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[Duane Cunningham]

- Always use your turn signal! Especially when you're going to turn (on a non-highway street). Nothing sucks worse than when you're waiting to pull out onto a busy street, but you're waiting for one car to pass you... then they turn into a parking lot or something just before they get to you. If they'd been using their turn signal, you could have gone already, and now your break in traffic is gone.

Even if it seem like nobody needs to know that you're going to turn, there may be people coming the opposite way, waiting to pull out of side streets, pedestrians, or who knows who else you haven't considered, so make sure to always use your signal.


- If you get pulled over on a busy street, turn down a side street before you stop. Otherwise you'll cause a big backup for a while. Unless he's a dumbass, the cop will appreciate it, too.

-Always turn into the lane closest to you. If you're turning right onto a two or three lane street, turn into the right lane. Even if you need to get to the left quickly, turn into the right lane, then switch your turn signal to the left and make your way over. (Obviously, if the street you're coming from has multiple turn lanes, stay in the same lane).

 

[Ace Harding]

1) Always assume that if a person has their brake lights lit up they are coming to a stop. Maintain distance. Be prepared and try to eyeball traffic ahead of that driver. If you can't see the next car in front of them, you are too close. The rule is one car length for every 10 mph of your speed. So you're driving 60 mph, stay at least 6 car lengths behind the car in front of you. I usually maintain more distance than that.

2) PAY ATTENTION. Don't get distracted by the radio, the phone, or anything else. Watch the road and always be scanning for danger. Things happen very, very quickly when you are travelling at speed.

3) Never assume that you know what other drivers' intentions are.

4) Don't tailgate. EVER. See #1.

5) Let aggressive drivers pass you. Get out of their way and don't retaliate. It's never worth it.

 

[zma1013]

Learn your right of way. Learn your right of way. Learn your right of way.

It infuriates me at the number of people who just plain don't know who has right of way or they just choose to ignore it because they think they're being nice by letting you turn in front of them. NO, you are not being nice, you are disturbing the rules of the road and disrupting all the traffic into an unfamiliar pattern which can cause an accident.

Actually, I just kind of used your thread to vent my frustration at people like this. As for advice to help you, just pay attention to everything and don't do other things while driving. Don't talk on the phone or fix your hair or eat entire meals. Just drive.

 

[Lord Error]

In Canada, try not to drive more than 14km/h over, unless you just know it's the road that never has radar control on it. If you drive 15+ over the speed limit you get demerit points, otherwise you just pay the fine. Where I live, speed limits are treated as suggestions anyway. It seems like mostly everyone knows the 14km/h rule, and police is not really stopping anyone unless they go 20 over or so.

 

[fuzzyreactor]

always get over to the next lane as soon as possible. If a car is coming up slowly in the lane you are trying to get over into and they see you use your blinkers 9 out of 10 times they will speed up just so you can't get over in their lane and be in front of you, like it is some kind of race.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

Don't take shit personally. People make mistakes. People fuck up. Chances are if someone cuts you off there's at least a 50/50 chance they honestly didn't see you when zipping over. They were being dangerous, yes, but probably not willfully being an asshole. Shit happens.

 

[fuzzyreactor]

Learn your right of way. Learn your right of way. Learn your right of way.

It infuriates me at the number of people who just plain don't know who has right of way or they just choose to ignore it because they think they're being nice by letting you turn in front of them. NO, you are not being nice, you are disturbing the rules of the road and disrupting all the traffic into an unfamiliar pattern which can cause an accident.

Actually, I just kind of used your thread to vent my frustration at people like this. As for advice to help you, just pay attention to everything and don't do other things while driving. Don't talk on the phone or fix your hair or eat entire meals. Just drive.

this is so much. i hate when ppl are trying to be nice and breaking the road rules...all it does is confuse people

 

[Akuun]

• If the guy in front of you brakes, don't assume that the amount of braking will be the same. Keep your distance accordingly, because people can (and do) start braking gently and then suddenly brake much harder when they realize they need to stop sooner.
  
• If you're going to change lanes, lengthen your following distance a little first. When you do your shoulder check, you are not looking where you are going, so you want some extra reaction time in case anything happens up front while you're not looking.
  
• If you're driving at night and someone is flashing his high beams at you, check your lights. He might not be an asshole, but rather someone trying to tell you that you don't have your lights on.
  
• BE PATIENT AND KEEP YOUR COOL. There will always be some asshole weaving through traffic, running way too far into the merging lane to get two car spaces ahead, or tailgating you in a huge SUV while flashing his high beams at you. I see three or four such people every single day. Don't let them screw with your judgement and don't let them ruin your day. You have to learn to ignore them the same way you ignore idiots in online games.

