Thanks for checking out Car Talk’s Official Guide to Civil Driving. What are your suggestions for making driving a more civil, polite experience? We’d like to hear what you have to say! Share your thoughts right here. Tom and Ray Magliozzi Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers

Keep up with the flow of traffic, even if it’s above the posted speed limit. If the prevailing speed is 75 MPH and you are the only one plodding along at 55 MPH you are creating a dangerous situation. When you turn onto a highway with a higher speed limit, accelerate briskly up to speed. The pe…

Where is “review and make sure you understand the rules of the road” - or something like that? Provide some examples - review how 4-way stops operate. Review the rules and logic of using interstate highways. Know the difference between “stop” and “yield.” I can sometimes be a jerk to other drive…

Leave the d*** cell phone at home. Re: comment on speeding up to the flow of traffic quickly. That’s fine if you aren’t towing a travel trailer. You can bet your a** I ain’t going to pull my trailer at 65mph, never mind 75mph. Pay attention to the rules of the road and keep right except to pass. …

Having driven in many different countries, the ones that leave the most pleasant memories are the ones where EVERYONE OBEYS THE RULES, which makes for low stress driving. Germany and Switzerland stand out as places I enjoyed driving even though the speeds in Germany were a little frightening. Britis…

Don’t be possessive of the road. Let others pass you even if you travel at or slightly above/below the speed limit. Make the effort to let people pass you by if they appear to need to.

Don’t tailgate!!! Tailgating is asinine and reckless.

Agree; this is one of the worst habits of drivers in my area. It slows down traffic on otherwise good 4 lane highwais. In Germany and other European countries they would flash their high beams indicating you should let them pass.

If all this did was slow down traffic, I might live with it. But it makes the highways by far more dangerous than anything on the current driving tips list. It produces congestion, cramming everyone together, getting on many people’s nerves and then produces those other kinds of problems (like tai…

Please understand that there is a red light a half block ahead and there is no need to tailgate me if I happen to be in front of you. Please use your turn signal when right turning into a side road where I or someone is waiting at a stop sign to proceed. If you habitually drive annoyingly fast the…

Car Talk Guide to Civil Driving

Maintenance/Repairs

tardis February 13, 2009, 6:31pm 7

On the interstate, the left lane is for passing and emergency vehicles only. If you aren’t actively passing someone, move over at least one lane to the right, even if you are exceeding the speed limit. (Why would breaking one law make it okay to break another.) Don’t try to limit anyone else’s speed. That’s one of the police’s functions.

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Car Talk Guide to Civil Driving

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