Drive in a Metropolitan Area if You're from the Country
If you've grown up driving back dirt roads your entire life, driving in a place like downtown Dallas, Houston, or Tampa can be a bit daunting -- not to mention dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
Contents
Steps
- If possible, have someone else drive for awhile until you are used to how people drive in the area. Driving in a highly populated metropolitan area is very different from those dirt roads out in the country where no one is around. Try to notice how people drive, what habits people seem to have, and what people do in response to certain situations.
- If you drive a car with a manual transmission, prepare for a leg workout if you get caught in rush hour bumper-to-bumper traffic. Unfortunately bumper-to-bumper traffic is often stop-and-go instead of moving along at a stead slow pace.
- Follow some basic rules of thumb. First of all, go the speed of traffic. It is very dangerous to be going {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} on the interstate when everyone else is going 70 -- plus it blocks traffic up, and people won't thank you for it.
- Always use your signal for turning and changing lanes. Other drivers can't read your mind -- they have to rely on things like your turn signal to know what you're going to do. If you are turning, put on your signal about 10 car lengths before you plan to turn. Always use your signal when you're changing lanes, and check, double-check, and triple-check to make sure there is a spot open before you change lanes.
- If you realize you aren't in the correct lane for a turn at an intersection, don't try to turn anyway. This is common sense; it is safer to go on another block and turn around, and it's not going to cost you more than a minute or two.
- If you see someone signaling that they need to get into your lane, slow down a bit and give them room. Not only is it rude to try to speed up to pass them, it can also be dangerous.
- If someone signals to change lanes from your lane to another lane, DO NOT try to crowd them out by passing them on that side before they can switch lanes. It is EXTREMELY rude, and you could find yourself in a rear-end collision, which would be YOUR fault.
- Another issue that is common sense, but seems to often be forgotten, is that when there is more than one lane in one direction, you turn right only from the rightmost lane and left only from the leftmost lane unless otherwise marked. This is common sense and it can mean the difference between a preventable wreck or a safe commute.
- If you wave to people, don't be offended if they don't wave back. Everyone is trying to get to some different place, and people are usually more preoccupied with their own lives than looking at other drivers.
- Don't be too upset if someone flips you off. If they do, try to figure out what you may have done that prompted it and try to change this behavior. Realize that the person may have just been having a bad day, and let it go.
- Enjoy your drive!
Tips
- In general, the most important thing to do is pay attention. Be aware of your surroundings, and realize that it is your responsibility to fit into the driving style of those around you, just like it would be inappropriate if someone from LA was driving {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} around in a very small town.
Warnings
- Be careful. Lots of people behind the wheel aren't really fit to be there, so drive defensively -- if you can prevent a bad situation, do so, even if it's not really your responsibility.
