Just flipping wait!!

When you’re at a traffic light and there is a lot of traffic, chances are that you wont make it through the light this time. If you sneak through and wait in the middle of the intersection, you are grid locking it.
What that means is that if the light changes so the traffic crossing your path can go, and you haven’t moved, you are blocking the way. How are they supposed to get across? Must they go around you, over you, through you?

What you need to do is not enter the intersection if you cannot get out of it straight away. So wait at the line if there is no space for you on the other side. Then the other people, who have just as much right to be on the road and have a free path as you, can go freely.

If you are in a line of cars in traffic and there is a road to your side, don’t block it in case a car wants to go in or out of that road. If your lane is standing still there is no need for another road to be blocked because of you. It is a simple, courteous movement that will allow traffic to flow freely in some places even if yours is not. Who knows, perhaps the reason yours isn’t flowing is because someone gridlocked or didn’t give a gap when they could have….

Agression for Nothing

I pity people who are agressive on the road. You often se ethem speeding along only to brake hard behind another car going slower than them, hooting or flashing their lights to get them out of the way only to speed on to the next obstruction.

Ironically I always find myself next to them at the traffic lights no matter how fast they drive, how much they weave in and out of the slower cars they still end up in the same place as everyone else.

Imagine the frustration one must go through having EVERYONE in your way. It must feel like everyone is out to get you and hold you back.

I do pity them, I hope one day they realise they just need to chill and get there in the same amount of time and saving less fuel, tyres and brakes.

On a side note, the clutch on my car needs replacing. I managed to get more than 108,000km out of one clutch. Not bad if I say so myself...

Fuel Consumption

My Car has a function in the onboard computer that tells you your average fuel consumption as well as your current fuel consumption. I find this very handy as I try compete with myself (sad aren't I?) to see how low I can maintain it.

This helps me in that I now plan my routes around Durban to use as little fuel as posisble. I use motorways so that I don't stop continuously and I try avoid long, slow hills.

I've also started driving with upward pressure on my right foot. What that means is that instead of pressing down on the gas continuously, I get to my speed, then I lift my foot slowly until just before it starts to slow down then thats where I keep the pressure. It really helps keep your fuel economy right down and saves quite a bit of money.

Try it and see...