Over at Bayou Renaissance Man, there is a comment that deserves to win the Internet for the day. Scroll down to “Unidentified Victim”‘s comment of tips garnered from police and/or escape and evasion driving schools. Some of the better ones you may not have picked up:
- When you get in your vehicle the FIRST thing you do is step on the
brake, start the engine, put it in drive and take the parking brake off.
Seat belts, putting your purse somewhere, diddling with mirrors and
radio, begging the kids to put their seat belts on, etc. comes after
that. With engine on, trans in drive, brake off, to “get the heck out of
there” all you have to do is step on the gas. - You can DRIVE in the center lane but NEVER stop at an intersection in
anything but the curb lane or median lane unless you’re the first car in
line in the center lane.In the curb lane you can drive over
the curb if you have to and go down the sidewalk to escape. In the
median lane you can drive down the median or U-turn across it.
Those two right there may well save your life.
Assuming there is no type of wall in the median you are correct. Also, stop at least 1 car length behind the car in front of you to allow room to maneuver if necessary.
There is one little problem with the start-up procedure you've described. You're getting ready to drive off with your foot on the break. You are twisting to put on the seatbelt, placing an object on the back seat etc. and just as you are getting ready to leave quietly, your foot slips off the brake as a kid is riding by the front of your car. Your quiet egress has just been shattered by running over the kid.
You are better to start your vehicle leaving the transmission in park. Then, put on the seat belt, and finally, put the transmission in drive and leave. The biggest part of all this is to be situationally aware. If something does comes up, it only takes a second to throw the transmission into drive.
I've heard the "always stop in the curb lane" before, rule. Like any rule, it is subject to conditions. What you need to do is get in the habit of leaving enough space between you and the vehicle in front so you can maneuver. The easiest way to do this is to stop when you can still see the bottom of the tires of the vehicle in front of you.
And remember, always try to park so you don't have to reverse when you're leaving. Being able to just drive off makes foe an easy egress.