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Old 06-20-2016, 09:44 PM
 
11,656 posts, read 7,787,734 times
Reputation: 9755

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There's just some things about Atlanta and suburban drivers that I absolutely cannot stand so I'm going to make a thread about it, hopefully some of you on the road will be influenced by it.

Right Turn On Red:
  • It's NOT mandatory: I don't care if absolutely no one is coming. If there's a blind spot and I can't see whats coming, I'm not going. Sitting on your horn will not make me turn any sooner either, however; I can be polite enough to sit there through the green phase until the light turns yellow so you can sit there for the next red light ...
  • A Complete Stop is necessary before proceeding in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES unless there's a sign of which states "Keep Moving" That means yes, even if the sign says "Yield" and its controlled by a traffic signal, you still have to come to a complete stop, otherwise it's considered running a red light. Don't believe me? Look up the Georgia law.
  • If you come to a traffic light with a right turn arrow, even if there is not a "No Turn on Red" sign present, if you make a right turn on a red right turn arrow, you just ran a red light.
  • Stop yielding to left turners. They do NOT have the right of way over right turners UNLESS they have a green left turn arrow. Otherwise they must yield to ALL oncoming traffic, turning or not. If YOU'RE making the left turn and hit a car making a right turn, you are at fault.
  • Get off the cellphone, stop rolling through the light, and stop for people making U-Turns who have the right of way (green light)

The Highway:
  • Get off the phone, put Netflix down, wake up, and get out of the LEFT LANE. This has become such an issue that the state had to make a law about this.
  • Passing in the right lanes is not only discouraged, but also illegal.
  • No, my turn signal does not mean its okay to speed up for 1/4th of a mile back to hurry up and block me into a closing lane.
  • Speeding is one thing, but if you're going to be in such a hurry PLEASE know where the heck you're going and not wait until 1/16th of a mile before your exit to cut across 8 lanes of interstate to barely make your exit.
  • If you do the above anyway, it's OKAY to go to the next exit and turn around versus causing a major pileup. It CAN happen to you. 100 people die per month on our roads.
  • Those things on the sides of your car, yes..those things ever since the 70's they've deemed so important they actually started putting them on BOTH SIDES OF YOUR CAR so you wouldn't have any excuses... You can talk to them and ask them who the fairest driver of them all is, but since you won't see your face you will be displeased to find it wont be you, because you never check them... check your mirrors periodically, not just when you want to merge.
  • Slow Down... I know the speed limit is 70 MPH in the suburban areas (biggest mistake Georgia has made in my opinion) but these places you're going, good chance you've been there 1,000 times before, and good chance that they will still be there 1,000 times ever more ..there is nothing new under the sun and no reason to risk your life, or anyone else to get anyplace "quicker" and besides unless you're really mashing it, the time difference will be negligible, if maybe 2 minutes tops because traffic light synchronization.
  • Be aware of your surroundings, once again that actually means you may have to wait before calling or texting. Things happen very quick on the highway.
  • Once again, don't be that dude in the left lane doing 55 in a 70... If you're in the HOV lane or HOT lane and traffic is MOVING and you don't feel like at least keeping up with the flow, get OUT of the express lane.
  • Anytime at all that you rear end someone, it is ALWAYS your fault regardless of the circumstance with the one exception that you may be able to prove that the accident was intentionally created by the victim, which will be difficult to prove without video evidence.

