Have you ever been driving in the country and encountered a farmer driving slowly down the road on his tractor? How about a street cleaner in the city? You may find yourself behind a large truck sanding the highway after a snowfall? These vehicles will have an orange and red triangle on the back that says "Slow -Moving Vehicle." This means that they are traveling less than 25 mph.

School buses and vans carrying school children usually are required to drive 5 miles below the posted speed limit. They do not make right turns on red either. City transit buses also drive slower than most and make frequent stops. UPS, mail trucks, and funeral processions drive slower than everybody else.

The occasional passenger car that drives so slow, as to annoy us, may be doing so because he is unsure of where he is and is looking for directions. In some cases, a very slow driver may be intoxicated, particularly if he is weaving in the lane.

Smart drivers will keep in mind that Safety, All- Ways -Comes before Speed. We will accept the fact that we are going to encounter all kinds of driving hazards, and slow drivers are inevitable. The Truth is, that we cannot all ways know exactly why someone is driving slow until we are upon the situation. Many road construction workers have been needlessly killed while doing their jobs because motorists have failed to slow down for them.

The best thing we can do to handle slow drivers and slow- moving vehicles, is to:

AIM HIGH : When driving this means looking at least 15 seconds ahead of you and getting the big picture.

INCREASE YOUR FOLLOWING DISTANCE : Allow 4 to 5 seconds of following distance between you and the car in front of you, in case he stops suddenly.

LEAVE YOURSELF A WAY OUT: Change lanes, look for an exit ramp if you are on the highway, and adjust your own speed to avoid a collision with a slow driver.

Remember you are at fault, if you rear-end someone. There are fast- moving lanes for you and commuter lanes that will let you zip alone if you have a full car. There is (Never ) any justification for road rage.

Learn more about this author, Diana Claude.
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