Figuring Out Four-Way Stops and Round-Abouts: Just Whose Turn Is It Anyway? After You, Oh No, No, After You!
Driver's Ed - We all either endured that course, or somehow found the loop-hole that allowed us to skip over the course and advance straight to the actual driving test. I was a skipper, but that was "back in the day" when, in South Carolina, we got a driver's permit at 15 and a full-blown, no restrictions, Driver's License at 16, no driver's ed necessary.
My 17 year old daughter still doesn't have her Driver's License. No interest, too few driving hours, whatever, she doesn't have it. In NH, Driver's Ed is a must, and 40 hours of documented practice-driving hours are also a must before a license can be issued. With college starting in just 116 days (but who's counting), I'm forcing the issue these days that getting a driver's license is now a priority, so lets get some practice driving hours going!
This week we had a few terrifically bright, sunny days in Amherst, New Hampshire. Cloudless sky, gentle breeze and loads of bright yellow daffodils have lifted the spirits of New Englanders who felt Spring would never arrive. Not counting $3.89 gasoline, it is a great time for practice driving.
Four-Way Stops and New England Round-Abouts ("rotaries") are interesting tests of a driver's personality. Simple enough, right? Yield to the car that arrived first at the 4-way; yield to the car already in the rotary, then enter. When in doubt, defer to the other driver for safety. Nope, not always so simple.
We had horns honked, impatient drivers, the whole shooting match. What we also had was a terrific lesson in letting someone else go first, even if you are absolutely POSITIVE you have the right of way. One important lesson for young (and old) drivers is to be patient, slow down, defer and let the other guy go first.
My daughter rounded a LOT of rotaries and we made it through many 4-way stops this week. What we both learned is that letting someone else go first, waiting a bit longer at a STOP sign and totally avoiding confrontation on the highway is a huge "pay it forward".
This week, I decided to go back to "Driver's Ed" myself a bit and practice what I preached to my daughter. I decided to let someone advance in front of me in the grocery store parking lot. I decided to drive in the right hand lane more often and, most importantly, I put my cell phone in the glove-box, for my family's safety and your family's safety. All great examples for our watchful young drivers that will pay dividends in the future.
Why not pay it forward a bit yourself and let the other guy go first at least once a day for a week. I think you'll smile a bit more and you'll definitely set a great example.
Caroline
Photo Credit: Colemama - Flickr;
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