Driving Tip #40

This is accomplished usually by coasting or changing lanes. Both can be used successfully (safely, timely and masterfully with minimal slowing) if you are ‘reading traffic’ and paying attention to your surroundings.

…Depending on your surroundings, changing lanes is usually most efficient.

Increasing efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and prevent accidents by positively and safely minimizing decelerations for yourself and others.
Increasing efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and prevent accidents by positively and safely minimizing decelerations for yourself and others.

Michael’s Amazon review (and proof) of how he got ‘better than his estimated miles per gallon’!

Check out this awesome Amazon review from expert driver Michael!

On his first road trip (224 miles) he exceeded his Estimated Miles Per Gallon by 10% after one reading of the book. …Previously he struggled to reach 40 mpg.

((If you want these kinds of results for yourself or your employees, message me and/or get the e-book!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YCGH8C ))

Michael got 10% higher than his 2012 Honda Civic’s 41 EMPG.
Michael got 10% higher than his 2012 Honda Civic’s 41 EMPG.

Driving Tip #39

Tip #38 was about observing someone’s (anyone’s) deceleration and coasting in order to learn about them. …Driving tip #39 takes it a step further and is about observing how someone reacts to someone else’s deceleration. 

Do they automatically decelerate? Do they maneuver to see ahead? Do they look in their mirrors to prepare a lane change? Or are they already aware and change lanes smoothly and timely? It’s all information that we can learn about those around us.

Watching for and learning how people react to others’ decelerations is a valuable, life-saving, congestion preventing skill.
Watching for and learning how people react to others’ decelerations is a valuable, life-saving, congestion preventing skill.

4 Day Kindle e-book Give-a-Way!

AcademyOfRoadMastery.com is proud to announce that for four days, this coming Sunday to Wednesday (April 29 – May 2, 2018), ‘How To Get Better Than Your Estimated MPG/KPL; The 9 Elements to Mastering the Art of Efficiency that Prevent Millions of Accidents and Saves Lives Daily!’ will be available for FREE on Amazon.

1,000 give-a-way goal! ‘How To Get Better Than Your Estimate MPG/KPL!’
1,000 give-a-way goal! ‘How To Get Better Than Your Estimate MPG/KPL!’

The goal is to give-a-way at least 1,000 copies to driving professionals, enthusiasts and engineers in order to start a driving evolution and to generate Amazon reviews. Both of which will enable others to get their hands on it, thus empowering them to take their efficiency and safety to a new, much higher level, which society as a whole will benefit from.

With your help (by leaving a review and discussing the knowledge), many people will for the first time understanding the true cause (and cure) of traffic congestion. …It is one of the main elements to increasing efficiency and preventing many accidents, yet it’s rarely understood or taught. Soon, many people will be taking positive actions to avoid, prevent and eliminate it, rather than unknowingly creating it.

So, mark your calendars for this coming Sunday and prepare yourself for a one-of-a-kind experience. I promise that much of this is new, ground-breaking information that is deeply integrated and beneficial to mankind.

With that said, once you see the value in it, I welcome you to leave an honest Amazon review so that others can benefit, too. Just as with ‘when out on the road’, each of our actions can have a profound, far-reaching affect that we never realize. …You could very easily help save a life or prevent an accident simply by discussing the concepts or leaving a review.

And feel free to plug your driving school, car club or business.

(…I almost forgot to mention, great care went into writing this book for a global audience. It accommodates miles per gallon and kilometers per liter, driving on the left and right side of the road and with the driver seat on the left or right side of the vehicle. So, it should apply no matter what part of the world you’re in.)

 

Driving Tip #38

Just as was mentioned about ‘changing lanes’ and ‘accelerating’, you can also learn a lot about someone by ‘how and when’ they decelerate.

Is it timely? How much of it is necessary vs. unnecessary? Are they trying to keep the same gap length or comfort zone? Are they trying to maintain a single speed… or ‘the speed limit’? Are they consciously trying to minimize slowing for themselves and/or for others?

Answering these questions gives you information above skills, abilities and beliefs, which you can then use to your benefit in the moment and in the future.