 

[thelatestmodel]

Lane discipline. I cannot emphasize this enough.

Do not sit in the fast lane doing the speed limit.

You should always be in the right lane (left in the UK) unless you are overtaking someone.

I have lost count of the number of times I have had to overtake someone on the wrong side because they're sitting in the fast lane doing 90km/h, not even looking behind them.

 

[moojito]

If you have electric side mirrors, angle them down on the kerb side if you're doing a reverse parallel park. It'll save you scraping your wheel against the kerb or stopping too far away from it.

 

[Arment]

It's shocking that everyone on GAF is an impeccable driver. I am too!

 

[Featheredkitten]

Not sure if it's been said:

Keep your eyes moving, don't just stare at one point in front of you.

Because of motion adaption.

 

[zma1013]

this is so much. i hate when ppl are trying to be nice and breaking the road rules...all it does is confuse people

Oh my absolute favorite is when people are sitting there waving me on like they are doing me a giant favor. I just sit there and stare at them until they give up and go on like they are supposed to. You drive your car, I'll drive my car, thank you, bye bye.

 

[thefro]

Probably the big one they don't teach you in Driver's Ed is you want to drive at the speed of traffic... even in the city when everyone on the road might be going 20-25 mph over the posted speed limit.

Basic driver's ed stuff everyone should know but seems to be ignored by a lot of people

- Focus ahead of your car near the horizon, not right in front of your car worrying about what's ahead of you.
- Always check your blindspot
- Leave a gap of at least 2 seconds between the car in front of you at all times. Tailgating is stupid.
- If someone's getting on an Intertstate at the same time you are going by, try to move over a lane so they can merge on if possible.
- Don't drive like an idiot on the snow/ice... make sure you accelerate/decclerate carefully and double the gap you leave for the car in front of you. Be on the lookout for slick spots even if the road looks clear
- Stop and sleep or get some coffee or something if you're going to fall asleep being the wheel. Don't drink and drive.

 

[Lord Error]

Man, I wish that were true. EVERYONE drives 5,10,15 mph above in NY

There was an experiement where some guys fomed a wall of cars driving the exact speed limit on a highway. It clogged the traffic quicker than you could believe, and made complete mess. Speed limits are set for the lowest common denominator people anyway, which is really old people with terrible reflexes driving their oldtimer boats, that take 10 seconds to make a full stop.

 

[fuzzyreactor]

Oh my absolute favorite is when people are sitting there waving me on like they are doing me a giant favor. I just sit there and stare at them until they give up and go on like they are supposed to. You drive your car, I'll drive my car, thank you, bye bye.

it's the worst when it becomes an exchange of each car slightly accelerating at a 4 way stop because an idiot tried to be polite and the other person is trying to follow the road rules.

 

[brandnew]

Not sure if it's been said:

Keep your eyes moving, don't just stare at one point in front of you.

Because of motion adaption.

Yes. Best way to do this is by frequently checking your mirrors. That way you're moving your eyes and always aware of where cars are around you.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

It's not about braking faster than him. It's about being able to react if he spills in front of you.

That's why you give two seconds. Two seconds is a lot of space if you're paying attention, and if a person falls from a motorcycle they'll slow down "slower" than if they were using their brakes.

 

[Ace Harding]

Also, brake BEFORE a turn, and try not to brake hard as you are turning. If you wait too late to brake and brake hard with the wheels turned you risk spinning out.

Play racing sims with colored driving lines to get the hang of when you brake and when you accelerate out of a turn. It works the same on public roads. Its all about weight distribution. Decelerating shifts the cars weight to the front tires and loosens up the back tires. Hard braking with the wheels turned makes your car want to pivot on the front tires while weight is taken off the back tires, which will want to keep moving in the direction they are going.

In the same way, accelerating takes weight off the front tires and pushes it back to the rear tires. Not enough grip on the front tires means less grip steering the car and you are more likely to just keep moving forward without turning (as the front tires skid).

Knowing how this works also helps you recover if you do get into trouble. I honestly think years of driving racing games has made me a better driver. I have skidded out before and instinctively knew what to do.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

There was an experiement where some guys fomed a wall of cars driving the exact speed limit on a highway. It clogged the traffic quicker than you could believe, and made complete mess. Speed limits are set for the lowest common denominator people anyway, which is really old people with terrible reflexes driving their oldtimer boats, that take 10 seconds to make a full stop.

