The Idiots Will Not Slow Down!

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: George7941
Nine out of ten vehicles I see on the highway are too close to the vehicle ahead of them. When are they going to learn to not tailgate?


Never ... 9 out of 10 people seem to drive like idiots and don't realize if they are 6" off someone's bumper or 25 ft off someone's bumper they will get there a whole second or two later. Is a second or two worth getting in a wreck? ... some squirrels behind the wheel must think so.


As someone mentioned the point is not to get there sooner, it's to prevent someone else from cutting in. Eventually if you let 10 people cut in front of you, you'll get there a minute or two later. It's the switching of lanes that slows people down. Lots of people don't know how to deal with it, they end up hitting the brakes when someone cuts in front of them instead of either maintaining speed and slowly letting the speed drop so you have some cushion. Once you hit the brakes, it causes a chain reaction behind you which is what traffic is.

 

[DBMaster]

Slower traffic insistent upon using the left lane forces more into the middle and right lanes. Tailgating exacerbates the issue by preventing the idiots merging into the right lane from entrance ramps at 40 mph from being able to slot into traffic. This is why automation is our only hope. We can gripe to our hearts' content about what people are doing wrong, but it won't stop them from doing it.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: George7941
Nine out of ten vehicles I see on the highway are too close to the vehicle ahead of them. When are they going to learn to not tailgate?


Never ... 9 out of 10 people seem to drive like idiots and don't realize if they are 6" off someone's bumper or 25 ft off someone's bumper they will get there a whole second or two later. Is a second or two worth getting in a wreck? ... some squirrels behind the wheel must think so.


As someone mentioned the point is not to get there sooner, it's to prevent someone else from cutting in. Eventually if you let 10 people cut in front of you, you'll get there a minute or two later.


Don't have to tailgate dangerously to prevent other cars from cutting over ... can still follow at a reasonable safe distance and not leave a gigantic hole for squirrels to pop into.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
NOTHING ticks me off more than left lane bandits. If you think that the speed limit is the passing lane limit, you shouldn't be on the interstate. Average speed on I93 is typically 85MPH. The passing lane is the passing lane. Stay out of it. You'll get constant horn and high beam flash from me until you move.


Please cite the law that authorizes exceeding the speed limit because one is traveling in the left lane. I haven't found it yet.

Nothing justifies vigilante speed control by driving too slow in the left lane. But nothing justifies horn and high beams IF the left lane driver is passing the next lane to the right. This isn't the autobahn in an unrestricted zone.

I like the concept that if someone passes on the right, both parties are to be penalized.

 

[aquariuscsm]

If I'm in the left lane hauling a**,and someone comes up behind me driving faster,I move over,let them pass,and then use them as my decoy!!

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
NOTHING ticks me off more than left lane bandits. If you think that the speed limit is the passing lane limit, you shouldn't be on the interstate. Average speed on I93 is typically 85MPH. The passing lane is the passing lane. Stay out of it. You'll get constant horn and high beam flash from me until you move.


Please cite the law that authorizes exceeding the speed limit because one is traveling in the left lane. I haven't found it yet.

Nothing justifies vigilante speed control by driving too slow in the left lane. But nothing justifies horn and high beams IF the left lane driver is passing the next lane to the right. This isn't the autobahn in an unrestricted zone.

I like the concept that if someone passes on the right, both parties are to be penalized.



Do you even drive on the NJTPK with those idiot out of state drivers putzing along at 65-70 in the left lane with no one in front of them?

I've driven on the "autobahn". It's awesome.

 

[irv]

I don't want to get another thread locked down, but a lot of what we see on the roads nowadays, at least up here, is the result of our Gov't saying everyone has the right to drive so the standard has been lowered.

My niece, who took driving school, was instructed to drive in the middle lane, not the right lane even if she was driving slower than the flow.
I informed her she was wrong and explained why. She also said she didn't have to do any of the disciplines like parallel parking, 3 point turns, backing into parking spaces, none of it. The instructor said those weren't important.

I asked her, don't you think that everyone who has their license and drives should know how to handle a vehicle in all situations? She agreed with that as well.

Question for us CDN's, and maybe for Americans as well. Are these driving schools regulated, do the instructors have to pass certain/stringent tests, or can practically anyone start up one of these driving schools?

Tons of idiots on the roads these days and I know back when I got my license, 3/4 of them wouldn't have passed back then.

