Did you know that courteous driving is the single biggest factor in reducing accidents?  It's a fact and it applies to driving anywhere anytime. It's especially important in the mountains, where winding roads, blind corners, steep grades and a wide range of vehicles make driving more dangerous.

    Many people have a misconception that courtesy means giving up the right of way.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  A courteous driver makes driving easier for the other guy!  You don't need to drive faster than you want, or slower either. Making it easier for the other driver to get where they're going makes driving safer AND more enjoyable.  That applies in the supermarket parking lot as much as it does on the highway.

    The roads leading to our resort area are dangerous, and people drive at greatly varying speeds.  Some must drive at slower speeds. Others choose to.  There is no RIGHT speed to drive on mountain roads.  But courteous driving helps.  If you are driving slower than vehicles behind you, for any reason, you don't need to speed up, even if you could.  But the courteous thing to do is use the turnouts.  Let the vehicles wanting to go faster pass without hassle.  The law requires slower traffic to use turnouts when 4 or more vehicles are following.  Courtesy dictates using turnouts anytime you see someone behind you. This is Don Alexander for The Mountain Driver on KBHR 93.3 FM.