Dont Be A Crash Test Dummy

www.CrashProofDrivers.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. What Your Teenage Driver Must Know 2. Dont Talk Yourself to Death 3. Bad Habits Most Drivers Dont Know They Have 4. What Should be Found in Every Car 5. Wisdom of the Senior Driver 6. Avoiding Road Rage 7. Hidden Ways Your Car Can Kill You 8. How to Change Lanes Without Taking Your Eyes Off the Road 9. Sharing the Road With the Big Rigs 10. Why Are Traffic Laws Becoming Stricter? 11. Sounds and Signs That Mean Stop Your Car NOW! 12. Become an Offensive Driver 13. Its the Defense That Wins Championships 14. Avoid the Dumb Accidents 15. Safe Driving Is Serious, So Lets Stop For a Laugh

TESTIMONIALS
I received the Maxi View Mirrors and they do exactly what they claim they do. They are easy to attach and look as though they are part of the original equipment. They dont impede on the original mirror view at all, and the extra margin of safety they offer is great. Even in a household where cars are shared and different drivers may forget to adjust the mirrors as they should, the Maxi View Mirror eliminates blind spots. The quality and the view they offer far exceed anything I have seen in auto parts stores and I am glad to get them not only for myself but for everyone in the family. D. Ferguson, Missouri. I have an in-home fitness training business, so I am on the road quite a bit traveling to and from my client's home. MaxiView has removed so much stress on the freeways and surface streets because I KNOW I see the entire road without turning my head to see what is in my blind spot. When I drive a rental car and forget to put the mirrors on it, my drive is much more stressful. The technology of the car manufacturers to put sensors on vehicles for blind spots is a cost you can save with this simple product. I highly endorse this product! Once you start driving with these mirrors, you will never go back. Thomas Hadley, Irvine, CA.

As a real estate agent, staying in touch with my clients is critical. With ZoomSafer, I am not only safe and legal while driving but Im also still connected I take my phone calls hands-free and because the software automatically responds to text and emails my clients know I am driving but will get back to them shortly. My clients appreciate the rapid response as well as my social responsibility to not text and drive. Joseph Evans, Remax

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1. WHAT YOUR TEEN DRIVER MUST KNOW

A section for teens and parents to discuss together! There is nothing more exciting to a teenager than getting a drivers license and being given the privilege of driving without parents. There is nothing more heartbreaking than the death of a young driver or the friends that were passengers in the car. This chapter is not just for parents wanting to know what to tell their teenagers about the dangers of driving, but also to communicate to all ages why teens get into so many accidents and what makes driving so much more dangerous to the younger driver. This is not information based on just government or insurance company statistics, but also on the responses of teenagers themselves. Parents must not only set rules, but must also ask questions of their teenage drivers. Both parents and teens must be able to discuss and understand that the dangers of driving and the punishment for breaking laws are beyond the control of either of you. The teenage driver has a lot to learn, but he or she also knows more about what they are doing in the car, what is distracting and what is helpful to them than most adults do. I hope that whether you are a parent or teenager who is reading this section you remember that it is true that a teenager has a great deal to learn, but he also has ideas and desires that you may be able to accept. If you are a teenager who is old enough to drive, you must have the ability to listen and understand an explanation of why driving responsibly is not just a motto or a set of rules made by boring old people. The parent is in the frightening position of giving a new form of freedom that comes with a great deal of

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danger. The teen driver must recognize that there are events and decisions that occur in driving that he has never faced before and that the freedom to drive comes with a great deal of responsibility. The driver of a car has the ability to cause pain, costly expenses and possible death to themselves and those around them. They should realize the parent is not only concerned for their safety but that by allowing the use of their car they are placing trust in them that could cause them tremendous sorrow or expense. Even a traffic violation or an accident in which no one is injured will cause financial damage to the parents in the form of raised insurance rates or even canceled insurance, as long as the driver is on their policy. If the driver causes damage by doing something with the car that the insurance does not cover, the car owner can face a lawsuit that could wipe out their financial resources. It may seem like just a corny saying, that driving is not a right but a privilege, but its absolutely true. Just because you have enough candles on your birthday cake to be legal does not mean you should be behind the wheel of a car. It may be frustrating, but it's okay if you need a little more time to have the judgment and patience to drive a car. Everyone knows somebody who claims his folks let him drive when he was thirteen. What a lucky guy. If hes not lying then he and his parents are all lucky. Hes lucky to be alive and his parents are lucky not to be sitting in a rented shack because it took everything they owned to pay fines and damages. The body and mind both need to mature enough to handle the physical and emotional demands of driving, and you have to work at it. You may be surprised how many people your age are not driving, many because they

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themselves dont feel ready. The ones that care about you and the ones that are smart enough to have an opinion that matters will be able to respect the decision to wait until Ive had a little more practice. Parents must recognize the abilities and limits of their own children. Giving in to make them happy can bring the greatest misery of their lives. Dont settle for the state requirements and high school driving certificate as the measure of your son or daughters right to drive. Ask your teenager what he feels confident in or nervous about behind the wheel. Most teenagers are so surprised when you actually talk to them as equals that you may be surprised at what intelligent and logical answers you receive. It may be something that strikes you as simple, which is the very thing that the new driver has trouble with. Remember how difficult it is for a teenager, especially a boy, to acknowledge being unskilled or nervous about driving. Its even okay to let them know that you have weak areas in your driving that you have to work harder at (and its still okay when they start reminding you of this and giving you advice a month after they get their licenses). Spend all the time in the car with them that you can, and evaluate their ability not only to put the car neatly next to the curb but also to decide when to give that child on the sidewalk a careful look and a wide berth, and whether its worthwhile to pound the horn at the little old lady at the stop sign. I remember my father deciding I didnt need to be driving any further one day when I drove at full speed through a deep puddle, heedless of the lady on the sidewalk. Denying driving privileges because of failure to clean up a room or for lying about completing homework is not just a

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means of punishment; these behaviors are a measure of the same maturity and responsibility it takes to be a safe driver.

Those rotten old statistics: Motor vehicle accidents are the reason for one third of the deaths of teenagers. More than illnesses, more than sports injuries; more than all other reasons for teenage death combined. More even than embarrassment, which many teenagers fear more than death but, by itself has yet to kill anyone (even the embarrassment of having your dad drive you somewhere in the minivan with the My Kid is an Honor Student bumper sticker). Per mile driven, teen drivers are several times more likely to be in a crash than any other age group. Aside from the 3,500 teenagers killed (think about that; probably more kids than there are in your whole school are killed each year, every one of them with friends and families, hopes and plans) in 2008, over 350,000 were taken to emergency rooms from car accidents. Try to imagine how many survived but were crippled physically or mentally disabled by head injuries or scarred or faced months of painful and expensive treatment. This is not about scaring you, but when you picture yourself or someone you know going through these things, maybe parental warnings wont seem so stupid and the laws too strict and meaningless.

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Boy drivers were more than twice as likely to be involved in crashes as girls, and girls are more likely to be speeding or drinking. This still means that an awful lot of girls are in accidents, and many are doing the same dumb things. Insurance rates have traditionally been lower for girls than boys, but that has been changing in recent years as the numbers get closer. By the way, studying actually does pay off. Good grades make your insurance rates cheaper. This is a test of your comprehension: Teenage drivers are more likely to underestimate hazards or fail to recognize dangerous situations. Now, did I just say that teenagers are stupid? One sign of the maturity and reason needed to be a good driver is to be able to tell facts from insults. Parents: This test is a reminder that a good teacher must be able to give facts without being insulting. The teenage brain has not fully developed in areas that affect judgment. This is a fact, and it outweighs things like youths faster reflexes and better eyesight when it comes to driving. This is why, even more than an adult, a young driver must learn to use his safety belts, clear the car of distractions, and make sure he has every advantage in the form of clear windows and the best blind-spot mirrors.

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If you want to play the guitar, you start with slower melodies and scales. If you try to play the screaming licks from your favorite bands, you will fumble until your muscle memory and coordination develop with practice. You might be frustrated but you recognize that there is no way to force your mind and body to do what they are not yet ready to do, so you work within your abilities as you progress. If you try to play harder material than you are ready for on the guitar, you just look silly and sound bad. If you try to drive faster or in situations beyond your abilities, you can look and sound very bad, indeed, and you can take others down with you. Acknowledge your limitations, and not only will you stay safe but also you will earn the trust of those who control your driving privileges. Many states limit the number or ages of passengers in a car driven by a teen. This is one of the most annoying laws for a young driver to deal with. After all, the whole point of driving is to go where you want to with your friends. The problem is your friends can get you killed when you are a young driver, and you can do the same to them. Teen passengers in the car increase the risk of accidents with a young person driving, and the more passengers the higher the risk. In a survey of over 5,000 high school students from across the country, 94% (if youre sick of math, just say almost every doggone one of them) see teenage passengers doing something that was distracting to the driver. 75% of these students reported seeing teenagers driving while fatigued, which is another chronic problem for teen drivers. School, homework, parttime jobs, athletic events and social activities keep teenagers at a pace that would put a lot of adults in intensive

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care, and most young people are sleep deprived to some degree. Most accidents involving teenagers occur between 3 pm and midnight and during the weekends. By the way, you parents might like to know that 66% of the students surveyed said they cared about their parents opinions on cellphone use while driving and 56% said they relied on their parents when learning to drive. Thats nice to know and important to remember. You have more influence than anyone else in your son or daughters life. Not just in driving. You cant be perfect but dont ever waste that gift or avoid that responsibility. Laws and rules do not make as much impact on drivers as having real responsibility. Many parents foot the entire bill for insurance and even give the young driver a car. It is a better gift and makes for a better driver if the teen must pay for the additional insurance costs either by earning the money or through chores. A car will definitely be treated with more respect if the teenager must earn it. Cell phone use and texting are deadly to teenage drivers, partly because they are doing it more than any other group. The dangers of phoning and texting have been covered thoroughly in other areas, and, like any distraction, the risks are much higher for the inexperienced driver. Most texting teens are proud of their prowess, and certainly teens can baffle their parents with the dexterity they show with a cell phone. Dexterity does not change the fact that the driver who is texting is four times more likely to have an accident.

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Teenagers do not want their parents to know that they talk or text while driving; however, peer pressure is huge for teens. But studies show that a parent often has more influence on their son or daughters decision than they expect. The top answer stimulating the end of cell phone use while driving was losing the drivers license. The typical drivers education course is about 30 hours of classroom and 6 or more hours in the car. The student must also log 20 hours or more practice driving with a licensed driver. Then if you pass the test you are considered ready, with some limitations, to be in control of a 3,000-pound instrument of destruction. Compare this with the hundreds of hours of training and supervision required before you are allowed to do other things, from putting in plumbing to giving a massage. It takes a college degree, years of experience, and successful examinations to be a licensed landscape architect, which is defined as the person who arranges features of the landscape and garden attractively. With all due respect to their knowledge and skill, there are very few petunia-planting fatalities. Countries that have more demanding licensure requirements have fewer accidents and fatalities. Australia safety organizations recommend at least 120 hours of parent-supervised driving, and their crash rates are much lower than the U.S.'s. Being a competent driver takes more than meeting the minimum requirement. The hours spent learning to drive will pay off in years to enjoy life. Who is the best teacher of an up-and-coming driver? We already know the greatest influence on the young driver

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is the parent; and, if you are a good driver, then all is well with the world. Certainly the parent should be involved and interested in the young drivers progress and proficiency, but this is a time for honesty. Ask your teenager if he or she considers you a good driver. You may have to promise no punishment, probably in front of witnesses and possibly in writing, before you get an honest answer. Almost no one wants to admit they are a bad driver. Its like being told you have no sense of humor; the first response is denial, usually followed by anger. The sense-of-humor accusation is often then followed by an embarrassing attempt at a joke or, in truly grim situations, an impersonation. At least when someone is told they drive badly they dont insist that everyone pile into the car for a demonstration. Ask others for an honest opinion, not only of your driving but also of your patience and ability to instruct. Take advice. Its good for the moral fiber. The problem is that even if you are a reasonably good driver you may be a terrible teacher. It can be nerve wracking to control your temper when your child is grinding gears or scraping the tires against the curb, and if you cannot control your temper the driving practice will be a nightmare for both of you. Remember, whether she admits to it or not, your child is nervous and unsure and wants to learn quickly not only for her own confidence but also to please you. Even if its a smart-alecky, goofy-haired kid whose music has surely killed your brain cells, he needs your patience and wants to impress you with his driving. Taking the wheel of a car is probably the biggest step in a persons life up that point. It can be a time when relationships are healed and strengthened or when

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nervousness and frustration bring out the worst in both of you. The new driver knows you are nervous and out of your element, so showing a calm and reasonable demeanor will help ingrain that approach to driving as well as making the time together pleasant and successful.

Remember that the driving student is doing everything for the first time and must think through every move. While you can see the gap, hit the turn signal, give more gas, check your mirrors and scratch your nose simultaneously. The new driver has not developed muscle memory and reflexes to accomplish all these things and get directions at the same time. You must be able to give instructions clearly and concisely. If you cannot say, Follow that red truck on to the ramp and then go right at the light, its not good enough to shout, Hey, go where that guy goes. No. That guy! Turn.nonot yet! Many school districts provide driver's education programs, and if those are not available in your area, there should be some other professional training available. It is often best to have the course taught professionally simply because it is easier for the student to make mistakes with a teacher rather than a parent. The professionals will teach the basics thoroughly and in a way that will meet the licensing requirements and will be

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up on recent traffic regulations or changes that you might not be aware of. Be sure that you are involved in practicing with the person who will soon be soloing in your car and that you read the manuals so that you are on the same page as the driving instructor. Of course, make sure the school is reputable and licensed, if it is a private company. Even if you have worn a comfortable slouching groove in the drivers seat and have some disagreements with what the instructor says is the right way to position the seat or grip the wheel, try to compromise and explain or discuss when the car is not in motion and pick your battles. The young driver needs basic, safe techniques that are taught consistently. Save corrections while driving for those things that are important and which must be done for safe and legal driving and which other aspects of being a good driver techniques are built on. Do not try to fine-tune every move or dictate every twitch of the wheel. Remember to give credit for good moves. Your son or daughter may roll his or her eyes when you say something as inane as, That was a good smooth turn, but it doesnt hurt a bit. While your teen is studying the manual or attending class, prepare a checklist of information she might need when she begins driving alone. List phone numbers to call in the event of breakdown or accident, insurance information and towing services. Make sure that they understand that you know mistakes will happen and honesty is the right way to deal with accidents or tickets. Learn to control your temper and make sure they know your first concern is their safety. While the most worry and most time is often devoted to high-speed driving, the mall parking lot and parallel

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parking are where more accidents will take place. Parallel parking is one of the most difficult skills to learn and demands the ability to judge space and distance. The driver must show patience and develop recognition of the perspective the mirrors provide. This can seem boring and slow, but it needs to be a large part of driving practice. Remember that gaps in traffic are difficult to judge for the new driver. Better to let easy ones go by than to rush at the wrong moment. Remember when you are judging the moment to turn into traffic you are used to seeing it, deciding, hitting the gas (your turn signal was already on, wasnt it?), and turning the wheel, all nearly simultaneously. When you are out practicing with your student, you must see it, say it, and he or she must hear it, process it and relay all those messages for the physical movements required. The essence of learning is patience, and of learning to drive is speed and distance. The young driver has better reflexes than someone even ten years older. His vision is usually sharper and his hearing is often better. Yet the young driver has more accidents and more moving violations than other age groups. The first explanation is judgment, which, as we have already discussed, is to some extent beyond his control. Until that faculty completely matures, which studies suggest is at about age 25 (and which, wives say, in men is probably never), the young driver must compensate by driving slower, allowing more space between vehicles, and having fewer distractions. Unfortunately these are all the things a young person finds most difficult to do. The younger driver is most likely to be speeding, and remember that speeding is not just going

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beyond the number on the sign; it is driving at any speed in which you cannot stop or react safely, in rainy or snowy weather, on gravel roads, or when you are not at your best because you are tired or have been drinking. Of course you should not be drinking at all, but there is no question it is one of the most common problems among teen drivers, and it would be foolish to ignore it. In 2008, 25% of all teen drivers killed had blood alcohol levels greater than the legal limit, and alcohol at any level is more disruptive for a teen drivers abilities than to an older person. It is infuriating that someone had to illegally sell or give these irreplaceable young men and women the means to kill themselves and other people, and, more often than not, friends were available that knew the driver should not be behind the wheel before he or she ended or ruined his life and those of others. And the reason for this insanity is fun. Being a teenager is often tough, as hard as any career, and sometimes seems to come with fewer choices. It is certainly understandable and even right for young people to seek all the laughter and fun they can. But you deserve real fun, and real laughter, and real fellowship, and none of those things need come with regret. If your situation or friendship needs alcohol or drugs to make it better, you are being cheated and sold a second-rate act. I realize that this may seem preachy, but it is too important and too sad that teenagers are faced with so many choices for things that seem good for such a few minutes and yet destroy lifetimes. There simply is no safe amount of alcohol for a teenager to drink when he or she may be behind the wheel of a car. Remember that you have the right to protect yourself. Far too many of those injured in accidents were the passengers of a drunken driver. Do not let yourself be placed in that

