Studying driving is nothing compared to being released on the streets and driving your car. Without someone to guide you, you are on your own and alone in your car. Once that happens, you will be surprised at the difference it will be considering there will be no one to correct you and to tell you to do this or do that. In short, all judgment calls when you start to drive will be left to you. You should have confidence in driving otherwise you are bound to encounter some accidents along the way.
Confidence is something you need to bring when you drive. Driving is not about stirring the wheel and gassing up for acceleration. It takes mind and focus to drive a car so that you can get places. But be sure to put that confidence level in check. At times you may be tempted to drive fast and the faster you go, the closer you are to accidents. We can just check out news about car accidents. Most of them occur due to reckless driving.
These days, wise driving is all about defensive driving. Logically, at any speed you can reach your point of destination. For people who are following a schedule, driving fast is not the solution. You can always leave early so you will not be late for an appointment. In short, there are alternatives. It’s just a matter of thinking sensibly. The difference in choice can likewise be a telling part between safety and driving wisely and of course building on confidence to being a great driver.
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.
Here’s one fuel efficient driving tip that I think is really sensible.
Plan your trip, whether you are going across town or across the country. Try to combine several errands in one outing, and plan your route to avoid heavy traffic areas, road construction, hilly trerrain, etc. With a little organization, you can group your “town tasks” into fewer trips, saving you time and fuel expense. -Eartheasy
Even in city driving, planning your trip ahead will help a lot in fuel efficiency. I suggest you plan your route even before you leave your house (or office, or anywhere).
Going from point A to point B is easy enough. However, sometimes you have to make several stops, and it will be best if you plan which streets to take, and the sequence of stops. And it’s also good to check and double check if you’re not forgetting something you have to do or somewhere you have to go to. Otherwise, you might end up driving back and forth, and this is a waste of time, energy and fuel!
Written by J. Angelo Racoma on June 18, 2010 | 2 Comments
Driving in winter is NOT a fun thing to do, as many of you will attest to. One danger is skidding. You may be driving at a reasonable speed and being as careful as you can be, but a stray patch of ice just might throw you out of control. YOU may know how to control a skid, but do your (driving) family members know how to handle it? Here is some information that you can share with them, especially your teenagers.
What do you do when the rear wheels lose traction?
First, keep your eyes on the road. Don’t panic and look elsewhere, and continue to take the direction you were originally taking. Remember to turn the wheel towards the path that you want to go.
Second, do NOT hit the brakes! This is probably going to be the initial reaction of an inexperienced driver, but train yourself not to do it. Hitting the brakes will only make you lose control of the car more.
Third and last, do not stop steering in the direction you need to go. This will help avoid the rear wheels skidding in the other direction.
Now what if the front wheels skid?
You basically have to maintain the same presence of mind as well as follow the steps above. The important thing to remember is that you wait for the wheels to regain their grip on the road and not to brake or accelerate while doing so. Bottom line: be in control of yourself and the situation.
Written by Marcel on January 29, 2010 | 2 Comments
I don’t mean that you can use your mobile phone to drive. You know what I mean by that – a lot of us have become largely dependent on our mobile phones that we are rarely seen without them. When on the road, the mobile phone is not turned off (not that I am proposing this) and is even used by the person behind the wheel.
Many states have already imposed bans on this habit and rightly so. Driving is a focus-oriented task and the slightest distraction can make the difference between life and death. The split second that it takes to glance at the cell phone screen just might be the split second that you need to save someone else’s life or your life.
So how can you drive safely with your mobile phone?
Use voicemail! Instead of picking up, let the call go to your voicemail. That’s what it’s there for. If the call is really important, then pull over before answering it. If your argument is that you have a hands free feature, let it go. You know as well as I do that carrying a conversation can prove to be a distraction.
Ask your companion/s to take the call for you. If you’re not alone in the car, there is no need for you to take the call or answer the text message. Ask the person with you to do it for you.
If you do have to use the hands free feature (they were made for a purpose, I suppose), then at least make sure that you don’t spend too long on the phone. Also, make the road your primary focus. Last, be aware of your speed – be consistent and don’t speed up or slow down suddenly.
Texting and driving has been an issue for the longest time. Ever since using the mobile phone for more than making voice calls became a common thing, texting behind the wheel has proven to be a serious problem. I suppose one factor is that many people do not see texting while driving as deadly as drinking and driving. It just seems to be “safe” and not really dangerous – at least to those who have not really thought about it or to those who have not had a bad experience.
In Great Britain, though, they are taking this very very seriously. There is this Texting While Driving PSA that is currently airing in the country, and it is quite graphic! It can be quite disturbing, actually. Here, take a look for yourself.
I hadn’t gotten through halfway of the video and I already felt as if there were a huge thing crushing my chest. The sound of metal on metal, the girl’s screams, the blood…this is only a video but it really had an effect on me. Other viewers feel pretty much the same way. As a matter of fact, I read that there are some people who have been complaining about the graphic nature of the clip; that it is way too much for the general public. I think that it should be shown to anyone who can drive. If that means showing the video to a 16-year-old, then so be it! If a person can take the responsibility of driving and potentially placing his life (and the life of others) at risk, then he can take this video. What do you think?
