How many drivers do everything they get tested on when getting license?

[Simnut]

When we talk about drivers being responsible, and/or driving with due care and attention....a few things come to mind. Hopefully this will show how we, as drivers, get lazy about the task we do or about to do, and that is driving.

1) How many pre-trip their vehicles before leaving the house? Things like making sure all the lights are working, especially the brake and signal lights. How many actually walk around your vehicle and check the tires, check for oil leaks...etc? Driving a mechanically malfunctioning vehicle can be as dangerous to the driver AND everyone else on the road! Could we guess at a percentage?

2) How many, when parked on a hill, turn the wheels into the curb as taught and tested when getting a license? As I drive the city streets I will see 10% (estimate) of the vehicles parked on a hill with their wheels turned to the curb!

3) How many drivers still do shoulder checks when turning or changing lanes? Or do we just use our mirrors or assume that it is clear....be honest!!!!

4) How many of us drive when we are tired or emotionally "unstable"? Ever driven when mad? Sure affects the driving...doesn't it?

My point is this. There are MANY things that we are taught (yes, even way back in the "old" days) that we get lazy about with our driving, or preparing to drive. It is not so much that we HAVEN'T been trained .... it's a case of being lazy about USING or DOING the concepts we've been trained at!


If we all drive the way I SHOULD drive....the roads would be much safer!!

[Simnut]

Sorry about the double post.....mods....can you delete the one that has no replies?

[vafanculo]

After a few close calls, I make sure I do number 3 everytime. And not just a slight movement, but a rather exaggerated one. Gotta do your shoulder checks.
Posted via RS Mobile

[fsy82]

I dont do number 1 but i do turn my wheels towards the curb and do shoulder check cause i just dont trust other drivers that much during rush hour

[MindBomber]

I don't do number one, everything else I do.

[s300ae]

1.. Somewhat... With stretch tires I check for flats. I'm paranoid about that.
2. You kidding? I don't want to curb my wheels.
3. Totally...all the time now. Had a few calls where I didn't. Damn blind spots.
4. Guilty. When I'm mad i like to take detours and longer drives. Doesn't mean I go ape shit on other drivers
Posted via RS Mobile

[gdoh]

[Gumby]

Even if I'm the only car on the road, it feels weird to make a lane change without shoulder checking. It's been ingrained into the lane change procedure for me.

1) side mirror
2) signal
3) shoulder check
4) change lane

[LenovoTurbo]

1) I just look at 4 tires to see if it's flat, habit with low profile tires.

2) I turn the wheels, don't touch curb though.

3) Shoulder check always.

4) When you gotta take a shit, you tend to drive faster to a washroom.

[Not really racist!]

Anybody who doesn't shoulder check is pretty retarded, easy and simple, I've seen to many close calls cause people don't do it. As for the pre-trip.. I've had a couple flats so I acutally check sometimes, as for lights, I can usually see the reflection through my grg doors / walls

[6o4__boi]

number 1 is pretty pointless and is a big waste of time IMO
all other things I do.

Seriously, who the hell actually does every damn pre-trip check. I'd do it if I was bored or something, but if I needed to go somewhere, I'm jumping in my car, if it starts i'm good to go!

[ruthless]

Originally Posted by Simnut

1) How many pre-trip their vehicles before leaving the house? Things like making sure all the lights are working, especially the brake and signal lights. How many actually walk around your vehicle and check the tires, check for oil leaks...etc? Driving a mechanically malfunctioning vehicle can be as dangerous to the driver AND everyone else on the road! Could we guess at a percentage?
I walk around my vehicle, look at the tires and check to see if my license plate is still there, also about once a month or so i check to see if my signal lights and brake lights are functioning properly

2) How many, when parked on a hill, turn the wheels into the curb as taught and tested when getting a license? As I drive the city streets I will see 10% (estimate) of the vehicles parked on a hill with their wheels turned to the curb!
I put the parking brake on but do not turn my wheels unless it is a huge hill

3) How many drivers still do shoulder checks when turning or changing lanes? Or do we just use our mirrors or assume that it is clear....be honest!!!!
I shoulder check everytime i change lanes and most of the time when turning I know if there is a person on the sidewalk or not as I approach the intersection, if there is a pedestrian standing there i make sure to shoulder check then turn, right or left.
4) How many of us drive when we are tired or emotionally "unstable"? Ever driven when mad? Sure affects the driving...doesn't it?
Rarely get mad before driving but have driven when im tired

.