Intersections:
  • Be smart and look both ways before proceeding through an intersection, regardless if it has a traffic light or not. SO many accidents at intersections could be avoided by this instead of people trusting in a traffic light. The light is there to determine right of way but its not going to add any braking power to that 18 wheeler semi who wasn't paying attention and plows into the intersection. It peeves me how many people just stomp on the gas as soon as the light turns green, asking to be smashed by a early red light runner.
  • If you're in the suburbs, take alittle more time before proceeding into a right turn on red, or even on green. Pedestrians are RARE but they still exist. Watch out for them.
  • It's illegal to change lanes in an intersection.
  • If you're making a right on red and the guy in front of you doesn't go, you're breaking the law by blowing at him. Only when the light is green may you possibly be able to legally get away with it. Technically you are attempting to direct traffic which is illegal.
  • ANY intersection with an traffic light with an arrow pointing in the general direction means its illegal to turn or proceed in that direction on red. Means you must wait till it turns green before making a left turn, or even a right turn.
  • If you're about to merge onto a street via a right turn please don't jump right in-front of me. I won't hesitate to plow into you.
  • If you're about to miss your turn and you have cars behind you (read above about frequently checking your mirrors) please don't slam on your brakes and risk getting ME rear ended by the guy who's tailgating me while you turn along your merry way, its OKAY to make U-Turns.
  • For the love of God, PLEASE TURN YOUR RADIO DOWN! I do NOT care about what slim shady did with Eminem for his 30th birthday on that 8 mile road.

Railroad Crossings:
  • Busses and Hazmat Vehicles MUST stop before crossing these. It's the law. Be prepared to stop or you may also find yourself victem of the law.
  • Dont...just...don't try to beat the train. They are coming much faster than they appear and many modern locamotives are able to pace cars even on the interstate, meaning they're able to travel at about 80 MPH... if you get in a tie with a locamotive, the locamotive will win.
  • Just because you drive an SUV, doesn't mean the car infront of you doesnt have to slow down for these. They do.. and yes you will be at fault for rear ending him.

I'm sure there's countless more but I had to vent.

Last edited by Need4Camaro; 06-20-2016 at 09:59 PM..
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Old 06-20-2016, 11:36 PM
 
5,633 posts, read 5,313,627 times
Reputation: 3855
Quote:
Originally Posted by Need4Camaro View Post
[*]It's NOT mandatory: I don't care if absolutely no one is coming. If there's a blind spot and I can't see whats coming, I'm not going. Sitting on your horn will not make me turn any sooner either, however; I can be polite enough to sit there through the green phase until the light turns yellow so you can sit there for the next red light ...
Someone laid on their horn for me today when I didn't turn right at a "No Turn On Red" sign. I didn't go until he light was green. I'm not risking a ticket for your ass.

However, I do get angry and will honk if someone isn't turning right on red when there is full visibility. I won't lay on th horn, but I'll give a quick toot.

Quote:
[*]A Complete Stop is necessary before proceeding in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES unless there's a sign of which states "Keep Moving" That means yes, even if the sign says "Yield" and its controlled by a traffic signal, you still have to come to a complete stop, otherwise it's considered running a red light. Don't believe me? Look up the Georgia law.
Where would you have a yield sign and a traffic signal?

Quote:
[*]Stop yielding to left turners. They do NOT have the right of way over right turners UNLESS they have a green left turn arrow. Otherwise they must yield to ALL oncoming traffic, turning or not. If YOU'RE making the left turn and hit a car making a right turn, you are at fault.
What's curious, are intersections like this one. Moore's Mill at I-75. The right turners have a yield sign. The only thing they would have to yield to would be left turners. So, do the left turners have right-of-way here, or only when they have an arrow? It seems for the most part, the right turners yield at this intersection.

Now, here's an even more messed up intersection. When coming eastbound or southbound, you get a stop sign which says "All Way", which leads you to believe you treat the intersection as a 3-way-stop. However, those coming westbound, which only have the option to turn right going northbound, have a Yield sign, not a stop sign as you would expect. This creates a lot of issues every time I have driven here, which was daily for a while. Most drivers treat it as a stop, but some do not.

Quote:
[*]Passing in the right lanes is not only discouraged, but also illegal.
Well, if someone is going well below the speed limit in the left lane, does that mean all traffic must slow down to that person's speed? Sorry, I pass on the right all the time if some douchecanoe is going slow in the left lane.

Quote:
[*]No, my turn signal does not mean its okay to speed up for 1/4th of a mile back to hurry up and block me into a closing lane.
I f***ing HATE these people.

Quote:
[*]Speeding is one thing, but if you're going to be in such a hurry PLEASE know where the heck you're going and not wait until 1/16th of a mile before your exit to cut across 8 lanes of interstate to barely make your exit.
I think this is a game. It's so frequent, it's not even funny. I saw someone tonight turn on his right blinker about half a mile before the exit, stay in the middle lane even though no one was in the right lane, then suddenly dart over at the very last second to make the exit.