 

[RichR]

My Opinion,
If everyone would drive with their own safety in mind that would help.
You could be doing 100mph and someone will want to pass and cut in front of you.
I try to pace the vehicle in front of me but if you leave 10 feet in between some jack arse
will put a 9.5 foot long car in there.
And most have very little appreciation for speed and stand on the brakes to compensate.
And drive recklessly until their or someone whom is innocent luck runs out.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Don't have to tailgate dangerously to prevent other cars from cutting over ... can still follow at a reasonable safe distance and not leave a gigantic hole for squirrels to pop into.


You're not familiar with how traffic works around here. All you need is about 5 feet to squeeze the nose of your car into the space. That forces the driver to slow down and let him in. Once he slows down, the space opens up. On the other hand, if his nose is behind your nose, he can't get in no matter how close he gets.

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Please cite the law that authorizes exceeding the speed limit because one is traveling in the left lane. I haven't found it yet.


It's referred to as slower traffic keep right. Technically if you're doing 100mph and the guy behind you is doing 120mph, then you're slower traffic and should move to the right. Same thing applies if you're doing 55 and the guy is doing 65.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Originally Posted By: Leo99
I've driven on the "autobahn". It's awesome.


Same here. It's amazing when everyone follows the same rule of slower traffic keep right. You come up behind someone and you don't even need to slow down, they just move on over. Same thing if you see someone come up behind you, you just move over to the right. Very simple. And you don't slow down when you see the police because you're not speeding.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Don't have to tailgate dangerously to prevent other cars from cutting over ... can still follow at a reasonable safe distance and not leave a gigantic hole for squirrels to pop into.


You're not familiar with how traffic works around here. All you need is about 5 feet to squeeze the nose of your car into the space. That forces the driver to slow down and let him in. Once he slows down, the space opens up. On the other hand, if his nose is behind your nose, he can't get in no matter how close he gets.


I've lived in a heavily populated area for 30+ years with over 2 million people and tons of traffic and lunitics on the road. Commuted 50 miles a day for many years, so saw all kinds of lunacy on the roads.

I dont have to dangerously tailgate the car in front of me to prevent idiots from forcing his car in front of mine. It might happen a few times in a year that some crackhead goes totally nuts, but typically most people are not that insane to try and squeeze their car into a space of normal following distance. Tailgating too close is just asking for an accident, just a matter of time.

 

[Cujet]

And not one person addressed the FACT that traffic MUST move along, closely spaced, rapidly and smoothly when the road is above capacity. Those who refuse to go with the flow of traffic are causing problems, period.

The only other option results in hysteresis and a massive traffic jam, or occasionally a crash. It's safer to move smoothly, than to have sudden backups and the resulting accidents.

We can place 50 cars together and drive around on a narrow road, in a circle at 200MPH, bumper to bumper. But place one car at a significantly different speed and problems result.

Remember, speed increases the capacity of the road, as does close spacing.

 

[Andrew1972]

The reason accidents like this happen is people are grown toddlers as evidenced by this board and cannot control their emotions. Left lane folks are frustrating but isn’t that why the the other two or three lanes exist to get around them?

I typically stick to right most lane and pass there when opportunity arises.

Also turn signal use helps even by nut jobs because it is far easier then mind telepathy to know what a car will do.

 

[George7941]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Please cite the law that authorizes exceeding the speed limit because one is traveling in the left lane. I haven't found it yet.


It's referred to as slower traffic keep right. Technically if you're doing 100mph and the guy behind you is doing 120mph, then you're slower traffic and should move to the right. Same thing applies if you're doing 55 and the guy is doing 65.


JHZR2 asked you to cite the law that authorizes exceeding the speed limit and you did no such thing. What you are saying is - You must obey the keep right law but I don't have to obey speed limit laws. Very selective in your interpretation of laws.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
It's simple: MOVE OVER. If people didn't act so self-righteous in the left lane, a ton of road rage and traffic issues would be mitigated.


It works both ways. Speed limit is the max speed for the road. If people weren't so self-centered, thinking their gear, skills, time, etc was worth more and that they somehow deserved to break the law and push others who are not inclined, things would also be better.

Yet again why I like MTs. You have to appreciate physics and mechanical systems a lot more. Idiots mashing the go pedal thinking they deserve to drive faster than the law states endanger people too. Sure it may not matter when you're cruising in high gear, but I see a lot more idiocy racing to and from red lights, and statistically that's where a lot more incidents happen.
NOTHING ticks me off more than left lane bandits. If you think that the speed limit is the passing lane limit, you shouldn't be on the interstate. Average speed on I93 is typically 85MPH. The passing lane is the passing lane. Stay out of it. You'll get constant horn and high beam flash from me until you move.

