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Have you ever been caught in rush hour traffic?  A driver from O'Fallon, IL was west bound on I-40, east of Memphis, TN.  It was rush hour traffic.  He knew better than take so long at the T/A Truckstop in West Memphis.

It seemed that he would eventually clear the traffic, when all of a sudden; a 4-wheeler shut it down right in front of him.  He applied his brakes; looked left and right and had nowhere to go!  With his tires smoking, he plowed into the rear of the car.  There only minor injuries, however, he lost his job for following to close.

There are some simple guidelines to follow in rush hour traffic:

1.           Reduce your speed.  You will be able to stop should something unexpected occur.  Let others decide what to do with you instead of you wondering what you are going to do with them.

2.           Observe the traffic in your immediate area.  Watch for traffic entering from the ramps.  Watch especially for those trying to make time by jumping lanes.

3.           Observe the long look.  The long look includes traffic not only in your immediate area but the traffic conditions up the road.

Bottom line:  It may take you a little longer at first, but in the end it saves time.

That's the way I see it - Bob Hataway - TransAlive.

Bob Hataway is president of TransAlive USA, an organization of 100,000 volunteers across America dedicated to serving drivers and their families in the transportation industry through their Caring in Action=Safety Program. They cover every zip code in the United States and move quickly to meet the needs of the drivers and their families when they experience an accident, illness, heart attack or even death on the highway. Call 800-USA-HURT for assistance.