Top Ten Driving Tips

I really can't stand the way some people drive and I find myself wanting to destroy countless drivers each and every time I'm out on the roads. Obviously, the problem is not me, so I'm making this post to inform and educate everybody about a few little known facts abouts driving.

1) If you're parking on the side of a street, pull all the way up to the car in front of you (if there is one), don't force the next person who comes to parallel park between you and the car ahead of you just because you want an easy exit.

2) If you can turn on red, DO IT! I can't tell you how many people I see who refuse to turn on red despite it being legal. They just sit and hang out because they aren't thinking about anyone but themselves.

3) Learn how to judge the distance and speed of oncoming traffic and know the capabilities of your car. Too many people will just sit for what seems like hours when trying to join moving traffic from a different street. They won't pull out because they feel it's too risky (even though they have a full 15 seconds before the next car comes by).

4) When you are stopped in the middle of the street waiting to turn left, pull your car as far over to the center line as possible to allow traffic behind you to go around.

5) Similar to #4, when you are waiting to turn left in an intersection, pull into the center of the intersection, do not wait behind the line. You are entitled to turn after the light turns red and oncoming traffic stops. If you don't pull into the intersection, you may never get a chance to turn if traffic is heavy and nobody behind you will get a chance to turn either. Also, it allows traffic behind you to go around you instead of waiting for you to turn (assuming it's a one lane road).

6) When you are entering the highway, don't get on at 45mph and then wonder why it is so dangerous and difficult to merge with traffic that is going 70-80mph. Use the entrance ramp to get your car up to the speed limit. You will find it much safer and much easier to merge.

7) Similar to #6, when you are already on the highway and see an entrance ramp up ahead, move your car into the left lane to allow the entering vehicles to merge.

8) While on the highway, if you're not going faster than the cars in the right lane, stay the hell out of the left lane. Although historically the left lane was reserved only for cars that were in the process of passing another car, it is now used for cars that simply are traveling faster than those in the right lane. Don't just hang out in the left lane if there are people close behind you.

9) Your brakes are there for a reason, to slow your car down. The brake pedal is NOT a foot rest. I can't tell you how many people I have driven behind (mostly old people and Virginia drivers) that will drive a significant distance with their foot on the brake the entire time. They are fully disregarding the fact that the brake pedal activates the rear brake lights before it slows the car down. So, people driving behind them see brake lights but the car isn't actually slowing down. This causes frustration and, more importantly, desensitization to those brake lights ahead because they don't result in the car slowing down. It takes far more time to realize and react to a car slowing down in front of you when you are not using the brake lights as a visual indicator of decreasing speed. So, please, make sure that when you press that pedal in, it is because you are slowing down, not because you may be slowing down sometime soon.

10) For the love of God, make sure the next car you buy is a stick shift. First off, it's just good to know how to drive a manual transmission. Everybody knows how important it is to know how to swim, it simply seems ridiculous and dangerous to not learn how. It's no different for driving a stick shift. You never know when you may need to be able to drive a car with a manual transmission in an emergency situation. In fact, when comparing swimming to driving, it seems much more likely that an emergency situation would arise requiring you to be able to drive a stick shift than finding yourself in a situation where you need to know how to swim. Honestly, compare how often you find yourself near water and how often you find yourself near cars.

Aside from the safety issue, it will make you a much safer and more attentive driver. You will quickly learn how a car works. You will learn what your car sounds like when it's running normally and be able to quickly recognize when something is wrong. You will also find yourself paying more attention to the road than with an automatic (that is a good thing). All it takes is a few hours of your time by yourself or with a friend (preferably) to just practice and get used to driving one. Also, if you know how to drive a stick but have never actually done it, don't think that you don't need to practice. Trust me, just because you know how to drive a stick, it doesn't mean you can drive a stick. It's really like riding a bike - once you learn how to do it, you will never forget it. Finally, it will save you money. Most car manufacturers charge around $1100-1600 if you choose an automatic transmission. You really can't go wrong with a manual transmission.