Written by Marcel on September 9, 2009 | 2 Comments
Safety is paramount when you are behind the wheel. Driving has become such a part of our lives that sometimes, we take our safety for granted. Take those who take pride in being able to multi-task while driving. Mind you, these people are normally reasonable and logical people. I know some people who would not drive if they had taken even just a glass of wine in the past hour. But it is a different story altogether when it comes to texting while driving. But have you ever thought about just how dangerous texting while driving can be?
According to Car and Driver, texting or reading e-mail is extremely distracting. The study that they conducted has been described as “loosely structured,” but the results are nonetheless alarming. They asked for two volunteers who drove in a drunken state and then drove while texting.
While over the limit, the drivers managed to stop about four feet into the simulated car they were supposed to be following, whereas texting slowed reaction times to the point that drivers had travelled upwards of 70 feet ahead of where a normal driver would have stopped.
Followers of texting and Twittering culture might wish to notice that a new abbreviation has been added to the growing list of time-saving acronyms. In e-speak, this message indicates that the sender is currently having an accident: HRHH%^&UB%6UB6U65 TTTTTT.
It is scary, isn’t it? One thing I know – I will not stand for texting and driving anymore!
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.
We all know about sticking to the speed limit. You can easily get pulled over for going over the speed limit anywhere in the country, and this makes perfect sense. After all, these limits have been put in place in order to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians alike.
But have you ever thought about being ticketed for driving too slowly? Let us say that you are on the freeway with a speed limit of 60 mph. You find yourself driving at 45 mph. Is this something that you can be pulled over for legally?
The answer is not that simple. For one, it really depends on where you are – different states have different laws. For those in Seattle, I found useful information from Casey McNerthney:
Drivers cannot be ticketed specifically for driving too slowly unless there are minimum speed limit signs, he said. But drivers going too slowly can be cited for other violations – and the type of violation depends on speed in specific circumstances.
For example, if someone is driving 40 to 45 mph on the right lane of the freeway and not holding up traffic, he said they likely won’t be ticketed. But if a driver is going that slow on in the left passing lane, they can be cited for failing to stay right except to pass, which is a $124 ticket.
The bottom line? Know the law and stick to it as much as possible. Hope that helps in case you find yourself in such a situation in the future.
These days are the days of environmental awareness. We really just cannot close our eyes and ears to what is happening to our planet. Otherwise, we might have really bad environmental conditions in the next several years. This is the rationale behind a recent move in Scotland, which encourages motorists to become “green drivers.” While this initiative is in effect in Scotland, I believe that even those of us who are based in other parts of the world can benefit from following their program.
The Energy Saving Trust said “greener” driving habits could save motorists in Glasgow £24.5m a year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 64,000 tonnes.
It will bring a driving simulator to Braehead Shopping Centre later to demonstrate eco-friendly techniques. Advisers will also visit Cumbernauld Shopping Centre.
The campaign offers four key pieces of advice for motorists:
• Shift to as high a gear as possible
• Anticipate road conditions and drive more smoothly
• Maintain a steady speed in as high a gear as possible
• Drive a little slower than your normal speed
Look at those key pieces of advice. If you think about it, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that these tips would help you save fuel, and contribute to the conservation of the environment as well. I suppose it is a matter of initiative and motivation. This, we cannot force. We have to find it in ourselves and do it of our own accord.
Study driving is a blog for drivers and auto enthusiasts of all kinds. Here we talk about driving tips and techniques ranging from the simplest lessons for beginners, to defensive driving techniques, to advanced maneuvers. (Read more...)
Driving in winter is NOT a fun thing to do, as many of you will attest to. One danger is skidding. You may be driving at a reasonable speed and being as careful as you can be, but a stray patch of ice just might throw you out of control. YOU may know how to control a skid, but do your (driving) family members know how to handle it? Here is some information that you can share with them, especially your teenagers.
I don’t mean that you can use your mobile phone to drive. You know what I mean by that – a lot of us have become largely dependent on our mobile phones that we are rarely seen without them. When on the road, the mobile phone is not turned off (not that I am proposing this) and is even used by the person behind the wheel.
Safety is paramount when you are behind the wheel. Driving has become such a part of our lives that sometimes, we take our safety for granted. Take those who take pride in being able to multi-task while driving. Mind you, these people are normally reasonable and logical people. I know some people who would not drive if they had taken even just a glass of wine in the past hour. But it is a different story altogether when it comes to texting while driving. But have you ever thought about just how dangerous texting while driving can be?
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.
We all know about sticking to the speed limit. You can easily get pulled over for going over the speed limit anywhere in the country, and this makes perfect sense. After all, these limits have been put in place in order to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians alike.
These days are the days of environmental awareness. We really just cannot close our eyes and ears to what is happening to our planet. Otherwise, we might have really bad environmental conditions in the next several years. This is the rationale behind a recent move in Scotland, which encourages motorists to become “green drivers.” While this initiative is in effect in Scotland, I believe that even those of us who are based in other parts of the world can benefit from following their program.
