I just saw this article today and found myself in agreement with everything he said. Here it is:
Link to orginal article.quote:
It's the first Monday of the new year, and I'm pretty sure I know what you're thinking: "How am I going to pull off all those resolutions that I made?"
You plan to lose weight, work out more at "the club," eat more fiber, stop smoking, start the Atkins/South Beach/water/nothing-but-salads diet, undergo a colonoscopy, visit your mom more and generally make yourself into a better person.
To that I would ask that you add a few more resolutions about your driving habits. Adopt all (or at least a few) of the following resolutions, and you'll make your fellow motorists very happy. Say it with me now: "I firmly resolve to … "
Wear my seat belt everywhere and at all times. I resolve to get my passengers to wear theirs, too. Not only is it the law, it's also smart. C'mon, aren't there enough things out there in life trying to kill us without us helping it along?
Use my turn signal. How tough is it to flick the turn lever up or down? It's right there by your left hand, for goodness sakes! You paid for it, so use it.
Not tailgate. It's dumb, dangerous and drives the other driver crazy. If you're the victim of it, safely move into the next lane if possible. If you can't, don't antagonize your shadow by hitting the brakes. Get your "back off" message across by activating your emergency flashers instead.
Stay out of the left (fast) lane of the freeway if I drive the speed limit (or slower).
Dim my bright lights -- especially if I'm driving one of those gigantic pickup trucks/SUVs -- when approaching another vehicle from the rear. Brights from those vehicles (especially those blue high intensity discharge headlights) can light up the inside of a nearby automobile like an operating room.
Not park in the handicapped parking spot, despite the fact that I'm only going to be in the store "for a minute."
Put down the $%&*@ cell phone and drive!
Turn down the $%&*@ CD player!
Safely move into the next lane (or slow down) if I see a police car, ambulance, fire truck, tow truck, school bus or courtesy van parked on the shoulder of the road with its lights flashing. It's the law.
(I shouldn't even have to say this next one, but here it is): I won't drink and drive. I won't get high and drive, either.
Make out my paperwork before I get to the drive-up window at the bank.
Not take up two parking spots. I'm not driving two cars at the same time, so why should I take up two spaces?
Not empty my vehicle's ashtray onto the street. Nor will I litter.
Let others into traffic.
Show my thanks for being let into traffic by waving, smiling or mouthing the words "Thank you" into my rear-view mirror.
Slow down in construction zones. Eighty percent of those killed in construction zones aren't road workers, they're motorists speeding through the work area.
Poster's note: in Michigan, this is a HUGE problem. People completely ignore construction zone speed limits, driving however fast they were before the zone. Doubling fines in contruction zones has failed miserably to do anything to solve the problem.
Stop for stop signs and yield for yield signs.
Read Tom Greenwood's Commuting Column in The Detroit News every day.
(I just threw in that last one to see if you were paying attention.)
