Some Driving Considerations for Spreading the Wealth

Wealth can be measured in many ways, including material possessions and time for leisure.

Wealth of most types can be destroyed by automobile accidents, but that's not the only way..

There is also a lot of wealth wasted while people wait for other cars. If you waste 10 minutes in traffic a day that you didn't have to, that costs you 60 hours of your time a year. Could you have fun with an extra 60 hours of vacation every year? How about another 60 hours worth of pay? How about multiplying that by everyone else who drives?

So please consider the following to assist in minimizing wealth destroying and time wasting events:

If you are at one of those newfangled round circles in the road, there is a yield sign to your right and a bunch of cars stopped behind you, please consider that your foot may be on the wrong pedal.

If you are on a multi-lane road like a freeway, there are no cars immediately in front of you and any cars to the right of you are traveling withing a few mph of you, you might be in the wrong lane.

If you are in a similar situation, except the cars to the right of you are moving faster than you are, you should seriously consider that you might be in the wrong lane. A good rule of thumb is that if the cars you are supposed to be passing (they call it a "passing lane") are traveling faster than you are, then you aren't actually passing them.

If you see a sign that announces a brief passing lane ahead and then another that says, "Keep right except to pass", please consider that they may be talking to you and not the car that's been tailgating you for miles.

If you are stopped at one of those red eight-sided signs and you arrived at the same time or before the car to your left, feel free to start to proceed as soon as possible after you have stopped.

If you are going straight at a four-way stop and someone else is turning left from the opposite direction, it's not considered polite to stop in the intersection and wave them on. It's actually quite rude, because they are likely waiting for you to clear the intersection. The basic rule is that left-turn cars turn just behind cars going straight when they both traverse the intersection at approximately the same time.

If you are entering a freeway or highway via an on ramp and highway traffic is moving at the same speed as you are, please consider slowing down or speeding up 5-10 mph in order to create a speed differential. You'll find it much easier to find a hole in traffic to merge into.

When turning onto a multi-lane road, there may be other cars that wish to use the other lanes at the same time you only really need one of them. Please be considerate and turn left into the left-most lane and right into the right-most lane. If the lane you really want is a different one than that, you can then signal and change lanes as normal once you are in the correct turning lane.

You do signal every time you change lanes, don't you? Before actually moving into the new lane?

If there is a middle turn lane and you want to turn left, please continue at the normal rate of speed until you have entered it, then slow down for your left turn.

If you are turning left at an intersection and the light is turning yellow, make sure you are as far into the intersection as you can be and still yielding to oncoming traffic. Remember, "three cars go", not just you.

Even if the light is green, if it doesn't look like there is going to be room for you to get through the intersection because the car in front of you is stopped, please consider that other people may want to use that same intersection in a few seconds traveling perpendicular to you.

If there is a sign that says, "No stop required" because the lane continues on by itself after the turn, that's a big hint as to which pedals you should and should not be using. (Yes, I'm watching you, people visiting St. George from I-15.)

If the light is green and everyone else is moving, you might have your foot on the wrong pedal. If you are stopped at a stoplight and don't know what color the light is because you're too busy with something else, please sell your car as soon as possible.

Everyone, feel free to add other advice I've missed as a comment.