If you suck at driving, get off the road. Nothing gets to me more than people who don’t understand the basics of driving. Did you even read any part of the manual before you got your permit, or did you just wing it? Did you not pay attention during the 5-hour course? Did you not take drivers-ed at all?

I don’t enjoy getting in my car everyday feeling like I’m going to die because others on the road don’t know the laws and rules of driving.

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Here are some tips on how to drive properly:

A blinking yellow light does not mean come to a complete stop, especially when everyone on the road is going 55 MPH.

A blinking red light means STOP and don’t pull out in front of people who are going 55 MPH!!! Wait your turn!

A one lane tunnel doesn’t mean fly through it without paying attention, come to a stop, flash your lights, or honk your horn to assure no one else is already coming through. Proceed with caution, like the sign says!!

When you’re on the highway, please don’t go around someone that is in the fast lane. Swerving in and out of high pace traffic does not only make you frustrated, but it also makes others want to speed up and not let you in so that you have to slam on your brakes. Just wait until the person ahead of you can safely move out of the way and let your impatient self pass.

If you are merging onto a highway, do not proceed over 20 MPH. You need to speed up and start going the speed limit. You cannot merge going 20-30 MPH under the speed limit. You will cause an accident.

When merging onto a highway, most people will get over for you or slow down. Do not go all the way to the end of the merging lane. Get over as soon as possible to avoid accidents.

If you’re on the highway and someone is trying to merge on, move over into the next lane for your safety and their’s.

When you’re on the highway, realize that the left lane is the fast lane and the right is the slow lane. If you are going the speed limit or only 5 over it, you need to move to the slow lane so that others can pass you. When people are going too fast or too slow on the highway, that is how the most accidents are caused.

Every U-turn on the highway does not mean you need to slam on your brakes. If you are nervous about being pulled over, you need to let off the gas as you approach the turn. Stopping short before the turn doesn’t only show the cop you were speeding, but everybody behind you has an increased chance of hitting you or another car.

When it is raining, you need to turn your headlights on. It is a law that if your wipers are on, you are also required to have your headlights on.

If it is dusk out, turn your headlights on.

If it is snowing, or if there is any other type of bad weather, turn your headlights on. Headlights aren’t just for your vision, but are also important for other people on the road so that they can see you as they approach you. When you don’t have your lights on, you put others in danger, along with yourself.

If you don’t feel safe driving in the snow, get off the road. You being overly cautious is more endangering.

When you plan to switch lanes, use your blinker BEFORE you switch lanes!!

Use a blinker anytime you are changing direction! That is what they are made for! Just don’t leave them on forever. And don’t turn them on eight turns before your actual turn.

Don’t turn your blinker on as you’re already turning. What good does that do? We can already see that you’re turning since you did it so abruptly.

You can turn right on red most places. Don’t hold up traffic because you feel you should only turn on green. It is other people’s right to take that right turn on red.

PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN! You do not need to be on your phone while driving. If you have a text you need to read or respond to, pull over for 2 seconds. Do NOT risk other people’s lives because you think you can multitask. PUT IT DOWN. You may think you’re doing a good job driving, but are actually swerving all over the road and almost hitting pedestrians and other drivers.

Tailgate someone? Don’t be surprised when they break check you. Technically, break checking is illegal. But so is riding someone else’s car. There is no need to tailgate. Step back and have the 3 second rule play into effect.

If you are tailgating on the highway, that can extremely dangerous. But if you are in the fast lane and there are tons of cars behind you, get into the slow lane. If you are in the slow lane and tailgating someone, go around. There is a passing lane for a reason.

When you have your high beams on at night, you need to turn them off when you see another car in sight or, are driving behind one, or if another car is coming in the other direction. The high beams are to be used when no one is around to help ensure your sight.

Don’t drink and drive! I hate watching people down a pitcher of beer then leave the bar like they aren’t endangering other people. The intoxicated driver is more likely to kill someone else besides themselves. How can you live with yourself if you kill an innocent person?

When you’re stuck at a stop light and the person in front of you is turning left, it is illegal to go around them. It is considering passing on the right. You can get pulled over and receive a ticket for it. Many people think this statement is false, NOPE. It is ILLEGAL. You CANNOT pass on the right no matter what. Just because a police officer does it, doesn’t mean you can do it.

These are the basics of driving. If you don’t understand them, get off the road. When you don’t obey these laws and driving rules, you give people, like me, road rage. And trust me, road rage is one of the worst things. It is what causes accidents. Don’t just save your life. Help save others. Let’s help out one other and not be an idiot. Drive properly to make sure you, and others, feel safe on the road.