Vito wrote:
1. Practice consciousness while driving. Drive with radio turned off. Don't let your thoughts wander around while driving - try to concentrate 100% on driving.
Agreed. It's understandable wanting to make the most out of long drives, but audio books, podcasts, and even music without lyrics can be too much of a distraction. Be sure to gauge the amount of traffic and light systems you can manage. I chose to forgo driving for years after relocating to another state because the downtown areas had more busy intersections, tourist attractions, one-way streets, and bike lanes, not to mention more pedestrians with or without the right of way.
Now, being back in a more spread out part of the U.S., there are fewer moments to become overwhelmed. Of all the cities, so far Indianapolis was the most confusing to navigate. Right lanes that suddenly become parking spaces. Vehicles parked all along the street, on either side, making it exceedingly difficult to view traffic from a sidestreet. And a random horizontal traffic light amid the standard perpendicular ones, just because. GPS went in circles there. First person view on Google Street View can also help to get a visual and familiarize yourself with the differences before traveling to a new city.
You might also find the size and height of vehicle to be an influencing factor. I've found it difficult to gauge the distance between the passenger side and the adjacent lane, and hug the leftmost line as a result. Driving a moving truck required a lot of attention, which became draining before long, more so than driving a sedan. Out on the highway, take advantage of rest stops or pull over if necessary and there's enough shoulder. Sunglasses are obviously helpful regardless, but especially good when driving at dawn and dusk.
22 Jun 2021, 10:06 am