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position. If you cannot stop a drunken friend from driving, get out of the car, and be a true friend and call police. A persons desire to keep a license or a friendship does not excuse the risk of the lives of others. Many medical workers will tell you that it seems that it is always the innocents hit by a drunken driver that are more seriously injured than the one that caused it. If you are a teenager drinking or using any type of drug to enjoy your social life, do something unimaginable and very brave. Talk to your family. It is not true that you need it, and it is a rather cowardly lie that Everyone does it. But it is very difficult to know for yourself if you are able to handle it (How many people have you ever heard admit that they couldnt?) and much more difficult to overcome these habits without help. Even bad days are a precious part of your life, and the good ones and really fun memories are too valuable to be lost to alcohol and hangovers. Parents: Ask your teenagers about using alcohol or dope, including marijuana. Dont accuse but ASK. Dont accuse but dont condone either. If you want to be their friend, care enough to ask and care enough to face scary answers. You may be amazed at the fact that your son or daughter is willing and maybe waiting to talk about these things. If you drink or use weed, get legal yourself. If you can honestly say you can drink responsibly and dont take any risks of driving when you know you have had more alcohol than is safe (and that is very little), then you can have a reasonable discussion. If you are one of the many who cant drink a little without drinking a lot, your child is already well aware of that, and perhaps you can help each other. Some people cannot drink at all without drinking all

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thats there (most teenagers are in this category), and it is not weakness to admit that and simply avoid the risk. Some parents dont want to be called hypocrites. This is too important. Get OVER It! This may have all seemed over the top, but just one drinking episode can cost your life and those of others. Some risks are just too great and losses too painful. Talking about this subject, patiently and wisely, may do wonderful things in many areas of your relationship far beyond knowing your son or daughter is driving safely. A teen who can say that they have to check in when they get home and that their parents check for traces or alcohol or smoke often benefit in the form of reduced peer pressure. Road-rage incidents are more common for younger drivers than older ones. The fact that emotions are closer to the surface for younger people is natural, but it means that the young driver must give more space to other drivers and be willing to ignore stupid mistakes or aggressive driving. Losing your temper puts you in the wrong and often in danger. Learn to take a deep breath and let the incident go by. Let the other guy act stupidly, and be proud that you know that the few moments of dealing with an irritating driver have no importance in your life. Sometimes it seems that the teenager never gets a break from being warned, taught or scolded. Lets get something straight, boys and girls (I bet you hate being called that): There is nothing wrong with you. You are young, unique, have your own personalities and interests, and you are valuable. You are not stupid and you are not here just to be bossed around. The things that affect your driving and safety also affect the driving of parents, teachers,

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and people of all ages; and the more you know now the longer and better your life will be. Dont hesitate to say and demonstrate that you know and understand these things to older people. Be courteous and patient; we learn slower as we age. Still, distractions and driving errors are more common and more dangerous to young people simply because they have more of them and they do not have experience to help balance the risks. That is why it is important to minimize all the risks and distractions you can. Cell phones and texting are far ahead of the field in contributing to accidents and fatalities, but other distractions that contribute much more to young people than to adults are passengers, some of whom actually think its funny to try to bug the driver. There is no possible way to claim to be mature if you do that or allow it in your car. Music is a big part of most teenagers lives and personalities. Played too loud it can affect your attention and also drown out warning sounds from your engine, horns or shouts from people and cars around you, and, most humiliatingly, that wailing noise from the car with all the flashing lights filling up your rear-view mirror.

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The few seconds it takes to change the radio tuner or replace a CD are often enough for the driver to veer into another lane or collide with another vehicle. Eating and drinking in the car are done more by younger drivers and are the cause of accidents not only through not paying attention due to reaching for food or obscuring your vision with the sandwich or cup but also by not being able to grip the wheel. Many one-car accidents are caused by spilling drinks and jerking the wheel in reflex. Other objects in the car can be equally distracting, such as books or packages on the seats or floor that can shift and distract your attention or slide or roll under the brake or gas pedals. Make the drivers seat your own. Even though this causes irritation between drivers sharing the same car, you must position the seat and the mirrors to give you the best control and the best view around you. Mirrors are your eyes in many situations. Purchase high-quality wide-view mirrors and attach them properly. Do not try to compensate by leaning or slumping. It only takes a moment to make the adjustments you need to be able to see better and react

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faster, as well as to prevent becoming tired or cramped while driving. Teenagers are the least likely drivers to use seat belts, and this neglect is responsible for more frequent and more severe injuries. Remember that many areas use Graduated Driver Licensing systems, allowing different levels of independence. The license may restrict the beginning drivers from driving at night or with passengers in the car. These systems allow more freedom as the driver gets older or has more time as a licensed driver. If you are in an accident remember to stay calm and evaluate what needs to be done. Do not lose your temper or panic. Call for help. Get to a safe place and assist anyone who is injured. Do not try to move any injured people unless they are in danger of fire or oncoming traffic. Place flares or reflectors as needed. Let the professionals help and guide you through whatever is needed. Driving is fun, and driving safely makes it fun for a whole lot longer. Lets Recap: Taking the wheel is usually the most challenging step in a teens life up to that point. Learning to drive is a time for both teens and adults to learn about safety and each other. The greatest influence on how a beginner drives is the parent.

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The teen has a lot at stake when learning to drive, but parents are risking a great deal in allowing the use of the car. Give each other some slack. Per mile driven, teens are more likely to be involved in an accident than any other age group Judgment does not fully develop until about age 25. There is no shame in driving within this limitation. Teen drivers underestimate or do not recognize hazards; allow more space than you think you need. Alcohol affects any driver but has greater effect in smaller amounts on teens. Parent or teen, dont wait for the other to talk about drinking or other safety issues. Financial responsibility is an great motivator. Phone Use and Texting are the number one distraction for teens in accidents. Young passengers in the car greatly increase the rate of accidents for teen drivers. Recognize the higher levels of energy, emotion, anxiety, and exhaustion that teens deal with. Parents, spend all the time you can with your young driver, but recognize your own limits. Eliminate all distractions from the car Set the seat, steering wheel and mirrors for the individual driver.

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Get Maxi View Mirrors to improve your childs safety. The first few years of driving may have special limitations on the license. Remember, Its about safety, not punishment. If you are in a crash, stay calm, get into a safe place; call for help and place flares or reflectors as needed.

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2. DONT TALK YOURSELF TO DEATH

Did she mean to text I love you when the air bag hit the phone? Driving distractions come in all shapes and sizes when we drive. Eating, reading, putting on makeup, peoplewatching, or looking at maps are all common mistakes many people make. Every one of these steals your attention from the road and places you in a position that can ruin or end your life or the lives of others. What follows is mostly about phoning and texting, the most common driving distractions today, but please remember that the car is traveling just as fast and you are taking just much risk if you try to do any of those things that take your eye and mind off the road, or your hands off the wheel. We have all seen people drifting unevenly down the road as they chat into their phone, letting go of the wheel to make gestures that the caller cannot see. Maybe you arent that bad. Perhaps you face forward and keep one hand on the wheel as you discuss small events and great thoughts with your friends, but the fact is you cant be as good a driver as you should be if you are trying to communicate with people who are not in the car. For the purposes of this discussion we are referring only to earthbound people and talking to them by phone, and especially texting. Attempts at telepathy or spirit contact are even more demanding and distracting but would take too much time to go into. There has been a great deal of discussion in the news and chat shows about the use of phones and texting while driving. Twenty-nine states have already passed laws banning texting and more are in the process. Even if it

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seems that the lawmakers are just a bunch of spoil-sports trying to control everybody or make money from fines, traffic laws really are designed to keep you safe, and there is logic and science behind most of them. Some controversy is added because in some places the laws restrict texting only to younger drivers, and you may think this is very unfair. You have a good point. Texting is distracting at any age, and there is no reason to be typing away while you try to drive no matter how long you have been driving. The only slight reasoning behind placing more restrictions on young people is that younger people tend to do more talking and texting and the older driver may have enough experience to respond instinctively to hazards even if not fully focused. That slight advantage is not enough. Anyone in control of more than a ton of steel and glass, traveling at over 95 feet per second, should be using all their faculties to keep themselves and the rest of us safe.

THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION!

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Its true that teens and young drivers have much faster reflexes than older drivers, but that is balanced somewhat by needing more time to make decisions due to inexperience. Now, add texting and your reaction time is slowed by 30%. In fact, texting can slow a young persons response time to that of a 70-year-old, so put the phone down or let grandpa drive. The fastest human reaction time is about half a second, which means if you are going 55 miles an hour, your car will travel over 40 feet by the time you start to deal with some sudden change. Depending on the person and any distractions, reaction time can take several seconds and hundreds of feet. Dont convince yourself you are the exception no matter your age or skill. Ego gets people killed! Every person being lifted into an ambulance or looking at the wreckage of cars or lives felt able to multi-task and take care of himself and the car. Think back over every conversation you have had for the last few weeks, and try to imagine one that would have been worth even damage to your car, let alone injury to yourself or someone else. Lets do the statistics thing

You may think numbers are boring, but they tell a story and they tell the truth. You can ignore the statistics on

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roulette if you want to, but the casino still gets your money. Ignore the facts on driving distractions and the highway can get your blood. If you care enough about being a good driver to be reading this, then you are intelligent enough to know how stupid it is to drink and drive, yet texting is about six times more likely than driving while intoxicated to cause an accident. Over 21% of fatal accidents involving drivers 19 and under involves texting while driving. Thats more than one out of five, and the percentage gets higher each year. Think of five people you care about and try to decide which one is expendable for the chance to talk or text just a little bit sooner. 25% of accidents are caused by cell phone use. The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis reported that cell phone use is estimated to contribute to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries (dont try to play the odds with that statement; remember that its a serious injury if it happens to you), and 2,600 deaths per year. The University of Utah simulator studies show that there is no reduction of risk using hands-free devices rather than hand-held phones. Before you compare talking on the phone to just talking to someone in the car with you; the U. of U. also found that it is significantly safer to talk to the passenger. The Human Factors and Ergonomics study showed that someone using a cell phone is much slower to react to brake lights and slower to regain speed after braking, so you are a danger from the front and the back.

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From the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute: Texting is the most dangerous of phone-related activities. Truck drivers were 23.2 times more likely to have a crash or near-crash while texting than when not distracted. Remember these are pros who drive for a living. Eighty percent of accidents are caused by distracted drivers, and there may be more dangerous activities than using cell phones but that is the one that occurs more often and for longer periods. Cell phone use is the number one driver distraction. The numbers go on and on, and there simply are none that would make you think driving and cell phones, whether texting or talking, is worth the risk. It only takes a few minutes to pull off the road and communicate important messages. Its about more than safety I mentioned ego earlier, in the sense that you should not convince yourself you are an exception to reaction times and statistics. Now Id like you to think about self-respect, which some people confuse with being egotistical, but is not the same. Respect for yourself and others is a very good reason to leave texting and phone calls for when you are not driving. You deserve to be safe and to not be put into dangerous situations. You deserve to treat yourself with this kind of respect and you deserve to have friends and family to treat you this way also. The time in the car is a wonderful time to relax and clear your mind. Sometimes it is the closest thing to privacy we get. For centuries people could not communicate every thought that came into their head without even seeing the

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person they were talking to. This doubtless prevented both fights and unwise relationships. The people who wait to hear from you appreciate your time and company. Im sure you realize how meaningless so much of your conversation is when you simply talk for hours because the phone allows you to do so, and you are simply filling in silences. To put it crudely, some people call this kind of chatter a mind vomit. No thought and no value. When you wait to talk to someone, and you know your time with them is limited, you both tend to think about what you want to say and consider the other persons interest and reaction. It feels good to use your mind to express yourself the best way you can, instead of relying simply on the number of words spoken. Respect for yourself and others are great trade-offs for the dubious convenience of wireless chat. Texting is much more distracting than talking, and your car travels a surprising distance in the time it takes you to read a text message. If you take only 3 seconds to read a message while driving on the expressway, your car will travel the length of a football field before you even look up to see what is coming.

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Notice the distance in car lengths . There are plenty of statistics and studies to show how dangerous texting and driving is, but you already know why. Not only are you distracted by the conversation; you are taking your eyes off the road to read, you use more of your concentration to type than to speak, and of course you have at least one hand off the wheel. One more little note about respect: It is rude to text when you are with other people. You will find that those who disagree only do so depending on their place in the situation. Texting while in the company of others serves to exclude those people. The one text message that should be acceptable while driving is in the nature of: He has a gun, hes hearing voices, and we just crossed the state line... There is time to enjoy conversations (or snacks, or books, or having great hair or makeup), and a time to be a safe and courteous driver with a healthy future. Knowing

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when to do the one helps ensure a lifetime of the others.

LETS RECAP: A few seconds distraction can mean a lifetime of regret (or no lifetime at all). A car at 55 miles per hour travels over 80 feet per second. 80% of accidents are caused by distracted drivers: Texting Phones Eating Drinking Changing radio or other music player Using GPS or other device Reading Watching video of some type Make-up or shaving Anger at other drivers Emotional upset If you can think of it, people have probably tried to do it while driving. Anything taking your focus from driving or hands from the wheel is a distraction.

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Cell phone use is the number one driver distraction. Texting slows your reaction time by over 30%. Texting is the most dangerous phone-related activity. More than one fifth of teenage driving deaths are related to texting. Texting while driving is illegal in most states. Young people are most likely to text, but the risks from distractions affect all ages. You deserve to drive safely without distractions.

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3. BAD HABITS MOST DRIVERS DONT KNOW THEY HAVE

Many people do careless things without even realizing it, or dont understand how dangerous some of their behavior is. While some of these habits may not seem as dangerous as others you might think of, the very number of people doing them and the frequency that they take place make them a high priority for change. The behavior that makes number one on just about any list of high-risk driving habits is texting, and talking on a cell phone runs close behind. The idea that a quick phone call is that you will only talk for a very short time ignores the fact that the act of dialing or reaching to answer a phone is more distracting than the actual conversation. Even drinking while intoxicated causes fewer accidents than phone use. There has been much more written elsewhere on driving while distracted, and this section is about other, sometimes subtle errors. Consider whether any of the things on this list hit close to home. Speeding is almost too easy to list, but just saying everybody does it is not an excuse any adult should be using, and there is more to consider than just the number on the street sign. The simple idea of driving the posted speed limit is not the most important factor in how fast you drive, although of course going faster than the limit will get you a ticket. Studies show that speed as a factor in collisions is usually because the driver is going too fast for conditions. Far too often we drive at the speed that is posted or that we are used to driving in a familiar area but which is far too fast when the pavement is wet or icy. Materials spilled from

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trucks can ruin traction and obstacles, or road damage can limit room to maneuver and damage your cars steering or braking components. Rain, snow or fog can reduce visibility. Be aware of road and weather conditions and adjust your speed accordingly. The amount and type of traffic is a factor, too. Allow for unusual motor traffic but also pedestrians in the area, especially children. Adjust speed to your own condition too; certainly if you have had any alcohol or are using medications, but also if you are tired, ill, anxious or distracted. Sometimes the only right speed is what you can achieve by walking. Tailgating is a habit that many people do regularly but almost all would deny, yet those same people are very aware of when someone is following them too closely. Some people tailgate because they feel that they can intimidate the person ahead into moving aside or picking up speed; this type of tailgater is also often the one flashing his headlights at the car ahead. The most likely result of this behavior is to distract or temporarily blind the person in front of you from the lights in his mirror, or to cause him to become irritated or anxious. This means his driving judgment will be poor, and that makes two of you. Tailgating obviously makes accidents more likely. Remember that the one in the rear is almost always considered at fault. It is a trigger to many road-rage incidents. What tailgating will rarely do is get you to your destination much faster.

