Don't drive like an old guy

[dryheat]

I have nearly been run off the road by retirees(that's what I'm going with) who maybe are a little too stiff in the neck to turn their heads and look before changing lanes. A few times. Of course, me being a defensive driver I always try to maintain some distance from other cars and stay out of the "blind spot". Someone close to me nearly got in an accident because they did the classic: changed lane from right to left and just nicked a car in his blind spot. No real damage other then a little tire soot on the bumper. Could have been way worse.

My rule to avoid this: If you can see your door handle in the side view mirror you aren't seeing the Big Picture.

If someone gets in my truck the first thing they want to do is adjust the drivers side mirror. The reason is, they don't know what they are looking at. I have my mirror set up to see what's in the blind spot. Your really looking at nothing...until something shows up there. To do this: As I'm driving I watch for a car creeping up on my left side. I use the remote mirror adjust and monitor where the car is. I can look over my shoulder(I'm not that stiff yet) to see where the car actually is in relation to my left rear bumper. I want to see that car in my side mirror until the point that I can actually see it out of the corner of my eye in my peripheral vision(I'm lucky I have about 180 degree view. It's hard to sneak up on me). I have a pot lid mirror on my drivers side mirror to look at too. I set the other mirror up the same.

But move your head, look around.

[Major Tom]

And, the ones who drive 20mph UNDER the speed limit. And, the ones who slow down at school zones on weekends and holidays when there is no school. The ones who don't know what the middle left turn lane is for.

[SUPERX-M1]

If your car drives like a barge, one drives slow and lazy. If good handling car, one drives the car harder, faster.

[togor]

I've heard that the minimum age for buying a Buick or Lincoln was recently raised to 73. That's getting up there. Seriously got a Buick Century for a loaner once. The mush suspension and handling, no road feel, it's easy to drive like an old guy without even trying in one of those things.

[JB White]

In my area its the younger drivers who are a PIA to share the road with. No respect and show no courtesy towards other drivers. They behave as they are the only ones on their road and everyone else should stay out of their way.
Many drive slower too. A few told me when I asked that they were saving fuel for the environment etc etc blah blah blah....
They cannot comprehend doing the speed limit or a couple miles over in a 35 or 40 zone burns much less fuel than doing 25 or 30. The car is in overdrive and the lights are timed for those 35 and 40 speed limits.
They prefer to go slow so the power train works harder and they catch every red light. Thereby idling with the AC on as they wait. No to mention all the vehicles they tied up behind them all wasting fuel as well.
Then there are those who don't pull up all the way at a stop. Leaving and extra full car length or two behind the line or the car ahead of them. Idling up to speed to save on fuel all the while stranding vehicles in their wake for a second time at the same light.

Me? I'm just a retired old fart who handles a Lincoln as if it were a sports car. I dont dawdle! I also let vehicles merge and on a busy day I'll wave a car in ahead of me that's coming off a side road or driveway. I'll give someone a few seconds to parallel park instead of pulling up behind them blowing the horn while blocking the space. Or, swerving around them so they can't swing into the space until someone finally stops.
I also do shoulder checks along with the mirrors. Force of habit. When I began driving right hand side mirrors were a luxury option. Most cars didn't have them.

[M1Tommy]

I had a great aunt whose driveway was about a hundred yards long, all down a steep hill and onto a fairly busy 2 lane highway. Dear Aunt Zelma (her real name, outlived 4 husbands!) had lots of arthritis problems and could not turn her head much at all. She would drive off the highway straight up the hill and into her carport. I never knew just how she got her land yacht into that tiny carport all the time without hitting her house! To leave (she ran the roads around Hot Springs constantly), she would back all the way down, FAST, out into the highway, wheeling around whichever way she wanted and then mosey on her way, never topping 40 mph, ever. I bet that HUGE Ford LTD (early 70s) with its 400 inch engine never ever saw 50 mph while she drove it.
I rode with her some, always an adventure, her telling me tales of her husbands and singing old hymns.
"When it's my time, the Lord will take me." was what she said about backing straight out into the highway, 2,3,4 times every day! LOL

Tommy

[JimF]

. . . . .
"When it's my time, the Lord will take me." was what she said about backing straight out into the highway, 2,3,4 times every day! LOL

Tommy

I once worked with a guy who drove in a similar manner . . . .

When he would leave the parking lot, he never stopped at the entrance to the VERY busy road.

He pulled out in front of any vehicle . . .car, pick-up, or semi . . .without a care!

Scared the he’ll out of me as I watched!!

I asked him why, he said, “What difference is it if I cut off the FIRST or the 21st vehicle . . .SOMEONE will have to be cut off!”

[JOHN COOK]

Dryheat, interesting read. I read the following in old car magazine years ago on how to adjust mirrors and it works for me.Adjust your seat where you drive, don’t move your butt and lean you left ear toward driver window. Adjust left mirror until you see down driver side door handles. Straighten back up and lean towards passenger side window. Of course you can lean further than you did to the left but try to get about same distance and observe right side door handles and adjust . Now you won’t see door handles while you drive but it allows me to see out of inside mirror cars coming up on me as well as seeing same car in left lane or Right at a greater distance. You see cars rite on you tail with inside mirror and if they go to pass you will instantly see them in you right or left mirror. Most of the time the approaching car can be viewed in the inside mirror and the outside mirror simultaneously. It gets a little getting use to but it works for me... Dryheat, sounds as though we have similar set up����������������������
John in SC

[M1Tommy]

I once worked with a guy who drove in a similar manner . . . .
When he would leave the parking lot, he never stopped at the entrance to the VERY busy road.
He pulled out in front of any vehicle . . .car, pick-up, or semi . . .without a care!
Scared the he’ll out of me as I watched!!
I asked him why, he said, “What difference is it if I cut off the FIRST or the 21st vehicle . . .SOMEONE will have to be cut off!”

I never saw Aunt Zelma in anything close to a near miss, which amazed me. That was a busy highway at times with a lot of truck traffic on it. Who knows how many folks she about gave heart attacks to though?!?

Tommy

[lyman]

had an Aunt that drove with her hands at about 11 and 1, and her elbows at 7 and 5,

it was interesting, and scary as a back seat passenger, to see her navigate the old Chevy on mountain roads,



I used to drive Mini Coopers, S model, and drove them like I stole them,



my lil Civic does not perform as well, but I have learned to adapt with the funky CVT (glorified golf cart transmission,,,,)


nothing more frustrating than to come up on someone on a back road, going 35 or less in a 45 or 55 zone, and no where to pass

[clintonhater]

nothing more frustrating than to come up on someone on a back road, going 35 or less in a 45 or 55 zone, and no where to pass

Beyond frustrating--dangerous. Because somebody WILL eventually pass regardless of the danger, & if you're in the opposite lane you may get a head-on. That leaves you & the other driver in a bad wreck, & the idiot who caused it drives on without stopping.

[dryheat]

Passing, that's some dangerous business. I have a technique for that too but I'm not a driving instructor. I have had people do some dangerous stuff passing that could have involved me. I see folks who have no doubt been driving for years and I wonder haven't you learned anything?