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Driving 101

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August 3, 2006

Posted by Tiffany Aller

About This Editor: Tiffany is an airline professional by day and freelance writer by night. She enjoys writing on a wide variety of topics. Tiffany resides in north central Texas with her husband, Chris, a state police officer, and their four "children": puppies Naya and Missy, and kitties Frankie and Audrey.

         

Good morning, all!

I had another interesting experience while driving to work this morning, and so just wanted to take a few minutes to give my two cents on drivers - bad drivers, that is!

Now, to some extent, this is the pot calling the kettle black.  I have a heavy foot, which I will readily admit.  I have friends who are scared to get in my car (you KNOW who you are!) because trips to Wendy’s sometimes involve side trips to every neighboring town that doesn’t have a Wendy’s, as well as the occasional black hole.  In 10 years I’ve had 6 speeding tickets.  I currently own a top-of-the-line 360 degree radar detector (a Valentine), but even that didn’t help with one ticket, where the officer was using instant-on laser (it was midnight on Christmas in 2004 - I was tired and still had 12 hours of driving to do), and another ticket, where I saw the cop, who was using measuring to detect speeders, but just didn’t slow down in time.  And yes, I am married to a cop - but he rarely runs traffic as most of his life is spent undercover.  And no, I don’t use him to fix my tickets…they’re my fault, I take care of them. 

Now…I can’t justify breaking the speed limit and being caught all of those times…or all of the times I haven’t been caught.  Most of the time, I either get caught up in the flow of traffic, am in a hurry, or just enjoy the speed.  Having successfully passed a driving school at Pocono International Raceway, where I learned to handle my personal vehicle at speeds of up to 100 mph and a stock car at speeds of up to 170 mph, somehow, I fail to become concerned over going 75 in a 60.  (Interesting note: I was the only female in my class and achieved the fastest lap times for the day AND was the only driver allowed to race my instructor AND was invited back to become an instructor, should I ever happen to live up that way again.  I love racing!)

But I digress.  (As usual.)

This blog is about traffic laws other than the speed limit.  They’re really quite simple - most people ought to know them simply by using common sense.  But, on the slim chance that the several thousand folks that take part in my morning and afternoon commute might one day see this post, folks, listen up! (This is specific to Texas.)

The Shoulder
Ah, yes.  This extra little slip of land found to either side of driving lanes.  Inviting, isn’t it?  The shoulder of a roadway is the most misused strip of land I can imagine, so let me share with you when you can and cannot drive within this area.
CAN DO:

1. The primary function of the shoulder of a roadway is for mechanical issues and personal emergencies.  When needing to use the shoulder for this function, you should begin to slow down in your present lane of traffic unless an imminent emergency dictates an abrupt turn to the shoulder.  At any time while your car is moving or unmoving during a mechanical or personal emergency while you are on the shoulder of a roadway, you MUST turn your flashers on.  It’s not an option.  You should only remain on the shoulder as long as it takes to resolve your issue, and a car should never be left unattended longer than it takes to leave and seek assistance or arrange a tow.  Believe me…a tow from the side of the road is much lest costly than a ticket for vehicle abandonment and the associated impounding fees.
2. During times of construction, when there is a car accident or when an obstruction exists in the roadway, signs and/or people directing traffic may advise you to drive on the shoulder.  If you come upon an obstruction that necessitates swerving to the shoulder to avoid and no warning sign has been placed and no one is directing traffic, it is your duty to notify local authorities of the obstruction so that it can be addressed.
3. In the state of Texas, while traveling on a two-lane country highway (an FM or RM road usually - “farm to market” or “ranch to market”) it is legal in a non-passing zone for a slower vehicle to pull to the shoulder, open his window, and wave a faster vehicle around him so as not to impede traffic.  This law was created with the intent of allowing farmers a way to get out of the way when they may be driving slow equipment or hauling heavy equipment and applies only to rural areas.

CAN’T DO:

1. Pass someone on the right shoulder while they are making a left turn.  May seem convenient, but it’s also dangerous and illegal.
2. Use the shoulder as a lane of travel while traffic is congested in the main travel lanes.  BIG no-no.  Like I said, my husband rarely writes traffic tickets, but with the pleasure of having an unmarked car, he takes joy out of catching suckers who pull this trick.

Yield Signs
Believe it or not, this isn’t simply a sign put into place for its beauty.  Here’s a few tips to remember what this sign DOES signify:

1. Yield is not Yiddish for “hit the gas”.
2. Yield is also not Yiddish for “slam on brakes”.
3. Yield is English for “slow down, check the lane of traffic you are about to merge with and ease in gently so as not to greatly disturb the flow”.
4. In Texas, highway access lanes yield to highway exit ramps.  This may be the opposite in other states, but it’s for a very good reason - it’s easier for traffic to slow in access lanes than on the actual highway.  Learn that law and love it.
5. Many side streets that ramp to highway access lanes provide a lane that runs about the length of a football field.  Although the yield sign for the traffic coming from the side street will be at the beginning of this short lane, you can use the length of the entire lane to merge with traffic on the access lanes, thereby allowing other cars to also make the turn and not obstructing traffic on the side street.
6. While I’m on the topic of merging, it’s is completely uncool to be notified of a lane closure and then wait until the very last minute to squeeze into traffic.  These notifications are usually made quite a distance out - start merging then.  No broken laws here…this is simply courtesy to your fellow drivers.  If we have to wait in traffic, so do you.

Solid White Lines/Broken White Lines
Each line painted on a roadway has a meaning, whether white or yellow, solid or broken.  It seems that there is a growing ignorance of these meanings, and that needs to be addressed!

1. You may pass either when there is a single broken white line between lanes of traffic that travel in the same direction on a highway, or when you are on a two-lane road and there is a double broken white line in the middle (meaning that either direction has the right to pass when safe conditions exist) or the line facing your lane of traffic is broken while the paired line remains solid (meaning that only vehicles traveling in your direction have the right to pass when safe conditions exist).
2. When you are on an entrance ramp to a highway, or an exit ramp to an access road, or are approaching a toll booth, you may ONLY change lanes when there is a dotted line.  It is illegal AND dangerous to merge while there is still a solid line.  Trust me…the highway engineers measure these lines scientifically to make merging the safest process possibly.  Respect their intelligence.  I’ve seen more accidents from improper merging than during any other highway traffic condition, and yes, some have been fatal.  One involved my uncle being rear-ended on an entrance ramp by an impatient fellow driver.  That impact sent my uncle’s car into a lane of travel, where it was turned into scrap metal by a tractor trailer coming off a downgrade.  Not pretty.  Saving 5 seconds and merging too soon is not worth risking life and limb.

You’ve now passed Driving 101!  Now go out there, and put it into practice!

Smiles,

Tiffany

Last 5 Entries by Tiffany Aller

• Unsatisfactory Immigration Laws - November 27th, 2007
• Now I've Seen (Heard!) It All! - July 30th, 2007
• Incredible Edible Mudd - June 11th, 2007
• I'm Around and About - June 11th, 2007
• MySpace - A Place for Friends, or a Place for Drama? - March 22nd, 2007

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