By Gary Bennett
This article appears in the January 2024 edition of Frederick News-Post’s “Prime Time” magazine.
I see lots of bad driving out there. I’m sure you do, too. It must be human nature (or maybe pride) that fools us into believing that we are great drivers while everyone else is terrible.
If only this were true.
As senior drivers whose cognitive powers and reflexes are still in working order and who have a wealth of driving experience to rely upon, we have an opportunity, perhaps a duty, to set the tone on the road and drive by example. After all, we are among the safest drivers out there.
I provide below some tips for the road and some trouble spots in Frederick to avoid. Most, but not all, are in synch with the Maryland Driving Manual. I also take into consideration the realities of driving around a bustling, growing city.
But first, my credentials.
I am a driver in my 60s who has driven all around Frederick for 35 years now. Not only that, but for the past five years, I have driven around Frederick two or three days a week for six hours at a clip. That is a lot of concentrated driving. It’s is a big part of my part-time job I do in retirement. As such, I think I’m qualified to say this: Boy, have I seen it all!
I’ve been a licensed driver for about 50 years now. I’m not perfect. I had an accident years ago that totaled my car but no one else’s. It was caused by my own impatience in poor driving conditions. I’ve also had a few tickets along the way. But I think I’ve learned from my mistakes.
The three biggest culprits I see to safely traveling on Frederick roads are aggressive driving, distracted driving and, believe it or not, timid or unsure driving. This last one may seem counterintuitive, but many of you know exactly what I mean.
The first one is self-explanatory. We see aggressive driving all the time. It includes speeding, unsafe lane changes, purposely not using turn signals, tailgating, ignoring traffic signals, not yielding the right-of-way and, of course, horn blasting and hand gesturing. This causes terror for the rest of us and leads to most accidents.
The good news is that the rest of us can manage these drivers to some extent.
Do this: Give them plenty of space. Don’t compete and never engage with them. Keep in mind that aggressive driving will save them no time in the long run (and karma will get them eventually). Just pray they hurt no one along the way.
For your own part, leave yourself plenty of time before setting out for any destination so you have no reason to compete with an aggressive driver. Keep your mind on your own driving business so you don’t commit a driving error to enrage them more. If you can safely do so, report them.
Distracted driving has been well documented with the introduction of cell phones. One-third of all fatal accidents are caused by distracted driving. But distracted driving can also include eating, applying makeup, dealing with children and changing radio stations. Try to avoid all of these. Stay focused on the task at hand — arriving safely at your destination.
When encountering a distracted driver, give them plenty of space if you can, and remove yourself from their presence if you must. It does no good to honk or exhibit any aggressive driving tactics yourself to “teach them a lesson.”
Although not mentioned at all in the Maryland Driving Manual, timid/unsure driving may be the biggest culprit to getting around Frederick in a safe, timely manner. It includes driving too slowly overall, not merging into traffic quickly enough, making unsure, last-second turns and lane-changes, waiting too long at traffic lights, and stopping suddenly for no apparent reason.
Timid drivers endanger themselves and others because they are not “going with the flow.” This is a must in a busy city. Timid driving can also enrage those with aggressive driving tendencies.
If driving has become a frightening endeavor for you, it is best to ask for help or find other means of travel. If you are a new driver and are doing your best, make sure you have the “New Driver” sticker on your car so we can give you the benefit of the doubt.
Timid drivers need to realize they are as dangerous as aggressive drivers. My advice to them is be aware of the flow of traffic. Know when you are an impediment and take steps to minimize your effect. Practice driving to your destinations during off hours to where you must go so you can confidently go with the flow when it really counts.
A special discussion on turn signals is required.
The lack of turn signal usage — whether it is aggressively done on purpose, absentmindedly forgotten, its importance never learned, or if people simply don’t care — is a major contributor to unsafe driving conditions.
We must understand and accept that turn signals are a safety device that benefits all of us. They let other drivers know what our intentions are. We should all be maniacal about their use, even when seemingly not necessary. After all, who among us has never had a car quickly pull back into the right travel lane from a left-turn only lane they didn’t mean to be in? I’ll venture not many of us. Turn signal usage lets everyone know that you have given some thought to your intentions. Disappointingly, the Maryland Driving Manual hardly mentions turn signal usage. It deserves its own chapter.
