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You can configure today's 3 mirror system so you can approach this view. You can see to the immediate left and right lanes, in addition to the conventional rear view mirror angles. Click and Clack has a web site that describes the set up procedure in better detail than I can. http://cartalk.cars.com/Columns/mirrors.html
Imadaz (2154) I agree, and said it in an earlier post, that if the quest is absolute fastest way to get from A to B, then I would get there faster by not using any form of lane discipline, however, I kinda like a degree of predictability on the highways. And if I flash you and you don't move over, I will go around you, however at least now I know that you know where I am. The irony is that if I am passing on the right, and you move over, with or without signal, in many states and countries I am at least partially responsible.
Well, get this. I was in the left lane, and both times, they jigged over from the right lane and hit me. Umm? Excuse me? There's NO SUCH THING as a blind spot on your left side!! The first one was a Dodge Ram pickup, regular cab, long bed. My Dart creased the entire side of his bed, nice and deep. Damage to my car? it put a dent in the fender ahead of the wheel, that I was able to mostly pop out with my fist. And it shifted the bumper just a little to the left.
And just to show what a dolt this guy was, as he came over, it's not like he stopped his maneuver the moment we touched...and yes, I was laying into the horn the whole time. No, he went on to push me off into a left turn lane!
The second time, a Toyota Tacoma tried cutting over in front of me, quickly enough that when he hit me it actually bounced him back into his own lane! That little dent I pounded out? Well, I had to do it again. His rear quarter (I guess you'd still call it that on a pickup?) was caved in pretty nicely.
The last time I had one of these predicaments was probably the most flagrant of all, although thankfully this time, I didn't get hit. I was driving my '89 Gran Fury, which screams "police car", because it WAS a police car! Well, just by their nature, police cars are very visible vehicles out on the road. And this was at a time when M-bodies were still very prevalent as police cars. Anyway, this Olds Bravada merges onto the highway (not really a limited access road, like an interstate, but a 4-lane divided, with cross traffic. I was in the right lane, running with my headlights on because it was misting. As I see this Bravada go to merge on, I get into the left lane.
Well, just as I'm right beside her, she decided to come on over into the left lane! I lay into the horn and slow down, but she keeps on coming over! So I hit the brakes, as she comes completely over into my lane.
So I pull up beside her on the right, just shaking my head in disgust at her, and she just throws up her hands in that stupid, helpless "what can I do about it" gesture that people love to do after they've done something so blatantly stupid.
And the thing I just can't figure out, is why, WHY did she have to get in the left lane right then and there? There wasn't a left turn for quite some time, and there was no other traffic on the road. I think that's the thing that bugs me the most about people, when they do something so completely illogical, that there was no need whatsoever for!
Another one I love is when people try to start passing on the right, but there's no way in hell they could possibly hope to make any advance. Sometimes, when I'm out on a long stretch of highway, I'll see the same idiot try this manuever 5 or 6 times. Traffic in the left lane will be slowly overtaking traffic in the right lane, but every single time they see an opening to the right, they'll get over there, but not have enough room to speed up to cut back over in front of anybody. In fact, sometimes 2 or 3 cars get past them in the left lane by the time they get back over, so they're actually LOSING their place in line!
Enjoy the season, your families, your friends. And be safe.
There are very few considerate speeders who do not also tailgate. In my drive Christmas Eve from Columbus to Cincinnati and back, total distance 240 miles, I was harassed several times by tailgating speeders who got within about six feet of my rear bumper while I am doing 70+ in the left lane - and I am not camping there, I am passing other traffic in the right lane. After I moved over, or for one extremely impatient young lady in a Jetta, after she whipped it over 2 lanes and blasted around me and the other traffic, they all proceeded to race up behind the next car ahead blocking their way. This is typical speeder behavior I have observed time and time again.
I did pass a few cars on the right, who were moving a little slower than me and showed no sign of getting over. I didnt ride their bumper, flash my lights, or veer all over the lane while behind them. I just waited until I determined they were not moving over, and instead of attempting to hold a class in driver training conducted via light flashes or gestures, I moved to the right and went by.
The sight that made my day was a white Kia SUV recieving a ticket, who had gone by me doing 80 about 20 miles back.
The thing I hate is when I'm ready to move over to the right lane somebody behind me in the left lane wants to switch to the right lane and pass me because they can't wait for me to get over. One night I was ready to move over to the right lane and this person in their 01 or 02 Mazda Protege passed me on the right. I was really mad. I was doing them a favor by moving over and letting them pass me but they couldn't wait for me to move over. Come on. I beeped the horn I was just mad. I think they knew it. That person must have been doing 70 mph in a 55 mph zone. I was doing 55 to 60. I was clearing traffic and I could see the Mazda coming up behind me real fast. Try to move over but some people are just flat out impatient.
