Pay Attention to the Gaps

This driving tip is one that many folks might find challenging to implement. When we are first taught to drive we are taught to pay attention to the other cars on the road and for good reason! Not seeing another car increases the odds that one will hit it when turning or changing lanes. We learn how to pick up even a hint that a car might be near us via our peripheral vision. We watch to make sure that a car passes us coming the other direction before we attempt a left-hand turn. In essence, we are watching the "road" but really we are specifically attuned to the actions of other cars so as to avoid collisions.

My last driving tip suggested a method that could be used for making quicker left-hand turns and it introduced the idea of looking at the "gaps" between cars in circumstances where one will be turning or changing lanes. By no means am I suggesting that one should ignore what other cars are doing, as we might collide with them when altering our direction. Instead, I am suggesting that it is useful to look at the gap between cars and not just the cars themselves.

Many times I have waited behind a car that is attempting to exit from a driveway or is stopped at a stop sign waiting to enter traffic or cross the street while the cross-traffic has the right of way and is not required to stop, as occurs at a 2-way stop. They are watching the cars go by and many opportunities to proceed are missed as it seems as if they don't evaluate whether or not it is safe to go until after the cars in question have passed directly in front of them, at which time they then look to see the location of the next cars down the road. I suspect they are watching cars and not gaps, because there is sufficient time to cross the street or make their turn should they be paying attention to the gaps in traffic.

The same situation occurs, something I noticed here in Utah after moving from California, when lanes merge, like on freeway onramps. It would be amusing if I weren't the occasional victim of this particular driving deficiency. A steady stream of cars enters the freeway with a uniform gap between them and there is little allowance for the flow of traffic in the lane into which they will be merging. Clearly those already in the freeway lane have the right of way and it is the emerging traffic that needs to adjust their speed to safely fit into the traffic flow. This type of merging is an art form in busy traffic areas like Los Angeles where the gaps between cars on the freeway and other roads are much smaller, not a safe practice, but one that has to be adopted for defensive reasons. Leave too large a gap, like the one suggested by driving experts of 1 car length per 10 MPH, and you will have a constant stream of cars diving in front of you.

Perhaps it was my many years living and driving in Southern California that got me looking at gaps. Whatever the reason, it's clear to me that many homegrown drivers in Utah haven't developed the skill. Of course, it might be that some folks don't see well enough (scary thought) to see the gaps in oncoming traffic, or can't easily gauge what a safe gap might be and opt for a huge gap to open up before they proceed. Honestly, I think they just haven't learned to watch the gaps and are blissfully ignorant that they are missing opportunities to proceed safely. And the merging that occurs on freeway onramps? They hate it because it is so unsafe and those darn drivers won't make room for them. Thank goodness for the metered onramps that are finally starting to crop up here and there on I-15.

For what it's worth, I teach my children, as they are learning to drive and we are accomplishing the required 40 hours of parent-supervised driving practice, to watch cars firstly and pay attention to gaps as an afterthought. Safe driving requires lots of practice and very good habits and I consider paying attention to the gaps an advanced strategy.

Quicker Left Turns at a Signal

This driving tip ties in with the next one in the series, which will be titled "Pay Attention to the Gaps." There is a key to making quicker left-hand turns, but before we get there, let's go to what is typically done at signal controlled intersections when a car is waiting to turn left.

The diagram on the left displays Car C stopped at the mid-point of the intersection waiting for an opportunity to safely turn left. Car C waits for Car A to pass, but there isn't enough of a break before Car B arrives for Car C to make the left-hand turn.



Car C had to wait because they couldn't get a "running start" before making the turn. It takes most cars a second or two to move from a standstill to a speed of 5-10 MPH, time that Car C didn't have before Car B arrived in the intersection. A car traveling at 30 MPH covers 44 feet per second and it is likely that Car C would need 3 seconds to safely complete the left-hand turn and not cause Car B to break or swerve to avoid a collision, which means that Car B would have to be at least 132 feet away at the time that Car C hit the gas and started the turn. (The speed of the oncoming car changes the amount of time that Car C has to make their turn, faster means less time, slower means more time.)

Car C could have reduced the amount of time needed by waiting further back in the intersection and then starting to move forward--not turning yet--as Car A was approaching. (The other 3 diagrams show the relative positions of the cars using this strategy.) As Car C's speed increases and Car A safely proceeds past them, Car C--which is now in motion--can more quickly turn and clear the intersection without infringing on Car B's right of way.

