Driver Courtesy Month—Steady as You Go!

Welcome to Driver Courtesy Month!

This blog is part four of our month-long series on Driver Courtesy. Check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3! Don’t forget to take the online quiz Are You a Courteous Driver?

“Steady as you go” can mean many things to many different people, but for the purposes of this blog, it means to maintain a steady speed while driving. Why is this so important? Two reasons: it’s courteous and it’s safer.

Courteous driving is safe driving and this is especially important when you are driving anywhere. The Golden Rule applies—drive like you want others to drive.

When drivers are speeding up or slowing down all the time, not only is it discourteous to other road users but it’s also unsafe because the driving seems unpredictable. As drivers, we have to trust that other drivers know what they’re doing and maintain a decorum of driving skills. Driving steady as you go helps others understand intuitively that you will not likely drive erratically.

The idea and techniques of lane courtesy is a prime example. When you are on a highway of two or more lanes, you generally should drive with the flow of traffic speed unless it borders dangerous. It’s important to drive in the right lane at all times unless passing. When you pass, pass quickly, and then when it is safe to do so, go back into the right lane so that everyone again understands what your driving pattern will be.

The mantra, drive right, pass left—every time you drive, is an important concept to hold dear.

This kind of driving affords you four excellent reasons why you should be courteous:

You’re less Likely to be in an Accident

By not obstructing drivers, traffic is able to flow more smoothly. When traffic flows smoothly, there is less tailgating, less weaving in-and-out of traffic, and as a result fewer accidents.

You’ll Get Better Gas Mileage

Courtesy driving and especially lane courtesy promotes the flow of traffic and helps drivers maintain an even pace. Vehicles use more gas accelerating. Less brake followed then by acceleration will improve your fuel economy.

You’ll get to your Destination Faster

When traffic is flowing smoothly, highway capacity can be utilized to the fullest extent. Yielding to faster traffic reduces congestion.

You will Deal with Less Road Rage

Steady as you go and utilizing lane courtesy will eliminate driver stress and conflict and it allows you to drive as you want others to drive.

Lane courtesy is also the law in many states. Weaving in-and-out traffic at higher speeds will also catch the attention of the highway patrol.

Driving ethics is a choice and we hope bringing awareness to the various issues of driving courtesy will help make everyone on the road be more courteous and safer.

If you have feedback on Driver Courtesy Month, please free to drop us a comment below or contact us through email nma@motorists.org.

Thank you for your support of the National Motorists Association and the millions of motorists just like you!

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