I’ve recently written an article for The Driver magazine outlining when the mirrors should be checked http://safedriving.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/how-often-should-you-check-your-mirror/ but here’s another debate to bring up; mirror set up. How should the mirrors be set up to give the driver the best advantage? The purpose of the mirrors is to allow the driver to be kept up to date with approaching drivers before they get into the driver’s blind spots. They are also designed to help drivers avoid rear crashes; which is North America’s most commonly reported crash.

The traditional way to set up your inside mirror was for it to frame the inside of your rear window. This still works as it allows the driver to take a quick glance of who is approaching them directly from behind. If you’re sitting in a relaxed position, with your back up against the back of the seat, you should be able to make a quick glance in the rear view mirror without much body movement at all. If you see too much of the ceiling or seats, please re-adjust your mirror.

The major debate seems to come from the side mirror set up. The traditional way was to glance into the driver’s side mirror so you could see a sliver of the vehicle and straight back at eye level. The same went for the passenger side mirror. The interesting thing is that we all seem to call these mirrors a “side mirror”, when in reality it’s an “outside rear view mirror”. They widen the rear view for the driver.

There’s some discussion out there that, as a driver, if you lean as far to your right and then adjust the side mirror to see a sliver of the vehicle, it will eliminate the blind spot to the right. Apparently, if you lean to the driver’s door and do the same thing for the driver’s side mirror, it will eliminate the blind spot on that side. Really? Why do I want to do that? If the side mirrors are set away from the vehicle, I reduce my chance to avoid rear crashes. Remember, they are the most common type of crash in North America. A quick glance over your shoulder to check your blind spot takes a millisecond. Here’s the best part, if you’ve been checking your mirrors on a regular basis, you’ll know who’s about to come beside you and enter into your blind spot. This way, you won’t be surprised when you see someone there after you check it.

To reduce the size of your blind spot on the driver’s side, at Young Drivers of Canada, we’ll teach our students to turn their head to a 45° angle before lining up the side mirror so a sliver of the vehicle is visible in the mirror. This will allow them to see down the side of their vehicle. Now, if they look straight ahead and just move their eyes, not turn their head to the side mirror, it shows more to the side of the vehicle. The blind spot to the driver’s side is drastically reduced, but they can still see down the side of the vehicle when they need to. When would they need to?

Let’s say you’ve been stopped in traffic and a larger vehicle, like a van with tinted windows or a truck, stops behind you. If you can’t see through their vehicle from your rear view mirror and another driver comes up behind them too quickly to stop in time, you won’t be able to avoid the rear crash because you won’t know you need to. If your side mirrors are angled away from your vehicle, you won’t be able to use them either to gather this information. You’ll end up as another statistic from another rear crash. If you can still use your outside mirrors to see down the side of your vehicle, you’ll need to position your vehicle to either side of your lane while stopping so you can use the outside mirror when a larger vehicle is approaching you from behind. This puts you in a proactive state of mind in case you need to move out of the way from the multiple rear crash.

A side swipe is the least of your problems when a rear crash is more common. A quick glance over your shoulder allows the driver to see what’s around them before changing lanes. If the outside mirrors aren’t set up to assist you to see around larger vehicles while stopped, what’s the point? Ask any truck driver who is dependent on checking their mirrors. They have to rely on their mirrors because they have no other choice. We do have a choice.

A compromise here may be needed for crashes to be reduced everywhere. Set your mirrors up so you can have a solution to both side swipes and rear crashes; not just the side swipe. My advice now is to play with both techniques for awhile and see which works for you. You may be surprised with the results.

It’s that time of year again. Time to find a parking spot at the mall! How many times have you driven to the mall only to find it packed with vehicles and you have to park the furthest away from any door? Frustrating isn’t it? Maybe these tips will help us all.

Let’s first decide when you should go to the mall. If you can go there when most people are at work or school, that’s the best time. Maybe taking a day off from work will help organize your time efficiently. It’s also easiest to shop when the stores aren’t as busy. So here’s your plan; go first thing in the morning when the stores open up for business. The parking spaces are plentiful at that time, so we tend not to rush and choose spaces that put us at risk. You all know how busy the parking lot is after 5pm and on weekends, so why do we choose to shop at that time and then complain about how difficult it is to find a spot? If we use logic every now and then, we can be happier.