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Sometimes tailgaters are simply not experienced enough to realize what the safe distance is from the car ahead. Its not enough to estimate some fixed space such as 2 car lengths, because the distance it takes to react and stop increases with speed. A simple means of keeping a safe distance is to make sure you are at least 2 seconds behind the car ahead. Watch for a fixed object such as a road sign or tree and as the car ahead passes count slowly: 0ne-one-thousand, two-one-thousand; if you reach the marker before two seconds have passed, you are following too closely. If conditions are slippery or foggy, allow a longer gap, preferably double the length or more. Remember your closeness to the car in front of you has nothing to do with how fast you get where you are going. Turning signals are not just there so you can be polite to the drivers around you if you choose to. The use of turn signals is required by law and can save you from serious accidents. Remember the people around you are capable of

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hitting your car with more than 30 tons of force even if driving less than 30 miles an hour. Its a good idea to give those people all the warning and cooperation you can. Turning signals are to be used when you are making a turn or changing lanes. Signal about 100 feet before the turn. Use your turning signals every time it is called for, regardless if you think you are alone on the road or not. Not only do you want to have the habit of signaling ingrained so strongly that you do it without thinking, but this is exactly the situation when collisions often occur. In those times that you feel like you are alone on the road and need not worry about signaling, someone that you have not seen may be approaching and your signal would alert them to your move and save you both. It is probably more common to fail to signal when changing lanes than when turning a corner and also more dangerous. You may suspect a person at an intersection is going to turn, but there is no way to predict when a person is going to move into your lane unless they signal. Aside from the chance of accident, do not underestimate the anger and frustration that people experience when taken by surprise by a thoughtless driver. In these days of road rage, simple courtesy is not only the right way to behave; it can save your life. In newer cars, turning signals are made to automatically turn off when the steering wheel is straightened after the turn is complete, but it is not uncommon for this feature to fail. Be sure that your signal is not flashing when you are not planning a turn. This can be as dangerous as not signaling, for example, if you are driving

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straight through an intersection when other drivers expect you to turn. Some cars have a warning tone that will sound if your signal stays on too long. There are no mechanical devices to remind you to turn your turn signal on, but a good substitute if you have kids or grandkids is to teach them when you are supposed to signal; An excellent method for this is to angrily point out other drivers who failed to use signals. After that, your kids will almost certainly remind you every time you turn or change lanes without moving that simple little lever and making the signal click and flash. Know when to use your high beams. Laws may vary depending on your locale, but typically you must dim the lights if you are within 500 feet of cars traveling toward you and 300 feet of a car ahead, moving in the same direction. Be courteous to pedestrians and bicyclists as well. The high beams are designed to be used, and you should take advantage of the improved vision they afford, but dont forget how blinding they can be. A person being blinded by high beams can become disoriented and drift from his lane. Remember that wildlife will often freeze when hit with bright lights but may also become confused and blindly rush into your path. It is common practice to flash your own high beams on and quickly off when meeting someone whose brights are in your eyes. In some places this is illegal. Some people also use this as a signal to oncoming drivers that there is a police car ahead. Police tend not to appreciate this dubious method of good fellowship, and it is probably wiser to assume that the folks you meet are driving the speed limit. The other common and dangerous response to

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meeting someone who does not dim their lights is to put your own high beams on and leave them until the other person dims theirs. Of course, now both of you are dazzled and quite often there is a clash of wills between bright lights and dim drivers. Sometimes this occurs because one driver simply doesn't realize his lights are on high and he thinks he is the wronged party. It's best to assume the other driver is not intentionally being a pain in order to keep your own temper and judgment. A better response when meeting a person who does not dim their lights is to leave your lights on dim and direct your eyes toward the left edge of your lane. The bright lights are much less dazzling when seen with your peripheral vision, and your eyes will adjust much more quickly when the other driver has passed.

Scratches and smears on your windshield make bright lights much more blinding. Keep your windshield clean and maintained. Fog or snow can reflect the light from

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your own high beams back at you, making the situation worse. Use the right light for conditions. Turning safely is an art. One of the most common driving errors everywhere is made when there is more than one turning lane. The proper way to turn from one multi-lane street onto another is to stay in the lane you start from. If there are two lanes for turning left and you are in the lane furthest to the right, then you will stay in that position throughout your turn and be in the same lane on the road you turn onto. It is most common to see people drift toward the inner lane as they turn, but some drift outward, possibly to position themselves for another turn down the road. There are too many things happening in that situation, with oncoming traffic and those behind you and beside you to keep track of. Remain in the same lane position until you are out of the intersection and traveling down the street you have entered, and then safely change lanes if you need to. If you are turning left onto a one-way street, you always turn onto the left-most lane of that street. When trying to turn left at an intersection when the light is green, you must, of course, wait for an opening in oncoming traffic. If no other left-turning vehicle is already in the intersection in front of you, you may enter the intersection and turn when there is a safe opening or when the light turns red and oncoming traffic stops. Use your turn signals, but keep your wheels pointed straight until you actually begin your turn. That way, if you are hit from behind, you will not be driven into oncoming traffic. There is such a thing as being too polite. When you are at an intersection controlled by stop signs rather than

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lights, the first to arrive is the first to go through the intersection. If two or more cars arrive at the same time, the car furthest right has the right of way. Do not be such a nice person that you ignore these rules and wave the other driver ahead when you are clearly the one whose turn has come. This is confusing and frustrating to the other drivers, and rather than a smooth waltz through the intersection there is usually a flurry of starts and stops and gestures that are distracting and often result in near misses if not fender benders. The person who stops traffic behind him to allow drivers to exit a driveway or turn across the lane can also be doing a good deed with bad consequences. This may just cause more traffic delays and frustration behind you, but it also may place the person you are letting through in the path of oncoming traffic that he cannot see for your vehicle, especially someone coming up from behind you in the next lane, or coming around you because they may think you are simply stopped or stalled. Driving while drowsy is becoming a universal condition. It is all too easy to blame your workload, your kids, or just having a bad night for the fact that you are not alert enough to drive safely. Many people are so chronically tired that they are not aware that their judgment is impaired and their reflexes slow. Coffee is not an adequate substitute for alert senses. If you realize you are becoming too sleepy to drive, do not try to force yourself to stay awake. Get off the road and get some rest. If you cannot stop in a safe place and take a nap or rest for the night, then at least get out of the car and stretch your muscles. Walk around, stop for something to

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eat or drink, and honestly evaluate your ability to continue before getting back on the road. Sleepiness may be a chronic state for you, but that does not mean it is normal. Several illnesses or conditions such as sleep apnea are serious, dangerous, and require medical treatment. Determine if any medications you are taking are contributing to your sleepiness. Driving while drowsy is far too great a risk to continue. Music that is too loud is a distraction. No one is trying to stop you from listening to your radio in your car, unless you have converted it into one of those rolling boom-boxes with the super-powered bass amps, in which case you may face anything from rock-throwing pedestrians to senior ladies in BMWs approaching you at ramming speed. (Not condoning those things either; just sayin) This is not about your taste in music but about safety. Todays newer cars are soundproof, and with windows rolled up and the heater or a/c blowing outside sounds are already muted. Keep your music set at a volume that you can hear the sounds of your engine or drive shaft giving warning cries. You should be able to hear your cars electronic warning signals or the shouts or horns honking outside your car. Its also a bad thing if your music keeps you from hearing the police car so that he thinks you might have been ignoring him. Follow the rules, be as polite as you can safely, and play fair; driving is a lot like first grade, but no coloring while you are behind the wheel.

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LETS RECAP: Remember the big ones: Do not eat or drink, text, talk or focus on anything but driving. Using turn signals isnt a just a courtesy, it is a law and a life-saver. High beams are for your safety but misused can be dangerous to you and others. Use the right lights for the road and weather conditions. Keep your cars windows clean and scratch-free for safe vision. Learn the rules of the road; turn within the proper lane. Tailgating is stupid. Cant say it any nicer.

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Remember the 2-second rule to stay a safe distance from the car ahead. Pull over when you are drowsy; chronic sleepiness can be a symptom of illness. Be courteous but within the rules of the road and established right-of-way. Music is to accompany your driving experience, not overwhelm it.

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4. WHAT SHOULD BE FOUND IN EVERY CAR

Sometimes the car seems like a self-sufficient room on wheels. If you have a dependable car and keep it maintained properly, it will take you where you want to go almost any time, but every car eventually needs a little rest and repair, and it usually seems to happen in the worst possible place. Cell phones make being broken down at the side of the road a little less hazardous than it used to be, but you still need to be prepared, either to fix the problem yourself, or to stay safe and reasonably comfortable until help arrives. The articles in this list are easy to find and need not take up a lot of space. Few would cost as much twenty dollars, and many of them you will already have. They are useful for any location, but your particular area or driving habits may give you a sense of which should be a priority and ideas for other items you consider being necessities. Give it some thought, and enjoy creating a stash in your car that gives you confidence in your ability to deal with emergencies. 1. Cell phone and battery charger that plugs into your car lighter. 2. Owners manual; if you dont have one, get one through the dealer or buy a basic repair manual specific to your car at an auto parts store. They are a gold mine of information. 3. Spare tire; I know it seems obvious but its surprising how often the spare is missing or flat. Check the air pressure when you have the oil changed.

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4. Four-way lug wrench; these give more leverage and are safer to use than the simple jack-handle type and will let you remove different-sized lug nuts. 5. Cheater bar (this is not something to whack your boyfriend with if you think hes fooling around); it is simply a pipe about 3 feet long, just large enough to fit over the lug wrench handle. Too often repair shops using air-wrenches tighten lug nuts so much that you cannot get them free without the extra leverage a cheater bar affords. Slip it over the lug wrench handle and use the extra length to grip and lift. Be careful that the wrench does not twist or slip off the nut.

6. Small, wheeled hydraulic jack. These are more stable than most of the jacks that come in the car and often allow you to roll it into place and lift the car with little effort. Be sure to point the length of the jack in the direction of the slope if you are on a hill. Of course, your brakes should be set and a rock or chock placed

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behind the wheels of the car when jacking it up, but if the car moves downhill, it is better for the jack to roll than to tip the car. They do take up trunk space, but it can be well worth it. 7. A small flat piece of wood to give the jack footing on soft ground and a chock to block the wheels. 8. Tire sealer (commonly called fix a flat) for slow leaks, or partially flat tires for situations that are unsafe for tire changing. I recommend two cans. Be sure to warn the tire repair shop if you have used this stuff because it will stay in the tire and excess material can spray out when they break the tire loose from the rim. This is a temporary fix only, and I have read varying opinions on whether it will actually damage the inside of the tire or prevent having it permanently repaired later, but it can get you out of a dangerous situation. You get the idea that tires are good things to take care of by now, dont you? 9. Flashlight and extra batteries, or crank-and-shaketype batteries. These allow you to recharge the light by turning a crank or shaking the flashlight. 10. Reflectors or warning lights. The orange triangles are standard warning emblems and dont rely on batteries. Many fold flat. Flashing LED lights are attention getters, and the batteries are very long lasting. The lights that joggers wear are very handy and inexpensive. Get enough to place behind and on your car and one or two to wear while you are moving around at roadside. Being seen is the key to avoid being hit.

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11. Flares used to be a basic staple in the trunk, but electric devices and reflectors have replaced them as they usually only burn for less than 30 minutes. On the other hand, they are very visible and drivers have no doubt that they are a warning of a stalled car. They also are a great fire starter if you are broken down in cold weather and are going to be stuck for awhile. They have even been used to keep someone who did not stop, because he wished to be helpful, at a safe distance. This is definitely not advice to use them as a weapon. Your best course when in doubt of a persons intentions is to lock yourself in the car and use lights, horn and cell phone to get attention. Jumper Cables: There are few things as depressing as having your hood up as you stare at a dead battery and, when someone offers a jump-start, finding neither of you have any cables. Battery booster or jumper cables are heavy wires with large clamps on each end. They come in various lengths and 10 to 12 feet will usually be long enough for any situation. They usually will be marked with a number called the gauge of the wire. The lower the number, the thicker the wire, and the better the conductivity of the cable. Never get a cable smaller than an 8-gauge; and 6 or 4 are best. Be very careful to match the clamps to the same battery post on both cars. Put the red clamp on the positive. Crossing them will cause a short circuit, a very hot cable, and maybe a battery explosion. Place the positive clamps on first and then the negative. It is safest to clamp the negative clamp onto the engine block rather than directly onto the battery post. This keeps any sparks (and your

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face) away from the battery. gases that are explosive.

Car batteries can release

Allow the booster car to run for a short time before trying to start your car. If your car is very low or if you have lights or other accessories turned on you may hear the donor cars engine slow down as your car pulls energy. The other driver may need to increase the rpms by giving the engine a little more gas. Do not pump the gas pedal if your car is reluctant to start as that will flood the engine. Do not hold the key on for more than a few seconds since that will make the starter get hot and create more electrical resistance. Cranking the starter motor for too long can damage it. Disconnect the cables as quickly as possible when the car starts.

12. Battery Jump-Starters: These are great for the person who is very independent or just cant ever get anybody to help them (in which case you might want

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to work on your first impression or move to a different town), but that can get expensive. They are basically a nicely packaged battery with jumper cables attached. Some also have lights and even air compressors. You hook these to a low battery just as though you were being jumped from another car. There are downsides, such as the cost; certainly over $50.00 for one that has enough cranking power, which is measured in amps, and the higher the better. Higher amps and more frills can increase the cost to well over $100.00. You also must charge these units from an electrical outlet periodically, because they will run down while sitting in your trunk. They are wonderful when you need them and they are ready to use, but probably a low priority due to cost and infrequent need. This device might be something to save for a winter purchase. 13. Poncho or rain gear 14. Large plastic bags: Used to lie on or protect or store other items 15. Blankets: one regular soft blanket rolls up tightly and takes up little space, and they are great for warmth or cushioning. The emergency-type Mylar blankets take up almost no space and can keep you warm or be used to reflect the sun to help keep you cool. 16. Water: Gallon Jugs, not just drinking bottles. Water has always been and will always be a staple of life. On the road it can fill an overheated radiator, cool you

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by dampening your clothes, and even when warm from the trunk will prevent dehydration when you drink it. It can also be used to clean cuts. It is surprising how quickly a broken-down vehicle and a long wait or an unplanned walk for help make us realize how precious water is. 17. One container of each of the basic fluids: oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze, power-steering fluid and windshield cleaner. The antifreeze and windshield solvent are the only gallon jugs; the rest are quarts or less. Your engine and steering pump life and efficiency depend on fluids, so learn how to check them and do it routinely. 18. Long-neck funnel. This is a must to get transmission fluid into the filler tube. You fill the transmission through the same hole that the dipstick goes in, and its rarely in a good spot. Remember that the transmission has to be checked with the car running, and the stick is marked in pints, rather than quarts. This funnel will also be handy for some brake fluid reservoirs and power steering pumps. Let the funnel drain and wipe it out before using it with different fluids or storing it. 19. Waterless hand cleaner and towels: You dont want to just get to your meeting after a car problem; you want to look like you handled it with ease. Seriously, you will feel much better if you can clean up after a setback. More importantly, you want to be able to clean any cuts or scrapes you may get while getting back on the road.

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20. Fuses: An assortment of fuses of the type designed for your car. Use your manual and only replace a blown fuse with the same size. The fuse holder itself will often have a diagram of which fuse controls which devices. Fuse boxes may be under the dash or inside the glove compartment, or a few other places. Some designers seem to think that fuses should be kind of a hidden treasure. The little fuses are often difficult to remove, but there may be a little gadget either in the box of fuses you bought or in a little nook in the fuse box itself. 21. First-Aid Kit: You dont need a terribly extravagant first-aid kit, but at least go further than Band-Aids. Get one that includes gauze and tape, aspirin, and absorbent pads. The self-cooling ice and warming packs are a welcome addition. Get the most complete kit you can afford, and read the manual. Its a great feeling to know what to do in minor emergencies, and you dont want to be trying to read directions if you are in the middle of one.

22. Fire extinguisher: A extinguisher designed to work on all materials, called a multipurpose or A-B-C extinguisher, will weigh under 5 pounds and usually comes with a mounting device so that you can clamp

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it in an accessible place in your trunk. There are smaller ones available that could be fixed under the dashboard if there is safely room to mount it there. You dont want them rolling around your floorboards. A fire extinguisher can save damage to your car by preventing a small fire from getting larger, but if there is any question that the fire is out of hand, then forget the extinguisher and get away from it. Remember the P.A.S.S. system to use the extinguisher. (P)ull the pin in the handle (A)im at the bottom of the fire (S)queeze the trigger (S)weep the spray from side to side 23. Lubricant (Oh, be serious): Spray lubricants can free a sticking bolt or lug nut. Some lubricants can be sprayed on damp electrical connections such as coil wires to overcome the moisture and get you moving, but check the manufactures' recommendations and beware of flame and sparks. Dont leave any aerosol can on a hot engine. You may free a sticking lock by spraying into the cylinder or onto the key itself. Get one of the cans with the spray tube to reach small spaces. These little tubes invariably fall off and get lost, so put a couple of fat rubber bands around the can to keep them together. 24. Money: A small stash with enough to get you some gas or pay a toll, including some change in case by some miracle you find a real pay phone if your cell phone is dead. Keep it in the trunk and forget it is there until you really need it. Midnight munchies are not an emergency.

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25. Long-lasting foods, nuts, or MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). These are military food packs, but you can find similar items in a camping supply store. If you are a city dweller you may not think this is necessary, but having some nourishment may make the difference between an inconvenience and a really miserable breakdown experience, if not actually a matter of survival. 26. Duct tape: Come on, you knew that was going to be on this list, didnt you? Include a small roll of electrical tape as well. 27. Light rope: I dont know why. You just gotta have rope in your trunk. Actually, you will find hundreds of uses, from supporting an injured limb, or securing your new garage sale purchase on the roof, or keeping the trunk closed, to keeping your mother-inlaw from feeding the kids all those snacks. 28. Tow rope or strap: Usually about 20 feet long, these can be used to get you out of an icy or muddy situation. Be careful to stand away from them as they can pull loose or break with a great deal of force. Pulling or being pulled requires knowledge of safe places to hook onto the frame of your car and the ability to control your speed and brakes in synch with

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another person. That is not easy, and you need to be aware of your limitations and the laws in your area. A tow rope is only to get you to safe place or solid ground and not for pulling a disabled car more than a very short distance.