Observing decelerations and reactions to deceleration (as opposed to simply reacting to) is invaluable in preventing traffic congestion and preventing accidents.
Observing decelerations and reactions to deceleration (as opposed to simply reacting to) is invaluable in preventing traffic congestion and preventing accidents.

Driving Tip #37

Are they looking ahead? Are they prepared to act? How is their timing? All of this and more is what you can learn about someone by observing how they react to another driver’s acceleration.

To take it a step further, you can also read and learn about how others react to that person’s reaction to the initial individual’s acceleration. 

For example, if someone unnecessarily accelerates or accelerates too much, is the person following aware and doesn’t over-accelerate too? …How about those observing them? How is their awareness and timing?

Again, the more aware and more skilled a person is, the better the timing of their accelerations usually are, rather than just reacting to the person ahead.

Learning about how someone responds to someone else’s acceleration can be the difference between an accident occuring or not.
Learning about how someone responds to someone else’s acceleration can be the difference between an accident occuring or not and is key in increasing efficiency.

 

Driving Tip #36

The more aware and more skilled a person is, the better the timing of their accelerations usually are. …Many people wait too long before accelerating when they don’t have to, which impacts their commute and the traffic around them. Where as if, they could be ‘reading traffic’, getting ready, starting to roll and preparing to act, they could have a timely acceleration that benefited themselves and everyone following (even next to them). 

If you watch 100 people at an intersection, you’ll probably see over 90% getting a slow and/or late start. Indeed, many more people could clear an intersection if others improved their timing and ‘reading traffic’ skills in order to have a safe beneficial acceleration.

The more aware and skilled a person is, the better their accelerations usually are.
The more aware and skilled a person is, the better their accelerations usually are. This is good information to observe and have about anyone.

Driving Tip #35

Observing and learning about others’ accelerations will allow you to better time your accelerations, decelerations and coasts in the moment and further down the road.

Also, knowing that ‘acceleration isn’t always bad’ (which it’s commonly taught that it is), is imperative to understand. To be able to discern good acceleration from bad and unnecessary accelerations is an important skill to build and use.

Observing someone’s acceleration ability is a valuable way to learn about them and to predict their future actions. It also allows you to better time your actions thus increasing efficiency and decreasing accident probability.
Observing someone’s acceleration ability is a valuable way to learn about them and to predict their future actions. It also allows you to better time your actions thus increasing efficiency and decreasing accident probability.

Driving Tip #34

This is true for ‘good’ and ‘bad’ moves. When you see one, chances are there will be many more by that individual. You want to learn about and capitalize on the positives and learn about and avoid the negatives. That way, you can remain efficient and safe, as well as help others stay efficient and safe.

This is also an excellent self-awareness tool. By asking yourself if/how much of the good/bad technique you do, you can better advance your own skills.

Observing one good/bad move can help predict more of the same by that person. You can use it to increase efficiency and safety for you and many others.
Observing one good/bad move can help predict more of the same by that person. You can use it to increase efficiency and safety for you and many others.

Driving Tip #33

This is true on so many levels. Not only can you learn a lot about the ‘lane changer’, you can also learn about multiple others (even those farther ahead) by how they respond to the ‘lane changer’. 

Do they unnecessarily slow? Or, if slowing is necessary, do they do it wisely? Are they caught off guard? Do they take advantage of the newly opened space? Are they looking ahead and paying attention? Do they use their lane to help provide more room to maneuver and to allow others to better see, accelerate or change lanes? (Most of these are ‘reading traffic’ techniques that we’ve already covered.)

Indeed, a single lane change is an opportunity to learn about multiple drivers in just a few seconds. Information that you can use to better predict their actions and time yours.

You truly can learn a lot about multiple drivers simply by observing how they respond to someone else’s lane change. This is valuable information that helps prevent traffic congestion, accidents and fatalities.
You truly can learn a lot about multiple drivers simply by observing how they respond to someone else’s lane change. This is valuable information that helps prevent traffic congestion, accidents and fatalities.

Driving Tip #32

Combining ‘gap technology’ and ‘lane changing’, reveals a lot about an individual. It reveals their awareness (reading traffic), timing and handling skills. …Did they use their gap when preparing for the lane change? Did they accelerate to fill a large gap thus creating minimal or no deceleration or did they unnecessarily decelerate and/or cause others to decelerate? 