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by s300ae

2. You kidding? I don't want to curb my wheels.

If you turn them to lock only the tire hits the curb. I have 30 profile tires on 19" rims and mine are fine.

[taylor192]

1. No. My car has sensors for just about everything. It will tell me if any of the fluids are too low or if any of the bulbs are burnt out. It'll even attempt to use a nearby bulb to replicate the functionality for a burnt out bulb (ie using the rear turn signal as a brake light).

2. Always. My parking brake barely passed VI and I don't trust it.

3. Never. I have blind spot mirrors stuck to my side mirrors. In fact I hardly use my side mirrors, I normally just use the blind spot mirrors.

I wish we had european style mirrors, where the outer portion of the mirror is convex and acts as the blind spot mirror.


4. I hate driving tired, when I have done it I load up on coffee, stopping every hour or so, and drive with the windows open as cold air helps me stay awake.

[stewie]

1. if im going 4x4'ing, yes, ill check over my vehicle make sure its capable of going and not leaking or anything broken.

2. i always park with my wheels into the curb...can never trust shitty ebrakes on old trucks.

3. i always shoulder check and signal even if its just me on the road.

4. im tired and mad every morning when i have drive to work, the drive wakes me up...and im only mad cause i have to go to work.

[Berzerker]

1. I pre trip inspect fairly often, at least once a day. Checking suspension and tires and shit as I drive a 4x4 and go wheeling and before that a fast turbo import so shit happens and bolts come loose. I actually check to make sure everything is ok. I drive my 1 year old daughter around so gotta make sure shit's safe!

2. There are no hills in Smithers BUT when I am in places where it's necessary I do angle my wheels the proper direction (both up hill AND downhill)

3. If you don't shoulder check your an idiot. Period. Blind spot mirrors or not all it takes is one second of looking in the wrong place and a car could have changed lanes and be beside you and you won't know it.

4. I've often driven when very tired and often thought when I got home.. Fuck I don't even remember the drive home. That's my biggest "bad habit" is driving when tired but I've put a LOT of km's under my belt in the past year driving from Chilliwack to Vancouver everyday for 3 months while my daughter was in the intensive care unit and also from Van to Smithers and back several times. I've gotten better at pulling over and having a nap though rather than being unsafe. Actually fell asleep one time and that was enough to "wake me up" so to speak.

Berz out.

[Culverin]

I'm on bike.

Aside from the hill thing, to not do the things on that list is risking death.
Period.
I'd like to keep the use of my legs thank you very much.

Also, for you guys that don't shoulder check, please do.
Think of the amount of fails you'll get when it turns out one of you swiped me into the path of an oncoming truck but not shoulder checking.


I get into about 1-2 close calls a week because I'm on 2 wheels.
Pretty good odds that in my 2 years of being on the road, one of those incidents was somebody from RS.

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by Culverin

Also, for you guys that don't shoulder check, please do.
Think of the amount of fails you'll get when it turns out one of you swiped me into the path of an oncoming truck but not shoulder checking.

I get into about 1-2 close calls a week because I'm on 2 wheels.
Pretty good odds that in my 2 years of being on the road, one of those incidents was somebody from RS.

Time to stop riding in other people's blind spots, I think.

[mb_]

1. No. But when I have time to kill I check over things

2. Yes

3. Guilty of not doing it all the time

4. Guilty as well. Have to stop doing it (driving while tired/sleepy) though - got into a really close call about a week ago.

