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Don't let 'em get in front of you, that's what I always say 8^)
If they made a mistake, they can drive down the road and turn around.
I don't understand why people who make mistakes like choosing the wrong lane think it is ok to inconvenience, if not endanger those around them by trying to change lanes, cut off/in front of others to get to where they are going.
If you screw up, remember, your number one priority is to operate you vehicle in a safe and considerate manner, not get there at any cost.
TB
Who had that left turn lane experience last Friday and followed the guy and his family into the restaurant parking lot he cut in front of me from the left lan to enter, and shared with him how I felt about his driving skillz
I was in Effingham, IL and the car is full of seasoned citizens, so I wasn't too worried about the gun thing (even though my great grandfather did carry a pistol in his boot up until the day he died at 91)
They are in an Escort wagon, and they want to visit Steak and Shake, so they cut in front of the Buick. (Not a smart move alone, cut off a beater car.) So I pull in behind them and then next to them. I roll down the passenger window and ask him if he knew both lanes were turn lanes. He said he did. I asked why he then cut in front of me. Because he didn't want to miss his turn :roll eyes:
I then noticed he had one of those handicapped parking hangers hanging from his mirror. My grandmother has one as well, and I know from studying it, that is says clearly on the hanger not to drive with it hanging from the mirror. So I said, you know, maybe you could see better if you didn't have that thing hanging down from the mirror.
Well his boss, the wife said, we can use it, I'm handicapped. I said that was fine, not sure I'd brag about it, but you should still remove it while driving. Besides, if someone wanted to mug you, the handicapped hanger just tells a potential mugger that you might have a hard time resisting.
She asked what my problem was? I said, ma'am, your husband here cuts me off, acts like it is no big deal, and then you have the nerve to ask me what my problem is, well I'll tell you. I drive about 30K miles per year, and I'm getting fed up with the selfish people who are passengers behind the wheel. I hope that I convince those who share the roads with me to become better, more considerate drivers.
She was stunned, and then said something I don't understand the logic of. Essentially she was saying that this was the best he could do, given his age. (He looked just 60 if that.)
I said, ma'am if that's best he can do, then maybe he shouldn't be driving.
I got the last word as I rolled up my window and drove away.
Guess I wasn't having a good day Friday. Saturday and then Sunday were worse with the failing waterpump and then failed A/C in the Buick.
TB
I did like you and did not let the guy take the wrong lane. He had to go past where he intended to go. AT the next light I was making a left. The median strip was about 2 feet wide at most. HE got behind me and walked up to me and said 'Why didn't you let me in ?" I told him he was a pathetic excuse for a driver and should plan ahead. He said "Get out of your car". I said, If I get out of my car, I am going to knock your [non-permissible content removed] into on coming traffic with my door. I then used language the clergy do not know" He looked at the size of my door and where he was going to end up if I opened my door . He walked away very sheepishly..
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I think it might even be posted earlier in this thread.
I'm in the right turn lane and it's backed up a half mile if an inch. The two left turn lanes are wide open.
Some clown come flying down the left turn lane just as I'm at the signal island getting ready to turn right. He stops and turns on his right signal. Well at least he signaled. He looks at me and I shake my head no.
He obviously wasn't a preacher either as he begins to use probably the same words you were referring to above. I calmly tell him that to let you in would be inconsiderate to the line of cars behind me who are playing by the rules, so just make your left turn so you don't inconvenience traffic behind you, and then make a U-Turn down the road.
He obviously didn't get it as he tried to cut in, but then realized that a 30K SUV probably doesn't intimidate a 1K Buick.
TB
The country's streets and freeways are getting more crowded all the time. Inevitably, crowded streets are more dangerous than empty ones - the more cars and drivers, the more likely drivers are to make mistakes. For more and more drivers, it seems the solution to this congestion and frustration is to get mad, and try to get even.
Road rage may have a catchy name, but it is a serious, extremely unpleasant fact of life. It is dangerous, and will only increase as long as drivers feed each other's anger and desire to teach others a lesson. The topic is discussed daily around the office, at home, in police stations and in the media, but it is subjective and probably impossible to measure accurately. What one person may consider an act of road rage may seem to another just a defensive driving move.
Driver behavior that could fall under the "road rage" category ranges over a broad spectrum, from mumbled or shouted insults and hand gestures to intimidating driving, throwing objects or, at its most extreme, using weapons or using cars as weapons.
