Driving Tips

[Red Ice Player]

When passing...your foot should be on the gas, get it done quickly. Don't take 3 kms to get around somebody and don't hang out in people's blind spots.

[DownhillGoat]

Lots of good stuff in here.

-You could look at a defensive driving/advanced driving course in the city. Refresher training is never a bad idea.

-Stay off your phone. However if you need to take a call, don't slam on the brakes and pull over as soon as you can. Look for a reasonable place to pull over and call the person back.

- Signal. Signal. Signal. Its' been said before and I'll repeat it 3 more times. It's pretty simple to do. I don't get why people don't.

- If the roads are poor, you don't have to do 130 in a 110 zone. Adjust for the conditions. Alternatively, if the roads aren't that bad, but you saw a snow flake, and you feel the need to do 50 in a 100 zone, pull over every once in a while and let the massive line of cars pass you. (more applicable to highway driving)

- If traffic is moving too slow for your liking, don't cut back into the merge lane and pass everyone on the right and cut back in two car lengths before it ends doing 150 on Crowchild in a snowstorm. (gear grinder from the other day)

- Don't play lane change pole position. Changing lanes 28 times in two blocks is going to maybe save you 2 seconds in your total drive time. And greatly increases your chance of being in or causing an accident. People generally don't get in accidents when going at a constant speed in a straight line. It's when the lane is crossed that accidents occur (intersections, lane changing, driving in on-coming traffic, pulling into traffic). Minimize the amount of times you have to cross out of your lane and you'll minimize your chance of an accident.

- If you're turning left on a solid green, pull into the intersection while waiting. It's amazing how many people don't do this, completely boning the traffic behind him. Also, while you're in the middle of your intersection, keep the steering wheel straight. If you have it turned and get rear-ended you'll shoot into oncoming traffic.

- Don't be afraid to use cruise control on the highway in good conditions so the same person doesn't have to pass you 8 times.

As an aside, when I'm biking I don't do the standard x% over the speed limit. Stayed in the right lane, gave myself plenty of time to get to places. I tried this in the car as an experiment for a couple of weeks. It's amazing how much less stress there was in my daily commute.

[MrMastodonFarm]

I like to let Jesus take the wheel.

[Northendzone]

Here is one helpful tip for those days when the roads are sloppy, add some dishwasher detergent to your windshield washer fluid resivior. It really helps to clean your widows a little better.

Oh yeah, add some bovine testicles to your vehicle ( car or truck), the added weight will add traction and you will look some kind of awesome......

[schteve_d]

Merging. It's a constant source of amazement to me how many people can not grasp this relatively simple concept.

Slower is not better and it is not safer. Get going the speed limit of the road you are to merge on, or even a little higher if the traffic flow is going ten or so over the limit. Pick your spot and adjust your speed accordingly to fit into it as you come down the on-ramp. It really is that simple.

In heavy traffic, use the zipper:



Such a simple concept (again) but amazing how many people, it seems especially in Fort McMurray, believe that they really should get one more car ahead. Just that one car in a line of traffic and surely they'll be so much better off. Little do they know, or care, how much these "mini-battles" slow down the whole process for everyone.

[Nammer403]

Originally Posted by Ace

You absolutely must know what this sign means:



It does NOT mean yield, it clearly does not mean stop. Yes I'm talking to all you west bound glenmore to north bound McLeod drivers.

That also goes for Deerfoot and 32nd exit .



Also if you are going to switch lanes do not stop

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Ace

You absolutely must know what this sign means:



It does NOT mean yield, it clearly does not mean stop. Yes I'm talking to all you west bound glenmore to north bound McLeod drivers.

Yes, thank you sir, thank you.

I got stuck behind some guy with Sask plates turning West onto 16th ave from Uxbridge Dr NW who had no idea what to do in this situation.

He was stopped for 2 minutes in that turn lane trying to merge immediately into heavy traffic. I honked and he finally drove as he should. The worst part is that after all of this happened he stayed in the same lane and turned off at West Campus Blvd.

[puffnstuff]

If you are heading to NB Deerfoot from Anderson, you do not immediately need to change 2 lanes to the left. That lane you are in goes basically all the way to Glenmore.
By trying to get over those 2 lanes before you hit Southland, it just fatas everything up for those folks already on NB Deerfoot.
Oh...and maybe let some of the cars into your lane that are trying to get off DF and onto Southland instead of being a d#####

[stampsx2]

^^^they need a sign to tell people that. I don't understand why everybody has to get into their preferred lane immidiately off of anderson.

