Driving

[aaronc879]

It's surprising how many drivers don't use their turn indicators. Some put them on at the very last moment, as if they were purposely trying to "get one over" on their fellow drivers, by springing their decision on them at the last possible moment. In fact, I think that is exactly what is going on. Too many drivers think of driving in terms of them against everyone else, instead of thinking of it as us all collectively trying to get to our destinations, with help from each other.

I don't care much for driving. Like frayne, I used to ride a motorcycle, and felt much more in touch with the environment I was traveling through. Nowadays, I ride a bicycle for all my local trips, and enjoy the sense of engagement. Four-wheeled transport is much safer than two-wheeled transport but, for me at least, it comes at the price of making me feel disengaged from my surroundings.

I have also noticed a big decrease in turn signal use. The ones that do use them turn them on as they are turning which is not the purpose. The purpose is to let other people know what your intent is. If you don't turn it on until you are already stating to turn or change lanes that is useless.

 

[aaronc879]

Two words for you "defensive driving." Years ago I rode a motorcycle and took the MSF test plus read more than my fair share of motorcycle safety books, all of which made me a better vehicle driver and gave me an appreciation of the physics behind driving. On interstates around Chattanooga you pretty much have to go with the flow, 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit or get run over. And yes there are idiots lane swapping constantly causing accidents. Throw in inclement weather conditions and can bet there will always be an accident at the 24/75 split and the 24 ridge cut. Try to do most of my driving between rush hours and very seldom drive after dark. Again, defensive driving and never get in a hurry are keys to avoiding accidents, at least in my way of thinking.

I strongly disagree with the idea that you have to go 10+ over the limit. I will never go more than 4-5 over no matter how fast other people are going. If someone is riding my bumper I will coast until I drop down to exactly the speed limit. My life is such that if I go over 5 over I am the one who will get pulled over and ticketed so I don't do it, ever.

 

[Jerry1]

I strongly disagree with the idea that you have to go 10+ over the limit. I will never go more than 4-5 over no matter how fast other people are going. If someone is riding my bumper I will coast until I drop down to exactly the speed limit. My life is such that if I go over 5 over I am the one who will get pulled over and ticketed so I don't do it, ever.

I don’t disagree with your sentiment but I hope you’re not doing that in the left lane. Around here, your risk of being shot would outweigh the risk of a ticket.

 

[aaronc879]

I don’t disagree with your sentiment but I hope you’re not doing that in the left lane. Around here, your risk of being shot would outweigh the risk of a ticket.

I don't speed up if someone comes up fast behind me when i'm in the left lane. I will go 70 in a 70 zone if I am passing a truck going 65 and I won't speed up just because someone else wants to break the law. If needed I carry my legally registered gun and conceal carry permit with me as well. I will of course go back into the right lane once I have completed the pass.

 

[braumeister]

I strongly disagree with the idea that you have to go 10+ over the limit. I will never go more than 4-5 over no matter how fast other people are going. If someone is riding my bumper I will coast until I drop down to exactly the speed limit. My life is such that if I go over 5 over I am the one who will get pulled over and ticketed so I don't do it, ever.

My father was the best driver I ever knew. He drove for a living and in all his 76 years never had either an accident or a ticket. His advice to me was to go with the flow. IOW, maintain roughly the same speed that most other cars near you are going. He said sometimes that will be a little faster than you really want to go, sometimes a little slower, but it will always be the safest.

I've tried to follow that advice and I think it works well.

 

[Walt34]

My father was the best driver I ever knew. He drove for a living and in all his 76 years never had either an accident or a ticket. His advice to me was to go with the flow. IOW, maintain roughly the same speed that most other cars near you are going. He said sometimes that will be a little faster than you really want to go, sometimes a little slower, but it will always be the safest.

Your father was a smart guy. I've read in more than one place, and it parallels my experience, that a major cause of accidents is not speed, but the difference in speeds.

So (looking at you Aaron879) if most of the traffic is going 80, then either go 80 or get out of the way. You're not right in staying at the speed limit, you're an "accident going someplace to happen". That's the kind of behavior that provokes excessive risk-taking and eventually road rage events. And trust me, if everyone else is going 80 you won't get a ticket for going 75.

