I don’t know if its the same where you live or not, but my area of the country people can’t drive…or at least they don’t do a very good job of it. I have a long commute to work each day (approximately 60 miles one way) so I see plenty of strange stuff. This has inspired me to come up with a list of what I personally consider good and safe driving habits.

So without further ado, I present the following list of what everyone should learn in Driving 101 in no particular order other than how they came to my mind:

1. If the light is yellow and you have time to stop, do so. Getting stuck in the middle of the intersection is dangerous, inconsiderate and slows everyone else down. If everyone would stop when they should everyone could go when they should and the same amount of cars could go through the light.
2. Drive the speed limit in ideal weather conditions–I’m not just talking about the people who drive to fast either! In my opinion driving too slow on the interstate is more dangerous than driving a little too fast because everyone and their brother will be trying to pass you and all that lane changing isn’t safe.
3. Look twice before changing lanes–don’t forget the blind spots!
4. Don’t read a book, newspaper, magazine or anything else while driving.
5. Keep a hand (a knee or foot is not an acceptable substitute) on the steering wheel at all times.
6. Don’t talk on your mobile phone in heavy stop-n-go traffic or while in the city. A lot of people would say not to talk on you phone at all–and that’s probably best.
7. Keep your eyes on the road, not looking for something on the floor board, in the back seat, or at the radio controls.
8. Do not ride someone’s bumper…this one is extremely dangerous.
9. Don’t pass in a “no passing” zone.
10. If you don’t think you have time to pull out onto the road, then you probably don’t. So just don’t do it.
11. When you do pull out onto a highway, get out of the way. If all the cars are in one lane, pull out to the other, even if you must move over to do this. This allows the other cars to maintain their pace.
12. Don’t drive in the left lanes if you’re going to be driving slower than other people or if you know your turn/exit is about to come up.
13. Before it’s time to merge onto the interstate have your speed up to enter traffic gracefully…do not stop if at all possible.
14. Your car has blinkers for a reason. Use them. While you’re at it, be sure to turn them on before applying your brake. One of the reasons they’re there is to warn people behind that you’re about to slow down and turn. The other reason is so other people down the road and beside of you know where you’re going.
15. Headlights…they’re important in all kinds of situations–fog, snow, rain, and night. When you’re in a town at night with a lot of street lights you better double check to verify your lights are on.
16. If you’re afraid you don’t have enough gas to get where you’re going, it’s best to stop when you have the chance. Paying a few cents more sure beats walking.
17. Insurance is not a bad idea