Do you see that white vertical line on the roads each time you go out? Well they are meant for something. They are guides and are there to also tell us to stick to our lane. Unlike in most countries where drivers have a tendency to shift lanes and even disregard these lines, they are really meant to guide you to stay in your lane for a more orderly way of driving.
They are also used to make sure that traffic is manageable at times. A road is usually made for 2 vehicles while highways go up to at most 4 lanes. Just imagine a major road without these lines and many vehicles driving simultaneously. You can just imagine the traffic it can cause due to uneven distribution of driving space thanks to lack of discipline and road ethics.
These are normally taught to you when you study driving. They are the basic yet important issues. In some countries, if you do not follow these simple rules, chances are you are dangling for a traffic violation ticket. Violations and fines for obstruction or even reckless driving can be charged on you and these cost heavy fines and a lot of discomfort for you. And in some countries, it goes as far as taking your license and being a cause for concern when it is time for you to renew them.
You can avoid troubles when you drive. Driving is easy if you do it the right way. Just review what they taught you in driving school and you will be fine.
Well, this might have to do more with the way the human body is designed and how much information we can process in a short period of time. Scientific data has shown that our actual active line of sight window (or the area of our vision which is fully analyzed and can be reacted to instantaneously) is limited to a few square inches in front of you. The rest is what is considered to be the peripheral vision area which we are aware of but do not have too much concentration on. Add to it the tunes playing on the radio, the shifting combination of the depressing the clutch and changing gears and you have a lot of information to handle for the human body to actually process (try this test to see if you are a safe distance from the car in front of you).
At 40 kmh, the average car (with stock brakes) can stop reliably in about 5 car lengths which translates to around 50 or 60 feet. This might sound quite far but this is true. Now back to the speed limit thingy, well these are placed due to many considerations such as the type of road surface, the amount of traffic that is to be expected, and the surmised fuel savings and so on and so forth. The one about speed in relation to fuel consumption is a good one, for at 80 kmh, your vehicle is running in balance with it’s weight and the momentum or it’s forward thrust that the engine is running efficiently burning only enough fuel to maintain that speed no more and no less. Now with most carburetor type vehicles that would be a good idea for these vehicles do not have computer brains like the newer models of cars which seem to have technology crammed into each and every corner.
The ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or computer of newer cars has the necessary programming to obtain information from a bank of sensors on the engine (temperature, idling speed, revolutions, amount of air entering the engine and many more) that allows it to adjust the performance of its parts to provide or attain maximum efficiency while maintaining fuel economy. Depressing the gas pedal on a carb-type vehicle and you pour gas into the engine even if it doesn’t need it sending some into the overflow line onto the street. Newer cars have recovery lines which send excess fuel back into the fuel delivery system or the gas tank for re-use. The speed limit is the determined safe speed to maintain necessary distances for braking allowing you enough time to react properly to the events that unfold such as in emergency cases in front of you. The human body reacts quite fast (in milliseconds actually which is the time your eyes see the information, sends it to the brain, processes it and comes up with the necessary response and sends the nerve impulses to the necessary muscles on your limbs for you to react) but at high speeds, that might not be enough. Why race down a street which is only a few blocks long? Just ease on the gas pedal and accelerate gradually for it not only saves fuel, it also saves on the wear and tear on other parts of the vehicle(brakes, suspension and other parts). Enjoy the trip and not the ride for it allows you to ponder about better things than the darned traffic jam ahead of you.
In my last post, we took a look at some of the most common sense tips to help you keep safe while on wet roads. Here are some more that you can bear in mind.
Stay away from the side of the road.
As much as possible, drive as near to the middle of the road as you can. The rationale behind this tip is the fact that most of the roads in the United States are crowned in the middle. As a result, the water tends to run off to the sides of the road. In many cases, the water gathers toward the sides, posing a hazard to motorists.
Always turn your headlights on.
This is the law in many places actually, but not everyone really does it. If I were you, the moment that a light rain falls, I would turn my headlights on. Even if you can see relatively clearly ahead of you, it would still help. More so, your headlights would alert other motorists to your presence. A word of caution: do not use your high beams when there is a fog. Instead, use your fog lights if you have them.
Keep your eyes on the car ahead of you.
While you have to keep your eyes on the road and the condition, you also have to pay attention to the car in front of you. Make sure he has enough space, especially if he has to suddenly brake. Also, seeing how the car in front of you “behaves” will give you a pretty good idea of what is ahead.
Drive safe!
They say that you will never face a better test of your driving skills until you have to drive in winter. While the season is almost over, we do know that the global climate changes have made things a little crazy in this department. There are still cities and states which are experiencing an extended period of bad weather. As most of us face the tail end of the winter, here are some of the best winter driving tips that you can bear in mind.
Don’t drive in bad weather.
That’s the best tip of all, actually. If you hear about a snowstorm on the radio or on TV, the smartest thing to do would be to stay put and wait it out. And once the storm is over, do not be in a hurry to get out and drive. Make sure the plows have done their job and that there is no ice on the road.
Take your foot off the accelerator.
If you cannot stay put and you find yourself driving on icy roads, your best bet would be to go against your need for speed. That accelerator is also meant to be stepped on lightly, you know. Decrease your speed, brake gently.
Never use cruise control.
While cruise control is FUN, it will not do you any good to use it on bad roads. Driving in bad weather requires all your attention and focus. It’s best for you to pay attention and not leave things up to cruise control.
When you are driving a stick shift car, proper timing on when to change gears is important. Other than saving on fuel, the load that your engine would have needs to be considered as well. There are cars that end up needing an overhauls because of bad gear shifting and surely this will be something we can all avoid. Don’t be in a hurry to shift gears (since most people believe that the early shifter can save on gas). Actually, that is true but it also affects your car engine as far as proper revolution and advances in timing.
