10 Things Houston Drivers Should Relearn From the Driver's Handbook

#1 Is important for those driving downtown.  I work down here and have seen and heard of multiple pedestrian accidents. Bottom line - if you are turning right on a green, do not turn if there is a pedestrian walking across, or about to walk across  - pedestrians totally have the right of way.  IF you hit a pedestrian be prepared to get your b**t sued off because you are in the wrong, any way you or an attorney looks at it. I just had a lady turn right - right in front of me when I was walking across the crosswalk... I yelled at her and she stopped, got out, and actually argued that she got there first with her car so she had the right of way - and that I actually would have walked into her car, and would be to blame.. Good luck arguing that to a judge, or a jury.

Just look at all the out-of-state plates on the roads...too many varying types of drivers and Houston is extra dangerous when you're not sure of your routes and exits

And remember the left lane is the passing lane, so try and stay out of it if you're going slow or hauling a trailer.

Not to mention that many of the off- and on-ramps in this city allow for nothing else but cutting people off. Especially when you're trying to get off the freeway and turn right at a corner and there's five lanes, a million cars and only like 20 feet of road to maneuver.

I'll have to disagree with #2. people need to get up to speed and merge.

How to merge: DO NOT STOP in one lane to cut in to the other lane. Drive ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE LANE and the two lanes should MERGE, hence the name, like a zipper--- one car from each lane alternately. This will keep traffic moving at a slow but steady pace. 

so incredibly true.... USE THE TURN SIGNALS!!!!

Move out of a driver's blind spot when in an adjacent lane.

I will say one of the biggest perks to living in the suburbs (SL area anyway) is more calm and sane drivers!!! I'm not saying people are perfect drivers but there is definitely a difference.

Not in the manual, technically, but as an addendum to item 7, TURN FROM THE APPROPRIATE LANE. Over the years I have had multiple accidents because someone decided to make a left turn from the middle lane of a five-lane one-way street. Seeing this guy decide to make a u-turn from the middle lane… Just, goddamnit so much.

#1 should be get out of the left lane. GET OUT HE LEFT LANE, GET OUT HE LEFT LANE, GET OUT HE LEFT LANE!!!!

Pretty sad that this needs to be published.

There's a book?

Don't speed out of a parking lot in front of someone and go slow as crap.  I guess technically they cut you off but then almost come to a stop when doing so.  Double whammy!  Double bad!

How did left lane passing only / slower traffic keep right not make this list? Or another way to say it: GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Use your effing blinkers. How about that concept?! We are going to be bombarded by traffic anyway, because every other company wants to escape to Texas to get tax breaks. FINE THEM! Make them think; Is it worth moving to Texas? People don't want some crappy, part-time job. They're coming here and using our resources and taking from native Texans.

5) Don't Cut People Off to Change Lanes What kind of magical universe do you live in? Not Houston? Look, I want to be a courteous driver. I really do. But the only way to get into a lane during Houston rush hour is with force and reckless abandon. A turn signal is seen as a contemptible sign of weakness.

0.  On all turns, you are entitled to one lane and one lane only.  The only time you are entitled to multiple lanes is when you are exiting a freeway.  When making a right turn, turn into the right-hand lane, and maneuver into you desired lane by signaling, looking, then shifting, one lane at a time.  Vice versa for a left turn.  The exception is when there are painted dashed lines directing you into the lane you should turn into.  Pay attention to them. 

Sitting there and waiting until a car in the middle lane is about to pass, pulling out in front of it, and slamming on the brakes is right out.

Where to start…

11. If you're not passing somebody, stay out of the left lane on highway.

12. Don't drive in my (or anyone's) blind spot.

13. Maybe slow down a little when it is pouring rain.

1a. Really, get off the phone!

@TheHeightsLife  The zipper is a thing a beauty when people actually follow it. So simple, so easy.

Except for me. I get the left lane all to myself!

Just takes an ounce of patience.

@dougwhitehead According to the folks that taught my last defenseless driving class, there are no blind spots.  If they exist, it's because the side mirrors are turned too far inward.  Their purpose is for the driver to be able to see what's going on in the lanes beside them, not the sides of their car.

@dougwhitehead  I only really get to look at other people drive the rare times I'm a passenger and I'm always stunned at the amount of people on the phone while driving. The main times I notice when I am driving is when someone is driving like a fool and I'm so pissed that I give them a dirty look and 90% of the time, they are on the phone. 

I also had to self-reflect and admit to myself that I probably need to stop using my phone so much while I drive also. I finally got bluetooth but rarely use it because it can also be fairly distracting. 

I'm defensive driving 100% of the time I leave my house and it is habit. It's the way it should always be anyway. I'll say that driving in Houston and seeing such crappy drivers, you have the decision to either take it as a lesson of how NOT to drive or utilize those same driving methods to survive. I have forced myself to learn from crappy driving.

Yeah, I'm that ONE person that gives people space to enter when they signal. I've thankfully seen that same car pay it forward to another person but it ends there. Oh well, I'll keep trying.

@FattyFatBastard @RoosterMcGee  I can't even count the number of accidents I've seen on I-10 to 45 because people slam on their breaks and block their lane because they refused to merge earlier. It's probably the main reason why 45 is so awful in the morning.

@gregbpc @h_e_x @TheHeightsLife  I agree with you completely.