Originally Posted by chuckla

I want to be seen and heard, even by those fully distracted. Thus, I drive a red car, often have my lights on and always have pse on. I pay very close attention to what cars are doing in front and around me. I make mental notes, often remembering a piece of their license plate, and how they are driving. Who uses turn signals, who moves too close to the center line, who fails to drive at a constant speed, who demonstrates a need to cut other cars off or win a mini race, who is on the phone, etc. This helps me focus and drive with confidence. Like others, I pan my mirrors left to right frequently so no one surprises me with their sudden presence. It's all defensive, but it doesn't ruin my enjoyment of the car.

Originally Posted by Sands

I see the same accident at least once a week...and have for years. It's always the same thing. Two cars are both waiting to get on the Merritt Pkwy. Both are stopped, looking over their left shoulder, waiting for a chance to get on the highway. The next thing you know, the second car has rear-ended the first. How does this happen?

The first car starts to go. The following car sees that, looks at the oncoming traffic , sees he can go...and does..right into the back of the first car who decided he really couldn't go after all.

If you are the first car, decide to go and then GO. Don't creep, or start and stop. Otherwise, the guy behind you will simply plow into you. If you are the second car, make SURE the first car is actually going before you decide to go too. Otherwise you will plow right into him.

This accident happens constantly and is easily avoided.

Originally Posted by Sands

I see the same accident at least once a week...and have for years. It's always the same thing. Two cars are both waiting to get on the Merritt Pkwy. Both are stopped, looking over their left shoulder, waiting for a chance to get on the highway. The next thing you know, the second car has rear-ended the first. How does this happen?

The first car starts to go. The following car sees that, looks at the oncoming traffic , sees he can go...and does..right into the back of the first car who decided he really couldn't go after all.

If you are the first car, decide to go and then GO. Don't creep, or start and stop. Otherwise, the guy behind you will simply plow into you. If you are the second car, make SURE the first car is actually going before you decide to go too. Otherwise you will plow right into him.

This accident happens constantly and is easily avoided.

Originally Posted by greenhouse

I did that when I was in the lower left of CT by this road called round hill, it was a sort of rotary, and at 17 I was not particularly patient. Unfortunately the SUV had a trailer hitch so I bore the brunt.

Originally Posted by PORSCHE968

In addition to tapping the brakes to make your slowing more obvious in certain situations, I find that making my car wiggle left and right makes it much more obvious to the dulards behind me. I usually reserve this for big sudden slowdowns on the freeway. This "wiggling" never fails. I use it when the person behind me has demonstrated inattentiveness or is just following too close for comfort in those situations. Wakes em right up, perhaps it freaks em out a bit as well, but it makes them notice what is going on. My wife even thinks it's a good idea and she keeps telling me that I should go at a walking speed when turning on to a side street! Right, that's why I bought a Pcar!

Originally Posted by bigs

Sometimes, when you try to do someone a favor, you end up harming them.

Here's the situation:

I'm on a 4-lane road with a center turn lane. I'm near the end of a long line of cars in the inside lane, all stopped for a red light ahead. The outside lane - which is a right turn lane - is empty.

There is an oncoming pickup truck stopped in the center turn lane waiting to turn left across my two lanes of traffic.

The light ahead turns green, and the inside lane of cars ahead of me slowly begins to move. The car in front of me - trying to be a nice guy - remains stopped and motions the pickup to turn left in front of him. The girl driving the pickup gives a grateful wave and makes a quick left turn so as not to hold up the line of cars in my inside lane...

...right in front of two guys in a Honda Accord approaching quickly in the empty outside lane - who never saw it coming.

Fortunately, no one seemed to be seriously injured. However, the Honda knocked the Toyota pickup truck on its side - and the female driver had to be extracted through the sunroof.

Points to consider:

1. I decided a long time ago - for this very reason - not to give in to the urge to be a nice guy when I'm in the inside lane and let an oncoming car turn left in front of me, unless the outside lane is also occupied by a long line of cars, traffic is creeping in both lanes, and the driver at my right side also stops to allow the turn.

Otherwise I might be simply setting up some poor soul to get nailed.

2. Whenever I'm approaching a long line of stopped cars in the inside lane - and I'm in the outside lane - I always slow down and approach with caution, for the very reason that someone may be allowing a left turn right across my lane.

Originally Posted by OCBen

If you're the lead car at a traffic light and the light turns green, do not GO when the light turns green without first looking to your left and then your right to make sure no one is racing to try to beat the light, especially late at night when more drunk drivers are on the road, and especially if you have passengers who have entrusted their lives to you.

Originally Posted by Mr. Brown

Here's something that works for me: When I see traffic ahead suddenly slowing, or when I'm at a light and I see cars behind me not slowing quickly enough, I turn on my flashers. Doing this has saved me more than once. Once, at a light the driver behind, told me that if it weren't for my flashers he would have rear-ended me.
Mr. B

Originally Posted by Hockeyman11385

I think that it should be a safety feature that if the brakes are applied at 90% (or some other high number) that the flashers come on automatically to alert drivers behind you that you are stopping suddenly. Obviously this won't help if you are already sitting still but for the instances where you have to stop quickly it could provide a vital warning to those behind.