Bexar County Road Rage/"Speeding" Crackdown (safer, office)

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

While there is not a specific statute addressing it, changing lanes in an intersection is defined as a "serious traffic violation" under the Texas Transportation Code ("iv. improper or erratic traffic lane change"), and considering Sec. 545.060. DRIVING ON ROADWAY LANED FOR TRAFFIC states that a driver will "(2) not move from the lane unless that movement can be made safely" the local police can and will cite drivers for changing lanes within an intersection.

Unfortunately, like many other aspects of the transportation code, it is not enforced as stringently as it should...

Interesting. However, who's to say if a lane change in an intersection was done "safely"? I posit the argument that you can do the same thing with changing lanes in front of a parking lot where cars are making a right turn onto the road. For aafety reasons, shouldn't I be prevented from changing lanes there?

Whenever I changed lanes within an intersection, it has always been with the utmost safety in mind & I've only done it out of necessity (or the appearance of necessity, as some may describe it) & only if I were sure there would be no deleterious effects.

[OaklandR]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

While there is not a specific statute addressing it, changing lanes in an intersection is defined as a "serious traffic violation" under the Texas Transportation Code ("iv. improper or erratic traffic lane change"), and considering Sec. 545.060. DRIVING ON ROADWAY LANED FOR TRAFFIC states that a driver will "(2) not move from the lane unless that movement can be made safely" the local police can and will cite drivers for changing lanes within an intersection.

Unfortunately, like many other aspects of the transportation code, it is not enforced as stringently as it should...

This came up with a few law enforcement officers I know a while back. They said it wasn't any different from erratic driving anywhere else and that don't cite people unless they caused an accident.

If someone is turning in front of me I will switch lanes in the intersection.

[majormadmax]

Well, obviously if someone changes lanes in an intersection and it either a) causes an accident or b) comes close to causing one and an officer witnesses it, there's a good chance that the driver will be cited for it.

The point is that there is a statute under the Transportation Code that can be used to charge someone for doing so. Texas has some broad laws that are up to interpretation of the witnessing officer and the court.

But while we're on annoyances on our roadways, I had one that is a pretty common occurrence which aggravates me as it is yet another example of how drivers around here are completely unaware of their surroundings. I make a right turn onto 1604 in the mornings and many times I have cars in the right lane who could easily move into the left lane to allow me to safely pull out but for some reason while it is clearly apparent that I am merging out they don't move over.

If I'm going down a multi-lane highway and see someone attempting to merge onto it, I move over a lane to allow them to safely do so if the opportunity allows it. Since I am scanning the area in front of my car most of the time when I am driving, it's usually really easy to see when someone is trying to enter the roadway. Obviously, if traffic is heavy then they're just gonna have to wait (although it isn't uncommon for them to pull out anyway, risking not only their own lives but everyone else on the road as well! ); but if traffic is light and I can move over I do so.

Again, the vast majority of people in this area cannot drive. It's not only about the laws of the road, but common courtesy as well. I guess they're too wrapped up in their highly-important lives to bother with the rest of us...

Cheers! M2

[svg210]

Originally Posted by tortuga29

The tailgaters really dont bother me. If I'm cruising in the middle lane or far right, going with the speed of traffic but really just cruising, they try to get me to go faster. I don't need to. I have more than enough time to get where I need to be and safely. But then I get the ricers and youngun's who try to pull up in their little modded out Civic, Focus, or Kia and try to pull beside me to try and catch my attention to test our cars HP. ( I drive a 2011 Mustang GT, moderately modded) I don't. My car is not a race car. And even if it was, I'll take it to the track and race for REAL. It's funny and scary at the same time. But what reall gets me is lack of blinkers, for anything. People here seem to either be scared of the turn signal or allergic to it's use or something. Jeez!

But yesterday made me kinda happy. I was heading up 410 in the left lane to catch up with traffic after merging from the ramp from I10 and I end up in front of a young looking kid in a Corvette. Apparently not happy with something, he proceeds to weave all through traffic, speeding up and barely missing clipping cars and got in front of me and slowed down to speed limit. Okay, that's cool. I'm not going to worry. So I merge over to a middle lane, set my cruise, and groove along to some Pandora. He pulls back to get side by side with me, reves up, I shook my finger at him in the "No" fashion, he flips me off and then speeds off going 90+ easy. Little did he know, we were in Castle Hills and PD there LOVE to keep an eye out for any fast car. I only know this because as I kept on keeping on, he was on the side of the road with a cruiser behind him. Too bad, soo sad.

I dont know how long you been here, but I dont use my blinkers when changing traffic lanes, Properly signaling your intentions in our hwy is viewed as an act of war to other motorist. They either speed up to block you or flip you off, change lanes and cut you off.

[tortuga29]

Originally Posted by svg210

I dont know how long you been here, but I dont use my blinkers when changing traffic lanes, Properly signaling your intentions in our hwy is viewed as an act of war to other motorist. They either speed up to block you or flip you off, change lanes and cut you off.

Born and raised here but havent lived here prior to last year for a very long time. And I don't mind war. I'm very accustomed to it actually. Besides, I can manage the time to either slow down and get over after they're done throwing their little tantrum or if they're being real "d" bags to get off at the next exit and go around.

[69GSstage1]

Originally Posted by badhornet

I saw a report that said Texas has the worst drivers nationally. Who would have thought

You are not going to get me to disagree. The slow poke in the left lane really gets under my skin. More often than not, I have the luck of being behind the dope who is driving almost 20 miles under the posted speed limit. Also, on undivided roads, the middle lane's only purpose is for turning. It is not an extra lane for traffic!

[majormadmax]

OK, I did a little research and found that, compared to the rest of the country San Antonians are 23.3% more likely to have a collision as compared to the national average.

On average, we have a collision once every 8.1 years (the US average is ten years).

But we are getting better, in 2011 we were ranked 142nd in the nation for good drivers, out of 200. The year prior we were 163rd (Source).

Not great, but not the worst by a long shot...

Cheers! M2

[L210]

At least we have the excuse of being a large city where most people use personal transportation.

[majormadmax]

We're not even in the Top 12, and there are plenty of large cities (with a population over 1 million) that are much worse, to include Houston and Dallas/Ft Worth,,,

(Rank/City/Percentage More Likely to Have an Accident/Years Between Collisions):

155. Houston, Texas 28.7% more likely 7.8
157. Chicago, Ill. 30.0% more likely 7.7
167. Dallas, Texas 32.9% more likely 7.5
171. New York, N.Y. 37.6% more likely 7.3
182. Los Angeles, Ca 50.8% more likely 6.6
188. Philadelphia, Pa. 60.2% more likely 6.2

Only Phoenix and San Diego are better than SA in terms of safety for cities over 1M.

Cheers! M2

[IonRedline08]

On 1604 last night, someone purposely tried to ram me with their SUV... good times!