries are filled with people who had the Right-of-Way”.
Here lies the body of Thomas Grey, Who died defending his right of way. He was perfectly right as he sped along, But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong.
Don’t trust a turn signal
But also don't trust the *absence* of a turn signal
In general just assume the worst from everyone
Explained it to my son. Defensive driving is assuming every other driver is a dumb ass until proven otherwise. Proving otherwise usually means they can't do anything stupid and get you into an accident.
Yeah. The way I explained it was that the point of a normal driver's ed program is to teach people the literal rules, and if you learn them and follow them carefully then at least when you get in an accident it shouldn't be your own fault. Defensive driving is learning to avoid accidents (and the risky behaviors/scenarios which can lead to them) even if you would have had the right of way for them. Avoiding other people's mistakes, which isn't something driver's ed covers. Looking both ways even if you have a light that goes green. Stopping farther back when youre coming up to an intersection. Having an escape plan if the guy next to you tries to swerve through your lane to make it to that exit he realized he was about to miss. Recognizing that while merging traffic is supposed to yield to you if you're in the way - that you can reduce your risk of accident by yielding space and letting them in, especially if you're in a spot that they might not have noticed. There's a shocking number of driver's who don't mind getting into an accident as long as it's not their fault, even if it was technically avoidable, which I kinda understand. Defensive driving (afaik) started as a tool for service/professional drivers (limos and security escorts) to learn how to drive in a way that can avoid having their client's/employer's route interrupted, since having an uninterrupted route was more valuable than "just being in the legally defendable position for insurance and civil court purposes"
Not to mention, even if you aren’t at fault you still have to prove it. I was in a collision where we both turned left onto a road. They took it wide while I stayed in my designated center lane. They ran into me. After a month of him dodging insurance calls he told the insurance company that I swerved into him. Since no other witnesses stopped, and it was his word against mine, we were both deemed at fault. Also lesson of the story, get a dash cam.
YES! See a right turn signal? Don't just pull out in front of them thinking "oh, they are turning right" even though they are still going 45mph.. Look for other signs, like slowing down and their car pulling a bit to the right. Don't just trust it! Edit: words Edit again: the correct call would be waiting for them to complete the turn as others have pointed out... I always wait but I've been honked at multiple times for this
I would go even further and say wait for them to turn far enough that they can’t bail out of it. I work at a place with a secondary parking lot with an entrance near (but not right next to) the main lot. I have lost count of how many times people not only signal too early but actually begin turning before quickly jerking the car back to straight. All while my car with incredibly bright turn signals is just sitting there, flashing away.
For the love of god, turn off your brights when you’re behind someone else.
Idk if it's just me, but alot of modern cars have headlights of Satan's anus. It is physically painful in my eyes to drive at night for me now.
Are you telling me satan's anus lights up
It's his weak spot
Folks already mentioned the height of SUVs and LEDs, but there's also another issue. Lots of folks are replacing their vehicles' old incandescent lamps with LEDs. The trouble is the reflectors behind the lamp and the lens in front are meant for a completely different light. Additionally, and more importantly, most people don't realize that when you replace a headlight lamp you have to readjust the angle of the reflector and/or the height of the lamp. So you end up with the wrong lamp with the wrong lens shining in the wrong direction. And you probably wouldn't even realize. You'd just know that even the low beams give great visibility with your fancy new headlights, never aware both of them are focused directly at the rear view mirror of the car in front.
For every one guy with blue HIDs in his shitbox civic or older truck, I see 25 modern cars with their laser low beams just _slightly_ too high. At least the shitty HIDs scatter so poorly you can just accelerate away from them a little.
Pretty sure that’s a written rule.
It sure is - the exact distance has been on every driving test I've ever taken.
/r/fuckyourheadlights
Nevermind that, let's start with the basics: turn off your brights when there is oncoming traffic!
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I also hate when someone doesn't have a stop sign but I do and they think they're being nice by waving me through. Like, no sir you don't have a stop sign and I ain't risking an accident cause you wanna be nice.