I've also watched someone come to a complete stop in the middle lane and turn on their blinker, waiting for a chance to exit.

Quote:
Intersections:
Dude! You left out "flashing yellow lights are NOT STOPS!!!!" A flashing yellow light means slow down and proceed with caution, but you do not have to stop. Stopping actually creates a more unsafe situation!


And then my other favorite...you do not have to come to a full and complete stop at every speed bump, then go over at at 0.3 MPH. Your car will not fall apart if you go over it a little faster. Try 5-10 MPH.
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Old 06-21-2016, 12:15 AM
bu2
 
23,845 posts, read 14,619,513 times
Reputation: 12636
Both of you make me laugh.

And Camaro, while you have a lot of good advice and a lot of truth, you DESPERATELY need to chill and get a vacation from the roads!!!!
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Old 06-21-2016, 12:20 AM
 
11,656 posts, read 7,787,734 times
Reputation: 9755
Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
Someone laid on their horn for me today when I didn't turn right at a "No Turn On Red" sign. I didn't go until he light was green. I'm not risking a ticket for your ass.

However, I do get angry and will honk if someone isn't turning right on red when there is full visibility. I won't lay on th horn, but I'll give a quick toot.
I typically go when I can and it feels safe, there is another thing about this though, I won't go if there is traffic other lanes than the far right lane or the lane Im turning into. Too many people change lanes in intersections and unfortunately if they hit you, its your fault. Anytime you make a right turn on red, although its legal, you're agreeing to liability of any accident that may ensue from it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
Where would you have a yield sign and a traffic signal?
They're all over the place, gaurding right turners. You just showed me one in your next quote

Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
What's curious, are intersections like this one. Moore's Mill at I-75. The right turners have a yield sign. The only thing they would have to yield to would be left turners. So, do the left turners have right-of-way here, or only when they have an arrow? It seems for the most part, the right turners yield at this intersection.
The yield sign is there to re-inforce the red light and remind drivers that even though its a slip lane, because it does not merge into its own lane that you must still yield to right of way. The traffic light controls the right of way however. Meaning the only time you must if you're turning right yield is if left turners have a green arrow, however; otherwise left turners MUST yield to ALL oncoming traffic (which is typically posted near a passive left turn signal) thus if they turn into you while you're making a right, they turned into oncoming traffic - the yield sign means explicitly to yield to right of way, it does not DETERMINE who has right of way, the traffic light determines that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
Now, here's an even more messed up intersection. When coming eastbound or southbound, you get a stop sign which says "All Way", which leads you to believe you treat the intersection as a 3-way-stop. However, those coming westbound, which only have the option to turn right going northbound, have a Yield sign, not a stop sign as you would expect. This creates a lot of issues every time I have driven here, which was daily for a while. Most drivers treat it as a stop, but some do not.
I know exactly where this intersection is, right off of I-85 just north of the Pleasantdale Rd exit. Basically here's how this works. Because traffic coming southbound only has the need to turn right to go over the overpass for I-85, to keep traffic as free flowing as possible they didn't deem it necessary to put a stop sign there.

Yield and Stop signs technically are the same thing, Yield being passive allowing you to proceed if the right of way is clear. Stop meaning all traffic must stop. The Yield is telling drivers to treat it as a three way stop if traffic is presently waiting to turn, however; if no one is there you are clear to keep moving.

Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
Well, if someone is going well below the speed limit in the left lane, does that mean all traffic must slow down to that person's speed? Sorry, I pass on the right all the time if some douchecanoe is going slow in the left lane.
I agree with this, this is more so geared toward those who want to zip in and out of every lane on the highway like its some sort of racing simulator at speeds of 80 and 90 MPH


Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
I f***ing HATE these people.
Me too.... ...me very much too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
I think this is a game. It's so frequent, it's not even funny. I saw someone tonight turn on his right blinker about half a mile before the exit, stay in the middle lane even though no one was in the right lane, then suddenly dart over at the very last second to make the exit.

