Articles & Features

As a young guy who absolutely LIVED for vacations, I couldn't wait to get out of town. I worked the evening shift in a factory, and my habit was to pack before work, then leave immediately at shift change - stopping at home only to pick up my bride (lucky girl!). We'd drive all night, all next day and stop, exhausted, in mid-evening ...

Drivers must deal safely with all obstacles and situations we encounter. We take responsibility for a safe outcome -- because that's sometimes the only way we can avoid a collision. One special hazard is that posed by heavy trucks. Commercial drivers are proven professionals; they must meet exacting, tough federal standards and maintain excellent driving records to keep their jobs. The differences between trucks and cars ...

Imagine yourself happily motoring down an Interstate highway when you have a sudden blow-out or other emergency situation. You roll (or coast) to the side, but you have limited ability to get too far off the roadway (because of obstacles or a curb), and you have to stop fairly close to the main-traveled portion of the roadway -- too close for comfort. Imagine yourself outside, trying to change that flat tire, next to the traffic lanes, people flying past you, less than 18 inches away and at break-neck speeds ...

Most of us know the rules about driving to the right on multilane highways under normal conditions, and moving left only to pass. This isn't just courtesy, or standard operating procedure, but it's often a legal requirement as well. But what about roads where there is only a single lane in each direction?
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Left turns at controlled intersections are one of the most dangerous driving maneuvers. They don't have to be -- the dangers can be controlled. The most important thing is to be knowledgeable -- and then MINDFUL -- of what they are.
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What color is a "yield" sign? Think about that for a few moments and we'll come back to it.

Human beings are prone to operating on "autopilot." Especially on familiar roads, our minds wander away from our immediate task to other things. It is virtually impossible to keep this from occurring, but it is important to recognize it and bring our attention back to what we're doing as often as possible ...

You can minimize the danger of collision at intersections by learning to stop defensively. First, make sure your deceleration to the stop doesn't surprise the guy behind you. You already know how to identify a "stale" green light -- by watching the pedestrian signal. Typically, when there are only a few seconds left, the red "Don't Walk" signal light will flash to let the pedestrians know to get out of the street. Plan ahead by starting to slow down then ...

Did you know that the AVERAGE speed of a vehicle passing through a controlled intersection is about 52 mph? How many times have you approached and entered an intersection without having any idea if someone is about to run the red light? ...

Some of my defensive driving rules focus on preventing trouble in specific danger spots. Especially when they're in tight, congested areas where it is difficult to maneuver, drivers sometimes get impatient. In situations like trying to get into traffic from a parking lot or making a left turn across heavy traffic, drivers often take advantage of any opening to "get moving." We think ...