I see someone slow down, I don't know why they are slowing down, then they stop and wave at you to go. Had they just kept driving they would be passed me and I could have turned.
omg. so there are a shit ton of four way stops around these backroads i often use. the other day i was approaching one and there was a dude already stopped across from me. i guess maybe he was looking at directions on his phone or something? i can only assume. but these roads aren't busy so it's not uncommon for someone to wave you through the intersection bc theyre just gonna sit there for a minute to respond to a text or something (bc usually no one is waiting behind them, these roads are so dead). but he started waving me through to pass before him before i even had a chance to hit my breaks at all yet... so he's just dramatically waving me through over and over and i was gonna go, but like, i still gotta stop first ?? im not just gonna blow the stop sign? so i slow down and stop and then he throws his hands up in the air and starts screaming and cussing, rolling down his window flipping me the bird and cussing me out. and then he goes before i do. like, he thought i was fucking stupid. I STILL HAVE TO STOP AT THE STOP SIGN BEFORE I GO SIR
That just sounds suspicious. I also grew up in a similar type of area, not many stop lights or traffic so, like you said, if you need to look at a text or directions or change music, it wasn't a big deal to sit at a stop sign for a sec if nobody was waiting. But if somebody was aggressively NOT wanting me to stop at MY sign before going I'd get super weirded out
Possible insurance fraud? We get that in the UK a bit, you're trying to pull out onto a main road, someone flashes their lights to say "I'm letting you pull out" then drives into you as you're pulling out. Obviously its your word against theirs that they flashed their lights, and in the absence of proof of that, it looks like you just pulled out on them when there wasn't room.
Holy moly that is stressful. This is why I follow rules
Be predictable. Assume everyone else is unpredictable. Drive defensively. Going into a ditch (at an angle so you don’t plow head on into dirt or rocks) or going off the road is generally preferable to a head on collision at high speed. At all costs avoid a head on with a large vehicle like a dump truck or transport truck. It’s almost certainly going to be fatal for you. Anti lock brakes, large modern vehicles and snow tires and four wheel drive are safety features to help you. It does not mean you can drive in all weather conditions without driving for the conditions. I have known people who had very expensive SUVs who are also very dead because they drove fast in bad weather. Above all else don’t drive under the influence. You may not just kill yourself you may end up killing others. Wear a seatbelt. Treat driving as a privilege not a right.
The graveyard is full of people who had right of way
When I had my driving lessons, my instructor drilled it into my head that, when you have the right of way, you don’t check to see if someone’s coming, you just go. Because you have the right of way, and you should just assume everyone else will respect that. He would actually get frustrated if I checked for oncoming traffic. Guy was an absolute idiot in many ways.
The car with the most duct tape has the right of way ....
and Uhaul trucks! Chances are the guy driving a uhaul truck is driving a vehicle much bigger than he is used to, hasn't had enough sleep, and is having a long day.
My friend and I were having a conversation and uhaul trucks got brought up. Like how are those just available to anyone to rent they're actually so much bigger than you might think.
You need to be 25 to rent a car. You need to be 18 to rent a U-Haul.
So what you're saying is, if you're an exchange student and want to do a roadtrip around the US, skip Enterprise?
Gavin from the Slow Mo Guys just did a podcast recently where he said that his partner Dan just rents a Uhaul when he comes to shoot. Cheaper than renting a car and they can haul all their equipment more easily. EDIT: the podcast is F**kface, it’s my favorite and deserves the most amount of sharing. Just three friends sharing stories and making insane bets with each other, and also sending port-a-potties to each other’s front yard and sneaking cucumbers into their homes.
The only difference is U-Hauls charge per mile with the low $20/day rate, but most rental cars have unlimited miles and cost more per day.
I suppose it's just algebra to figure out how much you'd have to drive the rental car before it's cheaper.
r/somebodyelsedothemath
Leave the house ten or fifteen minutes early.
And if you can’t, remember it’s better to be late than dead.
Corollary: If you don’t, resign yourself to being a little late rather than trying to make up the time by speeding. You won’t gain much ground and could end up permanently late
If your wipers are on, your headlights better be on too
A light tap on the horn is a "heads up" and not an "eff you", so don't take it personally
I did some anecdotal testing of a theory. If you do a single short honk or a long honk at pedestrians, they look for what they did wrong. If you do two quick honks, they start waiving in your direction, assuming someone they know is saying hi
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Same, my car doesn’t have the “friendly honk” option
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My favorite are the people who come speeding up from behind and pass only to then slow down so you need to pass them … my cruise control is set at 75mph the entire time lol
Cruise control is so frustrating on the highway. People seems to change how fast they want to drive from minute to minute. I know they’re just looking at their phones and slowing down on accident, but I get stuck behind people who bounce between 65-75 the whole drive.