And yeah, I'm a retired police officer and I wrote stacks of traffic tickets for that stuff. But I was under no delusion that it would change most people's behavior. Before retirement I worked and drove in the Washington, D.C. area, which for at least some of that time was rated as the #1 worst traffic in the country. And when it was not #1 it was still usually in the top ten.

 

[Moparguy392]

Thanks to all that have commented on my thread. It seems like there are certain days of the week that unleash the crazy train regarding driver and traffic issues. We usually grocery shop on Wednesdays around 2pm. Drivers are generally well behaved. But occasionally there will be the hotrodder that will run up on us, tailgate, switch to the left lane and be gone (like today). As I said, we don't go out at night unless we have to. We live about a mile from a busy highway. In the evening and weekends it sounds like NASCAR. Speed limit signs apparently are just suggestions.

 

[MC Rider]

I avoid going out at night, especially on the motorcycle.
In town with street lights and headlights everywhere, not a big deal.
Out here there are no street lights and one time I stepped onto the porch in the dark and had to feel for the door to go back in, it was so dark.


I figured out why our Real Estate agent had an expensive looking LED headlight on his bike.

 

[scrabbler1]

I have greatly reduced the amount of driving I do at night. Two years ago, my (snake-bit) friend and I changed our weekly get-together times to the late morning from the evening, partly due to a change in his work schedule but also because neither of us like driving at night, especially on the parkway (SSP, right MarieIG?). When I go visit my dad, I now visit him midday instead of the late afternoon into the evening.

This means my only nighttime driving is when I drive my ladyfriend around after work (she doesn't have a car any more) to appointments or shopping. Darkness, if during the earlier sunsets of the winter months, bothers me less than driving her around during the rush hours, AM or PM (something I otherwise rarely ever do). I often drive her to or from work but that's only a 2-mile trip so rush hour or darkness doesn't bother me.

Last November, I got some prescription distance glasses which help me out while driving in daylight or darkness, especially a lot in darkness.

Turn signals: I have found more and more that using turn signals to change lanes only alerts the driver behind you in the targeted lane to speed up and stop you from making the lane change. Then again, I sometimes do that when some big-ass SUV wants to change lanes in front of me, blocking my view. (I drive a small car, so that isn't an issue for other cars.)

I never fail to see a driver delay moving forward when a light turns green because s/he is looking down at his/her phone and hasn't noticed all the traffic have gone ahead. That's what my car horn is for now - to wake up those drivers not moving at green light!

On the expressways, live by this rule: if you are being passed on the right (because you are moving too slowly for that lane), then you need to MOVE to the right.

 

[rodi]

It's surprising how many drivers don't use their turn indicators. Some put them on at the very last moment, as if they were purposely trying to "get one over" on their fellow drivers, by springing their decision on them at the last possible moment. In fact, I think that is exactly what is going on. Too many drivers think of driving in terms of them against everyone else, instead of thinking of it as us all collectively trying to get to our destinations, with help from each other..

I've had discussions with my Arizona cousin about this. When he was in college he'd come to Southern California for spring break. He developed the (incorrect) impression that not only should you not signal, you shouldn't even check your mirrors because that would indicate to your fellow drivers you were going to change lanes and they might block you. At the time there was resentment among my friends and peers about the 'zonies' and their bad driving. He didn't see that he was perpetuating the image. He felt all California drivers were jerks who would close every gap (which there definitely are some who do that) and that justified his non signaled, no check, lane changes.

He still isn't much for signaling... but he checks his mirrors now. LOL.

 

[Moparguy392]

I had that happen last week. Both lanes of traffic stopped awaiting a truck hauling a huge I beam across both lanes. Checked my mirror and saw some guy in the left lane not advancing with traffic so I put on my signal to change lanes and he quickly honked and drove up to block me. I offered him the digitus impudicus. Jerk!

 

[mountainsoft]

I still drive at night if I have to, but I prefer to avoid it whenever possible.

Around here we have bad drivers 24 hours a day, on the interstate and more on local roads. People just seem to ignore all the rules of the road and do whatever they want. If they don't get their way it quickly turns into road rage. I've been on the receiving end of road ragers more times than I can count, a few of which were quite scary.

Several months ago one of our local county roads was deemed a "safety corridor". They installed a round-about, lowered the speed limit to 45, and made the entire segment a no passing zone. It didn't change a thing. Just about everyone drives 60 or more on that road, and pass whenever they feel like it.