Maybe if they added a lane to the bridge over glenmore the backlog every morning would stop.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Fluffy Bunnies

I only posted to be of help because I have considerable knowledge on the subject.

This is CP, official forum of the 1% of drivers. We're all experts.

[3 Justin 3]

If you get stuck use a rocking technique.

I first saw this on the Top Gear Arctic Special, and I've been using it ever since. It really works.

Basically you gas it until you can't anymore, then go in reverse quickly, then forward again quickly. Keep doing this, rocking back and forth, and eventually you get unstuck (works most of the time for me anyway).

[normtwofinger]

Originally Posted by Fluffy Bunnies

I dont really care how arrogant it sounds. It doesnt change the the facts of what Im talking about. I only posted to be of help because I have considerable knowledge on the subject. I thought that was the point of this thread.

In other words, you don't care about being arrogant or condescending. Right flip?

As for driving tips, avoid the mind games and you will have a lot less stress.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

I remember trying to make it from Grande Prairie to Grande Cache once for work. It was night time, 0C and blizzarding like mad. Roads were slick. Like skating rink slick. On the way there we saw cars and semis galore stuck in the ditch. Just before entering the valley on Hwy 40 into the Grande Cache area, we decided it would be best to instead call it rather than risk trying to get down into the valley with all the ice. We decided to instead turn around and head back into Grande Prairie...into the blizzard...and yes we thought going back into the blizzard was a better option than getting into Grande Cache. It was that bad. It was especially bad because I had asked for a SUV/truck for a rental, but all they had left was a sedan... with no winter tires.

That's the context. Now onto my tip!

Driving into the blizzard was pretty treacherous, especially on the super slick roads. Could barely see in front of me. Now when you're driving in normal conditions, you're supposed to look ahead, down the middle of the lane, and not the lane lines, or you'll naturally drift towards that direction. BUT in this case, where there was no visibility and you're in super alert mode, my passenger (who had a few years on me) told me to watch the lane line directly in front of you and just follow that like you're life depended on it. Worked like a charm! Managed to pull out of the blizzard (which was heading towards Grande Cache, and is why we turned back) no worse for wear.

[saskflames69]

Yes, it's snowing. Still no excuse to go 15 in a 60 zone.

[sun]

[Northendzone]

I thought of another one, when you are turning left and you have a left turn light and then that light turns green. It is ok for you and the three cars behind you to all turn left, because where you are going is far more important than any place else all of us who are heading straight thru the intersection on the opposite side would ever need to go.

Besides, you are turning left, what could go wrong with that manoeuvre?

[Bonded]

Thanks for the tips thus far!

So say I am merging on Deerfoot, I match the speed of the highway, don't brake and speed up or slow down to pick a spot?

Deerfoot is the only road that really scares me. I figure I will just keep right and keep up with traffic for the start and take it easy.

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

Merging. It's a constant source of amazement to me how many people can not grasp this relatively simple concept.

Slower is not better and it is not safer. Get going the speed limit of the road you are to merge on, or even a little higher if the traffic flow is going ten or so over the limit. Pick your spot and adjust your speed accordingly to fit into it as you come down the on-ramp. It really is that simple.

In heavy traffic, use the zipper:



Such a simple concept (again) but amazing how many people, it seems especially in Fort McMurray, believe that they really should get one more car ahead. Just that one car in a line of traffic and surely they'll be so much better off. Little do they know, or care, how much these "mini-battles" slow down the whole process for everyone.

Slowing down to merge is a Vancouver MO. Once, I was behind a woman who came to a full stop in the merge lane.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

If you get stuck use a rocking technique.

I first saw this on the Top Gear Arctic Special, and I've been using it ever since. It really works.

Basically you gas it until you can't anymore, then go in reverse quickly, then forward again quickly. Keep doing this, rocking back and forth, and eventually you get unstuck (works most of the time for me anyway).

But it's killer on the transmission.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by saskflames69

Yes, it's snowing. Still no excuse to go 15 in a 60 zone.

No offence, but I really don't think anyone should be taking tips from a person that has had their license for less than 2 weeks

Sometimes the roads dictate that you go 15 in a 60 zone.

Just yesterday I saw some idiot in a full size van do a 360 on complete ice and wipe out on to the curb because I guess he thought his AWD would help him change lanes and pass a bunch of slower moving vehicles. There was a reason cars were going 30 in a 70 zone and that was because they don't end up like the idiot in the AWD van.

I've got 4x4 in my SUV, but I don't fool myself to think I'm better than the car next to me. I made that mistake a lot when I was a bit younger and it cost me a lot of headaches, and money.