I've also watched someone come to a complete stop in the middle lane and turn on their blinker, waiting for a chance to exit.
I've seen them come to a complete stop in the HOV lane putting their signal on trying to get over causing a huge mess.

Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
Dude! You left out "flashing yellow lights are NOT STOPS!!!!" A flashing yellow light means slow down and proceed with caution, but you do not have to stop. Stopping actually creates a more unsafe situation!
This too, I get very annoyed with this, although I'm alittle more respectable about it at larger intersections with cross traffic waiting to cross through when a traffic light is malfunctioning, I can slightly understand that as cross traffic likely wouldn't ever get a chance to go if they didn't stop.

Quote:
Originally Posted by samiwas1 View Post
And then my other favorite...you do not have to come to a full and complete stop at every speed bump, then go over at at 0.3 MPH. Your car will not fall apart if you go over it a little faster. Try 5-10 MPH.
Yeah. I havent had much an issue with this, but I drive a low car so I have to be very careful with speed bumps or I run the risk of damaging body parts or bottoming out so I tend to go slower over them than most cars.
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Old 06-21-2016, 07:01 AM
 
2,167 posts, read 2,813,058 times
Reputation: 1513
  • Quote:
    Stop yielding to left turners. They do NOT have the right of way over right turners UNLESS they have a green left turn arrow. Otherwise they must yield to ALL oncoming traffic, turning or not. If YOU'RE making the left turn and hit a car making a right turn, you are at fault.
If you are like me and your goal is to avoid an accidents, even if it means not showing everyone who has the right of way whenever possible, this isn't great advice.
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Old 06-21-2016, 07:37 AM
 
Location: Kirkwood
23,726 posts, read 24,689,423 times
Reputation: 5702
Quote:
Originally Posted by Need4Camaro View Post
There's just some things about Atlanta and suburban drivers that I absolutely cannot stand so I'm going to make a thread about it, hopefully some of you on the road will be influenced by it.

Right Turn On Red:
  • It's NOT mandatory: I don't care if absolutely no one is coming. If there's a blind spot and I can't see whats coming, I'm not going. Sitting on your horn will not make me turn any sooner either, however; I can be polite enough to sit there through the green phase until the light turns yellow so you can sit there for the next red light ...
  • A Complete Stop is necessary before proceeding in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES unless there's a sign of which states "Keep Moving" That means yes, even if the sign says "Yield" and its controlled by a traffic signal, you still have to come to a complete stop, otherwise it's considered running a red light. Don't believe me? Look up the Georgia law.
  • If you come to a traffic light with a right turn arrow, even if there is not a "No Turn on Red" sign present, if you make a right turn on a red right turn arrow, you just ran a red light.
  • Stop yielding to left turners. They do NOT have the right of way over right turners UNLESS they have a green left turn arrow. Otherwise they must yield to ALL oncoming traffic, turning or not. If YOU'RE making the left turn and hit a car making a right turn, you are at fault.
  • Get off the cellphone, stop rolling through the light, and stop for people making U-Turns who have the right of way (green light)

The Highway:
  • Get off the phone, put Netflix down, wake up, and get out of the LEFT LANE. This has become such an issue that the state had to make a law about this.
  • Passing in the right lanes is not only discouraged, but also illegal.
  • No, my turn signal does not mean its okay to speed up for 1/4th of a mile back to hurry up and block me into a closing lane.
  • Speeding is one thing, but if you're going to be in such a hurry PLEASE know where the heck you're going and not wait until 1/16th of a mile before your exit to cut across 8 lanes of interstate to barely make your exit.
  • If you do the above anyway, it's OKAY to go to the next exit and turn around versus causing a major pileup. It CAN happen to you. 100 people die per month on our roads.
  • Those things on the sides of your car, yes..those things ever since the 70's they've deemed so important they actually started putting them on BOTH SIDES OF YOUR CAR so you wouldn't have any excuses... You can talk to them and ask them who the fairest driver of them all is, but since you won't see your face you will be displeased to find it wont be you, because you never check them... check your mirrors periodically, not just when you want to merge.
  • Slow Down... I know the speed limit is 70 MPH in the suburban areas (biggest mistake Georgia has made in my opinion) but these places you're going, good chance you've been there 1,000 times before, and good chance that they will still be there 1,000 times ever more ..there is nothing new under the sun and no reason to risk your life, or anyone else to get anyplace "quicker" and besides unless you're really mashing it, the time difference will be negligible, if maybe 2 minutes tops because traffic light synchronization.
  • Be aware of your surroundings, once again that actually means you may have to wait before calling or texting. Things happen very quick on the highway.
  • Once again, don't be that dude in the left lane doing 55 in a 70... If you're in the HOV lane or HOT lane and traffic is MOVING and you don't feel like at least keeping up with the flow, get OUT of the express lane.
  • Anytime at all that you rear end someone, it is ALWAYS your fault regardless of the circumstance with the one exception that you may be able to prove that the accident was intentionally created by the victim, which will be difficult to prove without video evidence.

