Common driving behaviors like speeding, aggressiveness, distraction, drowsiness, and impaired driving contribute to accidents; recognizing reckless, inattentive, impatient, and overconfident driving helps prevent accidents.
In preparing for a discussion group recently on the subject, I’ve been thinking about what makes a good or lousy driver. This is a topic ripe for spirited debate, and it turns out there is as much controversy about what constitutes good driving as there are factors that actually determine it. Is it progress, safety, […]
These winter days can be extremely treacherous ones on the road, what with sleet, black ice, freezing rain, drifting snow, whiteouts, or any combination thereof blanketing the pavement. Starting in late fall every year, reminders pop up on the radio and news for drivers to be mindful of changing conditions, to slow down, and allow […]
One problem I see constantly on the road are drivers not knowing how to smoothly and safely navigate their lanes. This is such a ubiquitous issue, one that involves safety, timing, traffic flow, road rage, constant near-misses, and accidents, that it warrants explanation on what the different lanes are for and how to drive in […]
Several times a year I travel to the Midwest to visit family, and instead of booking a flight, I pack up the car and hit the road, all 3,800 miles from Seattle to Minnesota and back again. By myself. People always look at me like I’m crazy when they hear I am driving alone. Aren’t […]
Big changes are on the horizon for car technology and drivers. So big, in fact, that a sea change is coming in how drivers and their vehicles will adapt to real-time traffic congestion and rapidly changing conditions in ways that are scarcely imaginable today. (More on this in future posts.) To this end, the German […]
Don’t try what’s depicted in the photo above while on the move, like I’ve seen some people do. Scary. This week, I am in the middle of both packing for an impending move and getting ready for a long road trip to the frozen Midwest. So this post will be short and sweet, but hopefully, […]
In no particular order, here are some random thoughts about cars, driving, and life on the road in general. 1.  In 2010, 50 officers were killed in traffic collisions, including 16 killed by a vehicle while they were outside of their vehicle, and many more injured. Many of these fatalities and injuries were caused by […]
Lest you think that this blog is all about what-you-should-and should-not-do finger-wagging, let’s remember that driving and cars can be FUN as hell. As I related in my first post here, I have always simply adored the sensation of being in motion, particularly from the driver’s seat (not so much as a carsick backseat passenger). […]
The cornerstone of all good driving is situational awareness, or SA. It is what can make the difference when an oncoming car suddenly swerves into your lane and you react safely to avoid it in a split second, or panic blindly and plow into someone else. If you don’t have SA, you may not notice […]