And if slowing was necessary, did they use their gap wisely in order to minimize its affect on others? …How do they continue to use their new gap after the lane change?

Observing and learning about how a person uses their gap BEFORE and AFTER a lane change, is valuable driving tip to help increase efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and prevent accidents.
Observing and learning about how a person uses their gap BEFORE and AFTER a lane change, is a valuable driving tip to help increase efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and prevent accidents.

Driving Tip #31

Was it smooth and efficient or was it rough and awkward? Did they use their mirrors or did they only twist their body to look over their shoulder? Did they observe continually or was it a last second thought? Did they accelerate into an open gap without slowing anybody down or did they unnecessarily step on their brakes and cause people to slow?

All of this provides valuable information that you can use to learn about them, which you can then use in the moment and on down the road.

Observing ‘how’ a person/everyone changes lanes is information that you can use to achieve smoother flowing traffic, increase efficiency and prevent accidents.
Observing ‘how’ a person/everyone changes lanes is information that you can use to achieve smoother flowing traffic, increase efficiency and prevent accidents.

Driving Tip #30

Not just right in front of you and into your lane, but all around you and into and out of multiple lanes. You can use the observations to learn about that person and others, as well as, to be proactive about.

We’ll cover several ‘reading traffic’ tips dealing with observing lane changes, which you can use to reduce slowing and over-accelerations, and even help others prevent accidents.

Simply observing more lane changes can prevent traffic congestion, accidents and fatalities.
Simply observing more lane changes can prevent traffic congestion, accidents and fatalities.

Driving Tip #29

This one observation can give you a tremendous amount of information about someone. Information that can come in handy, on down the road. You can use it to better predict their future actions, which in turn can be used to better time you accelerations and decelerations.

Side note: Providing room/‘making a move’ for others isn’t only for their benefit, it’s also a valuable communication technique for anyone anyone who observes it. Indeed, many thousands of accidents could have been avoided if someone would have made a seemingly unnecessary move JUST to raise awareness!

Observing how others ‘make room’ for pedestrians, bicyclists and turning traffic is valuable information and can help prevent accidents, traffic congestion and fatalities.
Observing how others ‘make room’ for pedestrians, bicyclists and turning traffic is valuable information and can help prevent accidents, traffic congestion and fatalities.

Driving Tip #28

Do they simply follow in a straight line, in the middle of the lane, keeping the same gap length? Or maybe they are always on the outside of a lane, away from oncoming traffic, never trying to look past the vehicle ahead? Or maybe they move freely in their lane, consciously trying to see traffic farther ahead?

The first two usually indicate less awareness and skill, while the last one indicates more. With just a couple of seconds of study, it’s usually possible to determine what type of driver they are. Combine this with continued observation and you can most often predict their actions, which allows you to better time yours.

Noticing ‘where’ a person positions themselves in a lane (plus how they use it) can help you increase efficiency and prevent accidents.
Noticing ‘where’ a person positions themselves in a lane (plus how they use it) can help you increase efficiency and prevent accidents.

Driving Tip #27

This is how to minimizing unnecessary accelerations and decelerations in order to increase efficiency and achieve maximum flow. It takes constant awareness, continually learning about others and working on one’s own timing. But when you do achieve it, very little fuel will be wasted.

Read through the tip again. It’s not just about ‘reading’ others’ timing of accelerations and decelerations, BUT rather those things in respect to others’ accelerations and decelerations. It’s taking it to an even deeper level.

Mastering observing others’ reactions to others reactions is a very advanced fuel efficiency technique that reduces traffic congestion and prevents accidents.
Mastering observing others’ reactions to others’ reactions is a very advanced fuel efficiency technique that reduces traffic congestion and prevents accidents.

Driving Tip #26

This ‘reading traffic’ driving tip is about how ‘situations and environments are always changing so what might be perfectly fine one moment may not be wise the next’. And in order to stay efficient and safe requires continually taking in information in order to make honest analyses and judgements.

Staying safe, being efficient and preventing accidents and congestion isn’t about doing the same thing.
Staying safe, being efficient and preventing accidents and congestion isn’t about always doing the same thing.

