CHAPTER 5 - Changing Lanes/Highway Tips
An old philosopher friend of mine once said to himself, "Self, anything is easy, once you know how to do it."
I’m sure that jumping out of a plane is easy too, but I’d bet we’d all make sure that parachute was in good shape before we did it.
Lane changing is one of the top five reasons for accidents. Too many things can and DO go wrong during a lane change, even when you do it right. It gives you, and everyone around you, too many chances to screw up. ("Screw up" is a term old driving instructors use that means "have an accident." Driving instructors can’t say "have an accident" for the same reason that if you worked at Taco Bell, you can’t say that a Bean Burrito would make you puke.)
So, what do you do?
- First, KNOW HOW TO DO IT!
* CHECK YOUR REARVIEW MIRROR - If you can see some roadway in front of the car - in the lane you want to go into - then, assuming that he is not going faster than you are, you have plenty of room to change lanes. (Actually, if you can see ANY of the car, you have room. But as always, give yourself an extra margin of safety.)
* SIGNAL YOUR LANE CHANGE - even if you don't see anyone behind you. It should become a habit. Again, if you missed a car in your blindspot, the other driver may have time to avoid you.
* CHECK YOUR BLINDSPOT - Not doing this is easily the major cause of lane-change accidents.
- Then, you eliminate unnecessary lane changes. The next time you drive - or even as a passenger, watch any car for a few miles. He’ll change lanes twenty times so that he’s the first animal in the pack, and you’ll be right behind him having done an easy 50 MPH without changing lanes at all. (When you meet him at the next traffic light!)
- NEVER switch more than one lane at a time, and NEVER assume that the car two or three lanes over isn’t ALSO deciding to go into "YOUR" new lane. Each lane change is a separate "MIRROR-SIGNAL-BLINDSPOT" operation.
- NEVER drive in someone’s blindspot, and NEVER allow anyone else to drive in yours. You ALWAYS want a "cushion of space" around your entire car.
- NEVER make a lane change a last minute decision. If you don’t have time to plan it, then don’t do it.
NOTE: An "emergency lane change" is an obvious exception to that rule. Just be glad that when you have to make one, "Mirror/Signal/Blindspot" will be a habit!
"Merging" and "Lane Changes" are tough concepts for most new drivers. What you need to do is look for the "space" that you want to get into, and AIM for it. Adjust your speed so that the "space" is where you want it to be, WHEN you want it to be there, and move into it. And - esspecially when merging (or approaching merging traffic) - plan it well enough ahead of time so that you don't have to make any last minute decisions.
If you think of that "space" moving at 60 MPH, it’s pretty obvious that YOU must be going 60 MPH in order to get in there. If you’re merging into bumper-to-bumper traffic, with the main traffic bumper-to-bumper - you’d do a "forced merge." That’s what polite, experienced drivers call "Cutting someone off...."
Seriously, if you’re at a dead stop on an acceleration lane, you do NOT want to stay there! GET EYE CONTACT with some driver, and make it politely clear that you’re moving in front of them. Very few people will be rude enough to ignore you once you have made eye contact. (Have you noticed that once you look someone in the eye, they’re all "please and thank you?" Rarely will someone be rude once you have eye contact.)
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This might sound like conflicting advice, but it’s NOT...
1) Assume that everyone driving around you is drunk, stupid, blind, and gay, and expect them to do the worst possible thing at the worst possible moment.
2) ALSO assume that if someone cuts you off, maybe his wife was giving birth in the back seat, or his kid is bleeding to death in the passenger seat, or maybe some corny old guy is rushing to get a haircut and he’s late for the appointment....
THE POINT is to compensate for everyone else, and move on.
AS FOR PASSING ON THE RIGHT... It generally is not a good idea on a highway, but if you're in a position where a car is going too slow in the left lane, it is usually better than making multiple lane changes. Just remember that he - like you - has a HUGE blindspot. Be extra cautious. (Contrary to popular opinion, it is NOT illegal to pass on the right on a multi-lane highway. But it IS dangerous.)
***Passing someone on the shoulder who is turning, however, is another story. If you decide to do this, doing it at more than 5-10 MPH is just plain stupid. There are just too many places you need to look in order to do it safely. For one, the turning car itself becomes a HUGE blindspot. And, oh yeah, it's illegal.
Okay, NOW we get SERIOUS! -------------------------------------- YOU NEED TO READ THE STATE DRIVING MANUAL! Except for the part about skids, you need to be totally familiar with the Driver’s Manual. They generally have decent explanations for most things - except about skidding. Traffic Lights... Traffic lights are your friends. (I went out with a green light for about two years when I was in college. She was pretty bright.)
Nearly all major roads have sensors on the side streets to only give them a green light when there is a car there. They’re generally set up so that when a car is waiting to cross the main road, the main road gets a 15-30 second red light within 5-30 seconds, unless it’s been less than a minute since a car triggered the previous light change. If anyone is reading this along with the new driver, take a minute to look at the expression on their face. It’s that once-in-a-lifetime priceless expression that say’s, "What the HELL is he talking about?" I’m sorry, I KNOW, I know.... I’ve been told more than a few times that I get carried away once I get started, but you know, if you want to have a horse, you have clean up the poop. You gotta take the WHOLE package! So why would you care about all that "useless information?" Because once you KNOW that, you can usually adjust the speed of your car so that you don’t wind up at red lights. If there are cars waiting at the intersection, you know the light will be changing soon. It really IS a "neat game" to play, because you’re saving gas money, tire money, brake money, and you’re eliminating the possibility of getting hit at 50 MPH while you’re stopped... you’re forcing the people behind you to slow down, and it’s FREE! Okay, okay... I HEAR you. But speed kills. Take a look at this table...
Driving around locally - when most accidents happen - the time you save can be counted in seconds on a five mile trip. And these figures assume an uninterrupted journey. You nearly ALWAYS wind up at a light. All's your doing is speeding between stops. WHY?
If you’re approaching a long line of cars on a highway, be READY for some fool approching you to pull out of his lane and try to pass the line of cars. Unlike you, they are driving so close to the car in front of them, that they can’t see you. Make sure they can see you, and always have somewhere to go in case it happens.
I know people who will drive miles out of their way to avoid traffic lights. These are not people who I can spend a lot of time with, because they drive me nuts. They’re the same people who will drive around Wal-Marts parking lot for twenty minutes looking for a space, so they don’t have to walk an extra 500 feet. Usually, by the time they get into the store, they are so frustrated and aggrevated that they don’t even remember why they were going. 
With very little practice, you can and should adjust your speed on a highway to avoid most red lights. I may be a little strange, but I make it a game. It’s a LOT more fun than poker (most versions, anyway) and I make more money at it by saving all that gas.
Everyone is in such a hurry, but check out the time you REALLY save by speeding. Granted, on a 100 mile trip, you'll save 12 minutes going 75 instead of 65, but you increase your chances of dying in a collision by a factor of 16.Driving Time at Different Speeds
DISTANCE/SPEED 35MPH 45MPH 55MPH 65MPH 75MPH
5 MILES 8.6min 6.7min 5.5min 4.6min 4min
10 MILES 17.2min 13.4min 11min 9.2min 8min
20 MILES 34.4min 26.8min 22min 18.4min 16min
40 MILES 68.8min 53.6min 44min 36.8min 32min
80 MILES 137.6min 107.2min 88min 73.6min 64min
100 MILES 171.4min 133min 109min 92min 80min
One more thing...
