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Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 2008, enfin en sol Canadien.
07:00 PM
2008-01-29 22:42:09The average Canadian has likely never heard of what many diehards lovingly call an “Evo,” but now that Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution series is finally and officially here, it’s just a matter of time before word gets around!
The Evo has been sold Japan, Australia and other Asian markets for many years, but never in Canada.
The previous nine high-performance Evo editions were direct descendants of the original 1981 Mitsubishi Lancer 2000 Turbo rally car and launched into production in 1992 to fulfill homologation rules for World Rally Championship group “A” competition.
Americans were allowed into the party five years ago when the first U.S.-spec Evo VIII went on sale there. The U.K. began importing a few years before that. We’ve been on the outside looking in ever since, with fingers crossed. The frontal impact area had been the main barrier to importing it north of the border. On previous generations the Evo’s large, front-mounted intercooler came at the expense of a proper-size crumple zone. As a result, it was deemed unsafe for public roads.
Fortunately, the Lancer’s new performance-engineered global architecture means this is no longer the case. It’s also being used in the new Outlander SUV. Since the Detroit and Montreal auto shows, Mitsubishi claims to have amassed 150 deposits in excess of $5,000 or more for new Evos.
Based on the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer models (DE, ES, SE and GTS) launched last summer, the first shipments of the 600 rally-bred Evolution X models allotted for Canada began arriving mid-January 2008. While they do share the same basic DNA and model underpinnings, the Evo is a lot more powerful and fun to drive. Not to diminish the importance of these lower-priced Lancers and what they’re capable of, but the Evo is a super-pumped-up version of the Lancer.
Powering this 10th edition Evo is a brand new engine codenamed 4B11. Gone is the proven 4G63 powerplant that’s graced the engine bays of many previous Evos as well as Eclipses reliably for many years. Mitsubishi’s Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control system (MIVEC) sticks around on the new all-aluminum intercooled 2.0-litre turbo inline-four. The new engine is 26.5 pounds lighter than its predecessor and slightly more powerful, making a hair over 290 hp, with 300 lb.-ft. of torque peaking just above 4,000 rpm.
Additional standard features on the $41,498, entry-level Evo GSR include a smooth-shifting five-speed manual transmission, steering-wheel accessible Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system, 18-inch Enkei cast aluminum wheels, Yokohama Advan Sport tires, Brembo brakes, Recaro seats, dual exhaust, seven airbags (front, side, curtain and driver’s knee), automatic climate control, power windows/mirrors, cruise, fog lights, aluminum pedals and a GTS-style rear spoiler.
With a 59/41 (front/rear) weight distribution, a standard aluminum hood, roof and front fenders ensure the 1,375-kg performance halo’s centre of gravity is lower and more complaint than standard Lancers. There are no options for the GSR. Instead, Evo pricing and specs is dictated by which trim you want.
An Evolution MR edition is due out in a few months for $47,495. In addition to more convenience and entertainment features, I’m chomping at the bit to try out the six-speed Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) with paddle shifters that can only be obtained on this model. MR also has forged alloy wheels by BBS, Brembo brakes with two-piece front rotors, uprated suspension bits, leather and more.
A MR Premium model will add a power sunroof, Rockford Fosgate premium audio, Sirius satellite radio, hard disk drive audio/navigation system with seven-inch LCD screen, and hands-free Bluetooth and steering wheel audio controls for an additional four grand; while a detuned RalliArt edition will bring the number of Lancer trims to eight in 2009.
By comparison, the 2008 Subaru WRX STi sells for $44,995 and comes with navi and I.C.E. goodies as standard. Subaru’s 2.5-litre horizontal boxer four makes 305 hp and 290 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm.
I have not driven a 2008 STi and my time with the Evo IX (Euro-spec) is limited to less than an hour, so it’s hard to make direct comparisons. But, where the previous-gen STi and Evo are a bit raw, brutish or hard-edged, the all-new Evolution GSR is a lot more controllable. It’s much better-looking too! Despite lacking some bells and whistles, the Evolution GSR (as seen here) is not for the average Lancer buyer.
Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada (MMSC) is calling on all performance-oriented driving enthusiasts with this enticing answer to Subaru’s STi. To help show the wait has been worth it, MMSC recently sent several waves of Canadian journalists to test drive the GSR on southern California’s twisty canyon roads of and the Streets of Willow Springs test rack near Edwards Air Force Base.
