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March 4, 2019 at 10:46 am (This post was last modified: March 4, 2019 at 10:55 am by tackattack.)
While DMV laws are on a per state basis, all of them I've been in seem to have similar sets.
1. It is both driver's responsibility to navigate a safe roadway.
2. Oncoming drivers must signal, increase speed, and merge safely into the flow of traffic.
3. Drivers on the roadway have a responsibility to adjust their speed in order to allow gaps for merging traffic.
4. If drivers properly space their following distance, these adjustments will be minor and highly effectual to the smooth flow of traffic.
5. If however, you are sitting in stopped traffic due to construction and the dickhead using every last inch of his merge lane has passed 4 spots he could have gotten into the flow of traffic just to get further ahead in the cluster of cars, There is no obligation to give him a space.
It's a courtesy and I usually have no problems allowing people in. If I'm stuck in the feeder lane I usually attempt to time my speed to allow for a gap, nominally though I just get over to the left lane.
In stopped traffic however, I believe I have a stern bias. I'm looking for assholes to be mad at as the cause for me having to wait one second longer in traffic. There are a lot of nice people on the road. If in a 200 meter feeder lane, merging onto stopped traffic, you can't find a semi or moving truck or nice person to get into traffic in front of I'd rather see you sit at the end of your merge lane for the next nice person to let you in. I usually apply my 50/50 rule, If I was allowed in by a car I allow one car in front of me. If I had to steal a place in front of a slower responding vehicle, I don't allow "no butts, no cuts, no coconuts".
What often happens though is that they try and force their way into traffic by nudging their corner into your lane and taking up a 12 in gap between you and the car in front of you with the corner of their bumper. Why can't they just wait their turn to fall into line? Wait for someone to flash their lights to go ahead or wave them over? IMO, these impatient and entitled twats are the usual cause of 75% of the road rage I see. Some even get impatient and start driving on the emergency lane (hard shoulder). Those are the same people sitting in traffic that get on the hard shoulder to drive the extra mile up the road to their exit because they don't want to wait. There is this little dark place in my heart that celebrates every time I see either one of those get pulled over.
Quote:Entering into traffic – When you merge with traffic, signal,
and enter at the same speed that traffic is moving. High-speed
roadways generally have ramps to give you time to build up
your speed for merging into traffic. Do not drive to the end of
the ramp and stop or you will not have enough room to get up
to the speed of traffic. Additionally, drivers behind you will
not expect you to stop and you may be hit from the rear. If you
have to wait for space to enter a roadway, slow down on the
ramp so you have some room to speed up before you have to
merge.
page 4-30
Quote:Space to Merge
Anytime you want to merge with other traffic, you need a gap of about four seconds. If you move into the middle of a four-second gap, both you and the vehicle behind you have a two-second following distance. You need a four-second gap whenever you change lanes, enter a roadway, or when your lane merges with another travel lane.
••
Do not try to merge into a small gap. A small gap can quickly become smaller and dangerous due to the lack of space if the driver in front needs to stop or slow down.
••
If you want to move over several lanes, take them one at a time. Like going up or down stairs one-step at a time, it is safest and easiest to merge one lane at a time.
••
When other traffic is trying to merge into your lane, move to another lane to give them space when it is safe.
And added for road rage pg 5-14
Quote:Road Rage
Today, heavy traffic and tight schedules are the norm. Some drivers take their anger out on the roadways, endangering themselves and others.
When you see other drivers around you acting or reacting in anger, distance yourself from the situation, physically and mentally. Don’t make eye contact. Body movements and gestures can provoke an angry response from another driver. Slow down, move over, or do whatever you safely can, to put yourself out of danger. Your courtesy may encourage the same from other drivers.
If you feel you are being followed or harassed by another driver, seek help. Exit only in an area where there are other people and open businesses around you. If you have a cellular phone, use it to call the police.
