Observations of a car-driving commuter on American roads

As a commuter for many years and a person who has driven in several different countries around the world, I have a few little hints and some advice for American drivers. One reason a lot of you have trouble, is that your driver education is poor at best and seems to only rely on Daddy or Mommy "teaching" you how to drive. The final test seems to be a short trip around the block. No parallel parking, no 3-point turns, no starting on a hill with a stick-shift transmission; no real test on freeways or at major intersections and as sure as heck, no knowledge of or advice about traffic circles (also known as roundabouts); no rules of driver etiquette and being polite etc. 

 For our purposes here a single lane road is referring to one direction. So a double is 2 lanes in one direction etc. 

 Ok, here are a few pointers for your edification: 

 1) Stop being so passive aggressive!! 

* Let the car in the lane next to you merge in front of you 

* Do NOT slow down even more when someone is obviously in a hurry behind you. Griefus, they have their reasons for being in a rush and it isn't your job to judge and convict them. Speed up or get out of the way. One day soon, you will be in a hurry yourself so get off your self-righteous hobby horse!

* Don't speed up when someone is trying to pass you on a single lane road (called double lane in America). Slow down instead or pull slightly over to the right and let them pass! 

 2) Drivers, please use the RIGHT lane for most of your travel in a two lane road. Leave the freaking left lane for passing purposes. This, of course, applies when traffic isn't so thick as to need both lanes full. I can't tell you how often two drivers will block both lanes and cause a heck of a bottleneck because for some reason, they can't travel in the right lane and let others pass. Be thoughtful and think!

 3) Please, please do not become complacent at traffic lights. If you're in the front, you have a responsibility to watch that light and leave immediately it turns green. You've got to think of the 10 - 20 cars behind you who also want to get through that light. It's always the FIRST person in line who starts playing on their phone or otherwise being distracted and yes, of course they get offended when you beep the horn behind them (as the light is about to turn orange again) 

 4) People who cannot drive the speed limit or 5 above must NOT try and drive during rush hour. I'm talking to you people who are older than 75 or who are handicapped etc. They just cannot keep up!  

5) Ok, here's your lesson on traffic circles. Here's the ONE SINGLE rule you have to remember. Give way to the left. That's IT, people. That's the only rule. Since the circles are so small in America, that is the only rule. If the circle is a decent (large) size, then you say Give Way to those on the circle. In America they're so small, they don't have much time in the actual "circle". Why is this such a difficult concept? 

 6) Please be patient at stop signs or other intersections like your driveway - advice - don't pull out in front of any vehicle so that they will have to slow down. That's just a pure knowing how to be kind and polite - it barely has anything to do with driving. Just because the American rule says anyone at the back of you is guilty if they hit you, doesn't mean you have to take advantage of that and pull out when you see a car coming! There are a FEW exceptions - if the intersection is really busy and traffic is thick and slow. Then you will HAVE to pull out at the earliest available space. 

 7) In a single lane road, please drive at LEAST the speed limit. See the note on grannies and other old, handicapped people. It's really quite annoying to have to drive 20 miles an hour in a 40 zone. 

 8) This is a message to traffic engineers (unfortunately they're not too clued up on traffic FLOW). You need to turn more stop signs into yields. Sometimes one is waaaay out in the boonies and lo and behold, a 4 way stop or a 2 way stop. Even a flashing yellow light would be better than having to stop completely.  I could actually expand on this one point quite a lot - there are so many places where the lines, lanes and other traffic patterns, exits and on-ramps etc, make VERY LITTLE sense and actually make driving more hazardous in so many cases. Honestly, I don't know what some of them are thinking sometimes. Maybe I'll write a whole blog to engineers/road designers. 

 9) When you pull up to a traffic light - most of them have sensors - please be smart and pull right up to the front line. In this way you'll trigger the sensor and the light will turn sooner. Thank you. 

10) At a 4 way stop (when they're necessary) why do some people WAIT there for a car to come to one of the other stops before moving off?  Just asking because it makes no sense really.  If you get there first, stop and continue on.  

 These are the only points I can think of right now. I'll think of more later, I'm sure. So, keep that thinking cap on and drive safer and more friendly. Thank you!