No, wait. It’s a cloudy and rainy morning and another
interesting commute to work is on the books. One can learn quite a bit on the
morning commute – mostly behaviors you shouldn’t be emulating. I admit, my
driving behavior is not always perfect, but here’s the thing. It should always be
about safety – yours and everyone else’s on the road.
Seriously, there are some behaviors that fall into the
category of “things that make you go hmmm.” Here are a few.
Assured clear distance – there is no doubt that keeping a
reasonable distance between you and the car in front of you is necessary. After
all, you never know when you are going to have to unexpectedly hit the brakes.
However, nowhere have I found that assured clear distance is defined as the
length of a football field. When traffic is bumper to bumper and crawling
along, that kind of distance psychologically messes with the person behind you.
That leads to anxiety and anger and well, you know where this is headed.
Cruising in the middle lane – NOT. There is something called
“lane etiquette” and cruising in the middle lane is a violation. According to
the Autoblog, traffic in the middle lane
should be moving faster than the traffic on the right. If a faster car
approaches from the rear and the right lane is clear – MOVE OVER. When slow
moving drivers stay in the middle lane, it bogs down traffic and faster drivers
start trying to pass on either side and that’s dangerous.
Multi-tasking – shaving, putting on make-up, texting – you
know what I am talking about. Don’t do it! Stay focused, stay aware, be
present.
Left lane campers - driving too slowly can be just as
dangerous as speeding. Slow drivers that “linger” in the left lane force others
to pass on the right leading to confusion, disorganization and accidents.
There you have it. A few interesting observations from this
morning’s commute. My point? Be safe. Arriving at your destination a few
minutes late is a small price to pay for your safety.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by MJ Thomas
Here's the irony on "middle lane cruisers" and "left lane campers:" There are many times when I can get in the right lane, set my cruise control, and go without traffic interruptions. I end up passing on the right (legal in Ohio) but no one is in the right lane! It likely adds to the confusion, but what's a driver to do?
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