I think this way because the only time I have near misses in traffic is when some Left Lane Camper has created a rolling traffic jam in which Im stuck between people falling asleep and wandering in their lanes and other impatient people swerving through traffic to get away.
When I am free and clear to move past everyone else doing 10-20 mph faster, I never have problems. Im there, then Im gone, leaving other cell phone talking, magazine reading incompetents to endanger someone else. The only near accidents I ever had were when I was next to other vehicles for more than a few minutes. The lesson? Minimize the amount of time Im next to other cars.
This exact situation happened last night. Im in the middle lane going with the flow because the idiot on the left is matching speeds with the van in the middle lane. NExt thing I know the van tries to change lanes directly into the car on his right because he got so frustrated that he couldnt pass on the left. Behind me I had people crossing 2-3 lanes of traffic to swerve through the clump and find daylight. My life is in danger because on idiot doesn't know how to pass quickly and move over. So your darned right I got a little obnixous to make him move over and let me out of that pack of airheads.
And by the way...as for the Mazda, not making excuses, but sometimes if the middle lane is clear, I wont wait for the LLC to get over. It's been my experience that they usually dont so I never count on it. HAlf the time when I sit back and wait patiently they dont move over, and I loose my chance as the gap closes and I have to wait while they pass another car at a .00005 mph speed differential. So yes, if i see day light, Ill blow by at 85 rather than give them the benefit of the doubt and wait for them to do the right thing.
An obvious drunk was weaving all over the lane in front of the ambulance, so the other EMT in the ambulance called the State Police on the cell phone. The dispatcher patched him through to a trooper who was a half mile behind him. The trooper said he knew about the drunk, but could not get through traffic to stop him.
Jeremy said that maybe he could help. He turned on the lights and siren, sure enough the drunk pulled over. A minute later the tropper pulled up in his cruiser and approached the drunk. He asked the drunk if he knew who he stopped for. The drunk did not believe it was an ambulance. Jeremy and the other EMT left their names and contact info in case they were needed as witnesses, but were never called.
Harry
Oh, and I saw some real winners today, all on I-78. Moderate traffic in the right and middle lanes, doing 70 or so in the right lane and 75-80 in the middle, with the left mostly empty. After dark.
Guy in the middle lane doing 45 or so with only his running lights on, no headlights. Guy who merges onto the road, more or less matching speeds with right lane traffic who then moves into the middle lane and slams on the brakes. A third guy who was driving in the left lane, at exactly the speed limit with his high beams on (you know you're special when you have *2* lanes of traffic passing you on the right). The brights were a nice, special touch.
Sometimes it amazes me that these people survive.
My DRL rant is people who MUST think that they have automatic headlights and run with only DRL's on at night. No way can they see as well as if their actual headlights were on... but I'm sure they thought about it and know that this "safety feature" is protecting them without having to do anything.
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Post 2162 commented on minimizing time with other cars. I try to pass everybody I need to pass and then move over to the right lane so other people can clear if they are going faster than me. When the Mazda passed me the road was 2 lanes.
One time I was sitting in the back seat of my parents car we were coming back home and this guy in his acura Integra in the left lane on I-95 in VA had his brake lights on every minute tailgating the driver in front of him. Whatever happened to leaving space between you and the car in front of you? Those rules don't seem to apply ion I-95 in VA and MD or on the NJ turnpike.
I can't stand people who pass on the right on a 2 lane road in a big pack of traffic. Its like they want to sling shot pass you(move over to the right to pass you and the once they pass you go back to the left and pass traffic on the right.)
If it's blowing a blizzard, and the freeway is awful, and there is only one clear lane, then I am staying in that lane, I am driving at a speed I think is safe, and NO monster truck 2 inches from my rear bumper can persuade me otherwise.
BTW, does owning an SUV or pickup automatically give one the right to drive over the speed limit during snowstorms? Actually, are you REQUIRED to speed during a snowstorm if you own an SUV/pickup?
Just wondering.
Yesterday I was passenger in a car. I saw a 92-93 Accord in the middle lane(3 lane interstate I-78 in Central NJ.) I saw a Tahoe coming at the Accord's bumper real fast. The Accord didn't even move out of the way. The right lane was clear for like 10 miles. To me you have to move over to the right lane when you clear all your traffic.
