Driving Tips
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Warning signs for drowsy drivers Eyes closing or not focusing by themselves Difficulty in keeping your head up Yawning constantly Not remembering driving the last few minutes Drifting between lanes, tailgating, or missing traffic signs Jerking the car back into the lane after drifting |
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Use positive self-regulatory sentences Use positive self-regulatory sentences. Acquire a supportive driving philosophy. Act as-if positive when you feel negative. Adopt cooperative role models and symbols for cars and driving. Practice self-witnessing for objective self-awareness. Regularly consider the effect of your driving on others. Come out swinging positive when getting into trouble with others. Shrink your emotional territory. Learn to satisfy the sense of personal freedom through smart driving. |
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Try signaling before switching lanes Try signaling before switching lanes Not tailgating the car in front of you Not stopping in the road to talk to pedestrians or other drivers If you are driving slowly, pull over and allow any aggressive drivers to pass. When at a signal, avoid blocking the right-turn lane or having your radio too loud. And, as a car phone is a major distraction while driving, use it as infrequently as possible. When parking your vehicle, do not use a parking space for the disabled, unless you are disabled. As a rule, try not to take more than one parking space and avoid hitting the car next to yours with your door. What to do when confronted by an aggressive driver Make every attempt to get out of the way. Do not rise to a challenge by speeding up or attempting to hold your own in your travel lane. You should always wear your seat belt. It will keep you in your seat, and behind the wheel, in case you need to make an abrupt driving also, of course, protect you if a collision maneuver. It will occurs. Avoid eye contact. Ignore gestures and refuse to return them. Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location, and direction of travel. If you have a cellular phone, and can use it safely, call the police. Many police stations have special numbers such as 77. If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash farther down the road stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for the police to arrive, and report the driving behavior that you witnessed. The right attitude for driving |
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Stay out of the way Stay out of the way. Give aggressive drivers plenty of room to get around you. Drive defensively. Do not assume other drivers will follow traffic rules. Do not insist on your right-of-way if another driver is challenging you. Give a tailgater an opportunity to pass you by changing lanes. Be alert to those who are putting on makeup, talking on car phones, reading, eating or otherwise not paying attention to driving. Give cars room to merge ahead of you. Follow these tips to avoid rude or aggressive driving tendencies yourself. Dont make eye contact with an aggressive driver. Dont use obscene gestures. Use your horn sparingly. Dont block the passing lane. Dont switch lanes without signaling. Avoid blocking the right-hand turn lane. Do not tailgate. Dont get distracted by the car phone. Dont play the radio excessively loudly. Allow plenty of time for your trip. Driving is transportation, not competition. Want to compete? Find a racetrack. Be courteous, even when other drivers are not. Retaliating wont get you where you are going any sooner. Dont assume the other driver is out to antagonize you; he or she may just be in a hurry, too. It is not your job to teach others to drive. If, for example, you block a speeding car to slow it down, you might be inviting trouble. Leave law enforcement to the police. Make time good instead of making good time. If it takes 25 minutes to get to work, why leave yourself only 15? Leave earlier and dont play beat the clock. If driving makes you impatient, play music or listen to a book on tape to pass the time. |
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Never assume that an apparently aggressive act was Never assume that an apparently aggressive act was intended. Inhibit your own anger by taking deep breaths, keeping yourself calm or putting on relaxing music. If you are being hassled by another driver, try not to react. Avoid making eye contact. Keep your doors locked and your windows up. When stopped in traffic, leave enough space to pull out from behind the car you are following. Try not to disassociate yourself from the people in the cars around you. Pretend other drivers are people you know. |
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First and foremost make every ... First and foremost make every attempt to get out of the way. Put your pride in the back seat. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own in your travel lane. Wear your seat belt. It will hold you in your seat and behind the wheel in case you need to make an abrupt driving maneuver and it will protect you in a crash. Avoid eye contact. Ignore gestures and refuse to return them. Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location, and if possible, direction of travel. If you have a cellular phone, and can do it safely, call the police. If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash farther down the road, stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for the police to arrive, and report the driving behavior that you witnessed. |
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Driving Etiquette When driving, pay attention to the task at hand Do not stay in the left lane if you are going slower than the traffic to your right If you are not passing another car, remain in the right lane If a car is approaching from the rear, flashing its lights, move over as soon as you are able Do not tailgate, leave a 2 second space between you and the car ahead of you Do not slam on your brakes if a car is tailgating you Do not ride your brakes Do not change lanes if there is a car in the lane you want to move into going faster than you Be courteous to others, if you cant make a move without obstructing others on the road dont do it Check around your car when changing lanes in order to do so safely When entering an interstate, speed up to match the speed of the oncoming traffic before trying to merge When leaving an interstate, slow down only when you are totally in the deceleration lane When moving into a turn lane, wait until you are in the lane to brake When driving behind someone make sure your high beams are off Green means GO Red means STOP Blue means MOVE TO THE RIGHT and if it follows you, it means you are screwed) Use your blinker to signal a lane change, or a turn Do not forget to turn off your blinker When encountering a funeral procession, pull over to show respect for the deceased unless you know the SOB, that is And finally for all you tourists out there in happy-go-lucky land, plan your trip before you leave home so you know where you are going |
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Dont take traffic problems personally Don t take traffic problems personally Avoid eye contact with an aggressive driver Don t make obscene gestures that makes you a player and suddenly it begins to escalate Don t tailgate Use your horn sparingly the polite honk can be misinterpreted Don t block the passing lane some drivers think you re doing something to them when you do this Don t block the right hand turn lane Allow adequate time for your trip. Create a relaxing and comfortable environment in your car. Play relaxing music with a beat slower than your heartbeat, one music afficionado suggested. Behave cooperatively, you ll get repaid in kind. If you re aggressive, you trigger in others a natural instinct to fight back and drivers will often try to twart your progress not let you into a line of traffic, for example Be diplomatic, you will be able to move through traffic with amazing ease. Sometimes drivers will go out of their way to help you. Driving in congested traffic is really a challenge to your diplomatic skills, and your ability to communicate effectively with others if you do happen to catch sight of aggressive driving, stay away and contact the authorities when you get the chance. Even if you re not being chased down the highway by a sideswiping maniac, you could be saving a life other than your own. |
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