Further, reject the notion that turn signals are somehow a sign of weakness. This is twisted thinking. One young driver told me people won’t let them merge anyway, so why ask? To him it is better and easier to simply “horn in.” If this is your mindset, try to get past it. Some drivers may prevent you from merging by speeding up, but it is just as sure that some kind soul will let you in eventually. Use that signal.
GENERAL ROAD TIPS
• Drive defensively and expect the unexpected. A wise instructor once told me to always look for your escape route ahead of time in case something bad happens around you.
• Avoid left turns in heavy traffic as much as possible. Around Frederick, that is a recipe for being rear-ended. If you must turn left, use that turn signal and use it early so those behind you have a chance to get around you.
• Get up to speed quickly when merging onto highways. That is what the ramp is for. Little is more aggravating than a slow driver putting everyone behind them in a dangerous, precarious position.
• On the flip side, slow down a bit on highways to let someone merge safely. No, you don’t have to, but it is the safer thing to do.
• Space is your friend. When getting on or off a highway, adjust your speed up or down slightly to fit into the biggest space between cars you can find. That calculation is well worth the trouble but must be made well before you try to execute it.
• Consider it your civic duty to start out right away when stopped at a red light when it turns, especially if you’re first in line. If you lag for any reason, someone behind you may be forced to sit through another cycle. There’s nothing much more aggravating.
• Know what lane you want before you need to be in it. Pull into that lane as soon as you can, even miles before you need to. We all know those folks who jump to the front of the line and then nose in without a signal. It is tantamount to butting in line and would not be tolerated in any other circumstance.
• Use any driving outing as a chance to work on your patience and kindness. Most of us need to do better in those categories anyway, so why not remind yourself of that as you head out?
• Don’t drive at all if something is within walking distance. This should be a no-brainer. It’s good for you and the environment. Plus, why not eliminate one more chance for a driving mistake from you or others?
• You may disagree, but I’ve watched this play out and considered it carefully: The zipper method is always best when an unexpected merge is happening because of a lane closure, even if it is visible ahead. No one should be penalized in this case. Use all the space we have afforded to us for as long as we can. That way, we can all keep up a reasonable speed. The alternative results in jerks and stops.
FREDERICK-SPECIFIC TIPS
• Avoid Route 15 across Frederick as much as possible but especially during the two rush hours. We all know this stretch needs to be three lanes instead of two, but it’s what we’ll have for the foreseeable future. Better to leave 15 for tourists and those passing through.
• Avoid Market Street in the morning when the food and beer trucks are making their deliveries. You don’t need to run this gauntlet if you don’t have to. Better to take the alleys and Court or Ice streets.
• Avoid Rosemont Avenue as much as possible. Those lanes are outrageously narrow in many places (with on-road storm drains that rattle my bones).
• When driving north on East Street to cross East Patrick Street to head toward Shab Row, remember you need to be in the right lane to go straight.
• When turning left from South Jefferson Street onto South Street at the light, get as far left in your lane as possible so cars going straight can pass you on the right. Use that turn signal.
• When heading west on the Golden Mile near the Route 15 underpass, try to avoid turning right onto Baughman’s Lane. The jockeying for position there with cars coming down the ramp from 15 and heading west on the Golden Mile is not for the faint of heart.
• Similarly, never try to merge onto 340 West from that tiny Himes Avenue exit ramp. You’ll almost always need to come to a dangerous complete stop to allow heavy through traffic to pass.
• When traveling toward downtown on South Jefferson Street at 7-11, you need to be in the right lane to go straight. Many of you stay in that left turn-only lane and merge right at the last second. That is not a zipper method situation.
• Be wary of the two lanes on Seventh Street heading east over Bentz Street. The right lane must turn right. The left lane can go straight or turn left. This is not well marked. Get in the correct lane long before you come to Bentz.
• When merging onto Ballenger Creek Pike from the Jefferson Street ramp, keep going in the right lane; don’t stop. Cars approaching this intersection from your left must stay in the left lane. I’ll admit this is counterintuitive and can be scary, but it is what’s intended. This one is not signed at all (and should be).
• Avoid the intersections of I-70 and I-270 as much as possible. Cars are going at interstate speeds in all directions and usually jockeying for position without using turn signals. Better to get on one of these interstates at a different Frederick intersection.
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.
