My diesel Jetta was just donned with a brand new set of W-rated Ultra High Performance summer tires, and I'm stoked for another summer of spirited driving.
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.
...how?Toward the end of improving this dismal situation, I've added to, and elaborated on, last year's Rules of the Road. This is still 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 suggestions additions. I’m always looking to improve my driving.
I'm also very interested in knowing how many of the rules you personally already follow and what you don't - so keep track as you read, and let me know.
General Principles:
- Anything that obstructs the flow of traffic is the enemy - Don’t be the enemy.
- Blinkers are notifications of intention - *Use Them.*
- Be *aware* of your surroundings pertinent to driving at all times.
- Let faster vehicles pass (particularly on the highway; see Specific Rules #4 and #8)
- 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.
- Stay on PAR - Predict, Anticipate, React - 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, and act upon it. The sign of a good driver is the ability to predict and anticipate traffic patterns and properly react to them, while conversely, the sign of a poor driver is the inability to do the like.
- Be Courteous - The all-important wave or nod to those who might either help you, or let you pass is very important
Specific Rules:
- 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.
- 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…
- 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.
- 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.
- Space 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.’
- Go at Green - 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.
- 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.
- Keep Right Except To Pass - This I cannot stress enough. It's probably the thing that bothers me most about other drivers. Essentially it prevents instances of #4, above. Traffic will flow faster, you won't cause road rage (as much, at least), and you'll reduce your chances of getting rear-ended at high speeds. Essentially, GTFO of the way.
Safety Tips:
- Brake Hover when entering unfamiliar or confusing traffic patterns - This dramatically improves reaction time if you need to stop or slow down.
- 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.
- 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.
- On-Ramp are for Acceleration - On-ramps are specifically designed to to allow drivers to match the speed of vehicles already on the highway. Use the break-down lane if you have to, but for the love of god, do not stop. Stopping in the on-ramp is not only dangerous for you (because your non-Ferrari probably doesn't have the sack to go ought to sixty in less than 8 seconds, and another vehicle is very likely to don your car with a new bumper), but dangerous for those around you because they, too, need to pick up speed and expect you to .
- Fuzzy Dice Are Evil - And that goes for your fancy Nav devices, too! Today's vehicles already have trouble enough with blindspots and low visibility, and anything that further obstructs your view to that which can kill you, or be killed by you is, well, a bad thing. As a driver, you want to have the best possible view of your surroundings so as to make the best possible driving decisions. So ditch the damned fuzzy dice, and throw away any suction cups that came with anything intended for the interior of your car (with the possible exception of those baby screen thingies - gotta keep baby cool!).
- Shoulder Jerk - 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.
- "If You Spin, Both Feet In... Maybe." Here's a good write-up on the current state of the famous racer's adage. Most of us 'normal' folk have front-wheel driven cars and so might consider abandoning this line of thinking preferring to allow the front drive wheels to pull the car in the direction you want to go (eventually). However, ABS and Traction Control are marvelous things, and could very likely right your car - so if you've got ABS, traction control and a front-wheel driven car, I'd still go with the both feet in - just be ready to take control back if those modern conveniences work, cuz man, stuff happens fast at those speeds!
Winter Rules:
- Increase Stopping Distances - if you didn’t know this… oy.
- Avoid Engine Braking - using the engine to slow down a vehicle when conditions are slippery is dangerous because four wheels with ABS (braking) provide more stopping power than two wheels without ABS (engine braking). It is also not a good idea when you are racing (see Heel-and-Toe) This is fine in the summer, though... if you're not in a rush.
- When sliding, let off the accelerator and point the wheels in the direction you want to go.