Since the parking lot is busiest during this time of year, please slow down and use extreme caution when driving through it. Use the aisles as you would a roadway and signal your intentions so other road users will know where you’re going. Don’t forget to yield to pedestrians so they don’t get that “run down” feeling.

I was walking to the mall entrance the other day after parking my van, with my 4 kids in front of me, when a driver came racing around the corner at a high rate of speed! I had to hurry my kids and I to the sidewalk to avoid them. Where’s public safety here? You’re not saving any real time here by driving faster in a mall parking lot. Slow down! Where else would you find pedestrians walking slowing right in front of your moving vehicle? So, please slow down and look for wandering people.

Now, this may seem unusual, but if you’re driving down the aisle, drive toward the centre of the aisle. This creates more space on the right side of your vehicle so you can respond easier if a driver or pedestrian moves out from your right side. Of course, you can only do this if no vehicles are coming toward you. Please ensure you’re also moving toward the right side as you approach an intersecting aisle.

I’m sure you’ve tried this before, but here’s a suggestion to help you find a parking spot in a crowded lot. If you can’t find a spot , drive up to one of the main doors and wait for someone to exit the mall or store. Follow them to their vehicle and wait with your signal on. Give them enough space so they can leave. Also, when you’re following these shoppers, don’t get too close or else they’ll think you’re stalking them! But at least you’ll be “Christmas stalking”!

I’ve spent a lot of my years working with kids. I’ve coached sports, been a Boy Scouts leader and have raised kids of my own. I often see the same things from each of them; they always look where they aren’t going. One of my sons used to run and while doing so, he would look over his shoulder to see where he’s been. For this reason, he used to run into things. Do you know a driver who may do the same type of things?

 

A couple of weeks ago there was a t-bone crash outside my office. A driver was exiting the alley; trying to make a left turn. They must have been looking for traffic to their right because they drove into the vehicle that was coming from their left. What happened to looking both ways to ensure that it’s safe to proceed? What happened about looking where you want to go before going?

 

I see that happen so often that it boggles my mind. If the view of the path you want to cross is blocked with parked vehicles, you’ll need to creep forward to be able to get a good view before applying the gas. Glancing from side to side will also help you keep up to date with oncoming traffic. Glancing from side to side while creeping will also help you spot any pedestrians that may be about to cross our path.

 

There’s no need to take chances before entering the roadway. Trusting that the way is clear doesn’t make any sense. If we all take these few seconds to check, we can save a lot of frustration and possible damage from another vehicle.

Most of us spend our lives protecting the ones we love. We do this at home, while playing and while traveling in our vehicles; or do we? I see drivers wearing their seatbelts correctly and also see their family members wearing their seatbelt, but then I witness these people having their dog sit on the lap as the driver continues driving along. Isn’t their dog an adopted member of their family? Shouldn’t they be secured in the vehicle as well?

 

I think it’s one thing to have your family pet come into the vehicle with you, but having them sitting on the passenger’s lap is dangerous to the pet’s life. A sudden swerve or stop would ensure that animal is thrown forward or against the glass. If you loved your dog, why would you ever want something like that to happen?

 

As much as we would love to have our companion sitting beside us, it’s safer for them to be secured in a harness so they can stay safe. I remember a local business that would transport your pet to the vet for their check ups for a small fee. What a great idea! When our family had a cat, I would put the cat in the cat carrier with a small blanket or towel in it and secure the seatbelt through the carrier. The first thing was to make sure the cat was safe and comfortable in the carrier, but the other part was to ensure the carrier wasn’t going to come flying toward me in case I had to suddenly stop or change direction.

 

My main concern with loose pets in the vehicle is when drivers allow their dog to sit on their lap while they are driving. Why on earth would you want this distraction while driving? If you truly loved your family pet, please place them in a safe place for your trip. The thought of a dog or cat hitting their head against a hard object when it was truly avoidable makes me cringe.

 

Let’s work on protecting all of our family members when they’re in the vehicle; including our dogs and cats. Maybe this has turned into my pet peeve?