I'd agree with this. Seeing just 1 or two lanes clogged by a driver going 55mph when average traffic is 65-70mph is enough for me to know it causes issues.

I think tailgating is more of the problem. You can go 65-70 but give yourself more room so you'll have more reaction time.

And of course the two times I've been rear ended were in bumper to bumper traffic @ <5mph.

 

[Yamauchi]

Not keeping a proper distance between yourself and the car in front of you is probably the #1 cause of accidents I have seen. These kinds of accidents are not usually deadly, but they can be a pain nonetheless. The problem arises from the fact that generally if you are maintaining a proper distance (4 seconds for 55+ mph, ~3 seconds below 55 mph), some asswipe will use that gap to cut you off. But there is nothing you can do about it.

 

[Huge_Jackman]

For the guys,

If you have an erection pull over and wait until you're flaccid. Statistics prove with driving with an erection you are 10 times more likely to cause an accident.

 

[Dr DIgital WKNC]

If you drive a Prius, stay out of the left lane.

Don't judge a driver by their car. Even when I'm goin 80mph people speed up to pass me bc they think "oh, I better get past this slow prius" and they immediately apply the brakes when they get in front of me.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

There was an experiement where some guys fomed a wall of cars driving the exact speed limit on a highway. It clogged the traffic quicker than you could believe, and made complete mess. Speed limits are set for the lowest common denominator people anyway, which is really old people with terrible reflexes driving their oldtimer boats, that take 10 seconds to make a full stop.

If true this is kind of bullshit because I have yet to hear a police officer concede that going the speed of traffic +__ miles over the limit won't get you a ticket.

 

[i-Lo]

• Refrain from jumping lanes when turning in (left or right) at intersections.
  
• Always signal when changing lanes

It is a pet peeve of mine when people don't follow the two cardinal rules stated above. I have seen accidents occur like this and more often that not, it's the experienced people who get lazy and complacent to do the right thing.

 

[Featheredkitten]

If true this is kind of bullshit because I have yet to hear a police officer concede that going the speed of traffic +__ miles over the limit won't get you a ticket.

Indeed, I go the speed limit because i don't want a ticket. It's the speed limit, it's the law even if everyone else is going over it. Yes, I know, I'm the devil and everyone hates me.

 

[Huge_Jackman]

Indeed, I go the speed limit because i don't want a ticket. It's the speed limit, it's the law even if everyone else is going over it. Yes, I know, I'm the devil and everyone hates me.

Depends in what lane you are. If you're clogging the passing lane then yes we hate you.

 

[omg_mjd]

In public parking spots, always park with the front of your car facing the road/driving lane (unless it's prohibited for some reason). This is always the safest way to park because:

* The space you back into is almost always static. No cars/pedestrians moving in and out of the space. Safer to back into.

* The space you enter (the road) may at any time contain a car, a pedestrian or a random object that you didn't expect. You're better off dealing with it with a full range of vision and awareness.

 

[Featheredkitten]

Depends in what lane you are. If you're clogging the passing lane then yes we hate you.

I don't clog the passing lane. You want to speed, go for it, i'm going to stop you by riding in a lane i don't need to be in.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Not keeping a proper distance between yourself and the car in front of you is probably the #1 cause of accidents I have seen. These kinds of accidents are not usually deadly, but they can be a pain nonetheless. The problem arises from the fact that generally if you are maintaining a proper distance (4 seconds for 55+ mph, ~3 seconds below 55 mph), some asswipe will use that gap to cut you off. But there is nothing you can do about it.

Yep. Happens constantly. I just slow down and allow more space. And in a few moments another douche will slide in and I change lanes.

 

[nel e nel]

I was actually wondering what the highest someone can drive above the speed limit without getting pulled over.

General rule of thumb is to go with the flow of traffic.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

There was an experiement where some guys fomed a wall of cars driving the exact speed limit on a highway. It clogged the traffic quicker than you could believe, and made complete mess. Speed limits are set for the lowest common denominator people anyway, which is really old people with terrible reflexes driving their oldtimer boats, that take 10 seconds to make a full stop.

Funny you should bring it up, as this was done by some students I knew at Georgia State University in Atlanta. It was on youtube but I'm not sure where it is and can't look for it now.

All they did was drive the speed limit as a wall on the ring-road interstate around Atlanta and it was an absolute mess. People nearly caused accidents trying to get around, and they had to stop it because it was getting so unsafe. That road is an 8-lane interstate with a 55-mph speed limit and a 70+ mph average driver speed, it's ludicrous. I was in court at one point and heard the judge tell a woman that moving with the flow of traffic around Atlanta is an admission of guilt. If doing what everyone is doing is breaking the law, then the law is broken.