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
March 4, 2019 at 10:56 am (This post was last modified: March 4, 2019 at 11:03 am by EgoDeath.)
(March 4, 2019 at 10:46 am)tackattack Wrote: While DMV laws are on a per state basis, all of them I've been in seem to have similar sets.
1. It is both driver's responsibility to navigate a safe roadway.
2. Oncoming drivers must signal, increase speed, and merge safely into the flow of traffic.
3. Drivers on the roadway have a responsibility to adjust their speed in order to allow gaps for merging traffic.
4. If drivers properly space their following distance, these adjustments will be minor and highly effectual to the smooth flow of traffic.
5. If however, you are sitting in stopped traffic due to construction and the dickhead using every last inch of his merge lane has passed 4 spots he could have gotten into the flow of traffic just to get further ahead in the cluster of cars, There is no obligation to give him a space.
You really should use the mention or quote feature so the people you're replying to know you're talking to them. I was always told by my father to, "Look people in the eyes when you speak to them." That sort of idea. But I'm up browsing the forums this morning, so, no harm, no foul I suppose.
Once again, you seem to be letting your pride rule here. You are assuming that people are trying to "get further ahead in the cluster of cars" as if it is a race or something. It isn't. The fact is, zipper merging makes for a better flow of traffic. That you see it as some sort of thing where you have "no obligation to give [them] a space" is more than a little weird. Are you one of those people who treats driving like a Formula One race? Jesus.
You're right, you don't have an obligation to do anything. If you want to be a dick, that's on you. I, personally, have no issue letting someone in front of me. I try to be a defensive driver and will be assertive when I need to, but for the most part, I just go with whatever seems safest. And knowing that zipper merging makes for better traffic flow, I have no issue letting someone over. It's just not that big a deal. I'm not sitting there in my car going, "I HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO LET YOU OVER!" That's ridiculous and childish.
Obviously, there are exceptions when going out of my way to let someone over wouldn't be safe. In that case, I would simply keep going while keeping an eye out to make sure they don't just start driving toward my car in a hope to be let in.
(March 4, 2019 at 10:46 am)tackattack Wrote: It's a courtesy and I usually have no problems allowing people in. If I'm stuck in the feeder lane I usually attempt to time my speed to allow for a gap, nominally though I just get over to the left lane.
In stopped traffic however, I believe I have a stern bias. I'm looking for assholes to be mad at as the cause for me having to wait one second longer in traffic. There are a lot of nice people on the road. If in a 200 meter feeder lane, merging onto stopped traffic, you can't find a semi or moving truck or nice person to get into traffic in front of I'd rather see you sit at the end of your merge lane for the next nice person to let you in. I usually apply my 50/50 rule, If I was allowed in by a car I allow one car in front of me. If I had to steal a place in front of a slower responding vehicle, I don't allow "no butts, no cuts, no coconuts".
What often happens though is that they try and force their way into traffic by nudging their corner into your lane and taking up a 12 in gap between you and the car in front of you with the corner of their bumper. Why can't they just wait their turn to fall into line? Wait for someone to flash their lights to go ahead or wave them over? IMO, these impatient and entitled twats are the usual cause of 75% of the road rage I see. Some even get impatient and start driving on the emergency lane (hard shoulder). Those are the same people sitting in traffic that get on the hard shoulder to drive the extra mile up the road to their exit because they don't want to wait. There is this little dark place in my heart that celebrates every time I see either one of those get pulled over.
You certainly have a lot of anger and pride involved in your time on the roads. This honestly concerns me. You seem like the type of guy who gets into road rage incidents. That's alarming.
Zipper merging makes for a better traffic flow. That's just what it is. If you want to preserve your pride by reminding people you have "no obligation" to let them over, good on you. If I were on the road, I'd casually avoid driving next to you or anywhere near you. Drivers like you are a problem.
edit: The driver laws you're citing have to do with merging on the freeway, which is not at all what I'm talking about. Did you even click on the links I posted? Apparently not.