1 ) Motorcycles do not have any head light "off" switches. They are wired in the "on " position'
2) I have seen many drivers with DRL equipped cars , who never turn on the head lights. They have no rear lights on at night. They are a menace and totally clueless about it.
3) Those that speed in the snow with an SUV are lead on by the fact that they get easier going in the snow than they did with the car they traded in on the SUV. So naturally if the SUV gets going better, it stops better, too. They forget the SUV weighs more than a car and will take longer to stop.
4) LLC. I have seen many cars in the left lane with no traffic in front of them or to their right.
I hope all LLC's have a miserable New Year and that all their luck is bad. I hope their car is in the shop 8-9 months in 2004.
I don't tailgate SUV Racer on sharp curves when suddenly they have to slow down to 15mph below the limit, so I expect the same courtesy when I'm in my small sporty RWD car in a snowstorm.
Saw a left lane dominator come on the ramp, move quickly to the left 3rd lane, run up behind the SUV in that lane at 80 (SUV was doing 75 carefully in 65 zone), the SUV moved to my lane middle lane, then a half mile ahead or so the red Grand Prix had decided to slow down to 72. The SUV had caught up with her and had to slow down.
After all the kickin' and dominating, she slowed down to a reasonable speed but stayed in the left lane.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I also hate tailgaters with a passion, but not all tailgaters are trucks or SUVs. I've been tailgated many times by young frizzy-haired-chicky-babes or the hat on backwards male teen, usually in their Cavalier, Hyudai or Civic.
And while I'm at it, not all speeders are tailgaters. I have had several who have come up on me real fast while I was in the left lane, (actively passing) and slowed to my speed at a reasonable distance until I cleared the left lane.
Only had a Trailbuster from Wisconsin who rammed up behind me as I passed two cars at 73 mph in 65. I started to do my slow down slowly to let the two cars on the right pass me, as long as I'm doing 65, and then pull in behind them so he could have "HIS" lane again to travel. Then I didn't.
He passed on the right and cut over quickly in front of my almost losing control of the heavy rear on his Trailbuster. Then put on his brakes to show me.
I passed on the right (guess a LeSabre 3800 has more power than a Trailbuster Chevy at full throttle) got beside him. His wife was hiding her face she was so embarrassed. I gave him the old head shake about how dumb he was.
He speed up 800 feet to the next obstruction in the left lane.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Harry
I spent some time in Chicago area. Never, never saw a patrol car on the interstate...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Yes, I've seen idiots in tractor-trailers and had some close calls with aggressive "professional" drivers. but, my personal rules of the road include NEVER to sit next to a t-t on either side, to give them plenty of space and to always yield to them on a merge. And to just pay attention to them and what's going on. You never know when a big rig like that will have to make a sudden maneuver, and I don't want to be in the way.
Trucks change lanes instead of slowing down and cause accidents because cars are in their blind spot... so it's the cars fault??? NOT.
Try driving in any major city on interstates and stay away from trucks on I75 and I70, e.g.
Trucks need to stay at the speed limit, which should be 55 (yeah, I know they bought the legislatures in many states and have 65 and 70 as limits in some). I get tailgated by trucks and that's more intimidating than cars tailgating. I even had a Xerox truck tailgate me in a pouring rain on a 3-lane rural interstate. His hurry?? to get off at the next exit. He didn't like that I was going 55 in the right hand lane...
Trucks should equal careful driving. Cars get to use the highway also. They paid for it.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
"Creepers" - these are the drivers that leave 1-3 car lengths open in front of them when they stop at a stoplight, and then proceed to slowly creep forward for the whole duration of the red light. Eventually I'm forced to creep forward too so there's not a ridiculous gap in front of me. I can never understand why they don't just initially stop a reasonable distance from the car in front of them in the first place. A sub-phenomenon of the creepers are the ones at the front of the line at the stoplight who start creeping into the intersection during the red light, as if they're impatient to get going. Interestingly, when the light turns green these creepers tend to wait the longest before actually moving.
"Barracudas" - named after those fish that follow sharks around looking for leftovers. These drivers look for the person driving fastest on the highway and then follow them about 2-3 car lengths behind, on the theory that a cop would pull over the first car and not them.
If I think of some of the other names I'll post them.
I my home area, I'll speed up then pull into the right hand lane slowing down just at the place where the State Patrol operates laser/radar often..., leaving them exposed and speeding.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
<sigh> Your point, such as it is, is not without truth. There are plenty of bad truck drivers out there and I've seen plenty of bad driving by truck drivers. But, I've seen a lot more bad driving by regular vehicle drivers. The thing I keep in mind is to respect the semi. Whether you want to believe it or not, the blind spots on these things are huge--physics should tell you that. Physics also tells you that the semi cannot practice obstacle avoidance the same as a car or stop in nearly a short a distance as the worst passenger vehicle.