 

[nel e nel]

If true this is kind of bullshit because I have yet to hear a police officer concede that going the speed of traffic +__ miles over the limit won't get you a ticket.

'speed of traffic' does not always equal the speed limit. The experiment basically fucked the natural order of how the general population drives, which is NOT a constant speed across all lanes.

 

[Dog food is delicious]

Don't assume the other person is going to stop.

 

[Ace Harding]

Another one - anticipate turns and exits, and give yourself time to change lanes. I HATE when people wait until the last minute to change lanes. If I'm in the car with someone else driving, and we're a mile from our exit and they are still in the left lane, I'll always say "um you might want to get over..." Shit makes me anxious.

Last-minute lane changes are dangerous. Its never worth the extra few seconds you save by continuing to speed in the fast lane until you really need to cut over. Yes, you may get stuck behind a slower vehicle for like 30 seconds before you turn/exit. Get over it.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

Oh, another thing... don't pull out your phone, even at red light! Every morning on my way to work I have to sit in a left turning lane that goes onto the highway and has its own (really short) arrow. You can't believe how many intersection light cycles you have to sit through, moving up maybe only three car positions each time. And here's why: the arrow turns green, the front two or three cars go, and the next one is somebody looking at their phone. Everyone honks, and that person goes as the light turns yellow. Result: four cars make it when the whole line of twelve possibly could have. So you move up, and next time it happens again. And again. It takes at least three green arrows to get on the highway every damn morning thanks to people slowly putting away their phones and snapping out of it.

 

[lightus]

Main thing is to keep your eyes scanning. Never focus on one spot for too long as things can happen very quickly. The more you scan, the more likely you'll notice a potential accident.

Be very attentive. Driving on a road with parallel parked cars? Look for taillights, front wheels turned toward the road, exhaust trails (on cold days), anything that would indicate that the car may be wanting to turn out or that the driver may be exiting the vehicle.

Is the driver on lane next to you staying within the gap between your car and the one in front of you? They may be wanting to change lanes soon, and possibly won't be using their signal. Slow down just a tiny bit (by coasting) to allow a little more wiggle room.

Try to get the maximum forward viewing distance. Hug a little to the left of the road (or right in the UK etc.) to see past the car in front of you. Failing that, look through the car's rear glass/windshield to see the car ahead of it. The more you can see, the more time you have to react.

Don't tap your brakes if you can avoid it. Randomly tapping breaks while not approaching a stop can cause confusion and makes you unpredictable to other drivers.

When in doubt, keep moving. About to miss your exit or have to make a turn very soon but not in the correct lane? DO NOT STOP OR MAKE A RUSHED DECISION. Just turn around whenever you get the chance.

Don't tail people, even if they are going far below the speed limit. Even going slow, you won't be able to react fast enough to avoid an accident if they slam on breaks. This is especially important on the interstate. Yeah I know that guy going 60 in the far left lane is annoying. Trying to intimidate him out of the way is only going to cause problems. If you are doing this you just better pray the people behind you aren't doing the same. This is how chain collisions happen. Guy at the front have to slam on breaks for some reason? Guess what, now you all are going to get involved.

Check for cars when turning, entering a road, exiting a road, driving straight, backing up, changing lanes, getting in your car, exiting your car, checking your speed, reading exit signs, changing the radio, blinking, sneezing, breathing. ALWAYS CHECK AND KEEP TRACK OF CARS. If you saw a white car behind you and it some how disappeared without passing you, DOUBLE CHECK YOUR BLIND SPOT before changing lanes.

NEVER TRUST TURN SIGNALS. I cannot tell you how many accidents I've avoided by assuming the car isn't actually going to turn.

Get the gist? Get creative and think of ways people could be dumb asses on the road. Then assume it's going to happen and figure out how you could avoid it. It won't happen 99% of the time but you'll be really thankful you took precautions when it does. It sounds like a lot of work, but once you get into the habit it comes naturally.

 

[teruterubozu]

I listen to classical music when I drive. I used to listen to rock and techno but it made me speed and drive like an asshole. These days I'm calmer and more considerate.

 

[Zona]

My biggest issue was just merging into other lanes because I could never really gauge my distance from the other vehicles in the side view mirror. Didn't help that I was driving an SUV, so already it's such a large vehicle, and I wasn't familiar enough with its dimensions to confidently merge into other lanes unless I could tell the other cars were very far from me.

