Maxwell Blue's Oubliette:

Driving Instructions

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● What I Have Learned About Driving a Car.

Following the rules of the road is the first and most important principal when driving. An old George Carlin joke involves someone driving recklessly through traffic with a friend in the passenger seat. Every time the driver would come to a red light he would run through it. The driver’s friend would point out that he had just ran through a red light, but the driver would tell his friend it was okay because he and his brother ran through red lights all a time and sure enough they came to another red light and the driver ran through that one as well. Then they came to a green light and the driver slowed down and came to a complete stop. His friend asked him what the hell was he doing. It was a green light after all. The driver explained that he was watching out for his brother. The best insurance to not get in an accident is not cause one by following the rules of the road. At the very least realize that you are breaking them and be more watchful because of it. For instant when making a left turn through an intersection you are supposed to stay in the same lane that you started with and not move to the middle or right lane. Just like in the George Carlin joke if you are making a right turn through an intersection you have to be mindful that someone might turn into the right lane while making a left turn – the same lane that you would be turning in. The fact remains that even if you follow all of the rules some are willing to break them out right and many more will break them slightly, because few drivers drive at the speed limit. To prove this try driving at the speed limit and see what type of reaction you get. Drivers will probably be passing you like you are standing still most likely.

Traffic tends to move about 10 miles over the speed limit, but there is no protection from getting a ticket from photo radar or from a police officer. On the other hand there is a real danger from other drivers that would risk both their and your lives in trying to pass you. It is best to think of other cars on the road as possible enemies. In fact anything on the road that isn’t pavement is a threat because anything that you hit is your problem. It is like a game of chess. You need to see several moves ahead. This includes pedestrians and bicyclists. It is your job to avoid the reckless individuals no matter what, but that doesn’t mean at the last moment. You need to spot them before they become a problem because last minute decisions could mean a tragic mess.

Stopping short doesn’t give the time for the drivers behind you time to react. Seldom do drivers do all that they can to warn other drivers if they have a problem. The best way is to use your directional signal. Many don’t signal at all and others signals are vastly incomplete. The light should blink several times before the driver begins their turn. Not after the turn has started. I cannot tell you how many times I have witnessed directional signals blink once right before the driver swiftly moves into another lane. Don’t be such a poor driver that you only give your follow drivers only a one second warning. And if you fail to do so know that not all drivers have good margins between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them.

If you follow the three second rule then you know that three seconds should pass between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Take the rear bumper of the car that you are following and watch it pass a fixed spot on the road, like a sign, and count the seconds that pass before the front bumper of your vehicle reaches it. There should be at least three seconds. This is considered a safe distance.

In the best of circumstances there will only be a few seconds before the driver behinds you has a chance to react, yet when these drivers are following too closely they might not have any time at all to react. Couple following too closely with bad signaling and this is an accident waiting to a happen. Pumping the brakes can avoid this. It is another practice that can be used to signal other drivers. Even when drivers are glued to your bumper, this maneuver can get them to back off. One of the most reckless drivers is the Weaver. They are very dangerous because they are completely thoughtless. Weavers are not known to use their directional signals, if they do it at all they would be using the one flash method. Though they are known to turn often it is also important to note that they will turn without much of a margin and very quickly. This gives very good reason not to be a weaver too, because you might meet up with another weaver. It is the same George Carlin joke all over again. It is best to spot these weavers sooner rather than later and let them pass with any incident. If you are signaling and leaving good margins then you are doing the best you can do. Weavers are their own worst enemies risking their lives to pass a few cars. Often you can catch up with them without even trying. They will get boxed in by traffic and be back where they started. Sometimes I can’t help but laugh at their predicament when I see them again. It is important to understand the psyche of the typical driver. Waiting is not in their DNA. That is why it is best to signal to the best of your abilities. If you need to turn into the right hand lane you could turn and hope for the best like the Weaver, but as I have pointed out that would be a mistake because it might cause an accident, yet using your directional signal is also problematic.

The typical driver doesn’t want to wait for you and very much doesn’t want to be behind you either so when you put your directional signal on and try to inch over to another lane the driver behind you most likely won’t let you pass. These character traits can be manipulated. Instead of thinking you should be able to turn in another lane in front of another car let the directional signal do the work for you. If you know the typical driver doesn’t want you in his lane in front of him then play to his ego and act like that is what you want to do. If you plan ahead like it is a chess game you can leave the directional signal on long before you really need to change into that lane and give this driver all the time he needs to react. Faced with this reality most drivers will speed up and pass you leaving you with wide enough margin to turn into. Only the most aggressive drivers will try to pass into your turning lane once the car directly behind you has passed. The fairness embedded into your typical driver generally won’t allow this to happen.

Things are a little simpler on the highway, but there is still plenty of danger. It is still important to maintain good margins, using the three second rule. With the open spaces of the highway there really is no reason to be riding someone’s bumper. It is best to distant yourself from everybody else. Don’t get behind semi-trucks and other vehicles that block your view. Not to mention any vehicle that has things hanging out of it backside.

Be mindful of the passing lane. If you don’t intend to pass then dock in the right lane and leave the passing lane open. One trick that I have learned on the highway is using a Scout. A Scout is a vehicle that is traveling far ahead of you that you can use to push the cars out of the passing lane. If you are worried of getting ticketed you can let the Scout get into trouble before you do. Sometimes the Scout is too fast for you and you end out losing sight of him. This isn’t a problem most of the time because you can usually pick up another one.Traveling at great speeds it is always important to avoid being in a pack of vehicles and watching the road ahead. You always want to have all the time in the world to react.