Avoid traffic tickets and accidents; uniden, bcd, xt, look first

Obviously a person needs to make every effort to know and comply with basic traffic laws. Get a copy of the driver's license manual from your state licensing authority and review its contents.

Don't attract attention to your vehicle by having loud exhaust, windows tinted too dark, etc. Anything that causes a police officer to look at your vehicle will make it more likely he will notice expired tags or inspection sticker, or other deficiency.

If your state has a mandatory seatbelt law; then wear your seatbelt. If you forget to put it on, don't wait until you see a police officer to remember to put it on. This will only cause the officer to notice you when he might not have otherwise. The fact that you just put it on may not be enough to avoid a citation.

If he spots you without it on or sees you putting it on, you can be cited. You might only get a warning for having put it on, but this is a gamble. If the officer is working a special seatbelt detail you can count on a ticket.

SIMPLY JUST DON'T CALL ATTENTION TO YOURSELF!

Keep your vehicle in good condition, and all equipment such as brakes, lights, etc. in working order. Burned out headlights or tail lights just can't be missed at night. emember; once the officer has you stopped he can find other things to talk to you about like the driver's license you left at home, or the insurance card you can't find, etc.

Make a complete stop at stop signs. Your state may require you to stop at a line or at a point, before entering the intersection, where you can clearly see traffic. Either way, you must stop. Make sure the intersection is clear before starting out. Accidents at intersections with stop signs are "bought and paid for" by the driver having the stop sign. This is true even if you stop.

Be prepared to stop at yield signs if necessary. Unless you can clearly see traffic, and know no vehicles are coming, treat the yield sign like a stop sign.

Do not drive faster than the flow of traffic unless that flow is below the speed limit. Passing other vehicles always draws attention. It may appear momentarily that you are speeding, even if you aren't. The police officer may quickly realize that you're not speeding just about the same time he notices you're not wearing your seatbelt, your inspection sticker has expired, etc., etc., etc.

By now you should be getting the idea: DON'T CALL ATTENTION TO YOURSELF!

If you are stopped for a traffic violation, try to prevent or at least minimize the damage. An officer may be assigned to a certain location to watch for a certain violation due to numerous accidents at that location. If you commit the violation in question at that location your chances of getting out of a ticket are slim.

A short argument of the facts is okay, but don't get carried away. This is especially true if have other deficiencies you don't want noticed. Consider this: if you've committed a violation, the officer is supposed to write you a ticket. Depending on the circumstances, however, you may get a verbal or written warning. If you jump out of the car with verbal abuse, you will always get a ticket or probably much worse!

Don't rely too much on your radar detector(if you have one and IF they are legal in your state or province). If you're the only car on the road for a long stretch, or you're the first car in a convoy of vehicles, you're going to be the target vehicle for the radar unit over the next hill. The officer is not going to let the "cat" out of the bag and leave the radar on continuously for you to "detect".

He'll have it in the "stand-by" mode. It's warmed up, calibrated, and ready to go, but it's not emitting a signal. He won't activate it till you come over the hill. Your radar detector will beep at the same time the radar automatically locks your speed on the digital display. Anyone within a mile or so behind you with a detector will be warned, but not you!

Sometimes officers will leave the unit on and transmitting, knowing that there are plenty of non-detector equipped speeders to be caught, but don't count on this.

GENERAL TIPS:

1. Don't get noticed! (Did I mention this before?) Don't draw attention to yourself.

2. Watch your speed - use crusie control if you have it.

3. Make complete stops at stop signs.

4. Keep lights in good repair.

5. Carry all required documents: Driver's license, title, registration, insurance.

6. Don't have loud mufflers.

7. Don't have windows tinted too dark.

8. Don't carry oversized loads.

9. Don't overload vehicle with passengers, especially the front seat.

10. Don't throw things from the vehicle.

11. Don't give the officer a hard time for doing his job.

12. If you think you been "locked-on" by radar, slow down. It may not help, but it won't hurt either.

13. Police officers can spot expired inspection stickers, license plates, and other deficiencies from a great distance!

I would *hope* this hub would be just a good read for new or young drivers with little experience in the *real driving world* - but - sigh - we ALL know plenty of seasoned adults who behave exactly the way the cop who will bust you wants to see. (Or does not want to see) - depending on how you view it.

