Poor driving habits fixable

Evidently, certain drivers will persist with their bad habits, so I will continue to suggest that they recognize and fix them. R.M., of Spokane, brought up the irksome practice of continuous left lane travel to me in an email last week—and with some detail!

Here’s how R.M. sees it: “I have been driving the West Plains area since the middle ‘70s, and have never seen so many people stay in that left lane. I know that there are more businesses, housing, etc., out there, but for example, I will see people leave the base and go directly to the left lane, and you say maybe they are turning up here shortly, NOPE, well maybe they’re turning on Hayford (back way to Spokane and Casino), nope, they go all the way to I 90—the right lane goes faster than the left. Same going west towards Fairchild—I’ve seen drivers in the left lane all the way to the Base, then get over in the right lane and keep going west on Highway #2.”

I see the same gleeful, oblivious-left-lane-use-for-no-apparent-reason going on everywhere too, R.M. Drivers, this habit is fixable—like Dr. Phil would say, “Don’t do that anymore!”

Revised Code of Washington 46.61.100 is titled: “Keep right except when passing, etc.” So, left lane travel is mainly for overtaking another vehicle, and that “etc.” part refers to moving left to allow another vehicle to merge, and getting left when you are about to make a left turn. Those are some proper reasons to be in the left lane of a multi-lane roadway—I’ve never been able to find a rule within the RCW that allows driving there because it “feels good.”

Over and over, left lane louts and tailgaters top the popular peeve postings. Here are some tips from the Website www.driversalert.com, where safe driving practices for professional drivers are discussed:

Extend your vision: Good defensive drivers are looking 8-10 seconds ahead to survey the road. Look for brake lights, blind corners, intersections, etc. Know what is on all four sides of your vehicle—use your mirrors.

See the whole picture and interpret what you see: Note changing traffic patterns and watch for signs of road construction. Note broken down vehicles or flashing lights. Watch for and give room to emergency vehicles. Be aware of vehicles not maintaining their lane (erratic lane changing often indicates excess speed). Keep eyes moving and constantly looking for threats to your personal safety.

Make intentions clear to others: Signal intent for a lane change as soon as possible (8-10 seconds is optimum). Don’t slam on the brakes if someone is following too closely—even activating your brake lights will probably anger the tailgater. Slow down and move over if the rear-rider is persistent. Avoid driving in others’ blind spots, and use the horn or lights as well to communicate, making others aware of your presence.

Have an escape route envisioned at all times: Ask yourself, if the vehicle ahead of me stops dead in its tracks, do I have an escape route? A professional, defensive driver must always have a plan to avoid an accident. Be prepared to slow down, stop, or maneuver around a potential obstacle. A driver must constantly work at this in order to effectively manage the speed and the space around the vehicle. If another driver cuts you off, it is up to you to reestablish a safe following distance by slowing down for a few seconds. Maintain a space cushion, or what I refer to as your driving niche, or comfort zone.

React positively and decisively: Stay alert, and practice driving well, constantly managing your speed and space.

Driver errors have been around since the automobile was popularized around 1913. What’s rising, though, is the aggression and rage arising from drivers’ errors and disagreements. Eliminating our own errors, and reacting reasonably to the mistakes of others are the keys to improving harmony on the roadways—please help the cause.

Just another reminder of how important this stuff is: I often state that we are regularly losing over 100 citizens daily in the U.S. via traffic deaths (over 41,000 last year), but the big picture is startling. Per Marilyn vos Savant, in Parade, “Since the start of the American Revolution in 1775, about a million Americans have died in wars. And since Henry Ford introduced the mass produced motorcar in 1913, more than 2.5 million Americans have met their deaths on the road.” To me, this accentuates the importance of devoting the effort required to drive well.

Please keep sending me your thoughts, ideas, and gripes about driving—they always seem to be good topics for discussion—thanks for your input.