Gordaen’s Blog

There are countless tips for driving, but I felt like pointing out a few, because I’m sure the highways in the US will be crowded in the next few days due to Thanksgiving. The best way to drive safely is to be aware of your surroundings, don’t become angry (often leads to aggressive driving), and have patience. Respecting the rules of the road, including the unwritten ones, makes driving a whole lot better for everyone.

Use the appropriate lane
Unless otherwise noted, the right lane is for the slowest people and the left lane is for the fastest people. You should be as far right as you can be as often as you can be. Before pulling out to pass someone, make sure that you are moving at least as fast as anyone you’ll be pulling out in front of.

Use turn signals
Ever come to an intersection, waiting to take a right but someone is coming from the left… so you wait… and wait… and then they turn down the road you are on? It’s annoying when someone wastes your time, because he or she is too lazy to click on the car’s blinkers. Use your turn signals as a courtesy and as a safety device. You may think it is obvious that you are changing lanes so you don’t need to signal, but other people might not think so. To them, you could be drunk, sleepy, or simply unsafe.

Merge safely and efficiently
Unless it is unsafe to do so, you should be trying to get your car up to highway speed on an onramp. In most cases, you should be merging at the speed everyone else is already traveling. When the roads are fairly busy, merging should be a one-by-one process (the “zipper effect”). Each person in the merging lane should let one person in front.

Don’t be selfish
If your lane ends ahead, change lanes as soon as you are able. Don’t try to wait as long as possible so you can pass a bunch of people, because that often results in dangerous merging and the slowing of traffic. Never change into a closing lane, merging lane, or on/offramp to speed past someone because you think your time is more valuable than everyone who is actually showing patience. Yeah, you’re special, but so is everyone else.

Safe distance
At highway speed, you need at least two or three seconds to safely stop. If you are driving a larger vehicle (e.g., an SUV) or you know you’re a little slow to respond (such as when you are a bit tired), you need more room. Tailgating irritates the person in front of you, which won’t make the highway any safer. The time you lose from having to go slower than you’d like is less than you’d lose for being in an accident, even a minor one.

When it all comes down to it, you basically need to be courteous, be aware, and be patient.