I almost never see police patrolling the roads anymore, local or the interstate. Until there are penalties for bad behavior, people will continue devolving to their selfish primitive nature. Gotta get there now and I'm more important than anyone else.

Sadly, there's no avoiding it around here.

 

[NW-Bound]

On Monday, we had to go out during the afternoon rush hour to babysit for my niece. The traffic was awful, and I was glad the last time I had to drive to/from work was more than 10 years ago.

Told my wife if I had to drive daily on the stop-and-go freeway, I would have bought a car with a smart cruise control.

For simple lane keeping plus car following, I believe the current technology provides a safe system. Some manufacturers even indemnify you against accidents caused by their self-driving cars for simple hand-off cruise control driving situations.

 

[street]

I don't care to drive at night but when there isn't any traffic not a big deal for me. Like today I took a 50 mile trek to look over some country I haven't been to for about 4 months. I never seen a vehicle till the last mile or so coming back into town. I was out about 5 hours from start to finish.

I wouldn't be able to handle traffic even when it is manageable. To use too no traffic and can go as slow or as fast as you want.

 

[harley]

I still love to drive, and I especially like driving at night. It's really peaceful, assuming you aren't on the DC Beltway or something like that. I watch out for deer and small animals, but for the most part I just cruise along. I've also always enjoyed driving in the rain, although again, not in heavy traffic. I'm nearsighted, so my eyes take in more light than most. I'm not particularly bothered by glare or headlights.

I definitely tend to stay with the flow of traffic, as per Walt34's comment. There's nothing worse than driving along, and then a single slow person in the wrong lane causing everyone to slam on their brakes, or swerve to go around. I have changed a bit in my older age, though. I used to go a bit faster than the surrounding traffic, now I'm right at it or a touch less. And road rage is a thing of the past. I just sit back and let other people's karma pile up.

 

[jollystomper]

Having had to drive in and around major cities, particularly in the Northeast, in my early years with Megacorp, when I see folks in my area complain about "bad traffic", I just smile.

In Boston, the traffic lights were referred to as "collision indicators" - green light = you will be hit from the side, red light = you will be rear ended. I had to drive there again last year, at least the traffic circles have made it a bit easier. Of course, there is the traffic circle protocol...

In New York City, you had to put on a game face in heavy, merging traffic, and not make eye contact. Being kind and letting someone in ahead of you resulted in (a) other drivers trying to squeeze in as well, and (b) drivers behind you blasting you with their horns for your kindness. I will do anything I can to avoid driving in Manhattan.

Philly - Just Say No.

Around DC you could get into a traffic jam any time of the day or night. There were times I would be returning from Dulles or Reagan airport at 1 or 2am, thinking I would have a straight shot home - but no, heavy traffic and a backup for whatever reason would delay me. Interestingly, I just had to do a lot of driving in DC last month, and the traffic was much lighter that the past - likely due to a lot of folks still working from home.

Other than Chicago or Los Angeles, there are no other places when traveling for Megacorp that I found on par or worse than the Northeast. I would try to avoid renting a car when traveling for Megacorp to those areas, but it was not always possible.

My biggest concern in our area is not so much rush hour but school hours. A high school is about 5 miles from us, and our road is a secondary way to get to it. So one has to look out for the high school drivers. 3 times family members have been in accidents with kids speeding to school; fortunately no one was hurt. While we did not suffer major car damage, the other cars were all totaled (and in each case we were not at fault).

In general, I follow the rule mentioned about "going with the flow", and keeping to the right (or even pulling over to let accumulated traffic pass one a one lane road) if one is uncomfortable with that. I also try to look not just at the traffic right around me, but also down the down a distance at approaching traffic on both sides.

We still due road vacation trips, on long ones I try to stop and take a break about every 2 hours. I also decided to not drive more than 5 hours in a day, we will BTD for a hotel room. Hey, we are retired, we do not need to rush anywhere .

 

[old medic]

Two words for you "defensive driving." Years ago I rode a motorcycle and took the MSF test plus read more than my fair share of motorcycle safety books, all of which made me a better vehicle driver and gave me an appreciation of the physics behind driving.

Between Motorcycles and Emergency Vehicles and multiple training opportunities I will 2nd learning Defensive Driving. I'm comfortable driving, but always on alert, And saved my butt on many occasions.

