According to Edgar Snyder's website, "Over 1/3 of drivers (37%) have sent or received text messages while driving, and 18% said they do it regularly." Etiquette is especially important when driving. You are not only in charge of your life, but the life of your passengers. Here are eight etiquette rules of the road.
1. Don't be a passing-lane tough a**-If someone is riding your ass in the left-hand lane, just let them pass you.There is no need to ride someone’s bumper, especially if that person is doing the speed limit. No one should be in such a hurry that they need to ride so close. Be sure to leave plenty of room in between you and the car in front of you to ensure adequate space for stopping. The left lane is known as the passing lane. This is in fact the lane that is used to pass others who may be going slow than you are. The same rules apply on the road as do the track at the gym or the walking trail. This lane is not to be used as a riding lane. It should only be used to pass others. If you plan on going slower than others, stay in the right lane.
2. Distractions, Distractions, Distractions(AGAIN!)- Just like in my Walkers Etiquette piece, if you are texting, tweeting, beating that next level of Candy Crush Saga, checking in on Foursquare to your favorite coffee shop to Instagram that picture of your $5 Grande soy vanilla no whip no foam (pay a dollar per word) latte, or applying eyeliner on while driving (make that any make up), isn't that important. Please pull over. It is completely obvious whenever you are driving and you are distracted doing something else. You are most likely the person who is continuously braking, going slower than the flow of traffic, swerving between lanes, and riding in the left lane. All you need to do is get up an extra 15 minutes before to finish these things before you head out! I know, needless to say, can be difficult but it CAN be done!
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3. Weather- We aren't Erie but we don't still get periods of heavy snow during the winter.Please be courteous of others and take the ten to fifteen minutes to brushas much of the snow off on your car as you can. This includes the roof. Nothing is more agitating then driving down the road being hit by the snow flying at you from the car in front of you, it’s like a blizzard for the people behind you.When it is raining/foggy/snowing out be sure to turn on your headlights. Failure to do so may result in an accident because during these conditions it can become increasingly difficult to see you.
4. Turn signals have we?- Sorry for the Yoda moment! However, these are used to communicate with the other drivers. Please have the decency for your safety and the safety of those around you and use them. No one is a mind reader and when you suddenly brake to make a turn without using the turn signal, you are causing a very hazardous situation. It is not that difficult to simply put your turn signal on before the turn to ensure that those around you are aware that you will be slowing down and turning.
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5. Merge='s yielding- Merging does not guarantee that the lane that you are trying to enter will be clear for you to safely do so, nor do the cars in that lane have to let you in. Therefore, yield, and wait for an opening before safely merging to another lane.
6. Changing lanes- Anytime you change lanes you should always check your rearview mirror first, then the side mirror closest to the lane that you are wanting to enter. If you cannot see the car in that lane’s headlights than you are too close and it is unsafe to move over, this would be cutting him off. You should always ensure that you see the car in that lanes headlights in your rearview mirror to ensure an adequate distance is available for you to safely move over.
7. Brakes- It is not necessary to continuously hit your brakes for no apparent reason. When driving, you should always keep up a steady pace to keep up with the flow of traffic. Continuous braking disrupts this flow and can cause accidents.
8. Entering the highway or any roadway- When entering a roadway, you are to first enter into the closest lane and then you may move over. You are not to get onto the highway and go all the way across two or three lanes to the far left lane. Simply work your way through each lane to the left if you must be over there.
So there you have it, eight rules of the road. Stay safe and safe travels!
2011 Distracted Driving Statistics here: http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics...
2010 PennDot Crash Facts/Statistics here: (PDF)- ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/Bureaus/HighwaySafety/Web%20Development...
Blogger Note: Special thank you too Miranda Slebonick, editor Amanda Gillooly, and fellow blogger Scott Stillwell for helping provide me some of these tips!