29. Basic tools: If you arent very mechanically inclined, you may not get much benefit from a set of tools, but a couple of screw drivers, both flat blade and Phillips, a set of Hex wrenches (I refuse to make a pun about using them to put spells on people; they are often called Allen wrenches), needle-nosed pliers, heavy channel-lock pliers (often called plumbers pliers) and an adjustable wrench or two, plus a hammer and a utility knife, will meet many basic needs for minor repairs. There are ready-made kits for cars which come in their own little compact cases, and these can be handy, but quality is definitely linked with price on these. If you are the do-it-yourself type you may prefer to assemble your own kit with better quality essentials. 30. Ice scraper with a brush

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31. Gloves: Get a pair not just to keep your hands clean but also to protect them. Keep some thick gloves, preferably with leather or heat-resistant palms. Remember that parts of your engine and exhaust are well over 200 degrees. The rims of your wheels can be hot enough to burn you, because of the heat generated from friction. 32. Large candle and matches: This can help you start a fire if stranded in the countryside, and a single candle can warm the inside of a car enough to help you conserve body heat. This is never recommended except in extreme situations, of course, because there is always the chance of flammable gases inside the car. 33. Extra cell phone with car battery charging adapter: Even cell phones that are not on a current provider plan can often be used to call 911. 34. Extra set of clothes: When you have been exposed to rain or snow, these can help you stay clean and comfortable, or they can save your life. 35. Carpet remnant: This can lie flat in your trunk under everything else but be handy to lie on or to place under your tires if stuck on ice. 36. Bag of road salt or sand for traction. 37. Small shovel: OK; you may think of this as overkill, but it makes all the difference when stuck in snow or mud, and the small, folding shovels made for camping will take up very little space.

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38. Camera: Just something cheap and disposable can be nice to have to document an accident or prove you were abducted by aliens. 39. Note pad and pencil: Not vital but useful to take down directions. If all else fails, you can leave a note for those left behind to let them know how you got yourself into such a dumb situation. This may seem like a lot of items, some obvious and some you may not have thought of but which will come in handy. It can be fun to decide what is needed and look around for some of the cool, compact items, and you will be surprised how much of this will fit into a plastic storage container that sits neatly in your trunk Almost all of it can be placed in one container. You may want to store liquids in a separate box or just fitted, like the jack, along the inside walls of your trunk where they will take up little space.

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5. WISDOM OF THE SENIOR DRIVER

We hopped into the back seat together, but only because we opened the wrong door. Becoming an older driver is no joking matter. Age and experience rarely get the respect they deserve, and years of driving bring skill and decision-making ability that younger drivers dont have. There are some harsh realities we all have to face, however, and there are some limitations and changes that are part of being a careful and responsible driver. A sign of the wisdom, judgment and courage that come with age is adapting to the changes that come without embarrassment but with the recognition of what is best for yourself and those around you. The problem with so many of the things that affect driving skills as a person gets older is that they can occur very suddenly, as with a medication change, or they may creep up on you so that it is difficult to be aware of them. Vision dims over time, and little by little we may be driving closer to the person in front of us or having to make sudden stops or turns as a sign pops up unexpectedly. The car crossing the intersection far ahead may be frighteningly close by the time your foot travels from gas pedal to brake. Traffic congestion or disruptive road work seem so much more nerve-wracking than they used to be, and its so frustrating that things arent marked clearly. What the heck is everybody honking for all the time, anyway? Try asking yourself a few questions, and honestly think back over your driving experiences lately. Ask someone close to you to answer these questions from their experiences with your driving. Promise not to hit them.

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Have I been drifting in my lane more or dropping the tires onto the shoulder? Are the road signs hard to read, or am I having trouble remembering what some of the symbols mean? Is my parking less accurate, either when next to a curb or when fitting between the lines in a parking space? Do I hesitate, have to think about, or actually mistake the brake or gas pedal sometimes? Do I get confused or forget which turns to make or miss my exits? Is driving more frustrating, more difficult, or do I get anxious more often when driving? Is it true that people are honking at me or that very few of the gestures they are making are friendly waves? Have I gotten traffic tickets or warnings or had any close calls while driving? Are my friends or family worried about my driving? Is steering or working the pedals becoming uncomfortable, difficult, or painful? Few people are the best judges of their own driving, no matter what age they are.

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A FEW LOUSY FACTS Medications can affect your vision, thinking, and level of awareness. Overcoming these effects is not a question of willpower. It is simply the way your body and mind react, and is not something you can control or should be ashamed of. Older drivers receive the most traffic tickets for failing to yield, improper turning, and running stop signs and lights. These are all indications of decreased driving ability. In accidents where different ages collide, the older driver is often the one hit, but in 28% of those crashes the older driver was making a left turn, more than 7 times the number of leftturn accidents caused by younger drivers. This reflects the decreased judgment and reaction time of the older driver. We all know that young people get into a lot of accidents, but the sad truth is that in a 2007 study the rate of total accidents and the number of fatal accidents were the same for those aged 19 and under as for those aged 65 and over. We dont bounce as well as we used to. The older driver is injured more seriously, and accidents are more often fatal, even when wearing safety restraints. You are a valuable and ever more fragile person; treat yourself like one.

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ADAPT AND CONQUER Smart drivers, regardless of age, use every tool or method available to keep themselves and the people around them safe. Give the cars around you enough room to allow you to slow, stop or steer away from a collision. This means greater distances as you get older and your reflexes slow. Allow more time to get to your destinations; try to avoid night driving and times of heaviest traffic. Plan your route to avoid schools and truck traffic. Stay physically active to maintain your strength and flexibility. Consider some exercise classes to make it more fun and consistent. Get out of the aggressive drivers way. The driver riding your rear bumper or hugging your side of his lane may be a jerk and is certainly wrong, but the safest and easiest way to handle the situation is to let him get by and go on his way. Dont let other drivers get on your nerves Make sure your eyes are checked regularly and your eyeglasses are correct. Find a mechanic that you can trust and have your cars checked regularly, especially the brakes and tires. Drive with a companion to help watch the road, keep you alert and warn you if you start to show diminishing ability, but do not become distracted by conversation. Some states have tried to pass laws requiring more frequent testing for older drivers. In some cases these

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would be based not only on age but on driving accidents or tickets. Senior citizens advocacy groups have contested these laws with the understandable desire to protect senior citizens from biased laws. If there are no such laws in your area, it would speak well of your judgment and responsibility to voluntarily be tested or take refresher courses. Be aware of physical changes which can be helped by accessory items, such as cushioned steering wheel covers to offer better grip for those with diminishing hand strength. Make sure your windows are kept clean and free of obstructions. Do the same for the lights and mirrors. Weakening vision and slowing reflexes mean you want more warning of people coming toward you. Peripheral vision also is reduced as the years go by. Eliminate blind spots in your mirrors by using a well-made, effective device like the Maxi View mirror found at www.maxiviewmirrors.com

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When its time to say good-bye. Sooner or later everyone reaches the point where it is better not to drive. Make this decision for yourself and do it in a positive way. Plan ahead for the day when you decide to hand over the keys. Set up a network of family and friends that can take you where you wish to go. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend private time with people who care about you. Public transportation or shuttles for the older person are available in most communities. If there is no publicly provided service, check with hospitals or churches. Shopping from home has become very easy, but be careful to deal only with reputable companies, and protect your credit information. Enjoy the freedom from the responsibility that car ownership includes. Appreciate the extra money saved from gas, insurance, taxes and repairs. Consider the gift you can give to someone you care about. Almost everyone knows a person who really needs a free or inexpensive automobile. Lets Recap: Age and experience deserve respect, but changes are inevitable. Be honest in self-evaluation and consider the view of those who know you. Do not ignore the warning signs: near-misses, forgetfulness, tickets, and others. Be aware of the effects of illness and medications.

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Take care of yourself physically; stay active. Use all the tools and accessories available to make driving easier and safer, such as the Maxi View Mirror. Keep your car well maintained. Take driving tests or review classes periodically. Older drivers are more likely to be severely injured in an accident; value yourself! Allow extra time to get where you want to go. Allow extra room between yourself and other drivers. Plan your trips for daylight hours and times of lower traffic. Plan for the time you no longer drive yourself, and enjoy the positives.

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6. AVOIDING ROAD RAGE

We think it is a phenomenon of big cities. but it happens everywhere. We would like to believe that it takes a fool or a drunk or perhaps someone with a mental illness to lose control that way. Then, one day, too many things go wrong, too many people get in our way, and finally someone does the one thing that is just too much to take. We find that road rage is not something that only happens to other people. Road rage is different from aggressive driving. Most of us know an aggressive driver. Its almost impossible to spend any time in traffic without recognizing the drivers who cant stand to be passed or have to be first to the stop light and first away. Some are competitive; some people think the demands of their busy day justify being aggressive. Some are just jerks, and you would see this lack of judgment and consideration in other areas of their lives. Road rage is a feeling and exhibition of anger that may occur because of a real insult or inconsiderate act by another driver or by a completely innocent mistake or misunderstanding or even an offense that is completely imaginary.

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Road rage is most common with aggressive drivers, of course, because the temperament makes it a shorter leap to real violent or criminal behavior, so many of the discussions here refer to the aggressive driver. It is true, however, that many road-rage incidents involve people who are typically non-violent but due to stress, grief, fear, drugs (even prescribed medication), alcohol or exhaustion may suddenly react out of character. What is consistent about road rage is that the response is out of proportion to the event, the reaction is irrational and often violent, and the person exhibiting the behavior may disregard the hazards to himself in an attempt to wreak vengeance. At least 1,500 men, women and children are injured each year in traffic disputes and altercations. Some anger is limited to such things as light flashing and cursing, but in hundreds of cases the aggressor actually uses the car as a weapon. The amount and level of the anger and violence are increasing each year. Dozens of incidents are reported of vehicles being driven into crowds. Many more occur in which drivers attempt to use their car to attack police officers. The person facing the aggressor in an incident of road rage may have no idea what is happening or how to deal with it. The violence of the situation tends to escalate so quickly that the victim responds foolishly. A person gripped with road rage is completely responsible for his or her actions and can face criminal prosecution, but he or she are probably rational enough to reason with. A person so caught up in anger is strong and is not thinking of harm to himself, so he is a very dangerous opponent to try to fight. Often, the victim is simply caught flat-footed because he does not know

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what has triggered the attack. Many years ago I was sitting about third in line at a stop sign. A driver on the cross-street stuck his head out of the window, screaming and cursing. He fought across a lane of traffic to get his car close to me, cursing all the while. The traffic cleared, and I was able to drive away, leaving him unable to give chase. I wasnt even on the same road as he was or in a position to have come anywhere near him before he blew a gasket, and I had never seen him before. I still have no idea what the trigger was. I do know that even though I was much younger then I would not have wanted to tangle with someone so obviously out of control and with such disregard for his own safety. The safe response is to stay in your vehicle. If you have been in an accident and cannot move your car, use your cell phone and attract as much attention as possible with lights and horn. If you can drive away, even though it means leaving the scene of an accident, get a safe distance from the other driver. If necessary; drive until you see a police car or reach a place where there are plenty of people. Road-rage incidents are becoming much more frequent. Some statistics are predictable, such as the larger percentage of incidents involving younger drivers than older, and men are the aggressor in about 56% of cases, while 46% are women. Frighteningly, drivers with children are much more likely to be the aggressor than those without. You may consider that they are feeling protective or frightened for the children or just have an additional stressor, but that means the people most in need of having good driving judgment are those most lacking in this respect. Not surprisingly, cell phone users are much more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior and road rage than

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those who do not use phones while driving. This is consistent with the cell phone users seemingly common attitude of feeling that their interests, conversations and destinations are more important than the average. The person using the phone while driving often becomes angry, not because of an actual driving incident but because the conversation was interrupted! I once honked at a woman who had drifted through a stoplight into the middle of an intersection. She shook her fist and clearly mouthed, Im on the phone! while pointing at it. I think the other drivers around us were as baffled as I at the fact that she had survived to drive as long as she had.

Regarding cell phone use, the sight of someone driving while talking on a phone, especially if they are driving badly, escalates the anger in the other driver exponentially. This book has not been designed to attack drivers who phone and text, but research simply reveals so many negative and dangerous aspects of that habit.

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The key to avoiding being threatened or attacked is being alert to the situation around you at all times. That does not mean you should be paranoid, but it does mean that you always consider the way your driving may be viewed by the people around you and the possible reasons for the way other people are driving. Did the car next to you veer over because he was careless, or was he trying to intimidate you? The person who stares at you from the next lane is not simply being careless, and its best not to assume he is just really attracted to you. If you find this attention really flattering you might want to get some help with your self-esteem. Try to pull ahead if you can do it without excessive speed, or drop behind and let him get away. If the other driver changes speeds to match you, try to get off the highway and/or call 911 on your cell phone. (I know I just said to use your cell while driving, but safety is all about good judgment and the best possible response to risk). The driver that races past you and then slows may just be the type that hates to follow people or, again, may be trying to intimidate you or put you into a position of ramming him if he suddenly brakes. Slow down and give him plenty of space. Once again, facial expressions as you are being passed are a clue; the angry driver does not usually hide his emotions. Also, watch the way he drives once he is in front of you. Is he speeding and slowing, veering, or watching you in the mirror? Remember that some people who suddenly boil over emotionally are not mean or destructive people but may be going through some crisis in their life or may be dealing with some unusual stress. They may be ill, medicated, or under

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the influence of alcohol or exhausted. Most road-rage incidents are not entirely one-sided. If you do make a mistake and it is possible to make some gesture of apology, then do so. If you stepped out in front of someone in a hallway you would not have too much pride to apologize, so if you cut in front of someone and the situation is such that you are stopped or moving slowly enough you can use gestures and your facial expression or mouth the word sorry, but you really have to be careful of hand gestures and how they might be seen from a distance. One young man tried to indicate that he knew he had done something stupid by pointing his finger at his head, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. At the next stop light, the other driver, who thought the gestures referred to him walked up to the open window of the stopped car and punched the repentant driver in the side of the head. Some people suggest having a sign in the car reading Sorry or Thanks that you could hold up as needed. One very clever young man created a light-up version of these signs that he could turn on with a small switch while driving and illuminate his message through the rear window. These are not bad ideas, but if you need to plan on apologizing that much you probably would do better to get more driving instruction or stay off of the roads. The best way to avoid crossing paths with an aggressive driver is to drive safely at all times. Give the cars around you plenty of space. Most drivers, consciously or not, regard the car as an extension of their personal space. Signal well before you change lanes or make a turn. Plan

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ahead for stop lights and signs, and allow plenty of time to get to your destination. There is always a point in driving where you have to take more responsibility. 88% of drivers polled reported being on the receiving end of some form of aggressive driving in the previous 12 months, but 60% acknowledged that they had directed such behavior at others. More than 50% of drivers studied responded to aggressive or rude behavior with aggressive behavior of their own. Offended motorists retaliate with everything from gestures to trying to run the other car off the road. If you recognize stupid behavior, you must realize that the way to triumph is to be smarter, especially when you are in control of a potentially lethal machine. With the earlier comments about being aware of the drivers expressions, gestures and obviously intentional intimidating maneuvers in mind, try to give the other driver the benefit of the doubt. With human beings comes human error, and, whether they are aggressive or stupid, losing your temper will not change that person one bit, no matter how impressively you do it. What getting angry will do is raise your blood pressure, damage your judgment, and possibly get you into an accident or at least earn you a traffic ticket. The experience of sharing the road with a sloppy, inconsiderate or aggressive driver need only last for a moment or two. The physical and emotional changes that occur when you lose your temper can last for hours. When you have learned to do all that you can to avoid being victimized by an aggressive driver and caught in a road-rage situation, you can also learn to be not only a safe

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driver but also a calm driver. Practice these techniques when you are not in your car. Later practice them while you are seated in the car both parked and driving, provided they do not interfere with your concentration on the road. First, simply practice your breathing, letting it be regular and a little deeper than normal. Take a deep breath; fill your chest as much as you can. Hold your breath for a few seconds and then relax it all the way back out. Notice that when you exhale your breath all the way out your body relaxes; not just your chest but the rest of your muscles as well. Repeat this maneuver three times, and notice the sense of relaxation increases each time. Alternate this technique by tensing all of your muscles and holding them rigid, as though in an isometric exercise, and then releasing them. Try to feel your mind calm as you do this. This is a wonderful technique that can improve much more of your life than just driving. You will get comfortable doing this very quickly. You will find that a few minutes' practice a few times a day for a couple of days will make this a welcome habit that is refreshing and increases your energy. Then take the time to imagine a stressful situation, make it as real as you can, and then take your deep breath, hold it, and relax it out, and let the tension or the imagined situation wash out of your body and mind. I know it sounds corny, but it works. Use this technique with stressful situations at work or in the family, and notice how you can calm yourself and control your temper. Enjoy the fact that you can control your temper and make much better decisions and solve the problems that are causing your stress more effectively.

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The idea is to make this an automatic response. Soon your natural reflex will be to calm yourself rather than let anger escalate. If you think back you would have to be absolutely unique or in total denial if you could not think of situations where your own impatience, temper or stress did not create or worsen the problem. It makes absolutely no difference which person, the other driver or you, is at fault if your response causes harm to yourself or your loved ones. I was looking in the rear-view mirror as I prepared to back out of a parking space when a blur of color flashed by. A young woman going much too fast through the parking lot plowed into a car backing out a few spaces away. The occupants of the car that was hit were another young woman and her elderly grandmother. The granddaughter wrenched her door open and attacked the other car, trying to get through the locked door to reach the dazed driver, screaming about her injured grandmother. This may be understandable, but she was doing nothing that needed to be done, leaving the grandmother without attention and adding to the anxiety of the old woman with her rage and noise. Even in such a traumatic situation, the calm response was the correct and effective one and the one that would have shown more love and concern for the grandmother. You will be amazed at the ability you have to stop the day for a moment and make the right choices, but it takes practice. Decide to be smart and safe and a protector of your loved ones, even if that means giving up some pride.