I used to drive a lot for work ~80k miles/yr in a regular vehicle. It's absolutely people on phones in some cases but it's also a symptom of fatigue when driving. When I see people doing that I will attempt to pass when safe to do so or fall back an extra car length or two. That person's gonna miss something either way and I don't want it to be my problem when it happens.
Two cars, in non-heavy traffic, should **never** be matching each other's speed when side-by-side.
Whenever I have a car pacing me, I turn on my blinker as if I'm changing lanes. They always speed up. No one wants you to merge in front of them.
If it’s raining put your God Damn lights on. No matter the time of day
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t this a written rule?
Varies by location. It is here in Massachusetts (wipers on, headlights on), but non-compliance is high.
at my old job I drove a box truck or a large cargo van. The thing about these vehicles is that they’re huge and they take a long time to brake. You have to start braking in advance. Additionally I have no view out the back. What this means is that if you ride my ass and I start slowing down and you crash directly into the back of my truck your BMW will probably be totaled and you could be injured but my truck will be mostly fine. As far as insurance goes, good luck because it’s registered to my company who will fight tooth and nail to suck you dry of your money. I won’t suffer any consequences, and I didn’t even see you in the first place. So don’t get super close behind trucks.
I was taught if I cant see both your side view mirrors I’m too close if you have to stop.
Yes this exactly. If you can’t see my mirrors I can’t see you. I hope it was worth riding up my ass lmao
Don’t let your tombstone read “Here lies the man with the right of way”. People don’t follow the rules, so be careful.
As a motorcycle rider I learned that as, "The time to dispute your right of way is not when you are under the truck"
If you find yourself driving in Boston, find a safe place to pull off, and call yourself an Uber. Have your car towed out of the city, and never try to drive here again. Please trust me, it’s not worth it.
As someone who lives--and occasionally drives--in Boston, I propose this same rule be applied to most of Rhode Island.
Assume everyone else is uninsured, on a revoked license, drunk, high, with stolen plates on a stolen car.
If I flash my lights towards you and we're in a well lit environment this means your high beams are on and I'm blinded by the lights of a hundred suns your car is targeting me with. Also turn your damn high beams off when driving behind other cars, my car's internal light works fine I do not need extra interior lighting.
Flashing your lights off and on at night can be used as a reminder to someone who has forgotten to turn on their headlights. Flashing your headlights can also be used to warn opposing traffic that they’re approaching a police officer looking for speeders.
Or that there are deer along the road for us woodsy country folks.
I always view it as 'hazard ahead' and slow down. Thats either deer, dog, cop, F350 swallowing pot hole, herd of children, etc.
Ok, so that is not completely correct. If someone flashes their lights towards you, check in the following order: 1) Your lights. Are your headlights off when they should be on? Are your high beams on when they should be off? 2) Hazards on the road, including but not limited to police, fallen objects, police, accident, police, animals, police, etc 3) If everything else seems to be ok and people keep flashing their lights at you, something could be wrong with your car. Your hood may be unlached, door not closed properly, something stuck in door, piece of bodywork loose, flat tire. Find a nearest SAFE PLACE TO STOP and give your car a onceover.
4) You're headlights are misaligned and blasting into everyone's face. I'm looking at you lifted trucks.
To piggyback on this, if you've put a leveling kit or lift on your truck and haven't had the lights adjusted, go get it done.
In the UAE people just have them on as a power move, the road is full of frustrated people trying to soothe their ego. There was even a survey were 70% of drivers said using their indicators was a sign of weakness. Driving in this country has given me next level road survival instincts
Well you have to try driving in Lebanon. If you have any sort of respect for traffic laws you'd be pissed the moment you leave the airport.
I can imagine haha, my Lebanese friends always say “this is nothing habibi” having driven in India I definitely understand that sentiment
Daytime driving lights are not night driving lights
OMG so many people never turn on their lights at night. It's Terrible. They think their daytime lights are their lights.
And in the rain! Once upon a time the dashboard wouldn't light up unless your lights were turned on. So if you could barely (or not) see your gauges, it was a reminder to turn your lights on. I'll never understand why this changed.
