Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
While I am commuting, my goal is to use my brakes as little as possible. I try to drive by throttle and steering wheel alone through leaving reasonable distances and watching the cars around me closely so as to try to predict their behavior. Of course, I don't let my little game interfere with being safe and brake when I need to without getting really close to anybody. I just don't get it when the cars in front of me charge up a hill just a few feet apart from each other and slam on their brakes when somebody goes to turn while I follow just a bit behind and let the slope slow me down after I actually look ahead and see brake lights and (maybe) a turn signal telling me that things are going to change for our little column very soon. Is it really that shocking that somebody is turning off onto a sidestreet?
This is exactly how I drive. Brakes are merely devices that convert momentum to heat. You're burning gasoline merely to heat up the brakes, so one should drive in such a way that brake use is minimized.
I have exactly the same uphill situation on my commute. The cues that someone up ahead is going to need to make a left turn are obvious, so I ease out of the throttle while the guy behind me swerves around and tailgates me as though he's on meth (might well be). I don't even touch the brakes while a number of the cars I'm following brake fairly hard. This is on a wide and pleasant two lane road with plenty of good passing opportunities should the need arise. It rarely does on my commute unless I'm stuck behind some old codger on his way to the Dayton VA for an early appointment. If people would only pay attention and take some pleasure in their driving, the whole thing could be so much less taxing for everyone, not to mention the reduction in insurance rates that would come with the reduction in foolish collisions.
People instead rely upon the pedal to the left, since people who drive stupid never have cars with three pedals and shifters that actually do something, and they get on with their texting, their web surfing and their face-stuffing while never paying much attention to the road ahead and the other vehicles around them.
I'll rant a little more in noting that a lot of people seem unable to drive any distance at all without a pop or a beer or a coffee to suckle on as well as some food to stuff into their pieholes.
Guess that's why all of these things are available at drive-throughs.