As far as wanting more power by shifting late, engines are going to bear that toll. Remember, there are engines the give way due to excess revolution to which the load may eventually lead your engine to shut off and need an overhaul. Aside from driving in the wrong manner, you may find yourself spending for the overhaul and waiting for your car to be finished in the process as well (about 2 to 3 weeks depending on the extent of the damage).
Finally, don’t leave you foot resting on the clutch. Some would use this as a practice so that they can avoid the pains of stepping and then releasing. Remember, when you step on the clutch, load is going to the clutch lining. If you are not careful, you may end up burning those clutch lining and discs and leave your car to need a brand new clutch replacement kit in the end.
For most drivers today, getting a ticket for allegedly erratic or reckless driving can be a pain. Outside that of having a mark on your driver’s license, it can also be a pain as far as trying to retain a clean slate in instances where you have to pay for tickets and fines for irresponsible driving.
So how does one avoid the tickets? Well for one, go back to the driving basics and avoid the risks if you already know you will get into trouble. Speeding, beating the red light, swerving or the simple busted tail lights are normally the main causes of being given a ticket. With that in mind, you just have to wonder if drivers either ignored them when they were taking up driving lessons or plainly don’t care.
Do not take these violations personally. They are mean to protect and save anyone from accidents and the pedestrians as well. They were not placed for other reasons and this is something that both old and new drivers should carefully ponder on. They may not seem important for now but they are main factors in responsible driving today.
Do not be daring nor dare to cross the lines of being adventurous. These are normally the issues that have to be addressed and most drivers learn only after they have done it. Curiosity killed the cat as they say and the same curiosity may kill the person behind the wheel if he is not careful.
One of the things that anyone would hate is being caught in traffic. Apparently not all drivers have the patience when they are caught in bumper to bumper situations especially when it comes to distance in between cars.
So why is distance important? Well for one, you never know if you are the cars in front or behind you are unaware that a slight movement of their vehicle may cause a sudden minor collision in between cars. Drivers for that matter do not take such collisions lightly. In fact, you may even find yourself in the middle of an argument and before you know it, you are causing a major jam as well once the traffic is supposedly free flowing.
So what is the proper distance in between vehicles? While no driver is expected to follow a certain distance in between cars, it remains that they already know how far they should be. There is the proper distance that you can project and in most cases, metric measurements don’t really matter.
Common sense will tell you if you are too close for comfort. Even in regular driving speeds, there is an observed distance in between cars so that in cases like a sudden stop, you can avoid accidents or road mishaps that can normally be charged at your expense. Driving too close will not be something to you advantage and is actually a form of defensive driving.
Keep your distance, you have more to gain than to lose.
In some parts of the world, there will be cases that you have to pass through knee-deep floods in the streets. Your first instinct would be to drive fast so that you don’t have to worry about your engine conking out due to water intake. However, once you get through, do remember that you have to check everything and this includes your brakes.
Now the question is how do you do it. Not until you are free from the flooded areas would you even consider checking your breaks. But normally, it would be best to check your brakes if they will stick by pumping on the break pedal repeatedly. If your car brakes respond by stopping on one stomp, then you are good. But if you notice that your brakes are not responding, just keep on pumping that brake pedal until it stabilizes again.
Experienced drivers know this for sure. But for the sake of new drivers who are not yet fully exposed to such contingency measures when passing by flooded areas, this is a simple tip for safety as well.
There is no telling how fast you would want to get home especially during rainy days but while you can drive as fast as you can, make sure that you can stop at the right time. Accidents happen and one of the things that really has to be addressed is how consistent your brakes truly are.
So you are driving and you suddenly find your dashboard signals flashing profusely. For sure that means something and it is not just any electrical malfunction. Chances are one of your signal light bulbs may have run out so you need to replace them. Problem is you are cruising and there is not any chance for you to stop to replace them. Add to the fact that normally, car owners do not stock bulbs since they normally take months to years to wear out. So what do you do?
For one, don’t panic. There are the ancient ways of signaling that you are turning left or right. Hand signals still do the trick. For example, extending your hand to the left if you are going to the left is a good way to let the car following you that you are about to take a left turn.
If you are turning to your right, extend your hand upward and have it point to your right. That way you can avoid any untoward collisions on the road, something that may be your fault if you get into a minor accident.
This is precisely why some states are quite strict about busted taillights. They are meant to inform the driver behind you that you will be making a turn. For people who have not yet been caught, you don’t have to fret. Just use these signals and you will be on your way to safely driving along the road.
For most people, the logic of driving normally calls for you to stay in your lane at all times. Standard roads normally call for you to drive on the right lane, although some countries like Hongkong and London use the left line for right of lane privileges.
But when you find yourself in the long stretches such as freeways and the highway, the temptation to change lanes will always be there. But before you do change lanes, make sure you do it the right way by looking for vehicles at the back using your rear view mirror and again a glimpse when you are about to change lanes. Use the signal lights or hand signals so that vehicles behind you will know that you will be changing your lane.
The frequency of changing lanes should be properly done though. There are some drivers who always feel that they should be always first. To do so, overtaking cars means a big thing even if they would normally reach their point of destination at any rate.
A word of caution to people who drive frantically though. If you recklessly drive like a lunatic, chances are you may be apprehended for reckless driving or even encounter accidents. High speed accidents are no joke and if you are not careful, you may find yourself in a life threatening predicament.
A driver can drive as fast as they want. Just make sure you follow the right driving ethics and keep your concentration and eyes on the road. The manner of driving is entirely up to you.