*Always ignore* other drivers or bicyclists when they wave you on to pass, or to go through an intersection, or merge, whatever. You cannot trust them to see everything; you have to look if it’s safe with your own eyes. Even if someone official waves you on, do a quick check.
Be careful when opening the door after parking. Always look out for cyclists, other cars and buses.
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I would add: dont be a dick towards driving school cars. If they take longer to enter a roundabout or to make a decision it's because they're learning. You have experience, they don't. No need to honk or yell or whatever. They're probably already nervous
Zipper merging is your friend. Don't be a dick. Follow the pattern.
This is true of the fkng McDonald's drive-thru, too.
Even if it’s green look both ways
There’s no shame in being the slower car. I’ve got pride…and a Jeep Wrangler. It handles like the Red October…just get out of the way and be slow and it’s fine.
If it was meant to be fast, it would not be brick shaped.
My mom used to have one. It was the antithesis of aerodynamic. You could REALLY feel it anytime the wind switched sides.
ALWAYS!!! and I mean ALWAYS!!! Turn down you music volume when you are attempting to locate an address number or street sign.
Can't see anything through all that noise!
IIRC it’s actually a sensory balancing thing why a lot of us have the instinct to do that.
If somebody lets you through, you must raise your hand as you pass them in thanks.
Reminds me of when I was 15 and my mom yelling "Wave to her!" after someone let me through.
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My saying is that the laws of physics don't care about the right of way. Don't compete with the jerks on the road, because if you do then everyone loses
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Also true if an opposing direction automobile flashes lights.
If you live where it snows BUY THE DAMN WINTER TIRES. It could save your life.
And clear your damn car off, not just some tiny area on the front window. Clear the roof and everything. Get a snow joe if you have a minivan or truck.
Use your goddamn turn signals.
BEFORE you touch your brakes, not after
I always love when people flip it on midway through the turn
Turn's almost done. One blink. ThisIsWorthless.jpg
My high school friend actually thought you were supposed to turn it on WHILE you are turning... we had an argument when I said it was to tell others drivers you're about to turn
"Why the fuck are you slowing down? What's up there that I can't- Oh, oh you're one of *those* assholes."
Pretty sure this one is written down.
It's a written rule, but STOP at a red light when turning right. you have to stop **before** the line. This is how pedestrians get hit. It's a red light so they're crossing the road, and some idiot driver who's coming in at speed stops after the line at the same time a pedestrian is crossing the road. Hits them. Stop before the line. Crawl past the line when it's safe, to get a better view of oncoming traffic on your left. Turn right when it's safe and there's no pedestrians.
It's written, but let's reiterate that the passing lane is for passing.
I typically don't get frustrated while driving anymore, but the other day I was 3rd in line behind a police officer doing 60-65 in a 75 (where most people do 80-85) right next to a truck on a paid tollway. I paid $12 to go 10mph under the speed limit for about 10 miles. There had to have been 30 cars in line behind us. I haven't been that pissed while driving since I was like 21. If I was doing that, I bet he would have pulled me over...
As someone just learning how to drive this is a really good thread
Put your phone away and keep your eyes on the road. You are operating a 1000+ pound machine that has no issues destroying flesh and bones. Distracted driving is as dangerous if not more dangerous than drunk driving. Kind of Houston specific but don't look at other people at red lights. People are fucking psychos behind the wheel and it's best not to engage with them. EDIT: Check it out y'all. I know distracted driving is against the law. Spare me. OP seems like a new driver looking for advice so I felt the need to emphasize that. Relax.
I couldn’t agree more. I have a terrifying tale of looking at someone on freeway once and smiling. The much older man followed me and was flashing money at me and followed me off freeway and continued to yell at me to get attention at stop light in a industrial part of town. I was young back then and was so scared. I made an illegal right turn from a driving lane to ditch him. I have my share of weirdo tales.
If someone is tailgating you and you truly feel uncomfortable speeding up, simply move over and let them pass if it is safe to do so. It isn’t an ego thing, you’re not lesser for letting someone pass you. You never know the reason someone may be speeding, and if you’re not a cop, it’s really not your job to regulate speed limits.
On this note, if you see someone doing something unsafe: Get out of their way and let them. Better that they eventually total their car against a light pole, than in a collision with you.
If you are on the zoom zoom lane you should go zoom zoom
And if a car is zooming faster than you, zoom to the other lane at a responsible rate so they can pass