Are you competitive? I play sports and love to compete. I teach my kids to play fair and follow the rules. It’s about good sportsmanship, not always about winning. Is driving more like a competitive game for you, or is it a necessity? What would you call “winning” for a driver?

 

The reason I ask this question is because a lot of drivers feel it’s okay to surpass the speed limit in such a way that it appears there’s no speed limit at all. Why drive well over the speed limit? Is it a thrill for you, or a need? These types of drivers will do 60 km/h or more in a school zone and 100 km/h or more on secondary highways. Drivers who feel they can do this, without regard for public safety, haven’t thought this all the way through. Have they thought about “what if?” What if they lost control of their vehicle? They haven’t taken a professional course on how to handle the vehicle at that speed, so why are they?

 

What if another driver pulled out suddenly because they weren’t expecting someone to drive so fast? This would cause the speeding driver to suddenly brake or swerve out of the way. A sudden swerve will almost always cause panic, plus a loss of control.

 

The truth of the matter is that street racing belongs on a controlled track. There’s no place for it on public roads. Innocent people are taken from us because of someone’s need for thrilling activities. This includes passengers, not just drivers. There’s always a place for thrills. If you have the ‘need for speed’, why not join a carting club? If you truly understood speed and inertia, you would need to understand how and when to steer around corners. On a track, there are no pedestrians or drivers in your way who are driving much slower than you. You would be taught to do it properly.

 

Ken Wilden, who raced in a variety series in Canada and the US, including Formula Atlantic, Indy Lights and the Trans Am series to name a few, has always said to learn your craft from a professional. Racing is a fun sport, but it’s a sport. “If guys want to race, they should go to one of many racing schools available”, says Ken. Once you learn how to do it properly, you’ll have more respect for other road users. One of the participants on Canada’s Worst Driver, season 2, had the need for speed. He took his needs to the go-cart track. He now understands there’s a place for it.

 

The only race you have on public roads is the human race. Other road users aren’t expecting you to be driving so fast on public roads. Your excessive speed affects their choices as well. So, let’s keep our speed down and keep the racing on the track where it belongs!

Raising 4 kids has been fun and difficult at the same time. They’re at the age where I have to validate almost everything I ask them to do. They seem to be testing me when I ask them to do things; kind of expecting that what I’m saying doesn’t really work. I’m okay with that because I’ve spent almost 22 years as a driving instructor with Young Drivers of Canada and a lot of my students have done the same thing to me. Once I prove that the technique I’m teaching them works, they’ll use it.

 

I enjoy a challenge most of the time; it keeps me interested in what I’m doing. I had a big challenge with a teenager years ago. He would drive with me and keep two hands on the wheel; that is until we got close to his school. Once we got in sight of the school, he placed his right hand at 12 o’clock and put his left arm on the top of the door. He had to look cool in case his friends saw him. It didn’t matter what I said to him, he refused to put two hands back on the wheel.

 

This continued for a few weeks, until we had to do some braking and swerving exercises around pylons. Once we were ready to do our first swerve, he decided to put two hands on the wheel. He was surprised when I asked him to put his right hand at 12 o’clock and his left arm on the top of the door. I explained that if this was how he wanted to drive with his friends in his new yellow Mustang, he should learn what his abilities are like in that position. As he swerved for each attempt, he had hit pylon after pylon.

 

I could see how frustrated he was getting, so I asked him to put 2 hands on the wheel again. He agreed immediately and was able to move throughout the course without hitting a single pylon for the remaining time of these exercises. As I state over and over again to the instructors I train, we must “sell it, not tell it”. This experiment with the pylons seemed to have worked with this student, but time will tell.

 

A few months after this student and I had parted ways, I saw his yellow Mustang traveling though his school parking lot. As I glanced towards the driver, I saw that it was my former student and he had both hands on the wheel; even with 2 passengers in the car with him. He was a believer. I was pleased that bought into the techniques I had showed him.

 

As the saying goes; talk is cheap, but actions prove louder than words. If you have a point to make, be ready to prove that it works. If you can’t, it may be time to change your opinion.

