QOTD: Driving Rules

Years ago, teenage me was leafing through an issue of Car and Driver that was already a bit old when I happened upon one of those rare magazine/newspaper columns that changes your life, or at least how you see things.

In the column, the then-boss of C/D William Jeanes laid out his rules for driving. These rules were really tips for safer/better driving, and I don't recall all of them. Sadly, a quick Google was unable to turn up a digital copy of the piece.

Here are the two tips I do recall: Look through the windshield of the car in front of you whenever possible, thus making it easier to see what's coming; and never drive in a manner that forces other drivers to use their brakes if they wouldn't otherwise need to.

That last one has stuck with me all these years. I interpret it to mean that you shouldn't drive too slow, pull out in front of someone, cut someone off -- things like that. People should only have to use their brakes to slow down for stop signs, stop lights, traffic jams, lower speed limits, and the like -- not because you've done something that forced them to hit their brakes to avoid a collision.

I've had a hard time finding exceptions to this rule. It seems to be a no-brainer, and I try to use it every time I drive (not that I always succeed. We all screw up once in a while).

I use the windshield trick when I can, too, though it doesn't work when I'm testing, say, a Miata, and I'm behind a QX60.

All that said, what are your rules? I don't mean rules of the road as dictated by the state or feds, but rules you live by to make your drives safer and/or more fun.

Sound off below.

[Image: Garsya/Shutterstock.com]

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from TheTruthAboutCars https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/cars/question-of-the-day/qotd-driving-rules-44500663?utm_medium=auto&utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=all_full