Driving Tip #25

This isn’t always true, of course. But for the most part, if handling and ‘reading traffic’ skills hadn’t been increased to the level they were, more than likely they wouldn’t be following at the distance they are. This is true for whatever size of gap a person has.

This does NOT mean that the closer you follow the better! There is an ideal following distance that varies depending on the equipment, the individual, the road conditions, the road design, the traffic flow, etc… and skill level.

But, none the less, virtually every gap can tell you a lot about that individual and more times than not those with shorter gaps are more skilled and aware.

Important Note: Again, to reiterate, ‘looking ahead and reading others properly’ is paramount in order to successfully utilize shorter gaps and still be efficient and safe. Those who don’t read traffic properly, will spend much of their time and energy decelerating and re-accelerating over and over again. And it’s easy to see who they are by observing their timing, ‘reading traffic’ and handling skills in their actions and reactions. (You noticing and learning about these individuals is more of you ‘reading traffic properly’.)

2nd Important Note: There are also people with short gaps who are too close and constantly cross the lines into others’ personal space*. When you see it, read it and learn about that person. And if this describes you (as it has us all on occasion), know that there is a difference in ‘communicating with others’ (we’ll cover communication later) and ‘irritating them’. If you ‘communicate’ without irritating them, they are much more likely to work with you, rather than against you.

*Personal space depends on the individual. What is acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another. Knowing this is important. Personal space can be partially determined by observing (reading) a person’s skills and confidence. For example, the gap a person has in front of them can tell you about what their ‘comfort zone’ and ‘personal space’ boundaries are.

A shorter gap often shows skills and awareness. The question to ask is, ‘how is someone using their gap?’
A shorter gap often shows skills and awareness. The question to ask is, ‘how is someone using their gap?’

Driving Tip #24

What most people who have a large gap don’t realize is the affect that they have on the traffic behind them.  Many times, they could use some of their gap to help prevent traffic congestion instead of compounding it. And even more so, when someone changes lanes in front of them and they slow down to get that same gap back, they often cause an even bigger chain reaction.

There are several things that could be done to prevent the ‘need’ for the excessive gap. Mainly, increasing ‘reading traffic’, timing, handling and reaction skills, which is why all of these first 100 tips have to with ‘reading traffic’.

Important Note: I must keep reiterating that ‘looking ahead and reading the situation and others (and their gap and surroundings) properly’ is paramount in order to successfully tell if a gap is unnecessarily large. (For example, the type of automobile, what’s farther ahead, the road, the weather, how they accelerate, decelerate, change lanes and react to others are all taken into consideration.)

Unnecessarily large gaps are often a sign of an inexperienced driver. In traffic, they can easily initiate congestion and accidents.
Unnecessarily large gaps are often a sign of an inexperienced driver. In traffic, they can easily initiate congestion and accidents.

Driving Tip #23

If a person unnecessarily creates chain reactions or unnecessarily turns a slow-and-go into stop-and-go traffic or initiates an accident because of wanting the large gap, then it’s not very safe or efficient, is it?

Important Note: I feel compelled to reiterate that ‘looking ahead and reading the situation and others (and their gap and surroundings) properly’ is paramount in order to successfully tell if a gap is unnecessarily large.

An extra large gap can easily increase traffic congestion and lead to accidents and fatalities.
An extra large gap can easily increase traffic congestion and lead to accidents and fatalities.

Driving Tip #22

If someone changes lanes into a large gap, does the person following slow down to get the same gap back? If so, that tells you what their comfort zone is. Or, do they use the gap to efficiently absorb some of the slowing. Or, do they change lanes timely without causing slowing for anyone. What they do and how they do it will indicate their handling and timing skills.

Important note: Again, ‘reading’ and taking their surroundings into consideration is necessary in order to read their gap and actions properly.

‘How’ a person uses their gap tells you more about them than ‘what size’ a gap they have.
‘How’ a person uses their gap tells you more about them than ‘what size’ a gap they have.

Driving Tip #21

When you know what to look for, a person’s gap can tell you about their comfort zone, their confidence, their awareness and their handling, timing and reaction skills. And once you start learning this about an individual, it becomes easier to predict their actions and reactions and thus better perform yours.