The Colorado DOT also made a Facebook post trying to spread awareness about the zipper merge. I suppose you know more than the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The Alberta Motor Association also made a cool little cartoon about the zipper merge that easily explains why it's better for traffic, reducing congestion by as much as 40%.
I suppose it's a matter of putting your personal pride aside for the better of everyone. It's up to you, I guess.
If you're frightened of dying, and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the Earth.
I frequently feel pedestrian rage. I have a low tolerance for people threatening me with their car. People use their cars to threaten pedestrians surprisingly often. Where I live there are two intersections where it is most likely to happen. One is a controlled intersection with a traffic light. The traffic light is the standard red, yellow, green light with no fourth light for controlled left turns. So when a pedestrian is crossing while the walk light is lit, drivers turning left will frequently bully pedestrians with their cars. It really pisses me off. There's something about this intersection that seems to make drivers think that they have the right of way over pedestrians who are crossing while the walk light is lit. These drivers will sometimes do dangerous things to force a lone pedestrian out of their way. And I'm not talking about pedestrians who are dawdling in the crosswalk. I'm talking about pedestrians who are making reasonable efforts to get the hell across the street. If I had it my way, we would be photographing every one of these drivers who menace the pedestrians, and we would charge them with menacing with a deadly weapons-- because that is exactly what they are doing.
The other crosswalk is an unregulated crosswalk. There is not even a stop sign or yield sign. I have told the local police that I think that there is supposed to be a Yield sign there, because there is a very clearly painted crosswalk. The clearly painted crosswalk is an indication for drivers to yield to pedestrians, but they frequently won't. They'll drive right up on a pedestrian and rev their engine and honk and yell. They literally believe that since there is no sign there, then they don't have to yield for pedestrians in the crosswalk and have a right to threaten them with their cars. They approach pedestrians at too high of a speed, basically telling the pedestrian that if they don't hurry up and get the hell out of the way, they are going to run them down.
Cars make people feel powerful, and they are constantly stupid with them. We use them to bully people, and the body count is actually pretty high. Next to drugs and alcohol, my guess is that the next biggest cause of traffic fatalities is idiots trying to push each other around with their cars.
We do not inherit the world from our parents. We borrow it from our children.
@Yonadav That sounds like something I would bring to the city's attention. Maybe they need more signage in the area or need to start enforcing a specific policy on that crosswalk.
If you're frightened of dying, and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the Earth.
(March 4, 2019 at 11:13 am)PRJA93 Wrote: @Yonadav That sounds like something I would bring to the city's attention. Maybe they need more signage in the area or need to start enforcing a specific policy on that crosswalk.
I thought for sure that a Yield sign would be put up at that intersection after I talked with the local cops about it. They seemed to agree with me. And the intersection is only a block from their station. But maybe I'm going to have to take it up with the city council. It's a tiny town and the mayor is pretty accessible. So maybe I can talk directly to him about it.
We do not inherit the world from our parents. We borrow it from our children.
(March 4, 2019 at 8:17 am)Brian37 Wrote: "Road rage" is due to the moron getting impatient and dangerously driving and blaming it on everyone else.
Public roads are not private raceways or drag strips. Every accident someone has because of their selfish sense of self entitlement costs everyone in higher car insurance and if injured also health insurance. I see nothing wrong with keeping your distance and waiting to safely pass or safely make a lane change.
I agree, it always begins with some asshole thinking they have the right of way (often when they don't) and escalates from there.
I'm at the point where I'd rather pull over and just wait a couple minutes until the person is down the road and out of my life for good, rather than get embroiled in some battle of "You were supposed to let me over" or something like that. It just isn't worth it.
(March 4, 2019 at 8:50 am)IWNKYAAIMI Wrote: Also those turds who overtake queuing traffic on the motorway and then try to push in at the last minute. I never let them in.
