Driver Courtesy Month—an Educational Program for Motorists: NMA E-Newsletter #660

Welcome to Driver Courtesy Month!

This month-long educational program promotes the idea that we should all be courteous drivers. We can all pursue the Golden Rule of Driving—drive like you want others to drive.

Along with the NMA’s largest media campaign in recent years, we are supporting Driver Courtesy Month with information on the NMA’s flagship website, Motorists.org, a social media campaign, and content in a variety of sources such as NMA e-newsletters like this and our Driving in America blog.

The NMA has also prepared an online quiz entitled Are You a Courtesy Driver? Complete the quiz by the end of September to become eligible for one of six great prizes. After you take the quiz, send this link to your family and friends to encourage their participation: /courtesyquiz-n/

Can you answer these three quiz questions?

  • On a limited-access highway, when do you move back into the right lane?
  • What should you do when you come upon slower traffic?
  • When an aggressive driver comes up behind you, what do you do?

All quiz questions are multiple-choice except one, which every NMA member should already know.

This year, the NMA Board formed a special projects committee comprised of President Gary Biller, Board Member Chris DiPrima, and Communications Director Shelia Dunn. They have been working on several other educational projects that we’ll be announcing in the future. Every September, though, Driver Courtesy Month will become the centerpiece of NMA educational efforts.

But what is driver courtesy?

As mentioned before, it’s the golden rule of driving and encompasses many aspects that teens might learn in driving school. More mature drivers should know from vast experience. All have been unwritten rules of the road in the past and now many are the law.

  • Lane courtesy—drive right, pass left
  • Use your turn signal
  • Drive a steady speed on the highway
  • Don’t tailgate
  • Pay attention at stoplights—don’t multitask
  • Don’t text and drive
  • Use the zipper merge
  • Pull over and move over for emergency vehicles
  • Turn down bright lights when another vehicle approaches
  • Use fog lights only when there’s fog
  • Park between the lines
  • Yield to the right at four-way stops
  • Control your urge to road rage
  • Don’t double park
  • Thank other road users who helped you with a friendly wave

If you have other examples of driver courtesy, please send them to us at nma@motorists.org.

In early October, we will write another newsletter to cap off the results of Driver Courtesy Month and would like to include your ideas.

While we are highlighting September as Driver Courtesy Month, being thoughtful to other drivers and road users must be a 24/7 mindset by all if we are to improve safety and enhance the driving culture. Thank you for your support!

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