How to be a good driver (Part One)

Straight off I have to admit that the title is slightly misleading, as I am not about to expound on driving skills, car control etc. This post is more about how to be a good car driver in terms of behaviour and in contrast to being a bad one and is more concerned with normal everyday actions and minimising risk rather than the ability to drive a motor vehicle to its limit, safely.
As explained previously an individual motorcar forms part of a complex system and must be driven in accordance with the norms and needs of that system almost all the time. Granted, a motorcar can also be a supreme instrument of fun but, with our roads now overcrowded with vehicles, this is not often realistically possible to explore. Most of the time we need to follow the rules and fit in to the system around us to ensure the safety of all concerned.
A good driver needs to be responsible above all, alert, in control and always thinking how their behaviour behind the wheel affects others around them. So they must:
1. Check carefully (but quickly) before changing direction and indicate appropriately.
2. Never drink or take anything (recreational drugs, medicine etc.) that may affect their control of the vehicle and then drive.
3. Respect other road users - the bigger ones pose a danger to you and the smaller ones are in danger from you!
4. Be courteous - but not silly - with allowing others to pull out, merge in, change direction.
5. Be extremely careful with the speed of your vehicle relative to the prevailing conditions irrespective of official speed limits.
6. Be extremely careful with the speed of your vehicle in built-up areas, where vulnerable pedestrians and children can suddenly appear.
And that's just for starters, because a good driver also must heed his/her responsibility towards the environment and:
1. Never leave the vehicle idling for long unnecessarily.
2. When driving in town never fill up the tank with fuel, but take on, say, a quarter tank at a time or as appropriate. In the stop/start city traffic dragging the weight of a full fuel tank drastically increases fuel consumption.
3. Avoid making unnecessary journeys.
4. Never throw rubbish out of a car window, ever.
5. Do not use the horn without good reason and certainly not to alert your friends or family that you are waiting; call or ring the bell instead.
6. Avoid aggressive driving, especially in town, as it promotes wear and tear on your vehicle and utilises more fuel unnecessarily.
7. Try to maintain your vehicle adequately - not only will this be safer for you and those around you, but in all likelihood you will consume less fuel and pollute less.

Motor vehicles can be beautiful, enchanting and also intensely practical, making life not only easier but more enjoyable. They needn't be dangerous or filthy. You, dear reader, need to do your bit so that your prized possession, old or new, large or small (a Fiat 500, say?), is a force for the good in our world. Go on, improve your game.

I'll be back on the subject in the not too distant future, maybe writing nice things about you...!