Of course, these roads aren’t very indicative of what we have around here; however, they truly separate the men from the boys so to speak. My route starts at the base of Topanga Canyon Road and heads up and away from the Pacific Coast Highway.
The GSR is immediately easy to drive. Pedals could be a bit closer together, but the clutch is firm and responsive and the shifter slides into place effortlessly. Steering is light and precise and you can practically sense the car wants to go faster in every corner.
Throttle response form the 4B11 is excellent and it feels like you’re being shot into the next corner by a high calibre rifle. While the turbo pulls hard from just below 3,000 rpm, it doesn’t jerk the car or make it unstable when it kicks in. Rather, it bolsters the linear power delivery nicely and disguises any turbo lag quite well. First to fourth gears are fairly close together and the car has very little rolling resistance.
Heading northeast on some highways and cruising at 120 km/h, the tachometer settles in around 3,800 rpm in top gear as engine noise starts overwhelming the cabin. While going this fast is illegal in most places, the GSR car could certainly benefit from a sixth gear.
While high-speed cruising for any extended period could possibly damage one’s ears, the five-speed’s strengths start to become more obvious shortly after arriving at the base of Little Tujunga Road. If the hairs on my neck had known of the driving pleasures that lay ahead they’d have been standing on end because, over the next 50 or 60 miles of this winding mountainous tract, Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control system (S-AWC) as well as my own nerves were put to the test.
Besides ABS with EBD, S-AWC uses a number of different active technologies to ensure the car’s attitude stays in check (and on the road). The Evo’s active centre differential (ACD), for instance, manages torque from front to rear while active yaw control (AYC) sends the proper inputs to the left and right. Active stability control (ASC) keeps the car from spinning out while exiting cornering and I found the system to be quite transparent. As in, I barely noticed it.
The new Evo is wider and heavier than previous versions, but it has not given up a thing in terms of performance. In fact, this version has been improved upon in practically every area from steering response to controllability and traction to stability. The Brembo brakes with one-piece front rotors are fantastic (the MR versions will be even better) and they were still going strong after hours.
At the track, the five-speed goes from chump to champ and the GSR does everything you tell it to. Even with the ASC turned on, I was the sole driver to get the GSR’s back end a bit loose while exiting the tight turn two. The car is very predictable and, on the tight little autocross course MMSC had set up for us nearby, I put into a Scandinavian flick (deliberate oversteer or drifting around a corner) on my first attempt with minimal effort.
On or off the track, the new 2008 Evo GSR should resonate with customers on two fronts. One is the technical or performance side, which the car has plenty of. The other is its design – its aggressive stance is in line with expectations. I think the MR edition will do particularly well in Canada, however, the pent up demand for the Evolution here will help propel sales of the Lancer GTS above expectations.
Mitsubishi and Subaru Canada are set to do battle this year as both car makers will support several Canadian rally teams. And, a heated rivalry between these famous rally icons is just what the sport needs.
Fact file2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR
MSRP range: $41,498-$51,498
Freight and PDI: $1,495
Configuration: Front engine, all wheel drive
Engine/Transmission: Turbo 2.0L 4-cyl/5-spd manual
Horsepower: 291 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 300 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm
Fuel required: 59 litres, premium
Warranties: Basic – 5 yrs/100,000 km; Powertrain – 10 yrs/160,000 km
Report cardFuel efficiency: 3.5
Value for the $: 3.5
Styling: 4.5
Comfort: 3.5
Performance: 4.5
Overall: 4/5
Competition: Audi S4, BMW M3, Infiniti G35/37, Subaru WRX STi
Strengths: Well-rounded performance oriented package; S-AWC system is great!; 300 lb.-ft. from a 2.0-litre turbo (what more could you want?)
Weaknesses: No real cruising gear; interior feels a bit cheap; lack of options
Explanation of towings paints a different picture
07:00 PM
2007-10-13 13:04:43
Last month MontrealRacing.com reported on the large numbers of modified vehicles being towed in the Montreal area. Many members were at a loss to explain why their modified vehicles were being towed by Police instead of being issued inspection. We set up a meeting with the officers who were involved to find out what the situation was.
The Montreal Police Special Services division is located at Neighbourhood station 23, just south of the Olympic Stadium in the East end of Montreal. This division takes care of non conventional matters such as vehicle modifications. Present at the meeting were tuning specialist André Côté, Constable Savard, Constable Bégin and two other officers of station 23.
