Advice on Driving

It honestly depends on what part of the country you are moving to. There are different laws in each state, different speed zones, and different types of drivers. It also depends on what type of weather you are coming from and going to.

If you are in a small rural area there really isn't much to it but if you are in a big city than I suggest you look into public transportation for a main source of travel.

Also I'm not really positive about europe but don't you guys drive on the right side of the vehicle?

I mean the whole driving difference isn't really that much of a change unless you are coming from somewhere that it doesn't snow and going to a place where there is a possibility of it and so on.

Basically just pay attention to the signs, don't drink and drive, use turn directionals, and go to the department of motor vehicles in whatever state or city you are going to be in and request a driving manual which will give you most of the major driving rules in that area. Things such as how far to stay away from a school bus, how long to stop at stop signs, how to navigate roundabouts, and other area specific rules and regulations.
 
Thanks for the reply Poker. I have a permit to drive with a licensed driver and therefore driven in the USA. I'm from a mid sized midwest city in Michigan.

I have the book from the Secretary of State and all that good stuff. I was just looking from some tips from experience drivers.

I believe the only country that drives on the other side of the road is the UK/England so I'm use to the "right" side! :) I never drove in my country and I don't have public transportation where I live because I don't live in the city.
 
The best thing you can do is find an experienced driver to drive with. There is so much that they will teach you that we'd never think to mention because it has all become second nature.
 
Thanks for the reply Poker. I have a permit to drive with a licensed driver and therefore driven in the USA. I'm from a mid sized midwest city in Michigan.

I'm also in Michigan, and I just got my "level one license" (really just a permit).

For highway on/off ramps, keep in mind that there isn't really any speed limit. Go as fast as you need to to merge into the lane.

If there are any roundabouts where you drive, watch those, and accelerate to the going speed quickly when you enter them.
 
turn your lights on in the snow/rain! i hate people that dont do that...

use turn signals at all times

dont tailgate, aka, dont drive close to people infront of u to were ur a meter away at 55mph\80khr

get at mad at others when driving

slow down in snow! if the road is wet or shinney, slow down, or u'll die (ya never know) just because someones in a big ol' SUV dosnt mean they cant spin out.

watch for water pockets so u dont hydroplane.


idk, cant think of any more...
 
If you live in Los Angeles, The best advice I can give is watch out for "Other Drivers"..People can not drive out here.
 
turn your lights on in the snow/rain! i hate people that dont do that...

use turn signals at all times

dont tailgate, aka, dont drive close to people infront of u to were ur a meter away at 55mph\80khr

get at mad at others when driving

slow down in snow! if the road is wet or shinney, slow down, or u'll die (ya never know) just because someones in a big ol' SUV dosnt mean they cant spin out.

watch for water pockets so u dont hydroplane.


idk, cant think of any more...

I can attest to this.. I flipped my GMC Jimmy back in January..


Remember a few simple rules.
  • If you turn on your windshield wipers, turn your lights on.
  • If you lane change, look over your shoulder. No matter what.
  • If you don't use your turn signals ahead of time, the other drivers don't know you are turning.. They won't let you in the other lane, not because they're jerks... because they don't know you are trying to get in their lane.
  • When a car comes towards you, at night turn OFF your high beams. It's being polite..
  • Remember the only space around your car you can control is the space in front of you. Don't worry about the car behind you.
 
Well, the most important thing you need to know when driving around St. John's (not USA, but still) is MOVE YOUR EYES. Look around, everywhere because there are millions of idiots on the road that will do things dumber and more dangerous than you can imagine.

Some things you should do to really stand out in StJ:

-Actually use your turn signals. Try to use the right ones for each direction too, don't turn on the left one and then merge into the right lane. People around here are great at that.

-Check your blind spot. Don't ride in someone else's blind spot because they will NEVER check it before they decide out of nowhere to switch lanes without even bothering to look around them.

-Don't park on the end of parking lots. People around here also lack the ability to make a proper turn and cut half way across the parking stalls while navigating around mall lots in attempt to get a spot closest to the mall. Walking is really hard to do, I know.

-Don't tailgate. For gods sake don't tailgate. I don't know what happened to the concept of keeping a safe following distance. Just hope you never have to suddenly stop on the PPP. Speed limit of 70... go with the flow during rush hour and you're doing 100+

It also holds 7/10 of the most dangerous ints in the city...
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/02/08/intersection-danger.html

A further note on tailgating... if you're approaching a traffic light and it's red, guess what, you have to stop. Tell that to the 19 year old girl that manage to slam into the back of my car on the end of the PPP in extremely low traffic. I was stopped at the red light thinking it was taking wayyy too long to turn green (no traffic behind me), and well, she wasn't going to wait. Comes down the hill (dry pavement) playing with her new blackberry and ends up into my bumper. Then she proceeds to scream at me for the next 20 minutes like it was my fault, telling me I didn't have to file an insurance claim. Yeah, cause the damage you did to my car is just going to fix itself. She argued for a while and then claimed responsibility and insurance took care of the rest... I always watch my mirror after that, as if that makes a difference.

Sorry for the rant, but yeah, basically keep an eye on what's happening around you because drivers really are unpredictable and anything can happen in a split second. :D
 
If you turn on your windshield wipers, turn your lights on.
i dont know about Michigan, but in Pennsylvania were i live, its a law that if your wipers are on, you lights MUST be on,

and also theres a law that you must brush off all excess snow off your vehicle before traveling, so it doesn't fly off and cause people to swerve.
 
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