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Lets recap: Aggressive drivers are most prone to road rage, but it can happen to anyone. The frequency and violence of traffic disputes and altercations is increasing. Drivers with children in the car are more likely to react aggressively. Drivers using cell phones are an irritant to others. Drivers using cell phones also tend to be more aggressive. Watch for indications of intentional intimidation.

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If you feel threatened, get away from the situation and call for help. If in a traffic incident with an aggressive person, lock yourself in your car and try to attract attention. If your vehicle is mobile, drive away from the aggressor. Without evidence to the contrary, try to assume the driver's errors are unintentional. Do not meet aggression with aggression. Give other drivers plenty of room; maintain space to get away from them. Acknowledge the times you are at fault. Anger will put you in the wrong. Anger will cause you to make mistakes and harm yourself and those with you. Your reaction will affect you much more than the other drivers behavior. Learn techniques to stay calm; you will find they improve all parts of your life.

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7. HOW TO CHANGE LANES WITHOUT TAKING YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD
Changing lanes is one of the most dangerous maneuvers on the highway. It is dangerous because it seems so simple that it is often done carelessly. Changing lanes is something we decide to do very casually. Merely letting the car drift to the side seems so much less complicated than facing an intersection or merging from an entrance ramp. The risk is increased because lane changes are done so frequently, and we depend on our mirrors for the information we need be safe; and the sad truth is that automobile mirrors are not to be trusted. (This is often true of our mirrors at home, if fashion is anything to go by, but thats not the point.) The proper maneuver as explained by professional driving instructors is to signal 3 to 5 seconds before the lane change, look quickly over your shoulder to check your blind spot, and then smoothly change lanes. This is also the way you will be expected to do it when being tested. Just to be clear; in spite of the title of this chapter and the reasoning of many people who argue against taking your eyes off the road in front of you, the quick glance over your shoulder is the correct way to check your blind spot. Then face forward and move into the lane you wish. We do not recommend you take any chances or get sloppy or lazy in making sure you and the drivers around you are safe. The reason to write this section is because there are times when a sudden swerve or stop by the driver in front of you may not give you time to look all the way around to check blind spots before taking evasive action. It is also a

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sad fact of life that as time goes by it gets more difficult to turn the head for that good, clear look over the shoulder. Its time to take advantage of the technology available. Make the extra effort, and spend the few extra dollars it takes to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

Even if you have perfect driving technique, it just makes sense to make those blind spots as small as possible or eliminate them entirely. Standard equipment mirrors simply do not tell the whole truth about what's coming up behind you. They are supposed to be on your side, but you just cant trust them, so give yourself all the advantages you can. First, make sure your mirrors are properly placed. The rear-view mirror is meant to reflect directly through the rear window. Some wide-angle (panoramic) after-market mirrors can be helpful, but they sometimes are over-large, and the curved surface takes some getting used to. You will still have side blind spots.

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Your side-view mirrors are improperly angled if you can see any part of your own car when you are in normal driving position. Adjust the right mirror so you must lean against the drivers side window to see your own rear fender, and the left mirror will reflect your own car only if you lean into the center of the car. Another advantage of proper mirror placement is that you will get less reflection from the lights of cars behind you, but these mirrors do not completely eliminate your cars blind spots or allow you to easily and confidently decide when it is safe to change lanes. Take the extra step to add safety to your car. The simple and effective solution is to add accessory mirrors to your car that allow you to accurately see what is coming up beside you in time to make a wise choice. To find the right blind-spot mirror, you need to know what goes into an effective design. Most people think of the round, stick-on fish-eye discs that they see at discount stores and some auto parts stores. A good wide-view mirror requires more than just a curved surface. The mirror must be of good quality, and a rounded surface creates distortion, making it difficult to interpret what you are seeing. An effective mirror will not skew your perspective so that the distance between vehicles does not appear much different from what it really is. To properly visualize what is coming up on your car, a mirror that glues flat against your regular mirror will often be at the wrong angle for clear viewing. A good quality blindspot mirror will have a mounting base that allows it to be adjusted separately from the factory mirror.

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The best blind-spot accessory is designed to increase your viewing area. A large round device often only fits in the lower portion of your side-view mirrors, eliminating surface area. The upper portion of the factory mirror inevitably reflects some portion of sky. A good add-on device would use that wasted space and preserve much of the viewing area while adding the wide-angle option. The blind-spot mirror you choose must be effective and also attractive. If it distorts your view or makes it confusing to use because it does not complement the regular mirror image, it can become frustrating and actually cause you to misjudge or simply ignore the side-view mirrors. Poor adhesive is a serious problem in some models. If the mirror will not stay on it is a waste of money; if it vibrates or slips you will not have a dependable view of approaching vehicles. At the same time you may want to have the option of relocating your mirror or moving it to another vehicle, so a secure mount that still may be removed is another sign of quality and efficiency, as well as showing the dealers consideration for the buyer. Finally, the device must be inexpensive. Dont put off improving the safety of your car for yourself and those you care about, as well as the safety of the people around you. Remember that even though the accident may involve a car coming up from behind, you would be at fault if you moved into his lane. Choose the device that best meets the requirements described here. Take a look at what is available on store shelves, but do not forget the Internet. The one device that

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meets all the requirements described here, including a sharp appearance, is the Maxi View Mirror.

LET'S RECAP: Blind spots are deadly Every car has blind spots Properly place your mirrors Factory mirrors cannot eliminate all blind spots Give yourself every safety advantage Blind spot mirrors must have the following qualities: Inexpensive Low distortion Accurate perspective Preserves useable viewing area Mount securely Adjustable angles Look good

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8. SHARING THE ROAD WITH THE BIG RIGS

(What country songs dont tell you about trucks)

Truck drivers spend their lives on the road. They are professionals and are doing a job that takes training and skill. The best drivers of the big rigs still have to contend with the laws of physics. It takes longer to get up to highway speeds and longer to stop. Wind has a greater effect on a semi than it does on a passenger car, and the design of the tractor-trailer means it must take wider corners and has much larger blind spots. In 2004 more than 12% (over 5,000 people) of the traffic fatalities involved trucks, and 77% of those killed were in the passenger cars rather than the trucks. Some people hate to drive near the big rigs. The size and the noise of the big trucks are intimidating and can be frightening. Other drivers seem to find the truck a nuisance,

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and some use the size and wind-breaking nature of the large trailers in an attempt to save fuel or time, taking risks by following too closely. It is interesting that some people think truck drivers get a lenient treatment by police officers or think that the truck shields them from police radar. Others think that police are more likely to stop truckers, so they attempt to use the truck as a decoy, and the result of these differing ideas is the same: people driving too close to the truck Some of the most horrific accidents involve a car sliding under a tractor-trailer and taking the brunt of the impact at windshield level. It takes much further for a truck to stop, but if you drive too close to the back of the trailer you have no indication of what is ahead. Its not unusual for the size and monotony of the view at the back of the truck to have a hypnotic effect. It takes a moment too long to realize the significance of the brake lights coming on, and the results are devastating. There is a certain amount of truth to the theory that the air movement behind a big truck helps pull you along if you are close enough, but gas is never going to be expensive enough to make this worthwhile. This air pressure phenomenon is the cause of another type of incident that is often dangerous and always irritating to those driving near trucks. Most of us have driven near trucks that are traveling in a closely spaced line. Eventually one of the trucks pulls out to pass, either moving into the lane we are already in or perhaps we also want to pass and follow him as he makes the lane change. Suddenly, the truck slows down, and we barely manage to avoid running into him. Then that darn character speeds up again.

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Before you decide hes just a lousy driver or playing pranks, you should know that this is not something he can entirely control. Driving in a row of vehicles like this is called slipstreaming or drafting. It is done not just by trucks but by race cars, bikes, skiers and even geese (no, I did not say the geese were driving). The first vehicle is breaking wind resistance and making it easier for the ones behind to maintain speed. When one of the trucks pulls out, even while giving more gas to pick up speed, it is slowed by meeting greater air resistance. The key to driving safely when near trucks is to give them room and to have patience. These heavy vehicles have tremendous power, but they still must labor up steep hills. While your car may move up a hill with just a little loss in speed and a little more pressure on the gas pedal, the trucker may have to shift through several gears. Too often this is the situation when the car driver decides to pass on a stretch of road where passing is risky. The worst maneuver is to pull up close behind the truck where you cannot see past it and then try to race around. Cutting in too quickly in front of the truck because of meeting another vehicle or just out of carelessness is at the very least inconsiderate to the trucker who needs momentum to get up the hill. It also puts both of you in danger because it is easy to underestimate how long it takes a truck to slow down to avoid hitting you, so that you dont allow enough room. Remember that when driving downhill the truck driver is controlling a tremendous amount of weight and momentum. It takes a much greater distance to stop than it does on a flat road, and veering suddenly with a trailer puts

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him at risk of jackknifing or rolling. Give the truck driver the space he needs not only out of courtesy but for the safety of all concerned.

One of the quirks of human nature is that we think large things move slowly. Even while driving the speed limit or better, when we get behind the large truck we feel that it must be holding us back. Time after time truck drivers are frustrated and endangered by drivers passing them and then cutting in sharply and slowing down. The driver passing the truck realizes he is traveling well over the speed limit and gets anxious, so he tries to pull over and slow down before a trooper sees him. If it is a two-lane highway, the passing driver may not realize how long it will take to pass at the speed they are going and veer in to avoid oncoming traffic. Allow enough time and distance so that you can see the entire front of the truck in your rear-view mirror before pulling back into the right lane. Keep your pace steady or increase it slightly to allow a safe gap. Dont get squeezed. Many trucks have signs and diagrams on the back of the trailer warning you that if you cant see the trucks mirrors the driver cant see you. Remember that a truck must make a much wider turn than a car. The trailer turns in a smaller radius than the tractor does, so that to make a right turn the truck driver must have about the width of a lane on his right side. Do not attempt to move up on the right side of a truck without watching his

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turning signals and, if you are beside him, his front wheels. If you are caught in this position as the truck turns you can be dragged or crushed. Even at low speeds the weight of the vehicle makes it very difficult to stop quickly, and if the driver is careless or distracted the impact of his trailer against your car may be barely noticeable. Anticipate blowouts and wind shear. Strong crosswinds can make driving a truck an exercise in steering corrections. It is always unnerving to travel during high winds and see the semi-trailers sway and weave as they are caught by blasts of wind from the side. Driving near high cliffs or heavily wooded areas or even beside large buildings can make the wind more challenging because a gap in the obstruction can make the impact of the wind sudden and dramatic. A blowout on a car is dangerous enough, but on a tire that is nearly as tall as your car it can be terrifying. The sound is explosive, and, even though the trailers have dual wheels, the driver may have difficulty controlling the truck. Even if the truck does not veer or jackknife, the thick rubber shrapnel can damage your car or frighten you into a bad move. Remember that rain, wind and snow make the long stopping distance and the curves and hills much more dangerous.

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Truck drivers are on the road many hours a day, and even the best of them can become tired. Thats why the law restricts truck drivers from driving too many hours in one day or one week. Drivers must keep logs, and many trucks have electronic monitoring systems to make sure that a driver is getting a certain amount of rest from the wheel. Many truckers drive as teams so that they can stay on the road longer, because miles are money. Just as you can get tired at work, its not surprising that with so many trucks on the road there are some drivers that get sleepy. But while you may slip out of your office chair, the trucker can plow through a building or flatten a minivan. Being tired can affect even a professional drivers reflexes and judgment. The long-haul driver also has the burden of being far from home and facing deadlines. The country songs about a lonely truckers life carry some truth, and the drivers deserve respect for the fact that considering the miles and hours they put in they do not have a higher rate of road-rage incidents. Of course, there are aggressive truck drivers out there. Some truckers will tailgate, and the sight of that grill filling your rear-view mirror can sneak into your dreams for a few nights running. Some will squeeze you over to change lanes or change speeds and swerve to keep you from passing. This is where being a mature driver comes in. 50% percent of drivers faced with aggressive driving behavior retaliate with aggressive actions of their own. This is always stupid, but when facing something that weighs over 60,000 tons it can be suicidal. There is a movie called Rundown with the former wrestler Dwayne the Rock Johnson. In one scene the comparatively scrawny co-star tries to fight and

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starts the attack by smashing his forehead against Rock's big dome. He might as well have slammed his own head down on a boulder. For those with a more classical frame of mind, the play Man of La Mancha includes a line by Sancho as he tells of fighting with his much larger wife: If the pitcher hits the stone, or the stone hits the pitcher, its going to be bad for the pitcher. There is a point to all this imagery. Whether you are right or not, you dont pick a fight with the Hulk, and you dont argue with a Kenworth. Be smart, stay calm, and give them space. Most truckers are careful and professional, and, if there is one that you feel is driving badly, then call the number many of them have posted on the back of the trailer, or call the police if you believe there is imminent danger. . LET'S RECAP: Trucks need much more room to stop and turn. Allow more room than you think you need to pass. Stay back far enough to see the trucks mirrors. Avoid being squeezed by a turning truck. Remember that speed changes, slow stops, wide turns are not always signs of poor or aggressive driving. Be smart and patient. It is not a contest, and if it were you could not win.

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9. WHY ARE TRAFFIC LAWS GETTING MORE STRICT?

(I thought that sign was just a suggestion!)

The automobile is a symbol of independence and freedom. When we are young our first car can make us feel as though we were given wings, even if its just the old family clunker and not the sports car we dreamed of. Even as adults the car is our key to going where we want and doing many of the things we wish. We think differently when surrounded by the armor and in the imagined privacy that the car provides. Many people would never consider taking a few paperclips home from the office or littering on the sidewalk. When they are in their cars facing a traffic sign, you can almost hear them thinking, LIVE FREE OR DIEYEEE-HAAAA! It is often said that automobiles are the leading cause of death for teenagers in this country, and they dont go out alone. The automobile as the greatest factor in death is true of everyone from toddlers of two years to adults of thirty-four. While it does not remain the leading killer as age progresses, the automobile remains high on the list of killers

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throughout life. Car accidents are the cause of thousands of injuries and deaths every year, and the number of vehicles alone does not account for rate of damage caused. It is interesting that the number of accidents and fatalities has stayed fairly constant over the last several years, even though safety features have been improving in that time. Standard equipment on vehicles today includes ABS braking systems and airbags all over the car. Infant and child car seats are much better made and required. Seat belts are required and computers warn us of all types of vehicle failings. These changes and the laws requiring them have helped keep the accident and fatality level fairly steady, even though the number of drivers has increased dramatically. We have over 200 million drivers on the road today. The idea that the laws are getting stricter is partially true and partially a feeling of greater restriction because of the nature of the laws. No one really questions the law that says we must stop at the stop light or drive on the street and not the sidewalk. No one really complains too much about the speed limits, only about getting ticketed when other people are going faster. Now many laws are being put into force, which seem to be more personal. Most states now have laws about texting and using cell phones. Many state licensing laws restrict the number of passengers the young driver can have in a car. There are still heated arguments about the right of police to make a driver wear a seat belt in his own car (after all, its my life Im risking isnt it?).

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When we look at the nature of traffic accidents and altercations, as well as their severity, we come to conclusions that go beyond the ability of a driver to control a car. Drunk-driving fatalities have decreased an impressive 26 percent in 10 years, yet total accidents and fatalities, as well as aggressive driving behavior, have not decreased significantly. This means it is the behavior of people who are sober and would claim to be competent that is driving the number of incidents. Phones, texting, reading, shaving, putting on makeup and a host of other activities all contribute to these numbers. The others may have been around for years, but texting has overwhelmingly filled the gap in accident causes created by the reduced number of drunken drivers. Laws that seem to be intruding on your personal space, such as the seat belt laws, do reduce accidents. Wearing a seat belt properly keeps the driver positioned where he should be and reduces fatigue. During a minor accident the seat belts can keep the driver from being jarred so that he loses control of the wheel or pedals, preventing him from veering into other traffic and causing more severe damage or injuries. Restricting passengers in the car with young drivers is another one of those regulations that seem bossy but just turn out to be right. There is too much research to ignore, including the input from young drivers themselves, that teen passengers are a distraction, often intentional, that can lead to disaster.

