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Driving on the freeway in gridlock traffic in southern California is no fun at all. Throw in a few disgruntled workers, teenagers and road ragers and the freeway could be a very dangerous place. Every day on the road I see people getting cut off, swerving in and out of lanes, yelling, racing, not signaling, tailgating, etc. Unfortunately for Americans, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTA) reported more than 41,000 deaths from car accidents in the US in 2007. For many of us, this is a scary reality. Since I graduated college, I see more and more people driving aggressively and putting others at risk. Commuting to a regular job is nowhere near the same as any summer job commute. Joining the real world means taking on more responsibility, and it begins with your car.
Behind the Wheel in Vietnam
Being an avid traveler, I spent several months in Southeast Asia after college. Watching the driving culture there is quite a sight. If you’ve ever been to Vietnam, you know that crossing the street can have serious consequences as you sidestep through a sea of motorcycles flecked with trucks and cars. Despite the chaos on the roads in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), one thing that makes it seem much safer, once you get over the initial shock, is the defensive driving tactics.
Honk Your Way Out Of Trouble
Imagine driving in your car on unpaved roads with tight turns and no road markers while sharing the road with hundreds of motorcyclists. Not enough stress? How about sharing the road with stray dogs and cats, herds of cattle and loose chickens? Luckily, many of us don’t have to deal with these conditions on a regular bases. Nevertheless, one of the best defenses you hav e in your car is your horn. In Vietnam and most of the Southeast, car horns are essential for alerting motorists of oncoming traffic as well as a useful tool in shooing farm animals out of the way. The horn is a useful tool in defensive driving and should not be used to deafen the drive that rudely cut you off. We need to remember to keep our cool no matter how bad the traffic or the drivers are.
Yield on Yellow
In Los Angeles, many police officers turn a blind eye to cars stranded in the middle of an intersection for left-hand turns. However, in many states, including California, it is illegal to inch your car into the intersection even if you are making a left turn. That means if the light turns red and you are still making your turn, you could end up with a moving violation. So to help out our fellow motorists, don’t floor it when you see a yellow light. Gage your time and consider yielding those last few seconds to the cars turning left.
Get Home Faster – Right Right Right!
Getting used to a full-time job after four years of full-time partying in college can add stress and push younger drivers into more aggressive methods. One useful tip for getting home faster is to avoid all left turns in general. In cities that have heavy traffic, turning right three times is faster and safer. Not to mention you can avoid moving violations associated with left turns.
Don’t believe me? In 2006, UPS began implementing a right turn policy for all their drivers because it saves miles gas and money and makes sure their packages arrive on time. The company now uses software that maps out routes omitting all left turns.
As the rock band Zebrahead wrote in their song: “two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left.”
De-stress Your Commute
Driving defensively can help save lives. Consider taking a few extra moments to plan out your travel time. Look into various routes or think about waiting for traffic to subside. Taking an interest in your driving habits and using these tips can help ease traffic related stress and turn your drive time into a more positive experience. Life’s too short to waste time and stress on transportation. Take a deep breath and enjoy your drive.
By Alyse Speyer
Alyse Speyer has a BA in Literature from the College of Creative Studies in the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has several published poems in the 2008 Spectrum and a short story
