The 7 Axioms of Good Driving

I remember cruising around Asheville with my friend Matt several years ago. As we were cruising down 240, a car ahead of us did something he didn't like... prompting him to cuss and make the following statement: "Man, if everybody drove like me, the world would be better place." Of course I laughed thinking, "I'm sure everyone feels that way." But it has occurred to me that while we have established laws for automobile usage, there needs to be a code... an understood set of guidelines to which all "good" motorists should adhere. I am typically very laid back and calm, but behind the wheel of a vehicle... I am anything but. In fact, few things will made me angrier. I often times wonder if I am projecting my personal driving inadequacies, but the more I think on it, I think other people just forget common courtesy when they drive. I believe people reveal their most hideous selfishness behind the wheel. Therefore, I have established a sets of rules, the unwritten code of driving if you will, that if everyone would take heed, then road rage would almost be eliminated. Hence, I give you,... "The Seven Axioms of Good Driving"

Axiom 1: Driving is a "Privilege, not a Right".
This is the most common sense rule of them all. Obey standard traffic laws and rules. DO NOT drink and drive. Drunk drivers should be suffer the same punishment as murderers and child molesters in my book. It is a heinous and foolish crime (but that is for another post). Keep your car maintained. Typical stuff. Keep to this rule and you should avoid eminent disaster.

Axiom 2: Pay attention to your surroundings.
This rule should be obvious, but alas, it isn't as much. At all times, you should know what is going on in front of you, beside you, and behind you. This rule applies to the people that run right up on the slow car in front of them, but wait until you are about to pass them, then swerve over in front of you... killing your momentum, causing you to kick off the cruise control, and then wait 10 miles before realizing they need to get back over to let you pass. It applies to the people who need to be in the exit lane... THREE lanes over, but wait until the last second to cut everyone off trying to get there. If you pay attention to what's going on around you, then you can avoid pissing people off and become a better driver.

Axiom 3: Adapt to your surroundings.
This is a CRITICAL rule. Living in the mountains of North Carolina, I see WAY to many drivers from up north or from Florida. The best way to describe most of these drivers is a clog. The maddest I have ever been in a car was when I was returning to school on a two lane road behind an old lady from Florida. She stayed well below the speed limit in the curvy parts, but when the opportunity to pass her came up, she would speed up to where I couldn't pass her. I have never yelled, screamed, cussed, or been more aggravated driving than I was that day. (Note to Floridians... YOU DON'T OWN THE ROAD... EITHER KEEP UP OR MOVE OVER!!!) Now that I got that off of my chest... adapting to your surroundings will keep people from thinking you are a tourist or foreigner. If traffic is moving at a certain pace, then keep up that pace. If you live in an area where people drive differently than you, DO NOT expect to change for you, you should change for them. There is no other way around it.

Axiom 4: Get out of the left or fast lane.
The Autobahn in Germany is renowned for its high speeds and even higher speed limits. They have a certain rule over there: no passing in the right lane. If you drive in the left lane, then you need to be driving faster than the folks around you, lest you make them angry and cause them to knock you off the road. Same goes for here in America. I have talked with people who have told me that they will get in whatever lane they want and stay there, it doesn't matter who or what is behind them. One piece of advice... move or get moved. One day that attitude will get them in serious trouble. Look, I like the left lane as much as anyone, but I move over if the car behind me is going faster than me. You DO NOT own that lane, you do not have to stay there. Switching lanes is legal, so try it sometimes. It is very simple, if you are in the fast or left lane, then you should be substantially faster than the other lanes. Not 3 or 4 MPH faster, like 10 MPH faster. And if not, move over... I promise it won't hurt you. Stop causing traffic to back up behind you.

Axiom 5: Get off of the cell phones.
After observing axiom 4, I have noticed that many of these drivers were going well with or above the traffic pace, but then the cell phone happens and they invariably slow down. And because they are not paying attention to traffic anymore, they forget to move over. Not only is it dangerous, but it is VERY annoying. This one is simple: get off the FREAKIN' phone or move the FREAK over!

Headset/Hands-Free corollary: If you have a headset, that is acceptable to talk, because you are not holding the phone to your head and thus have better driving concentration.

Emergency corollary: If you have an emergency or a similar urgent situation, then a call is permissible, however, typical conversation is unacceptable without a headset/hands-free device.

Axiom 6: Green means GO!
This is a simple rule also. When the traffic light turns green, you should go. There should NOT be a pause of longer than one second to get your car going when the light turns. Even loaded tractor trailers can get going that fast. If you take longer than one second, then you are not paying attention and this most likely means that you are not paying attention when the car is actually moving, a far more reckless and dangerous position. Simply watch the light, and when it changes... go!

Axiom 7: Have good judgment when pulling out in front of someone at an intersection.
This seems like a nit-picky rule, but it is a must-have rule. I experienced this even today. As I was driving along a road going the speed limit, a car comes to an intersection about 100 to 150 yards away. This may seem like a long ways off, but when traveling at 35 MPH, that distance closes in mere seconds. The dude in reality doesn't stop, just keeps rolling through the intersection. Of course, I hit my brakes and the dude proceeds to take 15 years to get up to the speed limit. My point is this... use good judgment when pulling out at an intersection. Of course this means an intersection with no traffic light, since the light usually regulates that sort of thing. You know how fast you are going to drive. When you come to an intersection and you see a car coming, gage how fast it is going compared to how fast you will go, allowing for turning and acceleration time and decide whether you can or cannot make it. While some have better depth perception and time/distance judging ability than others, it doesn't take a genius to figure this out. A good rule of thumb is: "If you have any doubt as to whether you can make it, then you should wait". The whole "I bet I can make it" philosophy should NEVER, EVER cross your mind.

I'm sure that I can probably add to this list in the future, but for right now, this is the best and most basic "Driving Code" I can develop. You know, if more people drove like this (like me), the world would be a better place.