Marcus Vehiculus is thought to be the
first to come up with the fundamentals
of driving, even before there were
automobiles. Ideas of road courtesy
and traffic lights came to him in a
dream. He chiseled them onto a
rare octagonal red stone. When he
presented them to the people, they
called him insane. Today we think of
him as a genius.

THE COMMON SENSE OF DRIVING

You are taking this Traffic Violator course because you received a moving violation. That ticket probably ruined your day. But think about this...your day could have been a whole lot worse. Drivers just like you are seriously injured or killed in automobile collisions caused by speeding, running red lights, rolling through stop signs, changing lanes without signaling...the list is endless. If you’re reading this, that means you are still breathing. Congratulations! Maybe you got off easy with only a ticket.

A. OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE IS A SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITY

Driving is probably the most dangerous thing you do on a daily basis. A simple mistake in judgment or a delay in reaction time could spell disaster for you...or for the person sitting next to you in the front seat...or for that family in the mini van in the adjacent lane. Each driver must respect the law and appreciate the risks inherent in operating a motor vehicle.

1. MOTOR VEHICLE IS A WEAPON

Imagine an object weighing 3,500 pounds moving 100 feet per second. This object is powered by 20 gallons of an explosive chemical. This object is being operated by an individual who is also sipping a hot cup of coffee...or applying mascara...or half asleep...or searching for a radio station...or under the influence of alcohol...or trying to dial a cell phone. Now imagine hundreds of these objects moving together at 100 feet per second, many of them separated only by inches. Seems scary, doesn’t it? Welcome to the freeway.

2. DANGEROUS AS A LOADED GUN IF NOT OPERATED PROPERLY

We’ve all heard it before - your car is a loaded gun. You know what it’s loaded with? You and me. We are the bullet! The automobile is only as deadly as the driver allows it to be. It was designed to be a convenient and reliable method of transportation - not an instrument of death and destruction. But that’s what it all too often is - a deadly weapon...unless drivers make the conscious decision to stay safe. Your motor vehicle is capable of doing more damage than a machine gun.

 

3. PARKING RESPONSIBILITIES (E.G., TO AVOID ROLLAWAYS)

If you think your car needs to be zooming down the street to get you into trouble, you are mistaken. There is a right way and a wrong way to park your vehicle. Parallel Parking: When parking at a curb, your wheels should be at a maximum distance of 18 inches from the curb - preferably closer. Don’t forget to set the parking brake and put the car in ‘park’ if you have an automatic transmission.

You may not park and leave your vehicle within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.

Uphill Parking: Turn the front wheels away from the curb and allow the vehicle to roll backwards so the rear of the front wheel stops against the curb. Set the parking brake.

Downhill parking: Turn your front wheels toward the curb and allow the vehicle to roll forward so the front of the wheel stops against the curb. Set the parking brake. (When parking uphill or downhill where there is no curb, turn the wheels toward the shoulder so the car will not roll onto the road if the brakes fail.)

Sloping driveway parking: Set your wheels sharply left or right so the vehicle won’t roll into the street if the brakes fail.

Parking uphill, turn wheels away from the curb.

Parking downhill, turn wheels into the curb.

B. OBEY THE LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF EVERYDAY LAWS

Imagine a city of streets and boulevards and freeways. But there are no lanes. There are no traffic signs, no speed limits, and no stoplights. Some vehicles are crawling along at 20 mph, others are a blur at 110 mph. Most cars are on the right side of the road, but here comes a van going the wrong way! A few people manage to arrive at their destinations in one piece...but most aren’t so lucky. This city is pure fantasy. It could never exist, except in somebody’s nightmare. The California Vehicle Code (CVC) is a collection of laws and regulations that prevent this nightmare from becoming a reality. Traffic laws demand a unified code of behavior on the road that insures the safety and well-being of every driver, cyclist and pedestrian. It is every driver’s responsibility to know the law - to become familiar with all regulatory signs and traffic controls. But that’s not enough. These laws must be obeyed.

1. WHY STOP COMPLETELY AT STOP SIGNS?

The rolling stop is a serious violation of the law. ALWAYS come to a complete stop at every stop sign. How long should you remain stopped? The longer the stop - the more discernable it is to the naked eye - the better your chances of avoiding a ticket. Never proceed until you are certain that it is safe. But watching out for other vehicles is only half the job. You must confirm there are no pedestrians in the crosswalk or about to step into the crosswalk. If a policeman is watching, he or she probably is watching your tires.

