Thirty years of motorcycling taught me many things that apply to driving small cars. Drive like your X is invisible. Drive like a fighter pilot, head on a swivel and intense situational awareness. I make driving a game with good concentration. Assume the car at a side street WILL pull out in front of you and be prepared. Watch the outside rear view mirror of the car ahead but in the adjacent lane, you should see his eyes and he could easily be sending subliminal messages he will be moving into your lane. "but I was in the right" won't do you much on your trip to heaven.
Having said all that, and it worked very well for me, once I got into my 70s I find it hard to maintain that level of concentration and am constantly berating myself for letting my mind drift while driving thinking about such important things as "I wonder what color I should paint the X" or "what can I have for lunch that's gluten free?".
As pointed out, small cars will appear further away, motorcycles in front of a car seem invisible and the driver behind a bke is actually focusing on the car in front of the bike which is why most bike riders seem be tailgated all the time.
Cell phone has just added to the misery. Talking and texting on the phone means all the above is damn near useless at the celled driver is menatlly somewhere else, not in their car.
Fortunately, the X, as small as it is, is built like a tank.