Of course, it's possible to push the limits with this strategy and without realizing it cause Car B to break out of surprise or by just being cautious, so care should be taken to make this type of quick left turn only when circumstances dictate it can be accomplished safely.

Note: Don't forget about pedestrians, cyclists, cars turning right into the lane you will be headed towards, and if there are multiple lanes of oncoming traffic, make sure you can see any cars that might be blocked by Car A, especially if Car A is actually Truck A or other really big Vehicle A. Better slow and safe than sorry.

Driving Tip #2 - The Flashing Red Hand

This is another of those driving tips that one would assume that everyone knows and isn't worth writing about. However, when my oldest daughter was going through Driver's Ed, she was asked by her instructor why she started to slow down as she approached an intersection while she still had the green light. She was still a distance away from the intersection and mentioned that the solid red hand had clued her into the fact that the light was stale and likely to change in just a moment...which it did.

I'm in the habit of looking at the pedestrian signs as I approach an intersection where I didn't see the light turn green for my direction. It's always comforting to see the light green or white man icon in the little box as that means I usually have sufficient time to make it through the light. A flashing red hand usually means that the signal is about to change, although depending on how the light is programmed, it might turn to a solid red hand before the light changes. In recent years we've seen the new type of pedestrian signal that indicates how many seconds are left before the signal turns. Very helpful! However, I'm sure some people see the numbers 3, 2, 1, gun their engines, and still run the light...only faster.

Of course, one should always exercise caution when driving and especially in unfamiliar areas. Some signals are programmed to only display the "walk" icon when a pedestrian has pushed the appropriate button, and as I mentioned earlier, sometimes there is a solid red hand before the signals changes and sometimes not. Nonetheless, this small tip has helped me avoid running red lights and thereby reducing the opportunities for a ticket or an accident.

Driving Tip #1 - Blockers

There is a certain thrill that comes from teaching one's children how to operate a motor vehicle, something I've had the opportunity of doing 3 times so far and will have the opportunity of doing again in 2008. I should mention that I was a reluctant teen driver and opted to wait until I was almost 17 to take my driving test and obtain my driver license. And other than one mental error that resulted in a speeding ticket at age 18, I have managed to avoid getting any tickets or causing any accidents over the ensuing 33 years.

Good driving record notwithstanding, I consider myself an average driver. I came to that conclusion because I realized that most of us likely consider ourselves to be above-average drivers and that just wasn't possible. So I'm willing to be "average" in order to bring harmony to the universe. So please take my tips with a grain of salt...after all, you are likely a better-than-average driver.

While I can't speak to the traffic laws in every state in the union, my experience has been that in the case of a tie (two or more vehicles arriving at a 4 way stop at the same time) the right of way goes to the driver on your right. When two cars are at opposite sides on the intersection, tied drivers turning left yield to those going straight or turning right. Sounds simple, right? So where's the tip? Well, a strict application of the above rules can lead to unnecessary delays when there are left-turn and right-turn lanes at the intersection, too. For example, let's suppose that you arrive at an intersection where there is a right turn lane that you intend to use. The car just in front of you (Car B) on the street chooses to go straight and waits at the stop sign while a car (Car A) on their left--who has the right of way--proceeds across the intersection. Just before you (Car D) come to a complete stop you notice that there is a car (Car C) that has just come to a complete stop in the left turn coming from the opposite direction from you. According to the rules as I learned them, you should wait while Car B proceeds across the intersection and Car C turns left and proceeds down the street that you intend to turn onto before executing your right hand turn. (No other vehicles or pedestrians are at the intersection.) However...you have a "blocker" in Car B!

Car C has to wait for Car B to clear the intersection and if you are on your toes you can make your right hand turn without making Car C wait any longer than they would have for Car B. While this might sound selfish--and indeed it can be if you actually make Car C wait for you--using blockers can actually speed up traffic flow when there are a number of cars nearing an intersection. Think about it...the person who is behind you getting ready to also turn right can now turn one turn sooner because you took advantage of a blocker. Repeat that process over and over and traffic flows more smoothly.

Do you already use blockers? Well, of course you do! You're an above average driver! It must be those OTHER drivers that I see needlessly waiting at stop signs every day. You know, the ones that don't read blogs like these!