by Dallas Brown

Created on: April 26, 2009

The only way we will ever regain our sanity sa a nation will be to regain our sanity as drivers of automobiles and other internal combustion type engine-driven vehicles. There are a few areas in which i would offer suggestions that would work if only people would try them once. The first one is mandatory to the rest. You must follow this rule or you will have a hard time with most drivers on the road today. The rule is simply:

I am not the most important person on this road, which, incidentally, I do not own exclusively.

When driving, it is important to remember that using the streets is a shared experience, and for the roads to be functional as built, they must be treated with the respect the engineers deserve. These are not speedways, like at Indy, Taalladega, Daytona, and other NASCAR and IRL locations. Now admittedly, those tracks often have several cars speeding along at 180 to 200 mph, and at those speeds, it is a rare occasion when one is killed on those race tracks. That is simply because, Those guys and girls KNOW what they are doing, and so do the rest. This is not true in town. You still have people on the road who never clued in to how to shoulder check for nearby cars, how to signal, change lanes safely, and how to slow down (YES, SLOW DOWN) at the yellow lights which are about to turn red. Also on the subject, guys, when the light then does turn green-GO! And do it today, please. We actually do need to get there fairly soon.

Getting onto the highway, (Interstate type): Speed up fairly quickly, not too aggressive, but timidity is for the side-road people. Stay there if you can't handle the highway, please. You only jam things up if you're up here with us, the alert drivers. Then, when your lack of planned knowledge shows up as you cut three lanes simultaneously to exit, you nearly cause another crash. Meanwhile, I can be patient. When I come to the next on-ramp in front of me, I make room, so that people can get on. Even if I am ready to exit at the next one, I can let them in and still slide off this road myself, safely and clearly.

Have you ever noticed when people suddenly cut in front of you, that when your temper dies down, and all your sharp comments have been aired, that those people are still right there? They are only ahead of you by one or two cars after the next half mile. I'm always sitting there in my car, chanting "You're so far ahead of me now, I can't see....." you fill in that blank with whatever comes to mind. "...I can't see your

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