Instead of complaining about how horrible all the trucks in the country are, why not simply pay close attention to them and avoid them when possible? Trust me, no truck driver WANTS to hit you--it might cost him his job. I don't drive a truck, don't know anyone who does, I'm just saying their vehicle isn't the same as mine, so I keep my distance and show my respect to the vehicle, if I can't do that for the driver.
into another lane just because they're careless of they don't
want to slow down to merge over.
Occasionally I've called the safety department. They usually
care. Occasionally it's the owner of a small company who
takes the call.
Truck drivers are professionals. They should drive like such and
not tolerate those who don't drive carefully.
Careless auto drivers is another story; you are right about too many
of our fellow car drivers.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
"Barracudas' are not the fish that follow sharks around for leftovers. Barracudas are predators themselves. They have a mouth that reminds me of a big dog's mouth.
The fish that follow sharks around are "pilot" fish. Remoras attach themselves to the underside of large fish and also eat leftovers.
I used to scuba dive and have seen all these. I was once working on cutting some fishing line from a propellor and saw a pilot fish swarming around me. I was looking all over for a shark, but couldn't find one.
into another lane just because they're careless of they don't
want to slow down to merge over."
Were you just sitting there next to them waiting for it to happen????
Situation: A truck is in the right lane, at the speed limit. He approaches a merge lane into the highway, and we've had plenty of discussion here about merge idiots. Do you want to leave the truck enough room to move over, either to be considerate or because he doesn't want to hit someone who's merging, or do you want to prove a point by sitting next to him on the left and forcing him to slow down?
And how many of us have come upon a LLC who is cruising right next to a semi, at the same speed, about halfway up the length of the trailer, when there is plenty of open road? Is it the truck driver's fault if he blows a tire and loses control and smacks the car when he doesn't have to be there?
In situations where the traffic is heavy, sure, you have to sit next to them. But it is a good idea to watch the entire traffic scenario and be alert.
I'm not excusing truly rude dangerous behavior from truck drivers. A while ago in NE GA on I-85 some cowboy tried to deliberately run me off the road, but I saw it coming and we traded finger gestures and I wouldn't let him. I also reported him to the highway patrol and his company.
4-lane interstate splits into 2 and 2. He merged from lane 2 into lane 3 since it went north to Michigan where he wanted to go, but the right two lanes had been moving a smidgen faster.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
However, even in thick (moving) traffic, I try to avoid ever being next to a truck for extended periods of time. If the car in front of me (in the left lane) is stuck just a few feet in front of the truck(which is in the right lane), then I will wait in the left lane BEHIND the truck, until there is enough room for me to speed up and completely pass the truck.
Of course, while waiting for this hole to open up, the idiot behind me always tailgates impatiently. How DARE I leave a gap of more than one car length in front of me??
You don't get it, do you? If he's merging, surely you could do the courtesy of slowing down or speeding up OR MOVING OVER YOURSELF so he doesn't have to move into your lane and kill you with impunity. Geesh!
Sure, if he's just changing lanes to pass or whatever, that's rude, but think about it and I see this everyday. You are on a 4 lane, divided highway. Ramps merge into the rightmost lane. You are in right lane and semi attempts to merge. Do you a) move to left lane if traffic allows, b) speed up enough for the semi to get behind you (logical since he's already slower than you) or c) slow down to allow the truck in? Does the law require you to any of these things? No. Does common courtesy say you should? Yes. Answer a is probably the best answer, as that provides the truck with room and you don't need to change speeds. You, on the other hand, stay where you are and complain when this truck, which has nowhere else to go, runs into you.
I have no support for your argument when you follow this line of thinking.
4 lanes go in one direction, then two split off for one highway and two split for the main interstate north.
He decided he was in the wrong lane, and just came over. I was alongsize his area because I was going north; he was in the lanes to follow the state route.
Apparently you didn't get my description.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thus in the scenario, I ASSUME that the other car, be it semi or car, MIGHT suddenly decide to change lanes, so I try to steer clear of his potential target lane. Afterall, it's happened to the best of us (having to suddenly change lanes at a split), so I try to anticipate and be proactive rather than reactive.
Always trying to THINK behind the wheel. What am I going to do if something happens? Where are my escape routes? Is it safe to just try and stop or do I have to drive my way out of trouble? (mirror checking)
It's being, or at least TRYING to be aware of the world outside of your onw car and where you want to go.