Whether or not experts can tell us exactly how many incidents occur each year, we all know that aggressive drivers are out there - and that they are frightening and dangerous. Those who study the issue (many of whom are mental health professionals), attribute the phenomenon to factors such as:
People feel anonymous inside their cars, and do things they would never do in a roomful of people they know
Experiencing the power of driving one's car can be a way to blow off steam
The assorted stresses and problems of day-to-day life magnify situations on the road
Driving, in itself, is at times a stressful and dangerous activity
Partly due to the ease with which people can obtain a U.S. drivers license, there are many people on the road who may be unfamiliar with driving customs - and what is merely a lack of understanding can appear rude
No matter what the cause, aggressive, inconsiderate behavior on the road can have serious consequences. At the very least, the stress of dealing with road rage takes a toll on us and lessens our enjoyment of our cars, streets and communities. At the worst, people can be injured or killed, property can be damaged and offenders can pay a steep price in the form of criminal records, fines and jail time, restitution to victims, loss of license and higher insurance rates.
As pervasive as the problem is, its solution couldn't be simpler. Drivers could simply choose to be more respectful of others on the road.
Tips for aggressive drivers
Know how much a ticket costs? While driving, think about the amount (say, $275) and think about what you could do with that money if you didn't have to pay a ticket.
Think about how the people you care most about would feel if they witnessed your aggressive behavior. And think about how you would feel if someone treated them the way you may be treating others on the road.
Lead by example. Drive the way you want other people to drive. This may mean having to swallow your pride or back away from aggression, but it beats an accident.
If you find yourself annoyed or angry in the car, force yourself to think about something positive. What are you most thankful for? What makes you most happy?
Try listening to a classical or jazz station. It can be very calming.
Resist the urge to teach other drivers a lesson. Remind yourself that they'll learn it eventually without your help.
Just as an exercise, let someone in ahead of you in traffic. Do it a few times. Spread the politeness.
How to avoid conflict and make our roads safer
Be a polite driver. Always use your blinkers, pull all the way into turn lanes when you're making a turn, and don't follow too closely. When someone is driving behind you and wants to go faster than you're going, pull over.
If you make a mistake, give an "I'm sorry wave" - you may have to do it more than once to be sure you're seen - to acknowledge an error.
Don't challenge aggressive drivers. Avoid them at all costs. Take an unintended turn or highway exit to get away from someone who may be targeting you.
If confronted with agressive driving, resist the urge to retaliate. Just get where you're going safely. You can't fix other drivers.
Report behavior that is alarming or seems extremely dangerous. You can't be sure the highway patrol or local law enforcement will be able to respond, but it's possible. And it could possibly save lives and property.
"Drivers could simply choose to be more respectful of others on the road."
"Resist the urge to teach other drivers a lesson."
"When someone is driving behind you and wants to go faster than you're going, pull over."
"Don't challenge aggressive drivers."
"If confronted with agressive driving, resist the urge to retaliate."
I mean, in my first case, the guy was in his 60's. If he hasn't learnt it by then, it's probably because either he is really slow, or just doesn't give a d@mn.
I make mistakes when I drive, such as missing a turn. But I don't expect the rest of the world to get out of my way, so I can make that turn.
After travelling nearly 50% of the time for five or six years, being in a different city every week, I can understand the frustration of missing a turn.
I just don't understand how someone could feel right about cutting off others, just because they've missed a turn.
This goes beyond a mistake at that point, it is just plain selfishness.
However, now that you've posted this, I'm sure you will follow the advice you've posted and,
Resist the urge to teach other drivers a lesson. Remind yourself that they'll learn it eventually without your help.
Just as an exercise, let someone in ahead of you in traffic. Do it a few times. Spread the politeness.
How to avoid conflict and make our roads safer
Be a polite driver. Always use your blinkers, pull all the way into turn lanes when you're making a turn, and don't follow too closely. When someone is driving behind you and wants to go faster than you're going, pull over.
Right 8^)
TB
My gf sure prefers it that way. Problem is, she's starting to get influenced by me
Some months ago, I made a driving training at the Beltoise school (http://www.beltoise-evolution.fr) and I reckoned I simply didn't know how to drive correctly. A very hard lesson to swallow. But since then I've been much more careful on the road. And I still don't know how to drive. I plan on taking another such training with my own car, though, since it is a RWD whereas the lesson took place with FWD cars. It's just a pity that such trainings are not a compulsory part of drivers training courses. There surely would be far fewer accidents if it were the case, simply because people would be aware of the risks.