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It is a terrible pattern that so many of the laws are driven by the fact that, when you improve safety features and provide the best traffic system that you can, what is left is human behavior. And good sense and safety education dont seem to be enough. Its not so much to punish the driver for every infraction, but the threat of a ticket and the importance of the action being publicized and documented by making it a law helps stop the behavior in the first place. Sometimes it just keeps it in the mind of the person who is not aggressive or willfully reckless but simply inconsiderate or inattentive. Sometimes it seems that there are too many people who just dont want to grow up. Many laws are in response, directly and indirectly, to the increase in altercations and aggressive driving incidents The number of aggressive driving incidents has increased by 51% in twenty years. Its true that the number of cars on the road increases risk, but that does not explain this explosion of incidents. We may point to other factors such as the level of stress in society, the lack of emphasis on courtesy and discipline that used to be more a part of training both in school and homes, the violent and competitive nature of television shows and video games, or a dozen others. It all comes down to the fact that sometimes people just act mean or dumb, and a car is no place to do it. Many of the changes in the law do not create great changes in previous regulations but combine or restructure the way they are enforced. A person may absent-mindedly tailgate or cut in too close in front of another driver. He may weave because of fatigue. The combination of these things can also be the behavior of an aggressive driver. The laws

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in many areas have taken the pattern and frequency of these behaviors into account as well as the behavior of the driver, such as shouting, gestures, etc., so that the police officer may write the citation to cover the action itself, such as following too closely. He may also take into consideration that the lady was putting on lipstick and ignoring the road and describe the violation as negligent driving. If the behavior was more dangerous, such as tailgating at high speeds, or took place in a more dangerous situation, such as in a school zone, the driver would be likely to face the more serious reckless driving charge. A person performing a variety of offensive driving actions in a short time or in dangerous circumstances may be charged with aggressive driving. All this places the police officer in the unenviable position of evaluating the nature, intention, and threat created by the driver in a way that some would call too subjective. This is another aspect of some of the laws that many people would object to and consider too restrictive or invasive. The officer will have to be able to support those charges in court to standards that are too specific to cover here and which do help make this system more understandable and fair. Road rage laws are a fairly recent development and can include physical assault or threat with a weapon, including the car itself. It is not against the law to be angry, but the way you express your anger may be illegal. People do silly and careless things, but since they can choose to do them while in control of a large and deadly machine, we depend on the

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law to give them more incentive and more reminders to make every effort to be alert and considerate. It is an imperfect solution but the best that our society has come up with to deal with imperfect drivers. Enjoy all the freedoms you have, and live with the restrictions that are necessary. Take pride in being knowledgeable about traffic laws, and, if you truly feel they are incorrect, then vote and change them, but until then, obey them. Lets Recap: Laws are based on safety statistics. Drunken driving has decreased, but other behaviors have kept the level of risk the same. The car is not a private space. Your behavior affects the safety of others. Laws are not just to punish but to keep you aware of what is safe and acceptable when driving. Laws may seem unfair, but make the effort to understand them. You have the right to work to change laws but not to disobey them. Enjoy all the freedoms that you have.

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10.

SOUNDS AND SIGNS THAT MEAN STOP THE CAR NOW!

There all sorts of things that can go wrong with your car, but some problems are not safe to drive with. There many good resources for maintaining and troubleshooting your car, not the least of which is your owners manual. These are just some of the warning signs that can put you at risk of an accident or seriously damage your car. Become aware of the way your car feels, steers, sounds and even smells. Learn to notice when those things change and what the changes mean. In every case in which you need to stop the car, DONT PANIC. Signal and slow down, and move the car smoothly out of the driving lanes. If you are on the shoulder of a highway, put on your emergency flashers. If you cannot get a safe distance from the traffic flow, you should place flashers, flares or reflectors behind your car. Do not let concern for your car or being late for your destination cause you to take chances with your safety. If steam is coming from under the hood of the car or through the vents, this means something is broken or

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leaking and coolant is spraying out. Your car may overheat rapidly, and this could cause engine damage. Pull over and raise the hood. That engine and the steam coming out are hot enough to scald you in an instant, so be very careful. Do not try to remove the radiator cap until the car is cool. Try to establish where the leak is coming from. If it is a hose, it will be a fairly simple and inexpensive repair. If it is a crack in the engine itself or a failed water pump you will have to be towed. If it is a small leak at the upper hose, the radiator cap itself, or a pinhole-type leak high in the radiator, you may be able to drive the car a short distance for repairs. If the car is making tapping and rapping noises, it is still too hot and may have been damaged permanently. Do not be in a hurry. An engine can easily stay too hot to touch and with pressure in the radiator for over 30 minutes. Cover the radiator cap with a towel before trying to open, and be ready to get back. Many cars can only be filled through the coolant reservoir. If it seems worthwhile, especially if the car is in a dangerous location, wait until the car cools and remove the radiator cap. Fill the car with water, and leave the cap loose. DO NOT use cold water to fill a hot engine. You may crack the block. Water should be tepid or warmer. You should always have water and antifreeze in your trunk. Fill the engine slowly while it is running so that the whole system is filled. If it is leaking nearly as fast as you pour it in, you will not get far and should wait for the wrecker or replacement hoses. Turn your heater on, even in summer, to pull extra heat from the engine, and drive slowly and for as short a distance as possible to get help. Remember that

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an engine can get hot enough to melt insulation on wiring or ignite grease or oil and cause a fire. Dont forget your gauges and your other senses. A hot engine may not show obvious steam until it is already overheating. The leak may be low and the steam blowing beneath the car as you drive. If your temperature gauge gets hot, your car is in trouble. Hot coolant has a characteristic smell, sometimes described as sweet or Saccharin-like. Smelling it inside the car without other symptoms indicates a leak in your heater core. This may not be an immediate danger of overheating, but it will get worse, and you should not be breathing this in. Some people try to get as far as they can when the car is overheating, and older cars were a little more forgiving, but the usual result is an engine that is either completely locked up or will make noise and burn oil for the rest of its short life. It the car starts to knock and the gauge is high or you are seeing steam, get the engine shut down as soon as you safely can.

Brake light comes on or brake pedal goes soft. Stopping is much more important than starting when it

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comes to being safe in the car. If you find you have to pump the brake pedal to stop the car, you are at least low on brake fluid. Just because you know how to top up the brake fluid reservoir does not mean the car is safe. The brakes are a sealed system and should not lose fluid. As the brakes wear, the level will go down very slowly, but the need to add more than an ounce or so of fluid means either your brakes are wearing very rapidly and are probably in need of repair or replacement or there is a leak somewhere. A leaking or weak brake line or hose can fail at once with catastrophic results and is most likely to do it when you need them most. There is always a great deal of pressure generated in those small brake lines, and jamming the brakes on in an emergency stop is not when you want to find out how fast that leak can get worse. You should routinely check for stains or fluid in the area you park your car, as well as doing your walk-around inspection of the car before driving. Fluid on the tires or where they were sitting is a warning of brake fluid loss. The master cylinder can also fail, which means the fluid is leaking from one chamber into another and may not show fluid where you can see it. This is very dangerous. You will not have braking power, and pumping the brakes will usually not make a difference. If the pedal sinks to the floor and you have no brakes at all, there is no reason to risk moving the car until it is repaired. Even though the car runs, this is a job for a tow truck or on-the-spot repairs. If there is a lesser problem with the brakes or any question of brake problems, getting carefully to a place where it can be checked and serviced is a priority.

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A high squealing noise from the wheels is often the sound of a break wear indicator, which is just a thin piece of metal designed to rub and give warning that your brake pads are worn and need replacement. Dont ignore that sound. If your wheels smell hot or the brakes get soft during heavy use, such as going down hills, it is possible that a caliper or shoe is sticking, causing the brakes to overheat. They can get so hot that the fluid boils and creates air bubbles, which will prevent your brakes from functioning. The problem may resolve itself when the brakes cool, but this does not mean the problem is gone. Have the brakes serviced. If the brakes are very hard to push down, either some of the calipers or cylinders are frozen or the power booster has failed or lost vacuum. The booster is a big round thing in front of the driver under the hood. The brake fluid reservoir is bolted to it, and it has a large vacuum line leading to it.

Tapping or knocking from the engine. Some cars have a light clicking sound, which is not dangerous. Commonly called a tappet noise, it can mean that the lifters are sticking and should be checked for the sake of your engine but are probably not life-threatening. Any new noise should be investigated, however, and this is often a sign that you are getting low on oil. A louder tapping or rapping noise can mean that a rod is bent or broken or a bearing has gone out. These are lethal to your engine, and it can tear itself apart if you dont

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get it shut down quickly. It may drive for a while, but you would be playing engine Russian Roulette, and the engine may lock up completely, grind the internal parts beyond repair, or send a piston through the side of the block. If you try to drive in traffic this way the engine could seize and leave you with no power brakes or power steering. This can happen to any car, but the most important factor is keeping your oil level up and changing oil and filters faithfully. Hissing sound under the hood. Assuming you have ruled out the cooling system and there is no steam anywhere, it may be a vacuum leak. These may not be drastic but can affect the way your car runs, causing hesitation and loss of power. The most important thing to check is the vacuum hose to your power brake booster; which is under the hood, right in front of the driver, and can cause the loss of power braking.

Squealing sounds under the hood are often the belt, belt tensioner, or other bearings in the air compressor, alternator or steering pump. Usually these do not need emergency repair but will certainly lead to further damage or failure if the cause is not corrected.

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A thumping sound coming from your tires, usually accompanied by jerking or vibration in the steering wheel, means either a flat tire, something stuck in a tire, or possibly tread separation. Signal and smoothly get the car off the road to examine and repair the tires. Tread separation can be unseen when meaning the internal layers separate, but the tread layer can literally tear loose in from the tire. It can also wear through so that you see the wires from the belts poking through. Tires can also vibrate due to uneven wear or missing rubber due to road or curb damage. Vibration in the steering, or tendency for the car to drift from side to side, can mean a failing bearing, often accompanied by a rubbing sound that changes with speed and worsens on turns. Vibration or wander in the steering can also indicate a variety of problems in the ball joints, CV joints or other suspension- or steering-related parts and needs to be investigated as soon as possible. A failed ball joint, bearing, or tie-rod can leave you with one wheel no longer working in conjunction with the other. The least expensive fix, aside from just a tire that is just under-inflated, and first thing to check for is loose lug nuts on the wheels. Be sure you have a lug wrench to tighten these nuts. If the wheel is loose enough to wobble, the bolts holding it on may be bent or stripped and need to be replaced.

Any change in the steering or handling of the car should be dealt with immediately, regardless of other sounds. It may be any of the wheel, tire or steering linkage

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issues discussed above, or it could be the power steering pump or drive belt. If your power steering is low in fluid, it will often groan on tight turns, and if the belt is loose it will squeal. If the belt breaks your steering will become very stiff and difficult. On many cars today, one belt drives everything, so your water pump and alternator also will cease to function.

Thumping under the car, assuming you did not drive off with the mechanic under there, can be a snagged branch or other road hazard but can also be a motor mount or drive shaft. The motor mounts can break, and the thumping sound will typically only occur when starting the car, shifting into forward or reverse, or sharply accelerating or slowing down. The sound is made by the engine moving and either it or the exhaust hitting other parts of the car. It is not likely to just fall out but can cause more damage and could create a really dangerous situation if it causes some of the steering components to bind or creates enough wear or torque to break the exhaust pipe and have it drop off and drag. On older cars or trucks with rear-wheel drive, the thumping noise could be the drive shaft jerking when you shift and wobbling as you drive. These shafts connect the transmission to the rear wheels with joints called universal joints that can wear out or break, or the shaft itself can bend or break, leaving you without power to the rear wheels. In worse cases the shaft can break loose from the rear end and flail wildly under your car, probably damaging the transmission and possibly throwing debris behind you.

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A thumping or vibration under the trunk can be the rear tires, or rear axles in front-wheel-drive cars, or the rearend differential gears in rear-wheel-drive cars. A thumping noise in the trunk means you need to learn a better way to get along with your mother-in-law, or stop borrowing cars from cousin Vito.

Alternator warning light; the indicator light on your dash that tells you your alternator is not working means your car has no electrical power aside from the battery. Shut off all the accessory devices, except lights if is at night, and slow down. (Yes, that means no air conditioner and no tunes). The battery can carry you for a few miles if you are lucky, but there are complications. The most common reason for the alternator to fail is because of a broken drive belt. As mentioned regarding the power steering problem, most cars have only one belt that drives all the components. Older cars had two or three, so one part could fail, but the others keep going. This single belt, called the serpentine belt, saves some money, space and time, but the downside is that if you try to drive when your alternator quits turning the car may overheat before the battery dies, because your water pump is not being turned either. The only solution is to get off the road as quickly as possible and get the belt repaired, or get the alternator replaced if the belt is not the problem.

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Smells; you should never smell gasoline inside the car while it is moving. It indicates a leak and can lead to a fire that spreads more rapidly than you can imagine. Any hot smell must be indentified and its source corrected. It can come from the engine, the exhaust, or the tires. Any cause of excessive heat can be lethal. The odor of hot coolant or other smells from vents can indicate leaks in the heater core, the air conditioning system, or molds or other foreign materials in your ventilating system. The chemicals can affect you thinking and damage your lungs. The molds also can affect your health. Correct the problems in these symptoms and see your car parts dealer for mold treatments.

And of course there is the most important reason to stop the car, indicated by a wailing noise from the rear of your car and flashing lights in your mirror and ending with severe damage to your bank account and your driving privileges.

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Lets Recap: Be aware of the normal state of your car. Dont Panic Use signals and stop smoothly out of traffic Any change in handling is dangerous Leaking coolant will BURN you; overheating can destroy an engine. Brake problems can get worse suddenly and fatally Engine or belt failure means limited steering and braking Turn off accessories to conserve electrical and engine power Use hazard lights and place reflectors, lights or flares when stalled.

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11.

BECOMING AN OFFENSIVE DRIVER

Most people are used to the words Defensive Driving. I prefer Offensive Driving. Driving offensively includes driving defensively, but is also careful driving with respect for the safety and rights of other drivers. If offensive driving would increase in this country, the results would be fewer accidents, fewer altercations, fewer traffic tickets, and fewer laws. Offensive driving can be developed as part of your driving personality over time, and it does not always mean that the person doing it is naturally offensive. The person who is driving offensively is very conscious of the road and people around their vehicle. They make sure they stay out of other drivers' blind spots. They are watching the other persons eyes as they change lanes to see what the other drivers are going to do. The offensive driver is on the offense. They anticipate the other driver's next move so they will be prepared. This type of driving keeps me alert and aware 100% of the time. When a person is used to just driving defensively, they react to situations versus anticipating them. For example; If you are driving down the highway and you see three cars in front of you, most people would not even think that one may change into your lane until it happens. The offensive driver makes the decision long before they reach the other cars about what their move would be in every situation. This gives options so that when one of the drivers ahead does something unexpected, YOU EXPECT IT! You arent caught off guard like all of the defensive drivers are. Remember this: The defense can prevent touchdowns, but the offense scores them.

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The change from mild-mannered, courteous pedestrian to nearly maniacal road-hog when a person has the armor of the automobile has been recognized for decades. Walt Disney made one of his classic cartoons about this in 1950. It features Goofy as Mr. Walker/Wheeler; the Jekyll and Hyde character that is the meekest man alive till he gets into the car. When he cuts off another driver who cries, Do you think you own the road?! he seems almost puzzled but completely serious when he thinks, Of course I do It may seem funny or exaggerated but there is a lot of truth in it. You can still find this on YouTube. Some forms of defensive driving have been around for years and are becoming more common, such as speeding, changing lanes without turning signals and forcing other drivers to veer or slow down, blasting through stop signs and many others. Other dangerous and careless maneuvers that used to be less common are becoming prevalent. Drivers of emergency vehicles, such as fire engines or ambulances, report that more and more drivers refuse to pull off to the side to allow access to those trying to provide help. Emergency vehicles, especially ambulances, draw another type of offensive behavior in the form of drivers that follow closely in an attempt to use the ambulance as a blocker to get through traffic faster. Be aware that this is illegal and dangerous, and its common practice for an ambulance driver seeing this kind of tailgater in his mirror to radio for a police car to pick the offender up. Blocking an emergency vehicle or trying to hang onto its tail puts those people already in need of help in

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greater danger and are especially low forms of aggressive driving. The aggressive driver usually thinks he has a good reason for his behavior. He is fooling himself. The idea that you have the right to speed in order to get to work just means that you dont plan efficiently enough to drive well. Even if there is some reason beyond your control, you cannot gain enough to justify the danger you are creating for yourself and others on the road. If you go 10 mph over the speed limit and drive 10 miles you dont even save two minutes. Even if you were to drive 50 miles you would not save 8 minutes. Besides the greater risk of accident and the more severe injuries caused by greater impact, you are spending more on gas and engine wear. Of course, you are also liable to be very late for whatever date youve got because troopers just dont rush for your convenience. Very few appointments will be ruined by being 10 minutes late, especially if you take the time to pull off the road and call ahead. If you rush because you are routinely late, then you need to be honest with yourself and change your habits to allow more time. Better preparation will eliminate a great deal of stress in your life as well as keep you and others safer. The phrase speeder's paranoia would usually refer to drug users, but the wear and tear on your nerves is a real cost of traffic speeding. The driver going over the speed limit is constantly on the watch for police, fearing that the next car he overtakes is an unmarked car or that he will meet a trooper that can cross the median and give him a ticket that will take a weeks overtime to pay off. This is why the

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speeder saves even less time than indicated in the previous paragraph. With each sighting of a potential police car, the speeder slows down and then rushes forward again so that estimates based on steady speeds are overblown. This anxiety also contributes to worse driving judgment and more irritability. Speeding and road rage go together. Tailgating is more dangerous than speeding by itself and is not always just carelessness. The aggressive driver often uses tailgating as a form or intimidation in order to get the driver ahead to speed or pull into another lane. The prize-winner is the guy that flashes his headlights into the mirrors of the car ahead, even though that driver is already driving at the speed limit. If you are tailgating because you think you are going to get to your destination sooner, remember that you are just a few feet ahead of where you would be if you were driving properly, but those few feet can land you in the hospital or the morgue. If you do manage to scare the driver ahead out of your way, refer to the facts on speed above. Decide if two minutes or even eight are worth harming the people ahead or yourself or the loved ones in your car. The other side of the coin: the pace changer and brake baiter. This is the driver who pulls ahead but changes speed without warning or reason, sometimes hitting the brakes. Sometimes this is poor driving technique or exhaustion, possibly being distracted by something inside or outside of the car. The really aggressive driver is the one who uses this as a method of controlling traffic or as a mindless prank. Some people will use this as a means of teaching a lesson to the tailgater, which only means that there are two aggressive drivers on the road, and odds of

