On driving
March 17, 2010
I remember when I didn’t have my driver’s license. It seemed I’d ever get it. But I finally did and now I can’t imagine life without it (yes, despite not having a car to call my own).
However, like all things in life, it would seem I’m still learning or unschooled in some areas related to driving.
For example, I:
- use the side view mirrors to make sure I’m between the lines on the road and for no other reason.
- just discovered how to turn on my high beams a week ago, and learned that at night, I had been using my head lamps as high beams (and therefore driving without the latter on a lot of the time). (I’m probably using the wrong terminology.)
- don’t understand the point of doing a left shoulder check as I don’t feel I can see anything that would help with my driving (I still do it though).
- never use the parking brake, and often drive with it on if using the car after my father (who is rather fond of using parking brakes, especially in icy weather). We’ve all done it right? *Ahem*
- usually drive up to 10km/hour above the speed limit after a friend told me the cops won’t pull you over for driving 10km/hour or less above the posted limit. I may have just been lucky all this time but “Take that!” anyone who thnks I don’t live dangerously!
- lift my foot off the brake as the opposite light is turning red because when my light turns green I want to be the first one to take off.
There’s no way I’m alone in this…anyone want to confess?
Lol @ last bullet point. So you are one of those over excited people huh?
I believe it is 20km/h over the speed limit. Thats what I do and never got stopped.
Driving with parking brakes? Yup, did that once while I was still new to driving. Drove my dad’s car with him in the front seat was about 5mins from home when engine blew. I was convinced it was my fault, he says it wasnt and it wasnt because parking brakes where on. Still feel guilty though.
Blind spot check = VERY IMPORTANT! Really it doesnt help you? hows your peripheral vision?
It took me 6months of owning my first car to figure out High beams too. Lol
I realize this comment is almost as long as the post but I’m in a chatty mood today. Sorry Jummy ;)
Oooh! Oooh! A posting about cars, huh? Now I feel I MUST respond to encourage such behavior :)
You don’t use side mirrors or left shoulder checks? Vehicles have things called ‘blind spots’! How do you currently making a lane change…by crossing your fingers and hoping there’s nobody beside you? :) Nothing annoys me more than drivers who aren’t aware of their surroundings (not saying you are!). At any point they can just switch lanes or slam on the brakes thinking they’re the only ones on the road. Oh, and if you still need to check where the lines on the road are you aren’t driving properly. Look where you want to drive and you will always be centered.
I use side mirrors to check who’s beside me, change lanes, squeeze into tight spots, etc. However, I use my left side mirror more than my right preferring to shoulder check to my right instead.
Use your parking break when you are parked on a steep hill or driveway or when it’s really icy. You never know until disaster happens. Even if you don’t need to use it…it’s a good idea to occasionally use it to keep the parts lubricated and working. Once a month is fine.
I’m not a big user of high beams. I use them only when I’m driving in pitch black and on straight stretches of highway. If you drive in the country, you should always use them in case of deer, moose, etc. darting out from the forest.
You can drive up to 18km’s over the speed limit as anything over 20km’s over you get a much bigger ticket and it’s worthwhile to pull you over. The reason for choosing 2km’s is because even with cruise control engaged your car can still go 1 to 2 km’s higher or lower and thus you can still be caught doing 120.
I applaud you for taking your foot off the brake when the light is green even when you’re not the first in the line of cars. I wish everyone would do this rather than wait until each individual car has started moving. Twice as many people would make it through the light and home to their families. This is NOT aggressive driving, but rather considerate.
I am just learning how to drive on the other side of the road (in a manual shift – hiliarity). Things that I used to do that seem so natural don’t even work here. like when I back up at home I turn to the right and put my right arm over the seat to back out of the parking space (while checking my mirrors)…Do that in Australia and all i get is the driver’s side window.
Yep, I killed the parking brake of my Jeep the first hour I owned it by driving with it on! Go me!
I do left shoulder check, however, this has caused me more near accidents than anything else because as I shoulder check I forget what is in front of me and have almost rear-ended a few people, and in fact did rear-end one person a few weeks ago.
High beams… well, I live in the country where there are no street lights, so I always drive with those.
And I heart people who want to be the first to go when the green light comes on!