The officers began by explaining a little bit about where the laws on modified vehicles can be found. As most people are already aware the SAAQ has a basic guide for modified vehicles which can be found here. However there is another document called the Mechanical Inspection Guide which goes into much more detail about the severity of certain infractions. In the legend it explains that a yellow exclamation mark is found next to a minor infraction and a red hand is found next to major infractions.
On pages 76-78 you’ll find details infractions with respect to tires. Some major infractions include tires that can rub against a fixed part of the vehicle, tires that have been worn past the tread indicator and tires where the metal reinforcement filament is protruding or is visible. If you search through the document you can find examples of other major infractions such as a cracked frame or headlights & taillights that do not function.
These major infractions are significant because the CSR section 636.2 gives police permission to issue tickets, issue inspections, or seize a vehicle if it has a major infraction. The police explained that every vehicle that was towed had a major infraction and showed a photo to prove it. Each and every car that was issued tickets, sent to inspection or seized was fully documented with photo evidence in the event the case goes to court.
Some of the cars in the photos were appalling in terms of road worthyness. A majority of them were towed for tires that were in contact with the fenders or tires that were worn past their limit of use. There were cars that had so much metal protruding from the tires that it’s amazing they were still inflated. Some cars tires were rubbing so much against the inside of the fenders that it looked as if someone took a knife and started hacking away at the tire.
Many of these owners are MontrealRacing.com members as was evident by the number of new discussions created on the subject last month. What the police found interesting and wanted to point out was that the impression these individuals were giving in the discussion forum (yes the police do read the forum) that nothing was wrong with their vehicles and that they were victims of an injustice. The evidence the police had gathered seemed to indicate otherwise. Perhaps the number of new discussions was resulting not so much because the owners thought their vehicles were legal but that the severity of the consequences was highly unexpected. It was after all the first we’ve heard of vehicles being towed for modifications. Nevertheless the law gives police this power in certain situations.
Other infractions were given for the usual illegal modifications such as any aftermarket muffler (illegal for a few years now) vehicles without orange reflectors in the front or red reflectors in the rear, windshield band stickers greater than 15 cm from the top, removal of air bags, removal of factory seat belts, removal of the rubber on the pedals (apparently it looks more race-like), and window tints that are too dark. All of these modifications are prohibited by the guide put out by the SAAQ years ago and should be common knowledge by now. If you don’t modify your car on the cheap then you will have no problems whatsoever.
They explained that contrary to what we had reported, most of the vehicles seized were done during other police traffic operations and not specifically targeted.
So why is this happening now, who is involved and what can we expect from the police in the future? This was addressed in the meeting but there are a few points that need to be examined further before we can report on it. A follow up article will be written in the coming weeks to address these issues as well as some additional legal ones that have come to our attention since the meeting.
After the meeting we went to go look at the MontrealRacing.com Integra Type R. The vehicle has a set of Neuspeed sport springs, 17-inch Fast wheels with 205-40-17 tires, a carbon fiber hood, AEM cold air intake and a factory Acura skirt kit. The tires are at their limit of usage and will need to be changed soon as indicated by the marker on the tire. The metal is not protruding from the inner sidewall as is common when a vehicle has negative camber. The turn signals can be replaced for white ones as long as a yellow reflector is present near the signal. The exhaust is stock so there is no problem there.
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Police Towings Spark Row in Modified Car Scene
07:00 PM
2007-09-20 13:02:32
A series of police operations in downtown Montreal have sparked outrage in the modified (tuning) car scene.
Over the last few months police have towed many vehicles after having stopped them at locations downtown, most of them MontrealRacing.com members. According to witnesses the police will set up at a particular location (often near the west end of downtown) and wait for vehicles that appear to be modified to drive by. Once they have been stopped an officer inspects the car for the most common illegal modifications such as aftermarket mufflers, window tints that are too dark and colored head lamps or side lamps.
If the vehicle is deemed to have violated any of the modification guidelines published by the SAAQ (click here to view the document), the officer seizes the vehicle on the spot and sends it to the impound lot at the owner’s expense. Costs related to get a vehicle out of the pound are $40 per day plus the cost of towing which is around $100 to the pound. You then need to pay several more hundred to be towed from the pound to a SAAQ certified garage for inspection because they will not allow you to drive it off the lot.