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disaster have increased dramatically. Remember your only job and only right is to drive your own car safely. You are not a leader, a boss, or driving instructor. Dont let your pride or your sense of humor lead you into danger. The Nudger is the driver who crowds the stop sign. This can take the form of slow-motion tailgating, creeping up close to the car ahead in order to get him to move ahead faster. This can create enough anxiety in some drivers to cause them to misjudge a gap or even run the light. Causing a nervous driver to run into a pedestrian or cyclist or pull into the path of another car is not something you will want to live with. This also is the driver who will try to rush forward as soon as the car ahead begins to move and results in low-speed rear-end collisions. Dont be reassured by the phrase low speed; weight and momentum create enough force to cause neck and spine injuries and to deploy airbags. Crowding the stop sign may also be done by the first car in line, planting the front wheels over the crosswalk so that pedestrians must edge by, and creating confusion for the drivers of cross-traffic for fear that he may pull forward unexpectedly. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by planting the nose of your car a few feet further out than the street markings and signs designate. The difference in reaching your destination is measured in milliseconds. Some drivers use this edging maneuver in order to force an opening in traffic. If you have the opportunity to watch this being done by someone else, you can see how futile it is. The inching forward, stopping, and sometimes being forced back as drivers who are not willing to be intimidated or who cannot stop for you because

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of oncoming traffic make this a slow, dangerous and wasteful dance. As you inch forward the cars approaching slow warily down, not knowing how crazy or incompetent the driver in your car may actually be. This slows cars down behind them, and what would have been easily accessible gaps close up. When you dont crawl in the traffic is (possibly) just beginning to regain speed ahead of you. Not only have you not gained anything significant but also you have created a hazard and slowed down other drivers. There is always the very good chance of meeting an even more offensive driver than you or just one that has bad brakes or bad reflexes. Entering a light-controlled intersection to turn left is an acceptable technique if the light is green when you enter it and there is no one ahead of you. If your car will be trapped across the crosswalk when the light changes, you have pulled out too far. You must leave enough space to be able to let the driver ahead take evasive action and to be able to prevent your car from being driven into him if you are struck from behind. A rear-end collision in this situation can drive one or more cars into oncoming traffic and result in multiple victims. Turning right after stopping at a red light is allowed in most areas, but you still must stop first and yield to cross-traffic and to pedestrians. Merge is not a dirty word. The drivers that race ahead and force their way into traffic where lanes end or roads narrow may, to be honest, gain a few seconds but no more than that since as people join the lane that they think is moving faster that lane quickly overloads and becomes slower. At the bottleneck its another slow, clumsy dance that infuriates everyone and a common scene of conflict

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when the aggressive driver tries to force his way into a lane occupied by someone who is not willing to be intimidated. A style of intersection that has been popular in Europe for years but is still relatively new to American drivers is the roundabout. This saves fuel and reduces pollution by eliminating the need to idle at a stop light. Traffic moves more quickly, but, as with merging lanes on the freeway, the secret is cooperation. Slowing slightly and yielding space to the cars joining the traffic flow means moving faster for everyone but takes a little skill and a change in the mindset of the offensive driver who tries to get there first and get away fastest. Blocking cars attempting to merge, or forcing your way into the flow of traffic when merging, means stopping and going, blundering progress which SLOWS YOU DOWN and increases the risk of collisions. Anytime you are attempting to create your own entrance or speed in a situation where cars are both ahead or to the side and behind you makes you much more vulnerable to being hit as well as puts you at fault in any collision or traffic violation. Compare cars in traffic as salt or sugar being poured through a narrow opening. If the container is tipped at a steep angle to try to pour faster, the grains clump and jam up the opening. They have no room to slide past each other, and the particle traffic gets denser and denser. At a more gradual angle, the flow is steady and the container empties much more quickly, as the grains have space to weave into the pattern of openings. That is why areas with signals controlling the entrance of cars from a ramp onto an expressway, so that there is a pause between cars that

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allows them to mesh like a zipper, makes for faster traffic flow than the open-ramp kamikaze approach. Reckless passing is like meth to many aggressive drivers. They dont even seem to care if the person ahead is driving much faster than the speed limit. Its just not right that the other driver is in front. Now we have a symphony of aggressive and reckless maneuvers. Speed to get up close and prepare to blow his doors off. Tailgate so that you are in position to make your move. Rarely use turn signals since anybody should be able tell that you need to get around this character. Anybody in your blind spots had better just watch out for themselves. When you make your move, the right side is often as good as the left. That business about always passing on the left is for drivers who are less skilled than you. Then put a cherry on the top by whipping back into the lane without signaling (again!) and so close that the car you passed must slow down. By now you realize you really dont want to drive any faster than you were in the first place, but that doesnt matter. What is important is that you are in front. Now, for those of you are nodding your heads and thinking, Uh-huh, thats right, you GO! (and I know you are out there): Heeere's your sign! Lets review that last maneuver. You broke several laws; put yourself, your passengers, the people in the car ahead and anyone coming up behind or to the side at risk of serious injury or death. Whipping into the lane is a sign of lack of judgment and perception, not skill, and youve wasted gas and taken miles off your transmission and engine life. Best of all; you are going the same speed you started at!

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If youre not on a motorcycle, you dont need to lean into the turns. Remember that speeding does not just refer to going faster than the posted limit but going too fast for conditions. I wont even deny that sometimes it's fun to feel the car zoom through turns, but you must save that for the track where the road doesnt border a ditch and there is no innocent non-competitor to meet or obstruct. The aggressive driver often seems to think his determination alone will make his car do what he wants it to do. If you think thats false, one of these days that you are running late and trying to force your way through traffic take a look at yourself in the mirror; then unclench your jaw and quit narrowing your eyes. Remember that going too fast for conditions is not limited to only going too fast on icy or wet roads. The aggressive driver tends to forget that the laws of physics will not bow to his will on curves. It seems to be a matter of pride to some drivers that they think the slower speed limits set for sharp curves are just suggestions for those less skilled people or those with less important errands. Taking curves too fast can put you onto the shoulder, either careening out of control or at least spraying rocks behind you. Whether drifting to the left on a rightward curve, or overcorrecting from an overshot left-hand curve, it only takes an instant to be in the path of oncoming traffic. A curve in the road is no place for evasive maneuvers, and the only reason the race car drivers take high-speed turns without more disasters is that they are all going the same direction. Once the tires lose their grip on the road, whether from ice, rain, sand, or the pull of centrifugal force, the car is going to

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travel in the direction that it is already moving, and no amount of determination is going to change that. Your transmission is designed with reverse and forward gears. There is a good reason there is nothing on the shifter marked Sideways. You might think drinking and driving falls into a different category than aggressive driving (such as suicidal, moronic, or others), but it is the act of intentionally doing something that makes you more dangerous on the road, and that is clearly the mark of an aggressive driver. With due respect and sympathy for those who must take medications or have an illness or disability or simply have reached an age that makes them unable to judge risks or control the vehicle; to continue to yet insist on taking control of a car is a form of aggressive driving. Of course, this does not mean that a person with handicaps should not drive in properly equipped vehicles. I wish them all the independence possible, and more power to them. I refer only to those drivers who, while possibly being some of the nicest people in the world, continue to drive when age, medication or other circumstances make it unsafe for themselves or others when they get behind the wheel. Doing anything that distracts you from the job of driving and makes you less likely to react well or pay attention to the situation around your car makes you more dangerous to those around you and is an offensive driving act. And, though youve heard it all before, that includes phoning, texting, eating, looking for the next CD, or patting the dog in your lap.

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Sometimes reckless behavior is more or less contained within the car, where it is so easy to imagine that we are in a protective bubble. We honk and gesture and yell and pound the dashboard, taking our minds off of really important aspects of driving and distracting or angering other drivers. Treat the people in other cars as you would if they were walking ahead of you down the street. If the old man in front of you took an instant longer to get his legs moving, you would not lean close to his ear and scream MOVE IT! You would not typically get next to someone who accidently stepped out of a doorway just in front of you and gesture wildly or slap yourself in the head and point at him unless you are a sociopath or a very frustrated mime (which I suspect is redundant). The driver who orchestrates his travels with gestures, honks, flashing lights and shouts not only is inviting someone even more aggressive or childish to respond violently but also is distracting other drivers and increasing their level or frustration and irritation. The safe driver, and the efficient and swift driver, is the one who has control of himself. Remember that 50 percent of drivers who thought they were victims of aggressive or reckless drivers responded aggressively in turn. Even when the other guy is truly in the wrong, inviting him to count your fingers and making it easier than counting to two means you have lost focus on the road. Responding to irritation with anger increases your level of emotion and begins a cycle, so that you are less safe and more likely to become an aggressive driver yourself. The tendency is not simply to exhibit your anger toward the other driver who is typically soon out of

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sight but to become more truculent and inconsiderate to other, uninvolved drivers. If it's rudeness, think how ashamed of him (or her; lets be fair) his mother would be, and let it go. If its a near miss, count your blessings and, if necessary, stop and call police. If it does lead to an accident, keep yourself and your passengers calm and safe, and let the professionals handle it. Remember the Walt Disney cartoon, and dont be Goofy! Lets recap: Anyone can learn to become an offensive driver. Aggressive driving is increasing and taking more dangerous forms. There are no excuse for aggressive driving. Aggressive driving does not save you enough time to make a difference. Respect emergency vehicles. Speeding not only saves almost no time, but it also costs you in fuel and motor and transmission wear. Speeding also causes wear and tear on you. If you feel like you must rush often, adjust your habits and allow more time. Drive the right speed for conditions: slick roads, weather and curves.

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Tailgating is more dangerous and gains even less time than speeding. If you are attempting to teach or intimidate other drivers, you have no business on the road. Aggressive driving increases your own tension and irritability, decreasing your judgment. Aggressive driving and road rage go together. Do not use lights or speed changes to influence other drivers, other than proper turn signals. Being in front does not mean you get there faster. Smooth, steady moving and merging gains more speed than racing or forcing your way into gaps. Only one car at a time should enter an intersection in order to turn left. Leave space to maneuver ahead of you when in line at a stop sign. Stop at the crosswalk. Aggressive driving breeds aggressive responses; do not retaliate for stupidity. Becoming angry at aggressive driving stays with you for hours; ignore it and it is gone in minutes. Anything that decreases your driving efficiency is aggressive driving: drinking, texting, eating, etc. Your car is not a private space; you are visible and vulnerable.

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12. BECOME AN OFFENSIVE DRIVER

ITS THE OFFENSE and DEFENSE THAT WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Now that Ive irritated at least half the football fans out there that disagree with that old saying in the title, lets move on. The meaning of winning the championship in sports is obvious. Winning the championship in driving means getting where you want to go on time, safely and with the least wear and tear on you and your car, and doing it every time you drive. You can click on thousands of websites to get the arguments for offense or defense winning in football, because obviously you have to move the ball forward to score. You cant do that without an offense. The problem is that the other team has an offense too, and if your defense cant stop them you still lose. In driving there is a need for offense and a defense but no need for Aggression! You will cross the finish line. Regardless of traffic or street signs or even other aggressive drivers you can get to your destination. With a little planning you will get there on time and safely. Even in football the

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other team is not trying to win just by aggressively forcing their way through and stomping on everything in sight. The name of the game is tactics and skill more than power. The coach who gets his team to the goal line but winds up with lost yardage due to unnecessary penalties and expensive injuries to valuable players will soon be looking for a job teaching gym class. Using all your aggressive methods, as we saw in the previous chapter, saves you almost nothing in time, and costs are high in the form of stress, traffic tickets, damage to your vehicle, and even injury or death. Probably the most common reason people give for speeding is to avoid being late for a work-related appointment. Understand that bosses and clients are unimpressed with your stories of valiant driving adventures to make it on time, nor are they all that sympathetic to your traffic ticket excuse. These things just mean that you plan poorly and may not be dependable or mature enough for their needs. Offensive and defensive driving allows you to arrive on time and with car, nerves and bank account intact. The first thing to do as a good offensive and defensive driver is to make sure your car is maintained so that it is safe and dependable. Give yourself all the tools you need so that your car responds to the demands of driving and so you can easily control the car and see around you. Keep your tires in good repair and your lights and signals in working order. Check your windshield wipers for wear and the fluid reservoir full. Keep your windshield clean and your mirrors properly adjusted. Eliminate blind spots. Make sure your seats and seatbelts are secure and that there are no loose objects or distractions in the car. Remember that you

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are not just defending yourself against other drivers but also against all the things that can harm you or your loved ones. Time races us by, and you cannot change that. If it takes half an hour to get to school, dont drink coffee until 20 minutes before the class starts. If there is a carpool member that slows the rest of you down, either leave earlier, or drop them from the group. If your kids arent ready to go when you have to drop them off on the way to work, take them as they are and let classroom discipline or a little embarrassment (within reason) help you teach them about schedules. Better yet, prepare the evening before. Its amazing what a few minutes it takes to put books, clothes, and paperwork together when you have time, when it takes at least an hour to do the same thing while trying to get out the door. This is a magic secret of time and falls into the same category of mystery as what happens to the second sock in the dryer. Allow at least ten minutes more to make the trip than the speed limit allows for. Even in heavy city traffic, that will be usually sufficient to give you a cushion against delay. Dont begrudge the wasted time if you get to work early. Those few minutes to unwind from the traffic or listen to a few minutes of music in your car can give you a surprising amount of energy and mental relaxation throughout the day. Being ahead of the time clock when you arrive is also something managers notice, maybe not as much as they notice if youre ahead of the clock when you leave, but its still a good thing. Listen to the local traffic broadcasts to see if you need to reroute your trip.

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Be honest with yourself. If you have been drinking, are too tired or upset, ill or taking medications that can affect your driving ability do not get behind the wheel. Cancel the trip, call a friend, or call a cab. The cost of a taxi ride, or the less expensive bus or subway fare, is a necessary expense if it keeps you and others safe. Imagine how many miles you could travel in a taxi for the cost of one traffic fine, let alone the cost of repairs to an even slightly damaged car. Obey the road signs, as annoying as they can be. Speed limits, turning and lane restrictions and stop signs are designed by experts. Even though they sometimes seem to be slowing you down, in general people do follow the signs and expect you to do the same. This not only makes for safety, but also keeps traffic moving and merging more uniformly, which is the secret to getting where you are going efficiently. Remember that smooth, steady speeds adjusted for obstacles or gaps in traffic are much more effective than start/stop, fast/slow methods of driving. Not only will you get there with little difference in time, often sooner, but it is much easier on your vehicle and your nerves.

Remember the I.P.D.E. method of driving. Offensive Driving.

This is

I Is for IDENTIFY: Look ahead to identify potential hazards, such as a driveway or bicyclist. This means not only looking but also paying attention to what is in the scene ahead. Do not become complacent about a familiar route. Make an effort to notice even harmless changes in the usual scenery. Practice your

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Sherlock Holmes approach to gathering information from what you see. P Is for PREDICT: Judge what may happen as you approach, such as a child racing out from a playground. This becomes easier and more automatic with experience, but even if you have been driving awhile review this technique and practice thinking out possible outcomes of the scene ahead. It keeps you alert and ready to make decisions. D Is for DECIDE: Stay in control. Decide what the best plan is to counter whatever may occur. Should you slow down to give more time to stop if the driver ahead brakes or speed up slightly to go smoothly past the entrance ramp as oncoming drivers merge? Make sure you have space to maneuver in whatever way might be needed. E Is for EXECUTE: Perform the maneuver that is needed. Since you have had time to prepare, even if you are doing something to avoid someone elses aggressive or foolish behavior, you can do it smoothly and without excessive emotion or drama.

Another system of driving is called the SMITH SYSTEM, developed in the 1960s by Harold Smith. He included five techniques to improve driving. All these years later they are still good offensive and defensive driving tips.

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Aim high. Not at the clouds but up the road. The further ahead of your car you direct your vision, the more time you have to prepare and the more your peripheral vision takes in. If you look at a point in the road 100 feet ahead, you only clearly take in less than ten feet on either side. If you look 1,000 feet ahead, that view increases to over 50 feet wide. One thousand feet is not very far when you need time to respond to danger. Drivers often tend to look down at the road and need to practice aiming high. Symptoms of low aiming are overcompensating with the wheel, especially to the left, when avoiding an object on the road, wide right turns, not centering your car in the lane, staying too close to one edge or the other. All these are because your point of view across your fender is at too steep an angle down to the road ahead. The tendency is also to fail to reduce speed when visibility is poor since you are only looking a short distance ahead anyway, and failure to be able to react to hazards in time. Get the Big Picture, which goes with Keep Your Eyes Moving! While you maintain almost constant view ahead of you by aiming high, continue to briefly scan to the sides and check your mirrors. These are split-second glances that not only help keep you aware of your surroundings but also help prevent eye fatigue and boredom. Be aware of what is happening on the sidewalks and in parked cars as well as in the lane ahead.