Do you mean when the road is closed off like a half a mile up and people wait until the last minute to merge into one lane?
Because that's actually how you're SUPPOSED to do it. You're SUPPOSED to merge in at the last minute, and people who are in the unblocked lane are SUPPOSED to let people over.
Yes and when there is a lane closure or roadworks coming up, the speed limit is decreased. So why do people ignore this and fly past people who are adhering to the limit and then expect to bully their way into the traffic at the last minute? Those are the turds I'm talking about. You are NOT supposed to break the speed limit temporary or otherwise because you are an impatient inconsiderate turd. I refuse to let them in and will continue to refuse to let them in.
I have places to be just the same as them, I'd rather arrive a little late than be DEAD on time.
I hate when muscle cars get real near me flashing their high beams. This happens when I am overtaking cars in a motorway and the rightmost lanes are both being used by other cars. My old citroen xsara doesn't have the muscle to perform the maneuvre very fast, so I just keep going till its safe to take the rightmost lane. They can blink until hell freezes over. What do they want? To me to smash the car against the right lane car because they are impatient?
Another thing I hate is when traffic is low, drivers going relatively slow in the middle lane with the rightmost lane free. I always drive the rightmost, changing lanes as I need if a slower car appears. If it is on the middle lane, I have to change 2 or 3 lanes to overtake the slow car in the middle. It is a grave traffic offense to overtake by the right side. (Exceptions made when in high city traffic jams when just happens the rightmost lane is moving slightly faster and when in normal road a car is turning left for an intersection, waiting for incoming cars to turn, and there is room to do so.)
March 4, 2019 at 12:41 pm (This post was last modified: March 4, 2019 at 12:43 pm by Brian37.)
(March 4, 2019 at 9:10 am)PRJA93 Wrote:
(March 4, 2019 at 8:17 am)Brian37 Wrote: "Road rage" is due to the moron getting impatient and dangerously driving and blaming it on everyone else.
Public roads are not private raceways or drag strips. Every accident someone has because of their selfish sense of self entitlement costs everyone in higher car insurance and if injured also health insurance. I see nothing wrong with keeping your distance and waiting to safely pass or safely make a lane change.
I agree, it always begins with some asshole thinking they have the right of way (often when they don't) and escalates from there.
I'm at the point where I'd rather pull over and just wait a couple minutes until the person is down the road and out of my life for good, rather than get embroiled in some battle of "You were supposed to let me over" or something like that. It just isn't worth it.
(March 4, 2019 at 8:50 am)IWNKYAAIMI Wrote: Also those turds who overtake queuing traffic on the motorway and then try to push in at the last minute. I never let them in.
Do you mean when the road is closed off like a half a mile up and people wait until the last minute to merge into one lane?
Because that's actually how you're SUPPOSED to do it. You're SUPPOSED to merge in at the last minute, and people who are in the unblocked lane are SUPPOSED to let people over.
Not the point.
If you are keeping your distance you do not have to worry about some fuck up someone else makes, enough distance allows you to correct regardless of what they are doing wrong.
I get out of the way of tailgaters, not because they are right, but because they are dangerous dicks not worth a fight or an accident over.
"Defensive driving" does not mean you drive like you are in Olympic fencing going for gold. It means keeping your distance and assuming the other person is going to fuck up.
You can't control what another driver does. But you can keep your eyes on the road and those around you and avoid trouble.
(March 4, 2019 at 12:11 pm)LastPoet Wrote: I hate when muscle cars get real near me flashing their high beams. This happens when I am overtaking cars in a motorway and the rightmost lanes are both being used by other cars. My old citroen xsara doesn't have the muscle to perform the maneuvre very fast, so I just keep going till its safe to take the rightmost lane. They can blink until hell freezes over. What do they want? To me to smash the car against the right lane car because they are impatient?
They think they're on a NASCAR track and you are required to get out of their way. They cause me to be concerned about the status of my brakes.
