How to be a good driver

[xivera]

1) Always use your turn signal, ALWAYS. It doesn't matter if you are on a deserted road in west Texas, use the signal, that’s what its there for.

2) Use all of your mirrors all the time. Scan all of them on a regular basis.
2a) Know what and who is around you at all times. Look out for people that hold the wheel tightly at 10 and 2, they are nervous drivers and are unpredictable, get ahead or stay behind, but don't cruise next to them. Be aware of escape routes (open lanes) if some one near you makes a sudden and unexpected maneuver.

3) Know where you are going. Plan a route in your mind and be aware of obstacles like bad roads construction or well-known speed traps.

4) Speed is not always the answer. Plan ahead, that way you don't have to rush because you are late. If you are worried about being on time, that is awareness you take away from your driving and you leave yourself vulnerable to the crazy biatch in on the phone in the Excursion coming up too fast behind you thinking the road belongs to her alone.

5) Never tailgate. You won't have enough time or space to react in an emergency.
5a) Don't try to "teach a lesson" to a stupid driver. It’s dangerous to you and innocents that were never involved to begin with.
5b) Assume the driver ahead is GOING to do something unexplainable, give yourself enough room based on your speed to stay safe.

6) Don't race. I won't pay your ticket, I will take away your car, I don't want you dead because you are my child and I love you.

7) Don't drink and drive. Don't smoke a doobie and drive. Don't get in car with some one who isn't sober behind the wheel. You are my child and I love you, and if I find out you did, I'll ground you and take away the car.

8) Respect the mass of an SUV. It will crush your Honda/Acura like a tin can and only scrape their fender.
8a) Don't piss these people off by playing games. Other drivers are unpredictable and the person behind the wheel in that truck may not be right in the head.

9) Don't flip the bird or yell things out the window or sunroof. This is a good way to get shot or attacked. You NEVER know what that person is capable of. (I have had a derringer and a shotgun pulled on me in traffic at 18/24 yrs old)

10) Have fun. Driving is not a chore it is a pleasure. Enjoy your vehicle. Know how to change your oil or diagnose a problem. Be able to change a flat; always have a good spare w/ you, fix-a-flat doesn't always work.

[sp3cial_bl3nd]

you forgot one...

11. don't suck!

[sp3cial_bl3nd]

[1gspot]

i was hopin for a double clutching/shifting advice type forum. Unfortunatly i was terribly dissapointed with yet another drivers ed class. Please, someone redirect me.

-daivd

[BullShifter]

Forgot another
1. performance driving school
2. racing school

1gspot check this out : http://www.driftsession.com/technique.htm

[akina_speedstars]

Keep your eyes out for motorcyclists.

[Palmetto_Kid]

[quote=xivera]1) 8) Respect the mass of an SUV. It will crush your Honda/Acura like a tin can and only scrape their fender.
8a) Don't piss these people off by playing games. Other drivers are unpredictable and the person behind the wheel in that truck may not be right in the head.

QUOTE]

I drive a 4x4 2500 Dodge Diesel. Its very tall. Since most of you drive little cars, I fill you in on a little secret. When you try tailgate a big truck like mine, you become invisible. We cant see you, so dont do it.

I try my best to always know who is around me. I have been driving down the road before, and had a little car pass me from outa nowhere. She was actually right behind me, and I could never see her. I guess 70 wasnt fast enough, but man she shouldnt have been that close!


im not trying to call anyone out here, im just letting trying to help.

[jajimo]

If they've got a shotgun, you better have an AR-15 =)

[Kafziel]

A few other things no one seems to remember:

1. Don't think of the left lane as the "fast lane" - it is the PASSING LANE. Now, that often means you are going fast, but going fast doesn't mean you get to just cruise along in the left. I don't care if you're going 90 mph, because there's always someone going even faster than you, and they shouldn't have to slow down for you. Whether they SHOULD be going that fast is debatable, but it's not your place to slow them down. Leave that to the donut-eaters in the medians. I can't tell you how many times I've been cruising down the New York State Thruway and the left lane is choked with traffic while the far right lane is completely empty, because everyone thinks they're the fastest ones on the road. Stay right, pass left, then get the hell out of the way.

2. Right of Way - it's not that complicated. At a 4-way stop sign, the person who came to a complete stop first gets to go first. I don't care if they're going left, right, or straight up in the air. You have to wait for them. If two of us get there at the exact same time, whoever is on the right gets to go first. In other words, if you have to look left to see me, then GO. Don't wave me on. Just go. It's a stop sign, not a stop-then-wave-at-the-other-guy-then-flash-your-lights-then-sit-there-for-a-minute-then-start-to-go-but-change-your-mind-when-you-both-start-to-go-at-the-same-time sign. I'll bet the average American spends many hours of his life sitting at intersections waiting for people to get their shit together and figure out whose turn it is. Know when you have the right of way, know when you don't, and for the three seconds you're at the stop sign, forget being polite and just do what you're supposed to do.

3. When you pass a speed trap and avoid getting a ticket, flicker your headlights to warn drivers going the other way. The other drivers get to avoid being pulled over, the cops get to stay in their nice, warm cars, and your good Karma will follow you to the next speed trap. Everyone wins. By the way - warning someone of an upcoming obstacle involves turning your lights on and off. If you flash your high beams, that just makes the other driver say, "What the hell, man? I don't have my brights on." And your attempt at help is lost on them. I've heard some people say they're afraid to actually flicker their headlights because that might get them pulled over. All you have to say is that you were warning them that there were deer near the side of the road. Don't be a pussy. It's just us against The Man here, and flashing headlights beats radar detectors all to hell. So do your part.

