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We\u2019ve covered the art of being a gentleman at work<\/a>, on the field<\/a>, in the air<\/a>, and at a party<\/a>. But there\u2019s one area of well-mannered comportment that often gets ignored: how to be a gentleman on the road.<\/p>\n Motorists behaving badly has its roots in the same thing that plagues internet civility<\/a>: anonymity. Once we slip into the driver\u2019s seat and close the door, we feel sealed off from the rest of the world; we\u2019re \u201cking of the road,\u201d and the sense of being in a protected pod sometimes gives us license to act in ways we would be ashamed of at more public, face-to-face gatherings.<\/p>\n We could all use some friendly reminders on auto etiquette and how to be a courteous driver from time to time. It\u2019s a set of \u201cmanners\u201d that truly meet at the intersection of safety and civility. It can also save you money with your auto insurance company. Being a gentleman behind the wheel not only makes driving less dangerous for everyone, but it also makes what can be a chore at least a little more pleasant.<\/p>\n Some of what we\u2019ll talk about today is already enshrined in law, but often gets ignored. Other indiscretions may technically be lawful but make one\u2019s fellow drivers nuts. There are hundreds of things one could touch on: following the speed limit, always using turn signals before changing lanes or making a turn, how to properly shush a backseat driver, pulling over for emergency vehicles with flashing lights, and the like. What we present below are those points that seem to be most often forgotten when we\u2019re headed down the road, our minds’ on ourselves, zooming toward oncoming traffic.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t drive slowly in the left \u2013 passing \u2013 lane. <\/b>This is one of those indiscretions that not only is a scourge to everyone\u2019s dad\u2019s blood pressure, but is against the law in many states<\/a>. The left lane is for passing \u2013 all other traffic should stay in the right lanes. Driving slowly in the left lane forces people to pass on the right, and it can also form an impenetrable \u201croadblock\u201d for the person behind you if you\u2019re going the same speed as the car in the other lane.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re stuck behind a car in the left lane that won\u2019t move over, it\u2019s common to want to tailgate until they get the message, but you run the risk of causing a rear-end accident. Try flashing your headlights instead. For whatever reason it feels a little more uncomfortable to do this rather than tailgating \u2013 it\u2019s less passive-aggressive I guess \u2013 but it\u2019s safer than riding their bumper. And if you\u2019re the offender, lost in belting out \u201cTotal Eclipse of the Heart\u201d while cruising at 60 mph in the left lane, get over as soon as you see someone coming up behind you, and mend your ways ever after (both in your driving and your music choices).<\/p>\n Maintain a consistent speed. <\/b>One thing left-lane putterers will do to add insult to injury is to accelerate once someone behind them gives up and tries to pass on the right. Then a little while later they\u2019ll slow down again. Many times it\u2019s not even a conscious act; they just aren\u2019t paying enough attention to their surroundings. I remember one road trip where we must have passed, and been passed, by the same car 50 times in 500 miles. Cruise control is your friend, and maintaining a consistent speed helps keep the flow of traffic moving smoothly.<\/p>\n Do the zipper merge. <\/b>This is admittedly something I\u2019ve been doing wrong all my life and was completely unaware of before researching this article. When you\u2019re cruising a two-lane highway and see a sign saying, \u201cLane closed ahead,\u201d and instructing you to merge, what do you do? Probably start immediately getting over to the lane that will remain open. You\u2019re a gentleman \u2013 you plan ahead! Then, when that lane starts backing up, you curse at the scalawag who speeds past in the open lane right up to the last possible merge point. \u201cThat scoundrel!\u201d you mutter. \u201cI hope no one lets him in. And that someday weasels rips his flesh<\/a>!\u201d<\/p>\n Ah, but here\u2019s the twist. That scoundrel is actually doing it right! This is an instance where it\u2019s possible to go too far with courteous driving.<\/p>\n The safest, most effective way to merge when a lane ends on the highway is the zipper merge. Everyone uses both lanes of traffic until they reach the cut-off point, when they each take turns merging. You can see how it\u2019s done here<\/a>. This reduces congestion and traffic back-up by as much as 40%. And as these kindly Minnesotans explain, one of the other benefits of the zipper merge is a marked reduction in road rage; next time you see someone driving up to the merge point, instead of becoming enraged, shake your cane and shout, \u201cHuzzah! Carry on good sir!\u201d<\/p>\nOn the Highway<\/b><\/h2>\n
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