Important note: ’Reading’ and taking their surroundings into consideration is necessary in order to read them and their gap properly.

Properly ‘reading’ people by ‘reading’ their gap (and their surroundings) is how more traffic congestion and accidents can be prevented.
Properly ‘reading’ people by ‘reading’ their gap (and their surroundings) is how more traffic congestion and accidents can be prevented.

Driving Tip #20

Do you actively look for gaps and how they are being utilized? Many people simply look for one or two vehicles. And those who do look at gaps misinterpret/mis-read what those gaps mean.

Actively looking at gaps and how they are being used is valuable information to help prevent traffic congestion and accidents.
Actively looking at gaps and how they are being used is valuable information to help prevent traffic congestion and accidents.

Driving Tip #19

Another obscure tip. This one is especially helpful in slower moving traffic when watching for movement, such as stop-and-go rush hour at night and at intersections. Another favorite is watching reflections off of store windows when preparing to back out.

They can all aid you in noticing others and their actions so that you can better time yours.

Using reflections off of vehicles, windows and other shiny objects to better ‘read traffic’ to help traffic flow and increases safety.
Using reflections off of vehicles, windows and other shiny objects to better ‘read traffic’ to help traffic flow and increases safety.

Driving Tip #18

Even when you can’t see the vehicles in front of the vehicle ahead of you, there are still indications of where they are and when they are braking. …And even though this tip may seem insignificant, it can valuable information and make the difference when it comes time to #preventaccidents.

Using reflections off of the pavement to help traffic flow and to help prevent accidents.
Using reflections off of the pavement to help traffic flow and to help prevent accidents.

 

Driving Tip #17

You can tell a lot about a person’s skills by how they utilize hills. Do they unnecessarily step on the brakes when going downhill? If so, when do they let off? …Or, do they accelerate or use gravity and their momentum when going downhill in order to help propel them up the other side?

(Of course, getting an accurate ‘reading’ of their skills requires taking their full surroundings into consideration, which requires more ‘reading traffic’ from you.)

You can increase efficiency and driver safety by ‘reading’ how others utilize hills.
You can increase efficiency and driver safety by ‘reading’ how others utilize hills.

Driving Tip #16

Being able to see multiple vehicles (and thus multiple gaps) in multiple lanes is valuable information, indeed. It gives a person the opportunity to better time their accelerations, decelerations and lane changes.

Using hills to read the road gives you valuable information to help prevent accidents and achieve smoother traffic flow.
Using hills to read the road gives you valuable information to help prevent accidents and achieve smoother traffic flow.

Driving Tip #15

Seeing around large trucks is a perfect example.

Where once you could see a few automobiles and their gaps*, now you can see many automobiles, each gap, the people, their body language, their level of attention, their actions and reactions, lane positioning, lane changes, accelerations, decelerations, etc… Each piece of knowledge is valuable information about that person’s skills, which you can use to better anticipate the accelerations and decelerations in front of you and thus be more efficient with yours.

*Understanding ‘gap technology’ is very important in order to maximize the benefits of this tip. It’s probably not what you think. We’ll come ‘gap technology’ soon.

Using the curve in the road to help you prevent accidents and achieve smoother flowing traffic by better timing your accelerations and deceleration.
Using the curve in the road to help you prevent accidents and achieve smoother flowing traffic by better timing your accelerations and deceleration.

Driving Tip #14

Not only is it beneficial because you get to see many automobiles and what they are doing but you also get to see the gaps in-between each (gap technology) and how they are being used. (We’ll cover ‘gap technology’ soon.)

Looking around the passenger side of the person in front of you isn’t always easy. Many times it is necessary to move over to the far side of the lane.

Looking around the drive-side and passenger-side helps reduce traffic congestion and prevent accidents.
Looking around the drive-side and passenger-side helps reduce traffic congestion and prevent accidents.

Driving Tip #13

Now, instead of just observing the one person in front, by looking through their windshield to see what the person in front of them is doing, you now have knowledge to make a more educated choice on whether deceleration is necessary, and if so, how much.

Increase efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and accidents by better timing accelerations and deceleration by looking through the windshield of the vehicle ahead.
Increase efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and accidents by better timing accelerations and deceleration by looking through the windshield of the vehicle ahead.