I avoid going out at night, especially on the motorcycle. In town with street lights and headlights everywhere, not a big deal. Out here there are no street lights

All our street lights are Billions of miles away... except the one but it dont shine all the time. Wildlife is my biggest concern at night, but there still out during the day. Almost hit a Bear last fall...

 

[Car-Guy]

I don't speed up if someone comes up fast behind me when i'm in the left lane. I will go 70 in a 70 zone if I am passing a truck going 65 and I won't speed up just because someone else wants to break the law. If needed I carry my legally registered gun and conceal carry permit with me as well. I will of course go back into the right lane once I have completed the pass.

As everyone should IMO. Around here it's viewed as common courtesy. We even have signs posted on many highways that encourage folks to keep to the right. Things like "left lane is for passing" or "slower traffic keep to the right". Truck drivers seem to typically respect this much better than passenger vehicles IME.

 

[freedomatlast]

Moparguy392, What's your 392 in, a Challenger?

 

[Moparguy392]

2020 Challenger R/T Scat Pack

 

[W2R]

I almost never drive at night any more, and never on the interstate or more than a mile or so when I do. Before my cataract surgery (in 2015), I was terrified to drive at night because of the glare. That gave me some sort of "night driving PTSD" or something, so now I don't even want to try.

Luckily, I don't have to drive much even during the daytime any more. I have to make up reasons to drive my Venza a few blocks during the daytime each week, so that it remains functional.

At almost 75, I'm the kind of old person that inspires people to exclaim, "She shouldn't EVEN be driving any more!!!" That's OK with me, because y'know what? I don't even want to drive any more unless I have to. I can have almost anything I want delivered to my door, either by Amazon, by Frank, or by some other way.

 

[misanman]

I'm only 76 but haven't seen my inclination to drive affected yet. Generally, I'd rather drive than ride, day or night. We visit DS's family in LA a couple times per year. In fact we are there now. Driving in an unfamiliar area in an unfamiliar rental car following Google maps and with traffic like LA does elevate the pulse a bit.

 

[rodi]

I've been thinking about this thread... was thinking about it when I was headed home from the dog walk on the beach this morning....

The guideline stated earlier that <10mph over the limit was generally ok.... For open freeways in non rush hour... sure. For commuter times, not so much - there it is very important to go the speed of traffic.

For surface streets, I go the posted speed. This sometimes frustrates cars around me who want to treat a connector road like a freeway... but these streets often have driveways, houses, kids, pets, parked cars... So if the posted speed is 35mph I go 35mph. There are reasons they have the limits they do. I do NOT follow the <10mph over is ok rule on surface streets.

 

[MarieIG]

I have greatly reduced the amount of driving I do at night. Two years ago, my (snake-bit) friend and I changed our weekly get-together times to the late morning from the evening, partly due to a change in his work schedule but also because neither of us like driving at night, especially on the parkway (SSP, right MarieIG?). When I go visit my dad, I now visit him midday instead of the late afternoon into the evening.

This means my only nighttime driving is when I drive my ladyfriend around after work (she doesn't have a car any more) to appointments or shopping. Darkness, if during the earlier sunsets of the winter months, bothers me less than driving her around during the rush hours, AM or PM (something I otherwise rarely ever do). I often drive her to or from work but that's only a 2-mile trip so rush hour or darkness doesn't bother me.

Last November, I got some prescription distance glasses which help me out while driving in daylight or darkness, especially a lot in darkness.

Turn signals: I have found more and more that using turn signals to change lanes only alerts the driver behind you in the targeted lane to speed up and stop you from making the lane change. Then again, I sometimes do that when some big-ass SUV wants to change lanes in front of me, blocking my view. (I drive a small car, so that isn't an issue for other cars.)

I never fail to see a driver delay moving forward when a light turns green because s/he is looking down at his/her phone and hasn't noticed all the traffic have gone ahead. That's what my car horn is for now - to wake up those drivers not moving at green light!

On the expressways, live by this rule: if you are being passed on the right (because you are moving too slowly for that lane), then you need to MOVE to the right.

- Definitely

- I tend to drive in the middle lane on the LIE - I save the left for passing - unless of course there is a total jam - bumpa-ta-bumpa- and I'm off on the service road.

 

[Moparguy392]

Another peeve I have (not pet peeve since I have no pets) is the driver that pulls up next to you so far that it blocks your view of oncoming traffic. I am very aware of this and try to avoid doing it. This comes from my old motorcycle days.