City and traffic patterns
Drive, park and move through busy streets safely, with less stress and fewer fines.
Cities reward people who know the local rules and rhythms. Most stress on the road comes from a few recurring situations: following too closely, lanes merging, and finding and getting into a parking space. The patterns in this area cover those situations with habits that keep traffic flowing and people safe.
Patterns in this area
- Keep a three-second gapsafety
In traffic it's hard to judge a safe following distance, and when the car ahead brakes suddenly there's no time or room to stop.
Applies when
- you're driving or riding behind other vehicles
- traffic may brake suddenly, such as in cities or on busy roads
- speeds vary, so a fixed distance in metres doesn't work
- Merge like a zipetiquette
When a lane ends, some drivers merge early, others drive to the end, tempers flare and the queue gets longer than it needs to be.
Applies when
- two lanes of traffic narrow into one
- traffic is slow or queuing
- local road rules allow merging at the point where the lane ends
- Parallel parking by reference pointstechnique
Parallel parking feels like guesswork, so people avoid good spaces, take several attempts, or end up far from the kerb or touching other cars.
Applies when
- you need to park in a space along the kerb between two vehicles
- the space is at least about one and a half car lengths long
- you can reverse slowly without pressure from traffic behind
- Park before you arrivetechnique
Circling the block near your destination wastes time and fuel and adds stress, especially in busy city centres.
Applies when
- driving to a busy area at peak times
- your destination has little or no parking of its own
- a short walk or public transport ride from the edge of the centre is acceptable