4. ALWAYS flip the bird to people driving Honda Elements. They have replaced the Aztec and Liberty as the stupidest-looking cars on the road, and they deserve to know it.

More as they come to me...

[ZeroG]

Truuuuuuuuuu!!

[Masta]

rofl...nice

[hondacop75]

Originally Posted by Kafziel

A few other things no one seems to remember:


3. When you pass a speed trap and avoid getting a ticket, flicker your headlights to warn drivers going the other way. The other drivers get to avoid being pulled over, the cops get to stay in their nice, warm cars, and your good Karma will follow you to the next speed trap. Everyone wins. By the way - warning someone of an upcoming obstacle involves turning your lights on and off. If you flash your high beams, that just makes the other driver say, "What the hell, man? I don't have my brights on." And your attempt at help is lost on them. I've heard some people say they're afraid to actually flicker their headlights because that might get them pulled over. All you have to say is that you were warning them that there were deer near the side of the road. Don't be a pussy. It's just us against The Man here, and flashing headlights beats radar detectors all to hell. So do your part.

If you listen to this advice, you're going to get a ticket for sure and you might even end up in jail. I am a cop, and this whole "I was warning the other driver of deer / I was using my turn signal and the lights flashed by mistake" doesn't work. If I see you flashing your lights at oncoming traffic to alert other drivers of the presence of another patrol on the highway, I am going to pull you over, sight you for failure to dim your headlights and then look for any other violation I can find. WHY? Because what you are doing is obstructing justice. You may be tipping off a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He may slow down enough to get by the cruiser with the radar, but then he screams on down the highway and kills your wife and kids or your mother or sister when he plows into them head on at 90 miles an hour. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? Because YOU prevented him from being arrested by the on duty patrol because YOU alerted him to the presence of that patrol by flashing your lights. Think about it. You may be just speeding, but that other guy might be wanted for murder, have a kidnap victim in his vehicle, or, like I said, he may be under the influence, and thanks to your headlight stunt, he's off scot free and somebody may get hurt or be killed. It's not because we're all assholes and just enjoy stopping people and giving them tickets. Sure, some cops are indeed on a power trip and they give the rest of us who are trying to protect YOU, a bad name.

It's not about "not being a pussy" it's about BEING A RESPONSIBLE DRIVER, not some young, punk kid who just doesn't like being told what to do.

DON'T SPEED and you won't have to worry about getting pulled over, right junior?

Remember this, obstruction of justice is not a laughing matter. I don't have to conduct any type of investigation or have substantiated suspicion of a specific incident in order to take you to jail to support a charge of obstruction of justice. I can just do it, and I will, because it's the law.

[ZeroG]

BULL
You pigs will say anything to get some tickets from us the public that actually pay taxes to pay you to charge us and make life a living hell for us. You say that some cops are bad thats an under quote. So many are bad that you might as well just call the whole system evil. You spend more time messing with people and doing what your purpose wasnt really for. And what is with that lameass bull up there about the guy under the influence I mean come what are the chances of that, you police are good on statictics I'll let you figure it because. I think you better start looking for another way to get dui's and drug convictions. Thats a really sad and lame excuse epecially how you try to stick it on someone elses family that shows that you will stop at nothing just to get your tickets. Id like to see you take me to jail for alerting other drivers. Theres no law against it thats why in most states radar detectors are legal. dont get this wrong Im not condoning anyone to speed, by all means stay close to the speed limit and its understandable that sometimes people are in a rush and getting pulled over doesnt help the situation. One of the most important things to being a good driver is to AVOID THE POLICE, and also keep a good check on your because if something malfunctions or is not at full at working condition it your diving ablility will obviously be impaired.

Oh and people if you get a radar detector dont get it from walmart. They only work on the cars they want to work on.

[ZeroG]

just out of curiousity how do you intend to catch us or even prove that we were flashing our headlights. Youd have to be coming too not from the speed trap and youd have to have perfect timing going toward it. And what if you catch someone whos actually "innocent" to you newly profound crime. What then. From what it seems to me right now is that this is a empty threat that here to try and stab fear in the hearts of the Honda/Acura in this forum. I know the pigs hate us Honda/Acura but as to go this far I feel... I feel.... PRIVLEDGED!
* This aint bout what you drive, this aint bout where you be*
* This here bout feeling free, and if you in here with me......*
* Keep your throttle wide open...*
#modified 2 fast 2 furious soundtrack - track 6


************************************************** ****i
If you ever run into a stupid person, make sure to back up and finish him off!

[mycivic]

Originally Posted by Kafziel

1. Don't think of the left lane as the "fast lane" - it is the PASSING LANE. Now, that often means you are going fast, but going fast doesn't mean you get to just cruise along in the left. I don't care if you're going 90 mph, because there's always someone going even faster than you, and they shouldn't have to slow down for you. Whether they SHOULD be going that fast is debatable, but it's not your place to slow them down. Leave that to the donut-eaters in the medians. I can't tell you how many times I've been cruising down the New York State Thruway and the left lane is choked with traffic while the far right lane is completely empty, because everyone thinks they're the fastest ones on the road. Stay right, pass left, then get the hell out of the way.

Now this is what I call road courtesy. The right lane is the passing lane sometimes for crying out loud. Im trying to pass on the left lane because people in the right lanes are traveling at the same speed side by side...and this guy is traveling below the speed limit if not the speed limit at the left lane. There is no car infront of him. He wont even pass the car on his right to let people at the back pass.

This doesent happen just once in a while but everyday. When will people ever learn that the left lane is just a passing lane and not a lane to cruise in.