I named this blog "In the Middle Lane" and blogged my explanation last fall. I avoid controversy when possible. Last week we took a Drive Smart after 55 class to get the 10% reduction on our auto insurance. This is what I culled from that class:
TOP TEN DRIVING TIPS
1. One of the things he taught was the safety of the middle lane. You have options to move right or left as needed. Use the left lane to pass but it is the most dangerous. That is already what I do.
2. Carefully pass large vehicles and 18 wheelers. Don't follow them because you have no visibility ahead of them. Many in the class, including myself, thought of them as "running interference" and chose to follow them. My husband always passes them. I will change the way I drive and pass.
3. I was taught in the 60's to place your hands on the wheel in a 10 & 2 position. Later I heard 8 & 4. This guy teaches 9 & 3 for greatest control. I'll do that and continue to nag my husband who loves to cruise down the road with hands resting on the crossbar!
4. Do you remember being taught to keep one car length times 10 miles of speed you were driving from the car in front of you? I haven't done any driving classes since 1963 and still try to estimate that distance. The instructor had a good question. What is the length of the car you are using to estimate that distance? In 1963 cars were a bit longer. Lengths vary a bit now. He states leave 4 seconds between cars. Watch when they pass a landmark and count off "One Mississippi, two Mississippi "... to determine what a 4 second gap is.
5. Adjust the headrest behind your head to have the middle of the headrest line up with the middle of your ear. This will help prevent whiplash.
6. Some colors of cars are safer than others. Everyone thought red fire engines were the most visible until research showed they disappeared in the glow of sunset. Green blends in with the grass, my dark gray is the color of the road. White is one of the best although I felt nervous when my son had a white car and lived in Boulder, Colorado. Would they find you in a snowdrift? Some in Colorado may be painting stripes on their cars this year. A bright yellow-green is the safest but no one wants it. The answer is to use those lights 24 hours a day. Mine turn off automatically and I do that. Score 2 points.
7. Never change a flat tire by the side of the freeway. Gawkers will look at you and some may drive right into you. Your cars go where your eyes go, that is why people hit highway patrol cars and stranded cars. Drive slowly with the flat to the next exit to change it. Not much danger here to me as I do not change flats or clean fish. He didn't say anything about cleaning fish while driving. That is just advice I got from my mom. "Don't learn to change a flat or clean fish". Now if she had just told me not to learn to vacuum and cook....
8. We were spared the photos of mangled bodies from car crashes but I did work in an ER for years. Above all avoid getting T-boned at an intersection (hit from the side). Don't be the first one out there when the light turns green and don't be the one running that yellow light.
9. Hit the deer. Swerving to avoid the wildlife may cause you to go in the ditch, possible roll over. Hit the deer. This brought an unfavorable response from a few older ladies. I have never had a close encounter with a deer and know you should hit them, but wonder if I would just react from instinct and swerve. Hope they keep their distance from me a few more years.
10. If you do breakdown by the side of the road and call someone to rescue you, have them park their car behind you. This will leave a car for them to hit instead of instead of hitting the car with the people in or around it.
TOP TEN DRIVING TIPS
1. One of the things he taught was the safety of the middle lane. You have options to move right or left as needed. Use the left lane to pass but it is the most dangerous. That is already what I do.
2. Carefully pass large vehicles and 18 wheelers. Don't follow them because you have no visibility ahead of them. Many in the class, including myself, thought of them as "running interference" and chose to follow them. My husband always passes them. I will change the way I drive and pass.
3. I was taught in the 60's to place your hands on the wheel in a 10 & 2 position. Later I heard 8 & 4. This guy teaches 9 & 3 for greatest control. I'll do that and continue to nag my husband who loves to cruise down the road with hands resting on the crossbar!
4. Do you remember being taught to keep one car length times 10 miles of speed you were driving from the car in front of you? I haven't done any driving classes since 1963 and still try to estimate that distance. The instructor had a good question. What is the length of the car you are using to estimate that distance? In 1963 cars were a bit longer. Lengths vary a bit now. He states leave 4 seconds between cars. Watch when they pass a landmark and count off "One Mississippi, two Mississippi "... to determine what a 4 second gap is.
5. Adjust the headrest behind your head to have the middle of the headrest line up with the middle of your ear. This will help prevent whiplash.
6. Some colors of cars are safer than others. Everyone thought red fire engines were the most visible until research showed they disappeared in the glow of sunset. Green blends in with the grass, my dark gray is the color of the road. White is one of the best although I felt nervous when my son had a white car and lived in Boulder, Colorado. Would they find you in a snowdrift? Some in Colorado may be painting stripes on their cars this year. A bright yellow-green is the safest but no one wants it. The answer is to use those lights 24 hours a day. Mine turn off automatically and I do that. Score 2 points.
7. Never change a flat tire by the side of the freeway. Gawkers will look at you and some may drive right into you. Your cars go where your eyes go, that is why people hit highway patrol cars and stranded cars. Drive slowly with the flat to the next exit to change it. Not much danger here to me as I do not change flats or clean fish. He didn't say anything about cleaning fish while driving. That is just advice I got from my mom. "Don't learn to change a flat or clean fish". Now if she had just told me not to learn to vacuum and cook....
8. We were spared the photos of mangled bodies from car crashes but I did work in an ER for years. Above all avoid getting T-boned at an intersection (hit from the side). Don't be the first one out there when the light turns green and don't be the one running that yellow light.
9. Hit the deer. Swerving to avoid the wildlife may cause you to go in the ditch, possible roll over. Hit the deer. This brought an unfavorable response from a few older ladies. I have never had a close encounter with a deer and know you should hit them, but wonder if I would just react from instinct and swerve. Hope they keep their distance from me a few more years.
10. If you do breakdown by the side of the road and call someone to rescue you, have them park their car behind you. This will leave a car for them to hit instead of instead of hitting the car with the people in or around it.
All right everyone, start your engines!
PS I had a good weekend. Managed to get out to walk on Friday in spite of the snowstorm and get to Curves on Saturday. Both are closed on Sundays so that is a day off. I last weighted myself March 1 and am down 18 #.
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