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One should also try to be aware of where other vehicles may want to go. Points on highways that veer apart at a "Y" and 2 lanes, each of 4, go each way, as the poster above described, are generally dangerous places.
These are what I call "decision points", where some obtuse driver will always be at least 2 full lanes away from where he wants to be. More often than not, they will swing across the 2 lanes as if they are the only one on the road. I suppose this is better than stopping and looking in 60 mph traffic. I have seen both.
I would invite all to drive the I-405 and I-5 split South of Santa Anna, CA. There are about 5 lanes each way North bound. I was there on a business trip.
I make myself computer maps and driving directions which I memorize, before starting out driving on a business trip. I then watch for road signs. Not too difficult.
To me, merge does not equal lane change. I realize now I misinterpreted what you said. For that, I apologize. However, it doesn't change anything in my mind that consider any truck you see to be a hazard first and consider respecting the truck second. In a battle of hard-headed vs just plain hard, the truck wins everytime, so I just keep my distance.
As for staying out of trucks' way, I suggest someone try that on I70 through Ohio as in last night. There were as many trucks running as cars, it seemed.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thou shalt keep thy big rig in the right lane!
I-70 is a MAJOR pathway for freight and this "system" seems to keep both the people and widgets moving right along!
The "inconsiderate" that WERE out there really had no place to go. Some tried to fight their way around each car and move up the road one spot at a time, but since we were going 70+ it really didn't seem worth the effort.
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I have been on I-495 around Indianapolis many many times. I fly into Indianapolis, rent a car and take Ind Rt 37 to Bloomington. I 've been there so many times, the people behind the desk in the motel in Bloomington, recognize me.
In rural Indiana, people drive the speed limits. I stick out like as a tourist at 10-15 over.
But this usually isn't confused out of towners who realized where they were supposed to be only at the last minute. This is jerks who didn't want to be going in the slow line so they remained 2-3 lanes over from where they really needed to be to go as fast as possible to the last possible second. Ironically, things end up taking even more time than they should have for these people and everybody else because of that behavior. This is because at the point where the divide comes up traffic usually slows to a crawl or even a complete stop as the people who were in the lane they needed to be all along have to stop and alternate with the retards who have to come to a complete stop now in the next lane over and block traffic in that lane. And it takes even more time because the last minute lane changers have to wait now for someone who cares more about freeing up the traffic stuck at a-stand still behind them than about blocking them out to punish them for their idiotic behavior. I think they actually count on most drivers taking pity on the people stuck behind them.
For anyone familiar with the area, Im thinking most specifically of where you catch RT 76 from RT 1, and where you do the reverse. This last minute behavior can actually cause traffic jams at times.
As for cruising in truckers' blind spots... it's bad to cruise in ANYBODY'S blind spot. Unfortunately it seems to be a natural subconscious tendency, as if drivers get lonely on the road unless they're cruising next to another car. I see it all the time when behind another vehicle in the left lane. As they're passing, each time they get directly next to another vehicle they let off the gas a little bit and hover there for a split second, whereas they should be SPEEDING UP a bit at that point. To get them to remember that they can hover in blind spots all they want but they will not be allowed to force me to do the same I usually have to move a little closer to get them to continue passing. OR you will see two cars perfectly side by side on a nearly deserted road where there's no reason whatsoever for them to be 'holding hands' I see it there, that invisible magnetic force that can attract the passenger side of one car to the driver's side of another. It's very intriguing to me. I never understood it, and I never felt it myself, but Id like to understand where it comes from one day.
IT's another one of those retarded natural tendencies I see every day. Another one would be when merging, for some reason, nobody likes to stay in the slow lane until they have actually gathered some speed. They prefer to go straight to the middle lane. A car could be approaching in that lane at a 15-20 mph speed differential, but that primal urge to get over one lane immediately is so strong for some reason, people don't seem to care that they're not even at the speed of traffic yet. THis happens every day when I merge onto my section of 95. I actually use it to my advantage. It never fails, there are no other merging lanes for the next 10 miles, no road construction, no severe potholes, no quick left lane exits, no reason whatsoever why one cannot remain in the far right lane. And so of course, it never fails, every car that merges in front of me immediately hops one lane over into the middle lane regardless of how slow they're going, leaving the slow lane open for me to kick it up to 80-85 and blow past the lemmings.
And my last one for this morning before I have to head to work... people who have to pull out of a parking lot and across one lane of traffic to go left. Sometimes rather than wait for a gap like they're supposed to they'll just start coming out and block the traffic on their side of the street in hopes that a car going left will let the idiot in just to free up the cars they were impeding. YEt another group I despise.