If I was king

there would be a "special" license for approved drivers with approved uprated equipment for interstate fast lane use. This isolated lane would have a MIN speed of 85. If You get "photographed" going under three times you loose you privelige "certificate" for a year.

On another note 37 is the new 30MPH guys - If you drive 30 in a 30 you are likely a Ford or Camry or Tacoma driver.


I always feel for people like you driving who have mental or possibly marital issues that they get that angry over driving. I never care about showing up 5 mins late, isn’t that why they invented phones and texting? I am floored that people cannot make basic calculations and understand that driving faster for short period makes little difference in arriving. You pass that car only to find them 3 cars behind you at the exit ramp waiting for traffic.

 

[George7941]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
And not one person addressed the FACT that traffic MUST move along, closely spaced, rapidly and smoothly when the road is above capacity. Those who refuse to go with the flow of traffic are causing problems, period.

The only other option results in hysteresis and a massive traffic jam, or occasionally a crash. It's safer to move smoothly, than to have sudden backups and the resulting accidents.

We can place 50 cars together and drive around on a narrow road, in a circle at 200MPH, bumper to bumper. But place one car at a significantly different speed and problems result.

Remember, speed increases the capacity of the road, as does close spacing.

I disagree. In dense traffic what really slows down the commute is the bottlenecks, not the speed at which traffic moves when it is free flowing. If everyone moved at a steady pace maintaining safe gaps then you have much less of traffic slowing down to a crawl frequently. So instead of traffic moving at say 20 mph through a bottleneck, we now get traffic crawling along at 3 mph, along with frequent stops, when drivers drive like they are in a race.

The volume of traffic a road can handle is limited to the volume that moves through its biggest bottleneck. Smooth driving ensures higher speeds through the bottlenecks, thus ensuring more volume.

 

[Driz]

All these comments are exactly why I stay in the frozen tundra. If it weren’t for Quebeccers out on the interstate ( yea theynsure do drive like knuckleheads)there’d be nothing but hitting the many deer to worry about. Just another reason why I don’t go down south. While you are all duking it out down there we’ve pretty much got the whole road to ourselves.
When we go to fla it’s right down I 81, no 95 for me . I got nowhere to be and no time to get there or back again so we avoid that Hellhole I 95 all the way to the Carolinas. That negates most of the high volume high speed truck packs in the bad metro areas. I much prefer the nice trip through the Smoky Mts to playing bumber cars among a tightly spaced pack of speeding trucks. Ive seen in person how they slide along as if on ice when an 18 wheeler locks em up and don’t want to be anywhere around when it happens..

 

[irv]

It's clear to see, just by some of the comments in this thread alone, that people don't know the laws or rules of the road.

The left lane is for passing, if you are not passing anyone, move over. If you are doing the speed limit in the left or center lane and someone comes up behind you travelling faster, move over. We are not the police, judge or jury. If they want to drive faster, let them and let them pass. It is not anyone's business why nor our right to slow them down. Let the police/judicial system do its job.

 

[KrisZ]

I agree that it's interesting how the speeders are so outraged by people not following the law/rules to move over to the right for faster moving traffic.

No excuse for purposely slowing down traffic or brake checking, but the egoistic behavior is clear in every camp and that's most likely the problem.

 

[irv]

People have no idea why someone is driving fast. It could be an emergency at home, or a myriad of other reasons. It is not our job nor business to police the hwys. If someone, who is speeding or not, wants by then let them. Why get involved and create unnecessary problems for yourself and others.

What do people have to say about drivers driving under the speed limit on our roads and Hwys? Are they breaking the law or driving legally?
Any of the above can create road rage, and that is becoming all too common nowadays. Why anyone thinks they have the right to control the flow of traffic or disobey the rules of the road or become a super cop, is beyond me.

 

[Errtt]

Going way faster than the flow of traffic, whipping lane to lane with no turn signals, passing in no passing areas or passing by driving on the shoulder, tailgating, throwing let cigarettes out the window, playing on the cell phone, driving with high beams on at night, and be sure the tires are bald especially during rain, running stop signs and red lights, cut others off, and slow down grandma and impede traffic as other behinds might have kids not in car seats.