Drive Safe - My kids are out there and they are walking!

Speed is a major factor in many accidents. Driving too fast for condition of the road, weather, vehicle or driver increases your chances of having an accident. Reduce speed during adverse weather conditions. Rain, ice, sleet, snow and otherwise poor road surfaces can increase your stopping distance dramatically. Add worn tires or brakes to this and the distance increases further.

Poor driving skills on top of these other factors can make the situation almost impossible. Keep your vehicle in good condition. Worn tires and brakes can decrease your ability to control the vehicle under emergency stopping and turning situations.

Replace windshield wipers regularly and keep the windshield washer full and in operating condition. Dirty or muddy water splashed onto your window can cause a "blackout" for several seconds while you locate and activate the washer. Be familiar with its location and operation so that you may use it quickly and without taking your eyes off the road.

Wear your seatbelt. It will hold you in place during violent maneuvers. You might do an excellent job of recognizing a hazard suddenly appearing in front of you, realize there's no time to stop, make an abrupt turn to the left, and then find yourself thrown all the way to the passenger side of the vehicle. What do you do then? You brace yourself for the accident your going to cause trying to avoid the first one!

There are many other sudden happenings that can cause you to thrown around inside of the vehicle, and once that happens you're no longer in control. You become just another passenger along for the ride. Speaking of passengers; buckle them down too. Flying passengers can injure or kill you as well as themselves. Get a physicist to compute for you the effective weight of your 175 pound passenger when he hits you in a 30 MPH crash! It'll scare you!

Stay away from other vehicles! That may sound silly, but most accidents involve two or more vehicles. Try not to be near those who are looking for a place to wreck! Don't tailgate and don't allow others to tailgate you. If traffic conditions are light (you L.A. folks won't understand this) try not to drive beside other vehicles. They' will always swerve right into you when they try to dodge that dog or cat in the road!

If a vehicle next to you is struck by another vehicle, he could be pushed into you. If you're not in "downtown" traffic, and can do so, spread out. (I know you L.A. people are saying "what planet is this chick from?")

Intersections are the favorite meeting places for cars and drivers looking for a place to crash. Always check cross traffic before starting out on a green light. Someone is always trying to get the last part of that yellow light.

Stay away from 18-wheelers at all times. Always avoid being on the right side of one, especially near places where the truck driver might want to make a right turn. Large tractor-trailer rigs must, by the nature of their size, make wide right turns. That is, they cannot make a right turn from the right lane like smaller vehicles. This maneuver may give the appearance of an open lane available for use by an unsuspecting person not seeing the truck's turn signal. Many a car and driver has been crushed by the trailer and wheels of those large rigs.

Another hazard of those big trucks is retread tires coming apart on the highway. Have you ever been beside one of those big rigs when an old retreaded tire decides to blow? It'll get your attention fast! It can cause some drivers to change lanes or slow abruptly. If you're on a motorcycle you could be seriously injured if you are close behind or beside on of these rigs when a tire blows. We've all seen those tire remnants scattered about the highway so be aware that it happens quite often.

All vehicles come from the factory with "blind spots" installed free of charge. Know where yours are and always check them before making a lane change. Remember; you can't check them with mirrors. That's why they're called blind spots. You'll have to turn around and actually look.

Don't ride in the blind spots of other vehicle. You're just asking for trouble if you do. Parking lots are one of the best places to find a fender bender. They're a good place to have your head on a swivel. Vehicles seem to come out of nowhere in a mall parking lot and you'll have to be constantly looking left and right if you want to stay out of trouble.