August is one of the most hazardous driving months, a statistic that is really puzzling. Lots of people are on vacation, which means the highways are busier, but city streets less so. The weather is generally sunny, which means visibility and road conditions during the daylight hours are “as good as it gets.” The days are still wonderfully long.

1. On both highways and city streets, slower traffic should stay in the right lane, except when turning left. When a car in the faster lane stays parallel to the slower cars in the right lane, it blocks the flow of traffic and annoys other drivers. Also, most big trucks move more slowly and should travel in the right lanes but often don’t.
2. As summer evenings grow shorter, pedestrians and cyclists who don’t wear light coloured clothing at night, or who have no lights on their bicycles pose a danger not only to themselves but also to other road-users.
3. Stopping in the middle of the road to pick up or drop off, a move that is often made without warning, is extremely irritating and potentially dangerous. Some rear end collisions may be unavoidable and the rear-ending driver is also at risk of injury. 
4. Many drivers are distracted while driving by other activities going on inside their motor vehicle: by cell phones, eating and drinking, CD players and tape decks, the radio, passengers, and using the mirrors for grooming. “Please alert your readers to the dangers of not being focused on the road ahead.”
5. You can’t turn left until you are certain the oncoming traffic has cleared, but often an oncoming, large, left-turning vehicle like a truck or large SUV blocks your view of oncoming traffic in the curb lane. Because you can’t see, you must wait until the light turns yellow. But this isn’t a sure thing either. Lots of drivers speed through yellow lights, which means that you are often left-turning on a red light which is risky, or missing the light altogether, which is annoying to drivers behind you. Annoying other drivers is also risky.
6. In many areas, cars park on both sides of the street close to 2-way stop intersections. This makes it almost impossible to see oncoming traffic. “If you have the stop sign, you must proceed with a prayer. If you have the right of way, you must still approach the intersection with great caution. The situation creates a possible accident at every intersection.” This reader suggests that consideration should be given to making all intersections 4-way stops, despite how it would slow traffic.