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Leave yourself an out. It is more important to give yourself space to react than to worry about someone cutting in front of you. Center your car in the lane so that you can move over to avoid threats from the side. Make sure your vision is not obstructed and your mirrors are set correctly. Add good quality wide-view mirrors to your car to eliminate blind spots. Make yourself visible. Use your turn signals and keep headlights on. When the Smith System was developed, people seemed a little less volatile when it came to horns and headlights, but they can still be used to communicate (not to intimidate). If a driver appears from his actions to be unaware of you, or if obstacles make it difficult for vehicles or pedestrians to see your approach, a tap on the horn or flash of the lights may be used to alert them. Having said all that about aiming high and the big picture, now Im going to toss in a little something that might seem contradictory but isnt. Use the road beside the car as a gauge. Not your car; the other driver's. With a little practice the methods discussed above will become ingrained and allow you the moments it takes to observe the vehicles closer to you. It often takes a little time to realize that another car is drifting into your path or about to turn. The soonest indication can be the shrinking distance between his car and lane markings on the road. If you notice the other driver crowding the edge of the lane, adjust your speed to avoid him. On a multi-lane highway, you may want to signal and move over to another lane yourself, but many

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people seem to constantly change lanes on these roads and may continue to squeeze you over. Give them room and get out of their vicinity as soon as safely possible. Dont get penned in. In city traffic there is sometimes just not much room to run, but always give yourself stopping space ahead and room to move into another lane or onto the shoulder if at all possible. Remember that if all else fails and you are struck by another car, a glancing blow or one in which your car can move with the impact so that the force is dissipated is better than a situation where your car is trapped and absorbs the whole shock. Better to be smacked like a hockey puck than pounded between hammer and anvil. Adjust to the weather and road conditions. Slow down when the road is slick or the visibility is poor. Learn your cars characteristics in different conditions. A car that handles the road like a dream on dry pavement may make you feel like you are playing crack-the-whip on a wet road. Recognize your own skill level too; a man who grew up driving in Chicago called home from Texas one day. They have an interesting ritual down here, he said, As soon as a snowflake hits the ground; everyone gets into their car and drives into the nearest ditch, If you dont get much chance to practice on ice; go slow, its better to be honked at than towed. Yield, but dont grovel. Most intersections or merging traffic lanes are marked to indicate which cars have the rightof-way. Follows those rules and adjust your speed to merge smoothly. The first car at a four-way stop sign gets to go first. If more than one car arrives at the same time, the one furthest to the right is to move first. Follow the established

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rules of the road, and drive confidently. Stopping or inching hesitantly ahead while merging into traffic is confusing and can cause collisions either on the highway or on the ramp as people behind you expect you to move. Waiting at the stop sign, even if you are waving the other driver merrily ahead, is confusing and often results in jerky starts and stops and collisions involving other drivers who are expecting the traditional sequence. Many places allow a right turn after stopping. Be sure it is safe to do so and that you are signaling appropriately and then use this option. A driver coming up behind and seeing a long open space for you to enter may not realize that you are not moving until it is too late. Remember that driving defensively is not the same as driving fearfully.

Passing takes patience. Make sure you have room to pass at reasonable speed and have time to get well past the car ahead before moving back into the lane. You should be able to see the entire width of the front of the car you have passed before moving back into that lane. Respect the road markings. Passing on curves or hills can be lethal. The double yellow line means passing is forbidden; and, just

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because there is no such indicator, it doesnt mean passing is a good idea. Dont prepare to pass by tailgating. Give yourself plenty of room to slow down if the car ahead changes speed before you are in position to move into the left lane. Dont crowd intersections. If you pull out into the intersection to make a left turn, keep your wheels straight until you actually begin the turn. Many minor bumps in this situation turned to tragedy because the turning car was driven into oncoming traffic. If your wheels are straight you are most likely to be pushed straight ahead if hit from behind. Keep your hands free of food, drinks, phones or anything else that keeps you from a solid grip on the wheel (youd be surprised). Keep your mind on the road and your vision clear. Good sunglasses are better than the cars flipdown sun visors. Leave the phone calls and texting for another time. Play music at a level that allows you to concentrate and to hear sounds from your own car and from vehicles around you. Dont forget that even though you are wrapped in the armor of your car so is the other driver. No need to be paranoid, but when all is said in done those strangers around you cannot be counted on to do the rational thing. Give yourself room, give yourself time, and be safe.

Lets Recap: Offensive driving saves time and money.

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Championship driving means, safe, effective driving EVERY time you drive. Speed and space are key. Maintain your car so it works with you. Eliminate distractions, improve visibility. Know your limitations; dont drive impaired or tired. Allow extra time; prepare ahead. Traffic tickets are not proof of efforts to be on time. Remember the I.P.D.E. and the Smith Systems. Know how your car handles in different conditions. Follow traffic rules and signs. Defensive Driving is not Fearful Driving.

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13.

AVOID THE DUMB ACCIDENTS

Woody Allen once said, I dont mind dying; I just dont want to be there when it happens. I have a slightly different point of view: Im not terribly afraid of dying; I just dont want to be doing something really stupid at the time. Car accidents are one of the most common causes of death. For younger people it is the number one cause. There are reams of material on driving safely, choosing the best car, adding the best accessories to keep you safe and how to keep your car in great shape. The problem is that the best driver can still do something dumb. Talking or Texting while driving DUMB! Since cell phones have been picked on so much and texting is so obvious, we will move a little away from those items, but electronic activity is still a trap for many of us. In England recently there have been over 17 accidents per day caused by people so engrossed in their i-Pods that they lost track of the fact that they were supposed to be driving. Its being called iPod oblivion, but to be fair to the company it is a common dumb thing to become so wrapped up in a music player of any brand or a hand-held game that the driver simply forgets the thing he has his expensive toy propped up on is a steering wheel. Pedestrians have walked into traffic for the same reason. Watching videos while driving DUMB! Several accidents have occurred because of truck drivers watching pornography on laptops or DVD players. In one instance, at least, the driver was said to be nude. Most of these involved injuries to people in other vehicles. This is the type of dumb move in which you might hope the accident kills you rather

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than face what youve done. The nature of what they were watching may raise the embarrassment (or creepiness) factor, but watching any video while driving is a level of stupidity that should have a title of its own. On the George Washington Parkway two drivers disagreed over a lane change and began an aggressive driving duel that ended when they both crossed the median and killed two innocent people. In another incident two men were killed when a driver who enjoyed intimidating other drivers raced past one man and slammed on the brakes, causing his victim to veer and flip the car over the median and into the path of another driver. These were extreme incidents. The latter was clearly an intentional attempt to cause as much damage as possible, but they are not unique. Similar reckless driving occurs every day when one driver thinks he has the right to teach the other guy a lesson. All it takes is cutting in too close, or tailgating, or squeezing over into someone elses lane. A car traveling at 70 miles an hour can cross the width of a lane in one-third of a second. One-third of a second is too fast to stop but long enough to end your life or send you to prison for years. Anger starts and thinking stops. There is only one challenge for you on the road: To get where you need to go safely; and if you do that you win. You dont have to get there first or fastest, and you have no right to try to teach anyone else on the road anything. They wont learn from you anyway. Let the police deal with them. Notice in the first example that we dont even know who started the dispute. One could have let the other go and saved lives and prison time. We only know that they were both wrong by the time two innocents were killed.

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Driving without headlights DUMB! Sometimes it is a simple mistake, but it is something to be aware of. Not only should the lights be on at dusk but also whenever weather conditions affect visibility. Many places have laws stating that the headlights must be on whenever you have your windshield wipers turned on. In some places you are to have the headlights on whenever you are driving, day or night. Remember they are not there just to help you see but also to help you be seen. It is especially easy to forget the headlights when you have been driving for hours and the sun has gone down. One of the most common and dangerous habits is to leave a parking area or driveway before turning on the lights, since you arent on the street yet. If your car is moving or about to move, make sure your lights are on. The really dumb version of this is intentionally driving without lights, usually done for fun or for a dare on country roads where it can be incredibly dark. Many years ago I helped load a man onto an x-ray table who was driving without lights and hit the side of a freight car at an unlit railroad crossing. When his car hit the train he went through the windshield and struck the side of the train with his body as well. He wasnt x-rayed to see about treating his injuries; it was only for the coroner to see how many bones were broken. Drinking and driving DUMB! It would take half of the space on the Internet to cover all the damage that drinking and driving have done. If you are smart enough to read this, you cant be dumb enough to do that. Driving when exhausted DUMB! This is a common habit and a habit that people constantly excuse, but it is also

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a factor in a huge number of accidents. You know when you are not alert to drive. Dont try to push yourself. Grabbing the wheel from the driver DUMB! A woman admitted grabbing the wheel of the car in the heat of an argument with her boyfriend, who was driving. He was killed and her two children were seriously injured. Granted that it was the passenger that did the final deed; the car is no place for arguing. Several accidents have been reportedly been caused by the driver arguing with someone on the phone, which is kind of a double-header of dumb. Everyone gets into disagreements now and then, especially if you are in the car together for long periods. The dumb part is staying on the road or staying in the argument. One or the other must stop. Not only are you distracted and your judgment impaired by emotions but also your physical reactions are affected. The angry or upset person will exaggerate movement and force so that the wheel is held too tightly and constant correction for muscle tension is needed, and oversteering is common when avoiding obstacles or changing lanes. The gas pedal is pressed harder, and the brakes are jammed on. Your two-ton chariot is out of control. Any real or imagined slight by other drivers is exaggerated, and retaliation is more likely. Stop and cool off. It can save your relationship, your driving record, and your life. I almost hate to mention ghost riding or car surfing DUMB! They are so stupid that the idea seems to have a weird attraction when first heard of. Car surfing is fairly obvious. The person dumb enough to take the dare rides on the top or hood of the car while someone else drives. The results to the surfer are frequent and catastrophic; injuries to

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other people and property are also common because everyone is distracted and no one is using any brain cells. Ghost driving is the act of the driver stepping out of the car and walking, running or dancing along the car as it rolls along in neutral or even idling in gear. The idea that you will be fast enough to regain control before the car speeds up or veers to the side is rampant self-deception and unfortunately ends as often in pedestrian injuries and damage to other peoples property as to the person responsible. Falling under the wheel or being caught in the door and dragged are not unusual. Even the most sympathetic medical staff have trouble being totally sweet to the person dumb enough to run over himself. Permanent injuries to yourself or others because you intentionally gave up control of a moving car will haunt you forever. Improper backing DUMB! This causes many accidents. Too often the drivers glance into the rear-view mirror or look over their shoulders and throw the car into reverse. When the car is actually moving, they either face forward or look only into the rear-view mirror. If you are just starting out after being parked, check behind your car before you get in. When you are backing up, go slowly and look behind you. Alternate your rearward watch with glances forward to see that you are not catching anything with the front of your car, especially if backing out of a parking space. Cars going forward have the right-of-way and are not obligated to back out of your way. More importantly, the driver moving ahead may not be able to stop and shift into reverse in time or may be blocked by cars behind her. This may simply be a lack of skill or attention, but it is true that somehow people often seem to

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expect others to clear the way when they are backing up or blame the driver of the car that was already parked when they backed into it. Take your time and make sure your rearward vision is clear either directly or with well-designed mirrors.

Driving without brakes DUMB! This is foolish but not as uncommon as you might think. If you know that your brakes are not working properly, get them repaired as quickly as possible. You often hear a person say he was still able to pump the brakes up, and the car would stop. This still means they are not functioning properly and can suddenly fail completely. The same is true of power steering that is stiff or loose or an engine that hesitates or stalls. If your car is not functioning so that you can drive, steer, or stop dependably, then you are risking yourself and those around you foolishly. Car repairs may be costly but worth whatever it takes to keep you safe.

Lets Recap:
Distractions of any kind; cell phones, texting, videos or games can kill you. The car is no place for anger, at a passenger or anyone else; stop driving until you are calm.

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Use headlights and signals; they not only let you see but help others see you. Alcohol or drugs means no driving. Admit when you are too tired to drive, and do not try to push yourself. Pranks, dares, and stunts while driving automatically prove you are too immature to be behind the wheel. Driving in reverse takes concentration and practice. Do not drive if your car is not working properly

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14.

SAFE DRIVING IS SERIOUS, SO LET'S STOP FOR A LAUGH

Even old jokes are nice traveling companions.

The truck driver arrived for his new job. Hi, he said. Im Jim, and my partner is Mike. I drive at night while he sleeps, and he drives during the day." Fine, said the boss. But I want to know if you are good, because youll be hauling nitroglycerin. For example, if it's three oclock in the morning and youre on a narrow bridge when an oncoming driver with a semi full of concrete blocks falls asleep and veers into your lane, what would you do? After a moments thought, Jim said, Id wake up Mike. Hes never seen a wreck like this! The nervous student always panicked when she came to a narrow stretch of two-lane road, often moving onto the shoulder when a car came from the opposite direction.

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One day she finally drove smoothly through the whole course, and the instructor congratulated her. You did great today. Finally got used to meeting traffic, huh? Not really, she smiled, but now when I meet another car I just close my eyes. When you see a young man open the door for his girlfriend, you know its either a new car or a new girl. The aging chauffer had been driving his cranky old employer for several years, ever since they were both young men. They had never made a trip without the boss shouting instructions and insults from the back seat. Finally they were traveling down the highway when the car, almost as old as the men inside, stalled and rolled to a stop with the back wheels resting between the rails of a railroad track. A train was rushing toward them while the old man in the back yelled, Get it started! Move! Move! MOVE! The chauffer took off his cap and said, Youve been driving this car from the back seat for years. Ive got my end over; the rest is up to you. Bumper Sticker: How many roads must a man travel down before he admits that hes lost? Bob let his son Jim drive the car for his first date and made a point of showing his trust by not waiting up. The next morning his son came down for breakfast, and Bob asked how the date went. Great, Dad, Jim replied. It was the most fun Ive ever had!

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No problems with the car? No. It ran great, but I dont think it will start this morning. I think its got water in the carburetor. I bet you dont even know what a carburetor is. How could it have water in it? Because the car is in the swimming pool You know youre a bad driver when the helicopter traffic announcer knows you by name. The trooper asked the nun driving the car if she knew why he had pulled her over. No, officer, I was careful to be going the speed limit. I stayed right at 27 miles per hour. Sister you were going too slow. 27 is the highway number, not the speed limit sign. The speed limit is 55, so you were slowing traffic down. Now I understand. Thank you, Officer, she smiled. About to send her on her way, he noticed the two older Sisters in the back seat, praying rapidly with their eyes tightly shut. They were pale and shaking with perspiration soaking their habits. Whats wrong with them? he asked the driver. I dont know, she said, they started acting like that when we were back on Highway 185. I need to see your drivers license, the trooper said, as he stepped up to the window of the car that he had finally gotten to pull over. You guys have to make up your minds, Officer. You took my license away last week, so how do you expect me to show it to you now?

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Henry was driving rapidly to work and concentrating fiercely when his cell phone rang. What is it? Im busy, he shouted. His wife replied, Be careful, I just heard on the radio that some nut is driving the wrong way down the expressway. My gosh, Mable; its not just one nut; there are hundreds of them! Farmer John decided to take the company that owned the truck responsible for the accident to court. The company's lawyer was questioning Farmer Joe. "Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine,'?" asked the lawyer. The farmer replied, "Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the..." The lawyer cut him off, "Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?". Farmer John started again, "Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road..." The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. He is faking. Please tell him to just answer the question." Judge was a country boy himself and told the lawyer, "I'd like to hear his story." John thanked the Judge and proceeded, "Well, I had just loaded Bessie into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the

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stop sign and hit my truck in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn't want to move. I could hear ol' Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape. It was awful." Shortly after the accident, a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over and looked at her. Then he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. "The Trooper came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, 'Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her.' "Then he said, 'How are YOU feeling?'" The policeman pulled the man over and became suspicious when he saw an array of sharpened machetes gleaming in the back seat. What are those for? he asked, with one hand on his pistol. Im a juggler. I use those in my act, replied the driver. Oh yeah? Lets see you do it. As the officer stood at a safe distance, the man spun six blades into the air in a dazzling display. Just then an older couple drove slowly by and the man said, Im sure glad I gave up drinking. Those tests have really gotten hard!

BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Teen_Drivers/teendrivers_fac tsheet.html http://www.statefarm.com/about/csr/safe_neighbors/teen_driving_art icle.asp http://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Teen_Drivers/GDLandBeyond. html TheSafeDrivingHandbook,JohnBiardo http://www.safemotorist.com/articles/IPDE_Method.aspx http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs04/htm/dlchrt.htm http://www.centurycouncil.org/learnthefacts/drunkdrivingresearch http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/07/ipodoblivionblamedfor _n_674391.html http://www.drivers.com/article/169/U.S.News CrashproofYourKidsTimothySmith http://www.delawaredriver.com/topics/English/Aggressive/topic2.html http://www.popcenter.org/problems/aggressive_driving/ http://www.butlerwebs.com/jokes/driving.htm ReadersDigestLaughtertheBestMedicine MammothBookofJokes.EditedbyGeoffTibballs ThePrettyGoodJokeBookGarrisonKeillor