Rule of thumb, if you can see both their headlights in your rearview mirror you have enough room. But always check your blind spot before you change lanes.

 

[BruiserBear]

The biggest thing I wish I knew then was that unless you're in a modern car made in the last 5 years, you're really at quite a big risk of dying in many accidents. I did some stupid shit back then not realizing just how dangerous it was.

The newest cars, with airbags surrounding you, etc, are far safer than even cars made 5-10 years ago.

 

[Lord Error]

Funny you should bring it up, as this was done by some students I knew at Georgia State University in Atlanta. It was on youtube but I'm not sure where it is and can't look for it now.

All they did was drive the speed limit as a wall on the ring-road interstate around Atlanta and it was an absolute mess. People nearly caused accidents trying to get around, and they had to stop it because it was getting so unsafe. That road is an 8-lane interstate with a 55-mph speed limit and a 70+ mph average driver speed, it's ludicrous. I was in court at one point and heard the judge tell a woman that moving with the flow of traffic around Atlanta is an admission of guilt. If doing what everyone is doing is breaking the law, then the law is broken.

That's it exactly, I saw it a few years ago. Yeah, it's broken, police knows it even, but when you ask them about it, they say (and they're probably right) that if the limits were increased, people would just drive 10+ over that new limit, so I guess they'd rather just look away unless people drive too much over.

There's some roads where the speed limit is increased now though, like that road in Texas when the limit is now 80mph I think. I always wondered what the incident rate was on German Autobahns. I've heard those roads are actually reported much safer than average, despite no speed limit.

 

[NekoFever]

General rule of thumb is to go with the flow of traffic.

I was actually taught to go with the traffic rather than the speed limit when I was learning to drive. If everyone's doing 70 in a 60, you're creating more of a hazard by being that one guy going 60 so that everyone else bunches up and has to maneuvre around you than you are just going with it.

 

[kaioshade]

- When the light turns green, wait a second, just in case some moron decides to run the red at the last second.

- On the freeway, if you see brake lights up ahead, take your foot off the gas. If it's a hiccup in the flow of traffic that clears up before you're close to it, you can go back to the gas and maintain speed. If it's a major slowdown, you're already slowing down a bit and ready to begin braking.

- Is it a BMW? Be ready for it to do something stupid.

Fixed for you

 

[GabDX]

1) Always assume that if a person has their brake lights lit up they are coming to a stop. Maintain distance. Be prepared and try to eyeball traffic ahead of that driver. If you can't see the next car in front of them, you are too close. The rule is one car length for every 10 mph of your speed. So you're driving 60 mph, stay at least 6 car lengths behind the car in front of you. I usually maintain more distance than that.

I was thought to stay a least 2 seconds behind. This works whatever the speed you are going.

 

[Nerokis]

My biggest annoyance while driving are people who seem to take it upon themselves to decide the speed people should be able to go on the left lane. In practice, it's a dual purpose lane - maximizing speed, and passing other cars - and there are a lot of people out there who defeat the purpose of both by rigidly driving there more or less at the speed limit, refusing to move out of anyone's way. These are people who drive against the flow of traffic, and make the road less safe for everyone.

It takes time to master switching lanes, but once you do, absolutely utilize that skill. Don't hesitate to move around a slow, clunky car, for example; nor to switch back to your original lane if a car is quickly closing in on you. Everyone is much happier that way.

It should also be said, though, that tailgating someone is never a good thing to do. It's not the way to get someone to move out of your way, although a lot of impatient, expectant drivers seem to do so. If someone is driving ridiculously slow on the left lane, and is clearly not going to move out of your way, it's safer to drive around them than to sit directly behind them and wait.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

'speed of traffic' does not always equal the speed limit. The experiment basically fucked the natural order of how the general population drives, which is NOT a constant speed across all lanes.

I understand that but my point is "speed of traffic" probably won't work on a cop.

 

[Salih]

this thread is awesome. thanks guys for your input.

 

[Nappuccino]

My grandpa had the best advice ever: "Treat every other driver like they are idiots."

Pretty much, if you watch everyone around you and keep an eye on them because you never know when they'll do a stupid move or drop something hot in their lap, you'll have a better chance of avoiding an accident.

 

[Dog food is delicious]

I understand that but my point is "speed of traffic" probably won't work on a cop.

It doesn't. If you're getting pulled over it doesn't matter what anyone else did, for the most part.

 

[Silas Lang]

Keep a steady speed. Nothin more annoying than someone who is constantly slowing down or speeding up at inappropriate times. Also as others have mentioned, use turn signals.