Even mild-mannered individuals often seem to give in to
impatience or absent-minded speediness when behind the wheel
of an automobile. If you've decided to drive more slowly,
whether for road conditions, enforcement, safety in general,
or for better fuel economy, here is how to go about it.
!! Steps !!
Allow ample time to get where you are going. Don't forget
preparation time (getting your coat, defrosting your windows,
finding your kid's favorite toy), driving time, or the potential for
traffic or parking difficulties. If punctuality is critical, aim to
arrive ten to fifteen minutes early, or more. This extra time will
allow for unforeseen circumstances, and if you do arrive early, it
will give you time to collect yourself and your belongings before
proceeding.
Assess conditions that might make faster driving hazardous. Driving
slowly makes it easier to stop if roads are slippery, and gives you
more response time if visibility is reduced. Think about the many
times a person involved in an accident mentions that they were
"doing the speed limit" as if that should have prevented it. The
reality is that the speed limit is a _guide_ for normal conditions
(and mandatory maximum), and does not account for less safe driving
conditions. Some of the less safe driving conditions to keep in
mind as a genuine safety reason to slow down include:
* Ice or snow – sliding along the road, slipping over edges, and
spinning out of control are some of the risks with not slowing
down for snow and ice conditions.
* Rain – hydroplaning is a real risk when the rain is heavy and
relentless; visibility is also greatly reduced. Another issue is
washouts on the road, which can happen suddenly without warning,
as well as landslides.
* Fog or mist – when there is thick fog, mist, or low cloud about,
visibility is reduced and in some cases severely limited. It is
not possible to tell whether an animal might be on the road, or
even traffic in the wrong lane, so slowing down makes good sense.
* Darkness – without good night vision, humans have difficulty
driving well at night. Fatigue and reduced perception also impact
night driving, making it much safer to slow down when night
driving, especially over long distances.
* Wet roadways – even if it's not raining, water across a road can
spell trouble. In times of flooding, you are advised to not even
attempt to use a road that is suffering from floods as the waters
will often be stronger than your car. It only takes 50cm / 19.6''
of water to lift an all wheel drive and carry it along
floodwaters.
* High winds – cars can drift or shake under the force of high
winds, and steering can become difficult. It is even harder if you
have a load above or behind the vehicle, and the higher your
vehicle sits, the more buffeting the wind will cause.
* Winding roads – tight bends can be difficult to execute well
unless you slow down; speed can cause you to miss the bend
altogether and fly over the road to the other side, and even down
a cliff if you're traveling through hills or mountains.
* Blind corners – these are corners where you're not able to see
oncoming traffic; whenever you cannot see what's coming, it's a
good idea to slow down, especially since some people make rash
decisions about overtaking even though they cannot see you coming
the other way.
Practice accelerating and decelerating gently and gradually. Press
the pedal lightly and your moves will be gradual. This will save on
fuel, improve traction in slippery conditions, and help you
maintain a slower overall speed.
* Except in poor driving conditions, do not accelerate very slowly
– keep up with traffic overall, at least the slower or more
carefully driven vehicles like trucks and minivans. Accelerating
too slowly leaves you in potentially dangerous areas such as
intersections for periods unexpectedly long to others, can cause
dangerous speed mismatches in merges, and can otherwise interfere
with traffic patterns.
* Braking gently saves wear on the brakes and it is less likely to
cause you to skid. To brake gently, leave additional space between
you and the car in front of you, and anticipate upcoming braking,
such as corners, stoplights, and slow traffic ahead. Driving
slowly helps maintain that space and gives you more time to react.
Be patient. It's neither a race nor a time for zoning out. The
objective is to get where you are going safely, staying alert and in
control.
* If you feel as though driving is a waste of time and you find
yourself speeding just because you want to get the drive over
with, see if you can reduce your commute (try driving earlier or
later than usual when traffic lessens), or take public
transportation, or even telecommute. If these are not realistic
options, consider use the time to do something else, such as
listening to an audio book, learning a new language, or catching
up on the news and current affairs by radio.
Drive the speed of traffic, provided it is safe for conditions. As
noted earlier, the speed limits themselves do not indicate the
perfect speed for poor conditions and you'll need to use your common
sense for that. However, if the traffic speed is reasonable and is
setting a comfortable pace, this can be a soothing and safe speed
for driving and can help remove your desire to drive too fast.
* If your speed tends to inch up when you're not paying attention,
follow behind someone who is going a suitable, even speed. Keep a
generous, constant distance. Or use cruise control if it's safe to
do so (do not use cruise control on windy roads).
Even fast cars need space to overtake Give others the space to
pass. If the road you're traveling has more than one lane in each
direction, be courteous and use the lane going closest to your speed.
If a narrower road has turnouts, use them to let anyone traveling
faster behind you pass. You'll know because they'll be almost
tailgating you!
* If a narrow road does not have turnouts, find somewhere safe to
stop, perhaps every fifteen to thirty minutes, to allow other cars
to pass if you're driving very slowly or many vehicles are
accumulating behind you.
Use lower gears and let the engine slow the car when descending
longer hills. This is easier on your brakes and it gives you more
control.
Work on keeping an even, moderate speed on freeways.
Time traffic lights correctly. A series of traffic lights, such as
on a city street, is generally timed so that a batch of cars can
travel through at about the speed limit. The best way to drive
through these, where your abilities and traffic allow, is to
accelerate promptly from any stop to the speed limit and to
continue at that speed–no faster.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Although vehicles differ, the most fuel-efficient speed to drive
is typically 55 to 60 MPH / 88 to 96 km/h with efficiency
decreasing significantly past 65 to 70 / 104 to 112 km/h (and by
more the faster you drive). Driving slower than 55 (88km) would
generally not save fuel, but can sometimes be safer.
!! Warnings !!
* Don't drive too slowly. If you go too much more slowly than the
speed of traffic, it could anger others or create a different kind
of hazard.
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Practice Zen Driving
* How to Drive a Car
* How to Avoid Annoying Other Drivers
* How to Respond to a Road Raged Driver
* How to Drive Green
* How to Avoid Accidents While Driving
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
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