Vehicle owners that have had their cars towed as a result of these incidents are claiming that their vehicles conform to the SAAQ guidelines and that the police are abusing their powers.
One of these people is Chris McIntosh who drives a 2000 Jetta VR6.
“It’s getting ridiculous now. They cracked down a few years ago when there were no real laws for modified cars. Enough people got angry that the SAAQ published this guideline for modified car owners. I think a lot of people are fine with respecting that but now it seems that the cops are not respecting it. Since when can you tow a car for being too low? The SAAQ says that a cop can send you to inspection, not tow you. They are not mechanics. That is why we have SAAQ certified garages for this sort of thing.”
McIntosh was forced to pay $160 to get his car out of the pound, another $300 for the towing and received $437 in fines for an illegal exhaust and wheels that were too large for the car according to what the ticket said. Two other vehicles – a Honda Civic SIR and a Volkswagen Golf were also towed at the same time as McIntosh in an incident that took place on Crescent Street on July 21.
Junior, another MontrealRacing.com member, had his Chevy Blazer seized and towed September 8 on Rene Levesque at the corner of Fort just as he was about to enter the access ramp to highway 720. The Blazer has only a lowered suspension but he did not receive a ticket indicating an infraction.
Most recently Katay, the organizer of one of the largest car shows in Quebec - Car Fever, got his Subaru STI seized at the corner of Peel and St-Catherine on Sept 19. Katay’s STI is modified with wheels and a lowered suspension however it appears to conform to the SAAQ guidelines from the photos we’ve taken of it.
In every incident it is a police officer by the name of Bégin who is present and conducting the inspection. McIntosh says, M. Begin is knowledgeable on the subject but also very vindictive, meaning that the matter is not open for debate. If he doesn’t like your vehicle it will be towed.
According to the Code de la Sécurité Routière, an officer has a right to stop any vehicle for inspection if there is reason to believe the vehicle might be in violation of the law. What is unclear is on what grounds a vehicle can be towed. Our legal experts here on MontrealRacing.com were unable to come up with an explanation as to why so many vehicles are being towed. There is no dispute that an officer can have a car towed under exceptional circumstances such as drunk driving but now it appears that M. Bégin and his superiors are applying this to modified vehicles in violation of the CSR. Until now the general consensus was that if a vehicle has an illegal modification the driver would be ticketed and/or sent to inspection so that a qualified mechanic could determine if the vehicle is safe for the road.
Ironically, many car enthusiasts applaud the police for cracking down on annoying loud exhausts, silly colored lights and other tacky & annoying modifications. Unfortunately even tasteful and safe aftermarket parts are becoming the target. If this is the case, modified vehicle owners should take great care to either make sure their vehicle conforms to the letter of the law and if not then to stay away from the downtown area for the time being.
Update 9/21/2007: In an effort to help the community and to find out what exactly the nature of M. Begin’s operation is, we contacted the MUC Police and requested an interview with him and his superiors. Our inquiry was returned within hours and friendly officer at the department of media relations for the MUC Police told us that the request was being passed on to the Directeur de la Sécurité Routière and that we’d be contacted by him in the near future.
We received a call back shortly afterwards by M. André Côté who is the Police Officer responsible for all issues relating to modified vehicles in Montreal. You may have seen him at one of the local car shows driving the Police modified Honda Civic SIR. M. Côté is the best possible person we could be working with. He is very knowledgeable and understanding of the tuning industry. We will be attempting to set up a meeting between us and M. Bégin next week. The goal of this meeting will be to verify their legal interpretation of the towing incidents under the CSR and to find out exactly what the scope of the whole operation is.
If an understanding cannot be reached where towing isn’t the best possible course of action then the next goal of the meeting would be to find out exactly what renders a vehicle in violation of the law and to pass this information on to the community so that everyone can make sure their vehicle is legal.
Please stay tuned for the next update which will be on Monday Sept 24th.
Update 9/24/2007: We spoke to M. Côté this morning and are still trying to schedule a meeting with M. Bégin but have not been able to get in contact with him yet. We should get an answer by the end of the week.
Update 10/01/2007: Unfortunately we still do not have any news to report. It seems that the parties involved are not too keen on the idea of a meeting however we are going to persist until we get some answers.
