I read your “Behind the Wheel” column in Monday’s Tribune and felt compelled to share some of my experiences. I don’t have a commute story per se, but as a traveling salesman covering all of Florida I am on the road a lot and see all sorts of things. Since your “Behind the Wheel” series is sometimes about safe driving, I thought I’d offer a few tips that every driver should think about:

1) Relax and slow down. Many accidents occur due to overly aggressive drivers. That extra couple of miles per hour will only make a few minutes difference in your arrival time vs. a lot of unnecessary danger for others around you.

2) On a multilane road, don’t cruise in the left lane. Use the rightmost lane to cruise and the left lane to pass. People who cruise in the left lane often force other drivers to pass on the right which is dangerous.

3) Along the same theme, don’t cruise right next to another car. Get your pass done safely and move back to the right as soon as it is safe to do so. Cruising at the same speed as the person next to you causes backups behind you, tension for those who want to pass you, and leads to overly aggressive driving.

4) Use your mirrors. That guy behind you did not appear out of nowhere. He is obviously moving faster than you are. Move over and let him pass. Also, as you are planning a pass on the highway, look to see if someone is approaching at a faster rate. Don’t jump out in front of him. Let him pass, then execute your pass when the lane is clear.

5) When merging onto, or pulling onto a highway, consider that the traffic approaching is already at full speed and most likely merely passing through. Stay in the furthest right lane until you are at full speed before pulling into the passing lane. This is very important if the approaching traffic happens to be a truck. Trucks have a lot of momentum and require much longer stopping distances than cars. Give them room.

6) Use your headlights, day or night, on two lane roads so that others can see you approaching. This is particularly important if a rising or setting sun is behind you. You might not need your headlights to see where you are going, but they enable other drivers to see you. Along these same lines, use your headlights in any rainy condition. If your wipers are on, your headlights should be on.

7) In heavy congestion, ease up and let merging traffic in. That extra car length you gain by pinching someone off is not going to matter down the road.

8) Give motorcycles extra room. They are harder to see and provide a lot less protection for their operators than cars or trucks. A simple fender bender can be fatal to a biker. Give them room.

9) Finally, be nice. Getting angry at other driver accomplishes nothing but increasing out stress levels.

Safe Motoring,
Don Stevens
Clearwater, FL