[sebberry]

Answers in bold:

Originally Posted by Simnut

When we talk about drivers being responsible, and/or driving with due care and attention....a few things come to mind. Hopefully this will show how we, as drivers, get lazy about the task we do or about to do, and that is driving.

1) How many pre-trip their vehicles before leaving the house? Things like making sure all the lights are working, especially the brake and signal lights. How many actually walk around your vehicle and check the tires, check for oil leaks...etc? Driving a mechanically malfunctioning vehicle can be as dangerous to the driver AND everyone else on the road! Could we guess at a percentage?

I check it all once per week, check my rear lights as often as I can since I back-in when parking and it makes it easy to cycle through the lights and look in the mirror to make sure they're working


2) How many, when parked on a hill, turn the wheels into the curb as taught and tested when getting a license? As I drive the city streets I will see 10% (estimate) of the vehicles parked on a hill with their wheels turned to the curb!

Yep


3) How many drivers still do shoulder checks when turning or changing lanes? Or do we just use our mirrors or assume that it is clear....be honest!!!!

Always when turning, almost always when making lane changes. Depending on how busy the traffic is, it's pretty easy to monitor cars behind and to the side with regular mirror checks. If there's been any change, I'll certainly do a shoulder check.


4) How many of us drive when we are tired or emotionally "unstable"? Ever driven when mad? Sure affects the driving...doesn't it?

If I'm "motionally unstable", I find going for a drive is a good way to clear my mind. I'll even drive like I'm giving a "running commentary" to a driving examiner to really take my mind off whatever has made me emotionally "unstable".

Keeping out of blind spots, keeping your own blind spot clear, don't stare at the back of the vehicle in front of you (look through it to improve reaction times), look under and around parked vehicles (improves reaction time to pets and children running out from behind parked cars), expand your field of vision wider than the telephone poles at the side of the road, observe for "secondary hazards" (oncoming cyclist causing cars to cross the center line, etc...)

[underscore]

Originally Posted by taylor192

1. No. My car has sensors for just about everything. It will tell me if any of the fluids are too low or if any of the bulbs are burnt out. It'll even attempt to use a nearby bulb to replicate the functionality for a burnt out bulb (ie using the rear turn signal as a brake light).

This is pretty awesome, every enw car should have these (maybe they do? not sure). I have a burnt out taillight bulb but that's it.

Originally Posted by Culverin

I'm on bike.

Aside from the hill thing, to not do the things on that list is risking death.
Period.
I'd like to keep the use of my legs thank you very much.

Also, for you guys that don't shoulder check, please do.
Think of the amount of fails you'll get when it turns out one of you swiped me into the path of an oncoming truck but not shoulder checking.


I get into about 1-2 close calls a week because I'm on 2 wheels.
Pretty good odds that in my 2 years of being on the road, one of those incidents was somebody from RS.

It sounds like you need to work on your riding if you're nearly getting hit that often...

[Raid3n]

in the last 5 months i've only had 2 close calls while riding (knock on wood), one in a parking lot, someone backing out without looking, i saw them and moved out of their path, the other, some lady came half way into my lane, i was ahead of her, her front fender was by my rear tire.

as for the OP, in my car i didn't really do a pre-trip check so much ans just walk around to check tires/plate, and if there was any dmg.

on hills i not only angle my wheels, but i put it in gear as well.

i always shoulder check...hell...i shoulder check when i am walking... lol.

i am however guilty of driving when tired.. more than i should..

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by Raid3n

i always shoulder check...hell...i shoulder check when i am walking... lol.

HA! I do that too.

And since my legs are on the longer side, I walk pretty quickly too, faster than most people. But with the proper precautions (shoulder checking, stopping to look left, center, right, etc..) I can walk around the grocery store and get my shopping done pretty quickly without walking into people.

Defensive shopping I call it.