REVEREND FB.COM | Daren’s Driving Handbook - Chapter 10

Daren’s Driving Handbook

Chapter 10 - Starting and Stopping: Slip Slidin’ Away

Under "normal" conditions, ANYTHING you do with a car should be gradual. The "swaying" we’ve been talking about is something that you want to avoid desperately. (YOU WANT TO FEEL SWAYING? GO TO DORNEY PARK!)

PULLING AWAY FROM THE CURB - Remember how when you’re changing lanes, and you think of the "space" as moving at the same speed as you?

Well, pulling away from a curb IS a "Mirror/Signal/Blindspot" operation just like a lane change, but you need a B-I-G space! You need to get your car up to the speed of that "space" quickly - but smoothly.

Why do you think...

...that most winter accidents happen in the first few snow storms?

My guess would be that it’s because people spend the whole summer driving like idiots - "swaying" all over the place, and it takes them a couple of snow storms to get back into the habit of driving smoothly.

Start moving your car gently. Not only is it easier on the car, and you’ll save a fortune in gas, brakes, and maintenance, but everyone around you will be able to figure out what you’re doing... and if YOU screwed up, they’ll have time to avoid you.

FORCE the guy behind you to slow down by braking sooner. Ninety percent of your deceleration should be in the first 50% of your "stopping room!"

Find out if you have anti-lock brakes. If you do, remember that you should NEVER try to pump them in a panic stop. If you DON'T have anti-lock brakes, take the time to practice a few panic stops without locking your wheels.

If you combine this with "timing your traffic lights" you wind up avoiding spending time at intersections, which is where most accidents happen. Pretty clever, eh?

"Hydroplaning" is even WORSE than ice. On ice, you can predict that your car will go in the direction it was going prior to the skid. When you're hydroplaning, the movement of the water can make it totally unpredictable. Contrary to popular opinion, you do NOT need a hell of a lot of speed or more than a half inch of water to start hydroplaning.

TEST the road surface in a safe area, and assume that’s the BEST traction you’ll ever get.

Did you ever wonder why some streets have YIELD signs, and others have STOP signs? Or what the big deal is about making a FULL stop? Well, here's why...

Generally, STOP signs are only neccessary when the driver needs to worry about pedestrian traffic. A YIELD sign - on the other hand - let's you worry only about vehicles.
That's because if you are still moving while you're looking for vehicles, it's just too easy to miss some poor slob walking across the street.
If you'd like an example, watch when people do a "right on red." Guaranteed, you'll see all the drivers looking to the left as they roll right around the intersection. This is why the law says to make a FULL stop first.