# How to safely drive an automobile

Usually, it's a good idea to warm up the engine.

- Diesel engines only work best when you've warmed them first.
- Gasoline engines don't *need* warming when it's warm outside, but do need it when it gets below freezing.
- If, for whatever reason, the engine is still cold, avoid over-accelerating it until it has reached operating temperature.

Each vehicle, even with the same year, make, and model, handles a little differently.

- The actual vehicle's [design](engineering-design.md) makes the most difference, but it can also reflect through each vehicle's parts wearing and the driver's relative use of the vehicle.
- It's easiest to think of each vehicle developing a type of [personality](people-personality.md).

In general, there are [engineering](engineering.md) tradeoffs for operating each vehicle:

- Better handling means more parts that are usually more expensive.
- More fuel efficiency means less power.
- Older vehicles are known-good, but also often rock at every bump in the road.
- Newer vehicles often have better sound-dampening, but often have [manufacturer-designed constraints](faang.md).

Before driving, make sure the vehicle is [maintained](autos-maintenance.md).

- You *can* drive with bad suspension, thin brakes, bald tires, no taillights, and no windshield wipers, but each failed component adds to the likelihood or severity of an accident or [fix-it ticket](legal-crimes.md)
- If you have a motorcycle, inspect your helmet for spiders before driving on the highway.

Routinely perform a trip inspection:

- Windows and mirrors are clear of debris, and mirrors are calibrated correctly
- Seat is comfortably set and protective features (seatbelts, airbags, etc.) are functional
- All the fluids are topped off
- The tires' air pressure is set to its recommended level
- All the lights work, including the reverse signal
- Windshield wipers work
- Emergency equipment (e.g., first aid kit, road triangle, extra fluids) is stocked

Further, since so much of your life connects to your automobile, add extra [safety precautions](safety.md):

- Keep [emergency supplies](hardship-disaster-checklist.md) in each of your automobiles.
- Always keep a dashcam running while you're driving.

Pay attention to which tires generate movement:

- Front-wheel drive (FWD) only sends torque to the front tires.
  - Quicker handling, faster braking, more compact design.
- Rear-wheel drive (RWD) only sends torque to the rear tires.
  - Slower handling, slower braking, spread-out design, easier to go fast.
- All-wheel drive (AWD) sends torque to all four tires.
  - More control, more tire wear.
- Four-wheel drive (4WD) is like AWD, but has an option to lock the axles to torque each tire.
  - This is ideal for off-road conditions.
- If there is a trailer, note whether it has any drives as well (which it usually won't).

Refuel correctly:

- Cheap fuel can work fine on most lower-grade vehicles, but only use higher-quality fuel if you regularly tow a heavy load with that vehicle.
- Except for stop-leak (which should only be used if you have a leak) add additives of all sorts periodically and liberally:
  - Fuel injector cleaner
  - Coolant detergent
  - Fuel treatment
  - Oil treatment

The secret to safe driving is *not* in avoiding accidents.

- Professional race car drivers are exceptional at avoiding accidents (e.g., dodging debris).
- Anyone can drive safe if they give as much time as possible to *react* to accidents (e.g., giving more time to hit the brakes, driving slower).

Even at a relatively slow speed, automotive accidents are expensive.

- Most autos are [engineered](engineering.md) with enormous gaps in the chassis, designated as "crumple zones".
- Crumple zones are a win/win arrangement for auto manufacturers: drivers are more likely to walk away from an accident, and manufacturers can sell more vehicles.
- Often, a 5-10 mph accident can cost thousands of dollars to repair the vehicle, and a collision with a huge vehicle (e.g., semi truck) can easily be fatal.

When driving, pay close attention to everything within 40 feet around you and a quarter-mile in front of you.

- It's our natural impulse to look at only a few dozen feet out (the max speed while running), but driving 60 MPH on the highway requires a *long* time to stop, especially with a larger vehicle.
- Never text and drive, or if you *must*, do it at a stoplight.

Driving a manual (stick shift) transmission isn't difficult, and mostly through practice until it becomes muscle memory:

- The procedure for a manual transmission is relatively straightforward, but requires a bit of muscle memory to perform correctly:
  1. Get near the top end of the RPM gauge with your foot on the accelerator, which you'll often be able to detect by hearing. Keep your hand on the shifter with a mental expectation of where you'll shift next.
  2. In the same motion, engage your left foot on the clutch while releasing your right foot on the accelerator.
  3. As soon as your foot has engaged the clutch, move the shifter to the desired gear.
  4. In a reverse motion, engage the accelerator while releasing your left foot.
- In large vehicles (e.g., large trucks) it requires engaging the clutch *twice*.
- The whole point of the clutch is to open up the window of RPMs a gear can shift into, so if you're able to master the timing through a finely tuned sense of hearing, you can typically shift *without* the clutch as well.

Reversing:

- While driving most vehicles, the tires steer the front, which means more stability but also less maneuverability.
- When backing, be *very* mindful of the added maneuverability mixed with the unfamiliar reversal of where turning will take you. Take your time.
- If you're backing a trailer, that trailer is being pushed by the vehicle.
  - Longer trailers mean the vehicle has a *much* longer distance to travel before it jackknifes (angles farther than 90 degrees).
  - When backing straight, turn the steering wheel *into* the side that's starting to oversteer.
  - Navigating a trailer requires lots of intuition mixed with a clear mental map of where everything is located.

Parking:

- When turning into a typical parking spot, make sure the corner of the vehicle misses the neighboring parking spot by approximately 4 inches to ensure a precise positioning.
- Pull forward to keep your vehicle aligned with other vehicles and prevent the rear from sticking out into the road.

Parallel parking (to the right):

1. Drive *past* the spot you want and stop about 5 inches to the left of the vehicle in front of the spot. Your car's front bumper should be aligned with that vehicle's left rearview mirror.
2. Keep your foot on the brake and rotate the steering wheel hard to the right.
3. Release the brake and slowly back in.
4. At 45 degrees (when the vehicle is diagonal), hit the brakes again.
5. Rotate the steering wheel *all* the way to the left.
6. Release the brake and slowly back in, carefully watching the vehicle behind you.
7. When you're near the rear vehicle, step on the brake and rotate the wheel to even yourself out.
8. If needed, pull forward to center yourself in the spot.

Adverse weather conditions:

- When braking on a slippery surface, rapidly stab the brakes instead of pressing steadily.
- Turn off cruise control in the rain or ice to prevent spinning out of control.
- Drive and navigate turns *much* more slowly than you'd normally travel (~20-40% slower).
- Give a longer period of time for braking, especially if visibility is low.
- Sometimes, it makes sense to simply wait out a storm.

Driving out of the region:

- When you have an out-of-region license plate, you'll be a [larger target for local law enforcement](legal-safety.md).
- Research beforehand on local customs regarding the speed limit, and make sure to *always* drive 3-5 mph slower than the fastest drivers on the road.
- If you're accustomed to driving on one side of the road and are in a region that drives on the other (left vs. right side), exercise extreme caution to not fall back into any old [habits](habits.md).