WINTER DRIVING

Experts say it’s the simple things that enhance safety such as wearing a seat belt, driving the right speed for the conditions and paying attention to the road. These are the very things most drivers involved in accidents neglect to do. They also say that 95% of crashes are caused by human error.  People driving…

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THEFT OF AUTOMOBILES

I saw a LOCK TAKE HIDE sign today that said “PREVENT THEFT: LOCK Your Car TAKE Your Keys HIDE Your Belongings FILL a Decoy Purse With Thousands of Angry, Venomous Bees” (ha!) Typically when we talk about theft of automobiles, someone leaves the keys in their car and so it begins. We constantly see parking…

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THE MERGING ZIPPER

I often hear in my defensive driving class that “Texans don’t know how to merge.” One thing that typically irks people is a crazy traffic jam, caused because people don’t know how to merge (or, actually, they choose not to merge properly).  Whatever happened to the good old “zipper” tactic when merging? Remember, the one…

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SCHOOL ZONE

Cruising through a school zone at 20mph with lots on your mind? That’s me. I call it “school zoning.” I think my car actually “idles” at 20mph, so it’s kind of like a cheap man’s cruise control. I must admit, it’s been nice to not have to coordinate my work commute around school zone hours.…

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IS A ROLLING STOP LEGAL?

I have always been curious about why they call not stopping at a stop sign long enough a rolling stop, or a California roll (my favorite sushi, btw).  I’ve even heard someone call it a Hollywood stop. Now, I have resided in California.  And, as I recall, everyone stopped. Or, perhaps I was too busy…

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ROAD RAGE AND GUNS

I’ve always loved western TV shows. Heck, when I was a kid, they were about all that was on prime time TV. The Lone Ranger, Big Valley, Ponderosa, The Rifleman, Bonanza, Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Rawhide (I could go on). Road rage and guns…sounds like a contemporary western. When I moved to Texas in 1978, nearly…

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NO DRIVER LICENSE ADS ON BUS

I saw an automobile insurance advertisement on a city bus that said “No Driver License? No Problem!” Now, that’s very disturbing to me. I always thought that you actually need a driver license to insure a vehicle. That just makes sense. Someone told me just yesterday that she was broadsided by a non-resident who ran…

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LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING

You’re flying down the freeway, doing 70+ mph, in the passing lane or left lane or fast lane as it is fondly referred to. When, suddenly, as you come over a hill, there it is; that service truck with oversized sheets of glass perched in the back. It’s like a scene in Final Destination; you…

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