Update 10/09/2007: The meeting is now scheduled for Wednesday Oct 10th at 10am. Some people were on vacation which was the reason for the delay. Expect a full report of the meeting to be posted late Wednesday or early Thursday morning only.
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Nous voulons des voitures coupé-sport
07:00 PM
2007-04-01 12:59:04
You wonder sometimes about car manufacturers. Occasionally vehicles are released that just make one stop and say “what are they thinking?” Cars like the Cadillac Cimmaron and Pontiac Aztec are perfect examples of total failure at the corporate level. Sometimes the car companies do not make actual blunders but still leave you wondering what’s going on behind the scenes. Sports car enthusiasts often seem to get the short end of the stick and are left shaking their heads.
For years BMW had a virtual monopoly on the luxury sport coupe segment with the 3-series. Their coupes are well made, sporty and just plain good looking. Then in 2004, Nissan shocked the industry with the release of the beautiful Nissan 350Z and Infiniti G35 coupe. The duo stole the heart of just about every car enthusiast I know. Often I’ve heard people say that (supercars aside) the G35 coupe is the most beautiful car on the road today. I have to say I’d be hard pressed to disagree with that statement. Nissan hit the nail on the head and gave us enthusiasts exactly what we wanted: unbelievable value in a modestly-priced luxury sports car. BMW had little reason to be worried though as their clients stand by the BMW brand like no other but for those who didn’t have their heart set yet, the new duo provided a nice alternative.
The 350Z and G35 coupe reinvigorated Nissan to a certain level of status it hadn’t known since the original Z. I’d have expected a few of the other manufacturers to follow suit but sadly those expectations have not been met. There have been many rumours of a Lexus IS coupe and even some fancy photoshops but where the heck is it? Acura has no plans to bring back the CL luxury coupe that it discontinued in 2003. Mercedes has the C230 Sport coupe but I’d have a hard time classifying it as a sports car. The message conveyed to the auto industry should have been that we want more vehicles like the 350Z and G35 coupe. Why aren’t they listening??
Why did a vehicle like the Acura CL fail when obviously there was a huge demand for this class of car? In my opinion, a sport coupe should be smaller and sleeker. The CL reminded me of a 2nd generation TL minus the rear doors coupled with a bubbly rear end. If I’m buying a coupe, practically isn’t the first thing on my mind. Curiously though the Accord coupe does fairly well and it seems as big and bulky as the CL was. Perhaps the market for entry level coupes differs somewhat form luxury sport coupes but Honda could benefit from following Nissan’s lead in this segment. Since you shouldn’t mess with success, keeping the Accord coupe around its probably wise but the more gutsy move of bringing back the Prelude and CL with newer sleeker designs to compete with the 350Z and G35 would be quite popular among enthusiasts.
As I mentioned before, we are still waiting for an IS coupe to make an appearance. The current IS is sexy enough that it would probably be considered by many would-be coupe buyers except for the fact that Lexus seems to have a love for automatic transmissions. The only model available with a manual transmission is the IS250 RWD. That means that if you want AWD you’re out of luck. If you want an engine that can actually give other cars in the segment a run for their money you are also out of luck. Thank you Lexus for overlooking the enthusiast crowd, most of whom driving an automatic or “tiptronic” vehicle just doesn’t cut it. If BMW can offer a manual AWD vehicle then Lexus can as well. Until then, scratch them off the list of real performance contenders.
GM’s Cadillac CTS-V is also a potential competitor here. Available in 2.8L and 3.6L V6s or the 6L V8 (CTS-V), it offers a descent choice of engines and unlike the Lexus a manual transmission is available on all models. Unfortunately for enthusiasts though, the CTS-V (the one we really want) starts at $71,000. That is roughly $20,000 more than a BMW 335! GM needs to do a little better on that price but other than the CTS is an option to consider.
For now it seems the Germans still have the edge in luxury performance. Hopefully in a few years we’ll start to see a real push from other manufacturers to compete in this prestigious segment.
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Sloppy Driving has become a way of life
07:00 PM
2006-12-01 12:39:03
It’s possible you may be reading this article and discovering this issue for the first time. It’s also entirely possible that you are as frustrated as many people are and pray that something can be done about it. What problem are we talking about? The never ending saga of people who don’t obey the simple rules of the road.