A few months ago in the news I saw a CA psychologist who was showing how prevalent road rage was. He got on a freeway, went to the far left lane and did the exact speed limit. He got many obscene gestures and words yelled at him that had to be bleeped out. He was deliberately antagonizing his fellow motorists to prove his thesis. I believe that those who deliberately incite others to rage are equally as culpable. I hope they are caught and ticketed as well.
I have no problem letting people in, letting them make left turns in front of me when I am stuck in traffic. I figure the more people get to their destination, the fewer drivers on the road, and the better for all of us.
By the way, I once had a guy throw a mostly empty can of pop at my car. It hit the front, however I was able to get his license plate #. I call the police and guess what - nothing! Even though I had the necessary information to get this guy, they say as long as there was no material damage, there was very little they could do.
You may ask why he threw the can in the first place. Turns out I was going too slow for him. Yes, I was in the left lane, but there was a ton of traffic, and I was chugging along at 70-75mph, with a car not too far ahead of me. He decides to get his car about 2 feet behind my bumper (and it was that close). I hit the brake light and he just goes berserk! Maybe there was a reason his can of pop was almost empty.
The popular opinion is that it has become a tool to place blame for so called "road rage."
All you so called self righteous LLC (left lane campers) or those that have the feeling that "I will hold the left lane position till they pry the steering wheel from my cold dead hands" should remember that driving should be FUN !? On long trips nothing keeps you more awake than passing and yielding to another/other vehicle/s going your same way, sort of like porpoises playing!? I mean why do folks want to alienate others that can possibly aid you down the road? I mean I usually wave at folks that let me by following the "Keep Right Except to Pass " principle. I in turn, move out of cars in range coming up on me! Pretty simple and easy stuff if you ask me.
target3 can correct me if I read it wrong, but what he described was a scenario in which he was on a road with three lanes full of traffic. He was in the left lane in a string of cars, all trying to pass, i.e., he was following a car who was also passing. The moron behind was yet another car who was trying to pass. We all agree that the lead car should get it over with and move over. But why should target3 have to move over just because one impatient nitwit wants to move up one slot? Why not wait until the kinley at the head of the line moves over so that the entire string can pass, and clear the bottleneck.
The nitwit needs to learn to look at the bigger picture. As a road fills up and approaches capacity, traffic slows down. He needs to learn to just deal with it. I also would have been angry at the guy following too close behind, but I doubt I'd have brake tested him.
Depending on circumstances, I would be inclined to yield to that "moron"'s position anyway. I would have assumed that he could see the long line of cars in front of me.
In other words, even if you are driving the speed limit and think everyone else should be too, it is not your place to plant yourself in the left lane and make them young whippersnappers slow down to a respecable speed. Traffic enforcement is the job of police, not retired insurance agents.
"When someone is driving behind you and wants to go faster than you're going, pull over"
Whoa, that means yield to faster cars regardless of whether they're doing the speed limit or not.
"Don't challenge aggressive drivers. Avoid them at all costs. Take an unintended turn or highway exit to get away from someone who may be targeting you."
In other words don't force speeders and aggressive drivers to slow down and travel in large congested packs of cars. If you force them to stay beside you or behind you, you will likely share in their fate if the unexpected happens, and their accident will become your accident. Let them go ahead to meet their own fate further down the road and away from you, whatever that may be.
And all this posted by someone who advocates blocking the left lane in order to force other drivers whose speed you deem unacceptable to slow down to your own pace. Did you read all of this article before you posted it? Are you just posting it to list all the things you yourself don't believe in doing?
Yes, I drive the left lane because it is smoother and because the 18 wheelers are in the other lanes passing each other so by staying in the left lane I don't have to mess with them. When traveling slower than the limit, I'm not in the left lane. The speed limit is just that, the limit and if you agree to not exceed the speed limit you can travel in any lane. Point is, the left lane is not to be used as a high speed alley for law breakers for which there is no logic to support their behavior.
As far as the brake check goes, I don't give a crap - I would do it again. That guy put my life directly in danger due to his tailgating. I did not actually start to brake, but just showed the lights.
ruking1 - if I am in the left lane, I will be doing 10-20 mph over the limit. At that rate, I am not too concerned about pulling over so someone else can do 25-30 over the limit. If that person wants to go faster, there will be plenty of opportunities for the person to pull to the right, jack it up to 85-90 for a moment, and go around me. To say my driving is the problem is somewhat hypocrytical, as technically, both myself and the other driver are in the wrong. This is the case not only because of not following the law, but also because of the fact that most of the people will come up directly behind me in the left lane when the right lane is open, so they are technically LLC'ers as well.