Please and thank you. I was bought up using manners and I’m teaching my kids to use their manners everywhere they are. I believe that it will help them as they grow into the workforce. It also helps us feel good when we say and hear someone say thank you. What about when we’re driving? Do you use your manners while you’re driving?

 

Sharing the road with other drives takes a lot of patience as it is, but if you can do this in a polite manner, it may rub off on others. For example; as I was driving to my office one morning, I let another driver into my lane as their lane was ending. They then let someone else into the lane later on down the road. Wasn’t that nice of them? I think so. If we feel good emotionally, we may think clearly and drive with a better attitude.

 

I know we should all do something nice from time-to-time, but to be honest, do we really do that? Do we think of doing something for others because it would make them, and us, feel better? I don’t think that happens as often as it should. You know that phrase “What goes around comes around”? I believe in that. If I purposely stop and help someone who had a flat tire, I feel they will help someone in the future. It may not happen right away, but I believe it will happen.

 

Remember what it feels like when you’re nice and you let another driver into your lane and they don’t wave thank you? Did you curse at them? Did you punish them by tailgating them? How quickly your mood changes when someone isn’t as polite as you while you’re driving. If someone isn’t a polite driver don’t lower yourself to their level and act like them. Stay above their negative attitude. Perhaps they were distracted and forgot to wave thanks. Shrug it off and keep the positive attitude as you’re driving. You’ll feel better.

 

When I’m teaching my students to drive, I also teach them to wave thank you to a generous driver. Since my training vehicle doesn’t have tinted windows, I ask them to wave thank you with their right hand so it can be easily seen through the rear window to the driver behind. My van has a dark tinted window at the rear; so for this problem I roll my window down and give them a wave. I think it’s important to be a polite driver at all times. Remember, what goes around comes around.

 

So here’s my challenge to you all: do something nice for another road user. Let them in your lane during a lane change. Give them the right-of-way at intersections. Wave thank you after they’ve done something nice for you. Try it. I dare you! I double dare you!

During this past summer I had the chance to play baseball in an “Old-timer’s” league. This was for men aged 35 and older. I’m much older than 35, but in the last inning I dove to catch a ball. I missed the ball, but I gave it the best dive I could. I ended up injuring myself and at that point I realized that I was past my prime and should not attempt to do things that I used to do quite easily. Do you know someone who may also have this problem? Maybe someone who should hang up their car keys because they can’t seem to grasp safe driving any longer?

One of the toughest jobs I have at Young Drivers of Canada is taking out senior drivers to help them pass a Government road test. At some point in their lives they were a good driver, but as time went on, they lost their edge. Their vision has decreased, their reaction time has decreased and their short term memory also has decreased. Since these are all skills we need as drivers, it became difficult for some drivers to drive safely. I worked hard to get their skills back to the level of being safe drivers; but it wasn’t happening.

I once had a senior driver who’s son had asked me to evaluate her driving. She was such a nice lady, but had the consistent problem of stopping whenever she came across a white line that crossed her path. This would mean any crosswalk, whether the light was green or red. There was obviously some confusion and I did my best to help, but her son and I realized improvement wasn’t going to happen. He contacted her doctor and asked that they take her license from her. After some medical tests were completed, they agreed.

That’s another occupation with the unenviable job of giving out bad news to drivers; the medical field. They are obligated by law to take the license from the driver if their health will put their driving at risk. Since most drivers feel their license is a way of life and mobility, some doctors won’t do it. What about the risk to society or the community if this driver crashed and was injured or killed? We can only say so much as friends and family, but if the doctor says you’re not medically fit to drive, then that’s it; party over.

My grandfather decided many years ago that he didn’t want to drive. His eyesight was getting worse and he felt very uncomfortable. He voluntarily gave up his license and sold his car. For the rest of his life he took public transportation and got rides from friends and relatives. This allowed him to relax and enjoy life once again. It was a good choice for him.

So now you have to decide; should you or a loved one continue driving and risk the health of the driver, passengers and other road users. Or should it be time to make alternative plans for getting around. You need to make this choice soon, either for yourself or for the person you care about.

We’ve seen this happen almost every day of our lives, but will it ever end? I’m referring to the drivers of large trucks being cut off by drivers. I often wonder why someone would put their lives at stake like that. Maybe they never really thought of the consequences to their actions.