Sloppy driving is most evident and most annoying on the highways. The worst part about it is that a majority of people are utterly clueless when they get behind the wheel of an automobile. It would be logical to assume that we are witnessing the result of a generation of baby boomers who were able to obtain driver’s licenses after passing a simple written test that contained questions such as what the meaning of a red traffic light is. On the other hand, I know many young people who drive equally as sloppy so this is definitely a problem that touches all age groups.
What can be done about sloppy driving? Not a heck of a lot apart from sending every citizen with a driver’s license back to school and having police be much more vigilant in handing out tickets for the smaller infractions. Europeans take driving much more seriously than North Americans. It’s much more difficult to obtain a driving permit over there and rightly so. Driving a car is a big responsibility and unless a person can demonstrate a real understanding of how to operate a vehicle safely and with confidence, they should not be behind the wheel. Here is a list of some sloppy driving habits that you can witness every single on the road.
Driving in the passing lane. Probably the most irritating form of sloppy driving is a person who drives in the left (passing) lane on the highway and who’s speed is less than or equal to vehicles in the center lane. On three lane highways, new drivers are taught in school that the right lane is for slow moving traffic, the center lane is for normal circulation and the left lane is for passing. In Europe, drivers are taught to use the right-most available lane for circulation which is a more efficient way of traffic circulation. If Europeans need to pass, they use the center lane and if the center lane is full, only then would they use the left lane. At all times, the driver should be looking for an opportunity to switch lanes to the right in an effort not to hold up faster moving traffic.
In North America, such discipline is non existent. Many drivers find the earliest opportunity to shift to the left lane and stay there. Faster traffic is then held up behind a single slow moving vehicle which leads to tailgating (highly illegal and dangerous), high-beaming (illegal) or passing on the right (also illegal) and might be accompanied by an obscene gesture (illegal). It has become so bad that sometimes, the left and center lanes will be jammed with cars and the right lane completely void of traffic. The worst part about it is that the driver who was blocking the passing lane is unaware of the trouble and danger they cause and will probably complain to a friend later on that day about how crazy people drive on the autoroutes.
Not using your turn signal. Nothing says “I’m an arrogant driver” then not signaling your intention to turn or change lanes. In addition to the portrayal of arrogance, the practice is also dangerous and illegal. A turn signal needs to be used without fail at all times without exception even if you are the only car in the vicinity. Drivers often forget that pedestrians, cyclists and other non vehicular traffic also share the road. Not signaling your intention could have dire consequences for a cyclist who assumed you were not turning because you didn’t signal and proceeded to cross into the intersection only to find out too late that you were just a sloppy driver.
Merging & yielding. This one might be a bit more serious than the previous two and falls under the category of incompetent, rather than sloppy driving. A driver who is incapable of merging into traffic poses a huge risk to everyone around them. How many times have you been behind a vehicle attempting to merge onto the highway when suddenly they panic and hit the brake, causing you to do the same. The two of you could then be stuck in a position where you must join traffic traveling 100km/h while accelerating from a crawl. How many times have you had to wait behind a vehicle attempting to merge when a merge isn’t even necessary because they have their own lane available and are not aware of their surroundings?
Merging is not that difficult. All it takes is a little practice and some confidence in your driving ability to be able to merge with little effort. The most important thing you need to remember to do is accelerate to the speed of the traffic you are attempting to merge into. If you are going too slow, your window of opportunity is much smaller. In addition you will force vehicles to your rear to slow down to avert rear-ending you once you get on.
If you are traveling the correct speed (with your turn signal on of course), all that is required is a single quick glance over your left shoulder to check the position of the vehicles that are approaching. You should be able to determine quite quickly the speed and intention of the vehicles on the highway and place your car between them. You may not think so but other drivers are aware of your intention to merge and will let you in, provided you are going the correct speed. What you shouldn’t be doing under any circumstance is hunching your entire body forward over the steering wheel in an attempt to try and look through your side mirror. Adjusting your side mirrors outwards to cover your blind spots instead of the side of your vehicle is a much more efficient use of them.
Obey markings on the road. There are lines painted on the road for a reason. Often it seems like drivers are either oblivious or just don’t care. They shoot across double solid lines in tunnels or come to a stop with half their vehicle in front of the stop line at an intersection blocking pedestrian traffic. Make an effort to obey these markings.
If there was a real push by police to ticket drivers for some of these smaller infractions, we might see a dramatic improvement in traffic flow on the roads. Until that happens, we can all do our best to drive respectfully and courteously. It’s in all of our best interests.