2. WHAT DOES ‘YIELD’ REALLY MEAN?

Yield does not necessarily mean stop. It simply means allow the other driver to proceed ahead of you. Reducing your speed might be sufficient to let one car proceed. But yielding for more than one vehicle may require you to come to a complete stop.

C. COMMON COURTESY IS A KEY TO SAFETY - AVOID FALLING VICTIM TO ROAD RAGE

Picture this: You’re walking into a bank and another individual arrives at the door the same time you do. You grab the doorknob, open the door, and allow the other person to enter ahead of you. They smile and say ‘Thank you,’ and you smile and say ‘You’re welcome.’ It is our nature to be courteous and polite when we are face-to face with a fellow human being.

But picture this: You’re cruising along in the number two lane on the freeway at 65 mph. You’re in a bad mood because you’re running late. In the next lane you see a giant SUV moving ahead of you, left signal blinking, looking to change lanes directly in front of you. So you speed up to prevent the SUV from changing lanes. It’s easier to be discourteous when you’re driving because you can’t look the other guy in the eye.

What’s the lesson here? If you’re discourteous in a doorway, it’s just plain rude. If you’re discourteous at 65 mph, somebody could get hurt. So give the other driver a break. Road Rage is a serious problem. Be courteous when you drive. Be part of the solution, not the problem.

1. ROADWAY IS SHARED BY ALL DRIVERS

The streets are filled with a wide variety of vehicles, large and small, fast and slow. Each driver must drive according to his own qualities and limitations, as well as those of other drivers. Beware of blind spots, and how they differ between small passenger vehicles and big trucks. Motorcycles are harder to see than cars, so we must look for them more actively, especially on the freeway. Don’t tailgate! Always drive at a safe following distance. And whenever possible you must maneuver yourself into some open space. Don’t drive ‘boxed in.’ Leave yourself an escape route.

2. COURTESY MAKES ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

Driving can be stressful, especially during rush hour. You’re late and you’re losing patience. You can’t do a thing to get traffic moving. You can only control your own behavior. If you are rude to another driver, you’ll probably get a taste of your own medicine. But courtesy can be ‘contagious’ too. If you let the other guy in, he’ll probably be more inclined to give someone else a break.

3. TREAT OTHER DRIVERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED

Empathy means the ability to feel the other guy’s pain. Imagine what it would feel like to be him - trapped at a dead stop in the acceleration lane on the freeway because nobody wants to give him room to merge. Not a very happy place to be, is it? We’ve all heard the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Driving with common courtesy is common sense. It is the ONLY way to drive.

D. ROAD RAGE

1. AGGRESSIVE DRIVING

It is your responsibility to control your emotions when you drive. If you can’t control your emotions, you can’t control your vehicle. Aggressive driving is dangerous, and it is the cause of many crashes. And aggressive driving can sometimes lead to Road Rage.

An aggressive driver often commits these violations:

  • Speeding

  • Running red lights and stop signs

  • Tailgating

  • Illegal passing

  • Failing to yield

  • Illegal/unsafe turning

  • Reckless/careless driving

  • Unsafe lane changing

  • Illegal use of the horn

If you drive like this you are increasing the odds of becoming involved in a crash or an incident of Road Rage.

2. STRESS AND ANGER IMPAIR DRIVING

When a driver is angry, sad, overjoyed or distracted by personal problems, driving safely becomes an impossible challenge. Driving is a complicated task that requires a calm state of mind. It is illegal and unsafe to drive distracted. Don’t assume that the only distractions are your radio, cell phone and your coffee. You can be distracted by what’s going on inside your head - your emotions, worries, and problems of day-to-day living.

3. DEALING WITH YOUR STRESS

Some tips for dealing with traffic stress:

  • Well-rested drivers have less stress. Get more sleep.

  • Drivers get stressed when they’re running late. So leave early!

  • Listen to ‘calming’ music.

  • Don’t take it ‘personally.’

4. HOW TO AVOID AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS

Certain behaviors make other drivers angry. So never:

  • Drive too slowly in the fast lane

  • Change lanes without signaling

  • Tailgate

  • Honk your horn in anger

  • Make obscene gestures

  • Yell at another driver

Leo Sneedle loved to tailgate slower drivers. His car ended up on the junk heap, and now he’s taking anger management classes and driver education classes.