As most people in the area know, driving habits in the greater Miami area are less than ideal and at times even dangerous. The Pinecrest Police Department takes traffic enforcement very serious. Our philosophy is that when we enforce the traffic laws, educate the public and maintain high visibility, the public becomes more aware and compliant of the traffic laws.

With this in mind, here are some tips that driver's should think about when operating a motor vehicle. Traditionally, summer is the time of year when we get a lot of rain and traffic accidents increase. Wet roads, nighttime conditions and mental stress due to traffic congestion are all factors that lead to driver fatigue and inattention.

To avoid being rear-ended by the car behind you, increase your following distance with the car in front of you and scan the road far ahead. By doing so you'll have more time to react and avoid sudden stops. This will allow you time to brake and reduce your speed gradually, which in turn will give the driver behind you more time to react.

To help prevent chain-reaction collisions and make longer following distances easier to accomplish, try to stop at least onbe car length, or about 10 feet, behind the car in front of you during stop and go traffic. Driving bumper to bumper in heavy traffic is courting disaster. I've investigated more than a few four-or-five car accidents that would have been two-car collisions had the drivers left a little bit more room between them as they come to a stop. Also, consider the surface on which you're driving. Obviously, wet roads will drastically increase your stopping distance.

As you drive around in your car, you are accustomed to watching out for other cars on the road. We all tend to forget about the other types of transportation out there. It is imperative that we watch for pedestrians and bicyclists on the sidewalks and motorcycles mixed in with the cars on the road.

Check for pedestrians walking on the sidewalk. Pedestrians have the right of way over a car. Bicyclists and skateboarders are considered pedestrians when they are using the sidewalk. Remember that bicycles can move pretty fast and cover a lot of ground and are not always easy to see from a car. Take the extra time to look both ways before entering the intersection. Saving a few seconds by not stopping is not worth the potential disaster that may be awaiting you.

Many bicyclists use the street rather than the sidewalk. If a bicycle is in the street, then it is considered a vehicle and must obey all of the same traffic laws as the driver of an automobile. Bicycles using the street should be going in the same direction as car traffic. Bicycles using the sidewalk can go in either direction, but should go with the traffic flow to be seen easier.

The two biggest problem areas we see for cars and bicycles colliding are in driveways and at crosswalks. Bicycles coming from the sidewalk into the crosswalk often collide with cars making right turns on a red light or at a stop sign. As an automobile driver you can avoid this by stopping and looking to your left and right before you turn.

Motorcycles pose special problems for car drivers. Motorcycles are using the roadway with the cars. Due to the size of a motorcycle it can be very hard to see from your car. Other cars are easy to see, but not necessarily the motorcycle behind the car. Most car-motorcycle collisions involve cars turning left in front of a motorcycle at an intersection. The motorcycle being hidden behind another car or the driver just not paying attention causes this. To avoid this type of collision, make sure you have a good view of the on-coming traffic before making left turns at intersections.

Another problem with motorcycles is that they tend to be hidden in a car's blind spot. This comes into play during lane changes. Most experienced drivers tend to rely only on the rearview mirrors to check for cars beside them. Motorcycles are so small that they are often invisible in the mirrors. Get in the habit of looking over your shoulder in your blind spot before trying to make a lane change.

Consider this equation. If you are going 20 mph you're traveling about 30 feet per second. The average driver takes one-and-half to two seconds to see something and recognize it as a potential hazard. During this reaction time of one-and-half to two seconds, you've traveled 45 to 60 feet. Suppose you're alert to the fact that kids are in the area. Let's cut your reaction time down to a scant one second. You've still traveled 30 feet before you even start to brake or steer to avoid the child. Does 20 mph still seem too slow? Remember, the slower you drive, the more time you have to react. The slower you drive, the more time you have to scan ahead and to the sides for potential hazards.

The last thing I would like to address is yielding to emergency vehicles. When an emergency vehicle approaches with emergency lights and siren activated, you must pull to the edge of the nearest curb and stop! You must remain stopped until the emergency vehicle passes you. Do not stop in the middle of the street, as this slows down the response by the emergency vehicle.

Emergency vehicles using their lights and siren are responding to a situation requiring their immediate attention. We use the emergency equipment to warn other drivers of our presence in order to allow us to respond quickly to assist those in need. Emergency vehicles are fire engines, police cars and motorcycles and ambulances. These vehicles will almost always be in the center or left lane, which should be unobstructed once everyone moves to the nearest curb. If you are stopped at a red light, stay where you are unless you hear directions from the driver of the emergency vehicle via the vehicle's loudspeaker.

While you are driving, be sure to check your mirrors for emergency vehicles approaching from behind. At intersections, listen for sirens from approaching emergency vehicles. When turning at intersections look ahead for emergency vehicles on the wrong side of the street. We frequently have to go onto the wrong side of the street at intersections to get around traffic that is stopped at red lights. If by chance you don't hear our sirens, maybe your stereo is too loud.

Remember, move to the NEAREST CURB and STOP!

These safe driving tips have been presented by the Pinecrest Police Department in the hope that all our residents will have a safe and enjoyable summer.