By the way, I only tend to hold the left lane at 75mph in the city, were there is lots of traffic (much of it slower) anyway. As soon as I get out of town (& traffic), I will ALWAYS move to the right once I have passed a vehicle.
Is that the "rules" are too many to follow or is it a form of elitism?
Also the way I see the "Keep Right Except to Pass" law/rule/ principle is that the only lane that "defacto" is permitted to "camp" is the extreme right hand lane. This is obvious on a two lane (same direction) and on a two lane highway (one lane each way, painfully obvious) BUT there are no exception laws when on a multiple lane highway!! 1,2,3, or up to 4 and 5 lanes !!! So by rarely enforced law, if someone comes up on you in the #2 lane in a multiple lane highway, you should by all rights move to the number three lane to move out of the way. Remember the law is "Keep Right Except to Pass", or some say "Slower Traffic Keep Right"
#827
Ah so others are LLC's if they are in front of you going slower than you? But you are not a LLC if someone wants to get by you? (Hypocrite does come to mind)Again Keep Right Except to Pass!!?? Does the law say: YOU are an exception because you are going 10-15 mph above the limit and since you are you are exempt and it is ok to make the gib (guy in back go around)? If so you are reading what is not in the law.
No not at all. The wrong laws are being enforced!! The truth is most everyone except those that get caught, know the real score. (can we all say revenue enhancement?)
2. I'm following an expedition on state 4 way highway with divider lane for turning. the speed limit is 40 and we are doing about that. all the sudden the expedition sways (and I mean sways as in vertical inbalance) left and uses the turning lane to pass the car in front of it.
One of the things that I "live" by is what I call "if they are advertising, I am paying attention." VERY seldom does a driver make a single mistake that results in the worst case, a catastrophic accident. The truth is that it is more like three, four, five, and six. SO when I see another driver advertising how dumb he or she is, I assume they are until they prove me wrong and I ALWAYS leave myself an out. Essentially this is how the police catch "speeders" the "speeders" are situationally unaware.
I have quite literally seen situationally aware drivers shoot by me at between 110-130 mph with a Highway Patrol leisurely getting on the on ramp. You might be tempted to say that they were going so fast that the Highway Patrol didn't see them. BUT The squad car pulled off at the next off ramp.
" I was going 10-20 miles an hour over the limit and wasn't concerned about anyone trying to pass me" . Just what bizarre form of logic is that ?
I once had a little fun with a LLC. There was almost no traffic on I 495 around Wash DC. He would not move out of the left lane. I was driving an Olds 442 at the time. It did 0-60 in about
4 1/2 seconds. It chirped the tires at 110 when I would slam 4th under max acceleration. I got in the right lane next to him and kept there. His exit was coming up and no matter if he slowed or tried to accelerate by me, I held him in the left lane. I finally let him out the airport exit. That would be a 45 minute to an hour round trip. I have the same opinion about that event you do about your brake check.
I am sure you can see that the so called "clustering" invites a greater chance of misjudgement, i.e. leading to an accident or multiple car accidents. To the extent you are comfortable in a cluster situation, yeah you can LLC. Me? I have already posted what I would probably do.
Works that way everywhere, all the time. Why is this even being discussed? LLCing is when a driver stays in the left lane, even when not passing, and will not yield. If he's passing, assuming a reasonable closing speed, it's not LLCing.
"Are we ALL supposed to get over and leave the left lane empty for the single fastest car? No, we take turns, pass and then get over."
Most of us don't do it now when conditions are idea, so why would I expect you all to change your behavior? (If we all did that, there would be a whole lot more orderly forward progress!)
Cars do cluster, of course. Some people seem to have a desire for company, or something. Even nearly empty roads will have clusters of cars - packs. We faster drivers are often faced with having to get through a pack. Often that means several faster cars will be lined up in the left lane passing the slower cars. That is not an LLC, just a line of cars passing.
:-)
"But in heavy traffic, quite often the left lane is completely full of cars, all of whom are passing a line in the right (or center) lane at 5-10 mph faster than their speed. That's not clustering, it's passing. The road's full - all lanes - completely full."
What about going nowhere at bumper to bumper traffic and lower/ reduced speed doesn't anyone understand? You are correct, WE are not talking of that. From your quote, I take it that YOU are talking about it.
Getting back to the point, the other thing that could be happening is that some folks will not yield the #1 or left lane unless you are curiously "TAILGATING" THEM !!?? Why? I have neither the time nor inclination to find out. I personally do not like to tail gate so I usually start the pass on the right at a legal(safe) distance behind them.
My god, Kinley. Have you no shame?
AAARGH!