Traffic Tips

Hello! I've heard from a few members of The Nation who have said that, while the monthly tips on the Website are great, this blog doesn't have nearly enough "Tickets You Can Avoid" information, and I feel that they are right.

One of my pet peeves is turn signals, so I thought I'd give you the run-down on how never to get a ticket for this ever again. Remember, as I always say, the number one job any driver has out there is simply to get home safely. Along with that, keep in mind that NO ONE else out there driving is nearly as Cool As You. I'm not concerned about how you drive, it's all those other Morons you've got to watch out for. Not all of them have read my book. --- Yet.

You, I'm sure, already know that in California, for example, as it is in most states, you must use your turn signal for 100 feet prior to any change in direction in order to be deemed legal. But what a lot of people don't realize is that that includes lane-to-lane changes on a highway, turning in a parking lot, and even leaving a highway by taking an off-ramp. I kid you not. You MUST (again, according to Johnny Law's vehicle code book) use your turn signal for 100 feet in each of these instances. Ok. But what's 100 feet?

My good rule of thumb? Four clicks of your turn signal before you begin the move. Two reasons: Four clicks is gonna cover one hundred feet no matter what speed you're moving. 20 miles an hour? Sure. 80 miles an hour? Definitely. And four clicks also allows everybody around you to see what you're intending to do. You're not sneaking up on anybody.

And spread the word: the turn signal comes BEFORE the move. Not some lame "courtesy click" once the manuever's been made. It's an INDICTOR. It's supposed to tell me what you're GOING to do. Not a PUNCTUATOR, telling me what you just did.

Oh, and tell your young friends, the newer drivers especially: The Turn Signal is not a Cloaking Device, or a Force Field. Just because you use it, doesn't mean you are immune from damage. You can't just do what ever you want to do, change lanes and side-swipe an SUV, and then whine, "But I had my blinker on!" It would still be your fault.

So there you go. Another safety tip from your ol' pal Scott. Hope this one saves you money and aggrevation. I'll post some more soon. Thanks for reading, and drop me a line anytime.