 

I’ve often seen how a driver of a car will hover around the truck like a blanket around a child and when they’re given a chance, will dive directly in front of the truck. There’s a huge blind area around the truck and that makes it difficult for the driver of the truck to not only see the vehicle, but also the brake lights of the vehicle. If the driver of the car cut in front and then hit their brakes, a crash would be more than certain.

 

We need to respect the drivers of large trucks and give them as much space as possible. Trucks with a large, covered trailer can be a hidden danger to most drivers. Drivers wouldn’t know if the trailer was empty or full. So, because of this, treat the drivers of trucks the same; whether the trailer is empty or full. That is; give them space and time to respond to you and your brake lights.

 

I learned at a very early stage in my driving career that heavier vehicles take a lot longer to stop. After driving my dad’s small hatchback, I would get into his larger car and tow a camper. The car had been packed with camping gear and the first time I had to brake to stop, I almost missed the stop. I realized that I needed more time to slow down and stop because the heavier load. Truck drivers need the same, so give them a chance.

 

To allow the driver of a truck to know that you’re behind them, ensure that you can see the side mirror of the truck. If you can’t see the mirror, they most likely can’t see you and your vehicle. If you also increase your following distance to see their mirror, it will help you look further up the road to help anticipate potential problems. There’s also a blind area on the front right side of the truck. Avoid staying anywhere near the side of a truck, especially that side. If they had to switch lanes suddenly, you’ve got nowhere to go and the driver of the truck may not have seen you move up to the front of their vehicle.

 

Another danger is to be immediately in front of the truck. The driver of the truck wouldn’t necessarily see your brake lights if you hit them suddenly and with medium pressure. This would most certainly cause a major crash. Keep additional space between you and the truck behind you by either accelerating enough so you can see the entire windshield of the truck behind through your rear view mirror; or by changing lanes.

 

We must also remember that a truck regularly passes in the centre lane on a freeway, so if you’ve got a truck approaching you from behind, change lanes to the right. We’ll never get rid of trucks, so let’s learn to work together for a safer road. They’ve got my respect!

As I drive around our fair country, I often have to struggle for space for my vehicle. Is this fair to drivers or do we bring this upon ourselves? Ontario alone gets over 150,000 new drivers every year, but are the roads big enough to handle them, or do we need to learn how to share the road?

 

I often travel the freeways and sometimes find it difficult to merge onto them. I accelerate to match the flow of traffic and try to fit in between the packs of cars, just like you’re supposed to do. The difficult part of this is that other drivers won’t let you in. After I’ve checked both inside and outside mirrors to judge the speed of traffic, I accelerate to stay between the cars, but often the driver behind begins to accelerate, almost as if to block me from merging. What have they got to gain? How simple would it be if they either adjusted their speed or changed lanes to let us in? Are those drivers oblivious to traffic around them or are they unskilled as to what their responsibilities are while driving on the freeway?

 

The other day that happened to me on the freeway. The onramps are short enough as it is, but when other drivers tend to follow closely to one another, it makes it difficult to merge safely. It would be nice if drivers increased their following distance as well, so merging can happen a little easier, or they could move over. Perhaps sharing the freeway would help everyone arrive safely, especially at higher speeds.

 

Other problems that I’ve noticed about drivers who don’t share happen in the city. I once had a student who said her father would speed up to stop someone from changing into his lane, even if the other lane was ending. What does he have to lose or gain? Have they thought about what it would be like if someone did that to them?  I doubt that.  Remember, you have to play nice out there!

 

Maybe one of the best ways of sharing the road is when driver’s car pool with one another. If you’re one of 2 or 3 people all going to the same place, why not share the drive? I know everyone wants to drive because they feel like they are the one in control, but think about how much more space there would be on the roads if people shared their rides every now and then. The rush hour traffic could flow more easily because there are fewer vehicles on the road. Your vehicle could last longer since you wouldn’t be putting on the mileage as quickly. It would also save on costs, like fuel and parking. Try it sometime. You may even learn to like it.

 

Now that I’ve shared my thoughts to you, maybe you can share them with other drivers while out on the road! Maybe our life could be “sunny” and “share”!