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Teach "no tailgating." Tailgating is one
of the easiest—and most destructive—bad habits to fall into, especially in the
stop-and-go, slow-go traffic that typifies both city and suburb. Try to develop
a formula for determining a safe distance between yourself and the vehicle just
ahead. One simple measure: Pick out a landmark, like a billboard or an overpass,
on the road ahead. Wait for the car ahead to pass it. You should be able to
count off three seconds before you go by.
Watch yourself in lots. The folks who
create lab-rat mazes have nothing on the designers of modern mall parking lots.
The temptation to cut across lanes and dart in and out of the traffic pattern
seems irresistible. But don't. Drive slowly, stay patient, and be extra alert to
the pedestrians and other drivers who surround you.
Yield at yield; stop at yellow. You
probably learned both of these rules way back in Driver's Ed. And you probably
forget to observe them every so often. But the results could be disastrous,
especially if you slide through a yellow light and get T-boned by a T. rex-sized
sport-utility vehicle jumping the gun at the other light.
On the right path. If you're driving
below—or even just at—the speed limit, the right-hand lane is the best place for
you. It seems more drivers than ever are busting speed limits and weaving in and
out of traffic to get past those who aren't. Driving the limit, while legal, can
cause traffic jams, frayed tempers, and uncontrolled bouts of hyperactive
lane-changing by the speeders behind you. Leave the left lane (and the troopers)
to them.
Forward, drive! Unless you absolutely
have to (backing out of a parking space, for example), don't drive in reverse.
It's too easy to lose control of your car and have it spin out if you go too far
or too fast backwards. If you miss a turn, keep going forward, turn, and circle
back when it's safe.
Pay attention. Driver distraction,
which includes everything from talking on a car phone to fiddling with the CD
player, is a huge traffic safety issue. In fact, studies have shown a
correlation between car phone chat-ups and accidents. Keep your mind and eyes on
the road, and that means, with the exception of emergencies, staying off cell
phones. If you need to make a call, or change that CD, wait until you find a
safe place to pull over.
ClubMom's AutoPro, Jayne O'Donnell, is a
Washington, D.C.-based reporter (and new mom!) whose automotive expertise and
investigative reporting skills have helped break some of the biggest auto-safety
stories of the past several years.
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