The Theory of Driving: 20 Laws & Rules to Become A Better Driver

The Theory of Driving: 20 Laws & Rules to Become A Better Driver

QUICK - PASS THIS ON TO SOMEONE WHO DRIVES LIKE SH*T!

Our cities are a mess when it comes to driving. Like no other time in the past, the face of driving is rage, ignorance, and unqualified. We have 55,000 new drivers to the road every year, and a whole culture of bad drivers coming from other countries. We're angry, rude, and we’ve forgotten how to wave. So, what would it take to be better drivers? Treat driving like a job: follow the law, adhere to the rules, and don’t ignore the unwritten social code of the road.

FIVE LAWS:

• DRIVE IN THE RIGHT LANE – unless you’re overtaking. This is critical, on the Autobahn, there are police who have the sole job of pulling over slow drivers in the fast lane because it can be a fatal mistake. Many drivers in North America would cripple foreign highways with their terrible driving practices.
• USE YOUR SIGNALS – Be aware of how other drivers "see" you. If you ride the brakes or drive with both feet, your brake-lights are constantly showing us what an idiot you are. Have this spatial awareness of knowing what you look like from all the 360 degrees of objectivity.
• LEAVE YOUR PHONE ALONE – looking down for 1 second = 50 meters of travel. Now that you know this, any time you look at the phone, you have committed to losing 50 meters of road, knowing you knew this because you read it right here.
• MERGE CORRECTLY – like a zipper. One car in, one car out. Not a free-for-all. This is simple mathematics for funnelling components together, appreciate the science!
• IF YOU’RE IN A FENDER-BENDER – pull over to the next exit. Nobody needs an impromptu accident party in the middle of the highway. Traffic jams continue long after the accident is cleared. Knowing this, we can make it more efficient.

FIVE RULES:

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO RUN YELLOW LIGHTS – it’s a suggestion, not a challenge. We know if we make this light that we'll only be stopped at the next one. Spare the moment, Armor-All your dash, chec your mirrors, and switch to the traffic channel.
• DON’T CUT IN FRONT OF TRUCKS – they can take 10 times longer to stop. You don't want to be their bumper sticker. They are incredibly patient with bad drivers, cut them a break.
• ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ALCOHOL/DRUGS – just don’t. If you have any alcohol or drugs in your system, you are at the very least 1% responsible. Be prepared to always be 100% sober whenever you are driving. It sacrifice nothing but a 0.08 buzz.
• PEDESTRIANS ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY – we are all pedestrians at some point, deal with it. Yield to them.
• KINDLY WAVE – If someone lets you cut ahead, don’t just zip in like it was your God-given right. Wave! A small gesture, like a human. With a flood of immigrants who do not wave when they cut into traffic, "we" as a society have stopped waving, "thanks". And it's detrimental to the driving public because you won't let people cut in in the future. Everybody suffers then.
  
• I encourage everyone to always drive to the best of their abilities, not to impress the police should you get pulled over, but to impress yourself. Fix a headlight that's out, as a matter of wanting to see and be seen; not for fear of a ticket. Signal, even when no one is behind you. Keep up the laws and rules, make them habits and heuristics.
• The ownership of your driving style should be a signature. The only law I break when driving is speeding, never extreme, but I was raised on the Autobahn and the driving experience in Germany/Italy is another paradigm that is hard to shake. Local drivers cannot hold an automotive candle to European drivers. This article could be called, "How to Drive like a European." As a consequence, I get a ticket every five years or so. If speeding is a sin, then I visit the $200 version of hell, and I am cleansed.

ALSO CONSIDER:

• DON’T BLOCK INTERSECTIONS – If you can’t make it through the light, don’t go. Nobody enjoys getting stuck in the middle of an intersection.
• USE YOUR HIGH BEAMS RESPONSIBLY – Don't drive with your high beams on, this is all "ME, ME, ME" and you look deplorable.
• STOP FULLY AT STOP SIGNS – A "rolling stop" is still a stop, I appreciate drivers who can nail this, I think we all do. But sometimes you need to stop and assert dominance, so you can go first. Someone has to initiate the stop.
• SLOW DOWN IN BAD WEATHER – Rain, snow, fog, or icy roads—take it easy. This is a paramount driving aspect to pass on, hydroplaning or sliding uncontrollably are signs of a bad driver going too fast for conditions. Yes you can get a ticket for going the speed limit. Listen to the morning commute and see how many people crash every day because of this elementary fact.
• KEEP A SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE – Try counting how far you are from the car ahead, try this for a week, develop the right habits. Abide by the, "One-one thousand, two, two thousand," rule.
• NEVER SPEED IN SCHOOL ZONES – It’s a no-brainer. Kids are walking around; keep your foot off the gas. Again, don't do it only because you don't want a ticket but take pride in adhering to the rules of the road. It costs you nothing save running over a child. And you would wreck lives, especially if you were looking at your phone. Horror is but a glance away.
• RESPECT ROUNDABOUTS – Yield to traffic inside the circle. These circles were introduced en masse but no one was told how to negotiate them; hence, we show our poor skills as everyone asserts dominace, this is terrible practice. Signaling in traffic circles (signal in, signal out) greatly enhances the fluidity and economy of the driving public. In a day driving in France, negotiating over 300 traffic circles is not uncommon.
• LOOK BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR DOOR – It’s called the “Dutch Reach.” Open your door with the opposite hand to force yourself to check for cyclists or oncoming traffic.
• DON’T HONK UNLESS IT’S NECESSARY – A honk should be a warning, not a long, extended expression of frustration. Use it sparingly. But use it like honking-proficient countries like China do, a quick 'beep' to say, "I am here.' And do not get angry if it is used against you, these are the tools we have in our toolbox. Figure out what their reason could be, and work on correcting it.
• NEVER DRIVE ON EMPTY – Besides the logical fact you need gas, an empty tank invites condensation and the engine will work poorly with water introduced into the system. You should always be aware how your car is running and try not to make the traffic channel's next rotation. Don't be the weakest link in the chain.

I've seen the driving habits of 40+ countries, and guess what? Canadians are right there with Americans in the "worst drivers" club. I thought Houston, or maybe Orlando, or maybe New York City was the worst I've seen, but no - it's on my very own roads. You other drivers have given me all the anedotes I needed to write this article, shame on you for being "memorable."

BUT - we can be the Best Driving City in the Country if we just respect the traffic around us. Let the idiots be idiots and know that you no longer look like them. Slow in the fast lane? Never "be" that person again. Road rage will be halved overnight.

We control 2,500lb chunks of metal; it’s time we treated it like we care and are aware of how the physics of this work, and what the social order of driving can be. Again, listen to the traffic to see how many people cannot grasp this fact.

Remember when a Sunday drive was relaxing? Now, it’s a free-for-all, fighting for the last bit of open road, and all the new developments clogging up streets are pushing any good driving experience further out into the country. There are cities where "going for a drive" is not possible. The dream of the "open road" is gone. So I offer you the only time you can actually spread your vehicular wings - go for a spin at 3am, when it's just you and the road.

Unless we change our ways, accidents, road rage, and gridlock will welcome every new driver forever into the future. So let's start now and aspire to be the best driving city, each of us a shining example, of how altruistic driving can be. Let’s drive like it matters. We need to be aware of everything around us, respect everyone, and know our cars’ limits.

Accident-free for 39 years. Yep, and I’m still aiming to be a 10/10 driver. Here’s how I grade local drivers:

1. New Drivers from Other Countries – They don’t merge, don’t signal, cut off trucks, and think yellow lights are an invitation to speed up or stop. 3/10.
2. "L" Graduated Licenses – Rush hour learners? Yeah, it’s chaos. This is expected, but we do have the market's share of learners. 4/10.
3. Taxis, delivery drivers, and U-Haul Trucks – Distracted, always on Bluetooth, don’t know their vehicle’s limits, and often unpredictable. 4/10.
4. Regular Drivers – No signal, no merge, always running yellow lights, and living in the passing lane. They may boast about doing all of these. A typical Gen-Xer. 5/10.
5. "N" Graduated License Drivers – They follow the rules but are a little robotic and still text while driving. 6/10.
6. Performance Cars/Motorcyclists/Delivery Trucks – Better drivers, usually they have an extra license, meaning a better quality of driver. 7/10.
7. Collector/Exotic/Manual Transmission Cars – These drivers get it. They care about their vehicles and how they drive, and it shows. 8/10.
8. Semi-Trailers – Practically flawless. Respectful and patient, even when you cut in front of them. 9/10.

And me? I’m 8/10, but I try to be a 10. Let’s all aim for that. No one expects 100% adherence to every law & rule, even the police know if they follow you long enough, you'll screw up and earn yourself a ticket. But take these words into consideration. Take the rules to heart. Take the laws as dogma.

Some day the world may be overrun by self-driving cars, and I shudder at the thought, but know that the days you can actually exercise your driving prowess are numbered.

Driving is your "job" when you are behind the wheel. No family arguments, no changing DVDs, and no goddamn phones that aren't hands-free. Or you are a dinosaur to the wise driver. Showing others you care about the theory of Driving is like showing off your degree, or your social media influence, or your recommendations/trophies/awards. It's a sign of pride to drive well. Realize how good you are and do it to show the world you contribute to the well-being of a professional driver's mindset. Take professional driving courses. Up your game, learn to drive rally cars or stunt cars. Drive a 5-speed. And wave!