Intersections:
  • Be smart and look both ways before proceeding through an intersection, regardless if it has a traffic light or not. SO many accidents at intersections could be avoided by this instead of people trusting in a traffic light. The light is there to determine right of way but its not going to add any braking power to that 18 wheeler semi who wasn't paying attention and plows into the intersection. It peeves me how many people just stomp on the gas as soon as the light turns green, asking to be smashed by a early red light runner.
  • If you're in the suburbs, take alittle more time before proceeding into a right turn on red, or even on green. Pedestrians are RARE but they still exist. Watch out for them.
  • It's illegal to change lanes in an intersection.
  • If you're making a right on red and the guy in front of you doesn't go, you're breaking the law by blowing at him. Only when the light is green may you possibly be able to legally get away with it. Technically you are attempting to direct traffic which is illegal.
  • ANY intersection with an traffic light with an arrow pointing in the general direction means its illegal to turn or proceed in that direction on red. Means you must wait till it turns green before making a left turn, or even a right turn.
  • If you're about to merge onto a street via a right turn please don't jump right in-front of me. I won't hesitate to plow into you.
  • If you're about to miss your turn and you have cars behind you (read above about frequently checking your mirrors) please don't slam on your brakes and risk getting ME rear ended by the guy who's tailgating me while you turn along your merry way, its OKAY to make U-Turns.
  • For the love of God, PLEASE TURN YOUR RADIO DOWN! I do NOT care about what slim shady did with Eminem for his 30th birthday on that 8 mile road.

Railroad Crossings:
  • Busses and Hazmat Vehicles MUST stop before crossing these. It's the law. Be prepared to stop or you may also find yourself victem of the law.
  • Dont...just...don't try to beat the train. They are coming much faster than they appear and many modern locamotives are able to pace cars even on the interstate, meaning they're able to travel at about 80 MPH... if you get in a tie with a locamotive, the locamotive will win.
  • Just because you drive an SUV, doesn't mean the car infront of you doesnt have to slow down for these. They do.. and yes you will be at fault for rear ending him.

I'm sure there's countless more but I had to vent.
Also, to build on the right turn on red, if the vehicle does not have green arrow, it must yield to pedestrians in crosswalk. Also, when making a right turn please double check your right mirror to watch out for any cyclists or pedestrians that could get right hooked.
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Old 06-21-2016, 08:37 AM
 
145 posts, read 166,758 times
Reputation: 483
Let me add this one. Left turn on a blinking yellow arrow.
I will -only- go if I believe it's safe and don't have to dart through the intersection just barely making it. There is one at Hwy 92 southbound turning left/south onto Trickum Rd where the oncoming traffic has two turn lanes and two through lanes. It's impossible to see around the turn lanes with cars still in them. Very dangerous area, and I have seen several turning cars almost hit by cars going straight through.
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Old 06-21-2016, 10:23 AM
 
31,993 posts, read 36,511,561 times
Reputation: 13254
Quote:
Originally Posted by Need4Camaro View Post
There's just some things about Atlanta and suburban drivers that I absolutely cannot stand so I'm going to make a thread about it, hopefully some of you on the road will be influenced by it.

Right Turn On Red:
  • It's NOT mandatory: I don't care if absolutely no one is coming. If there's a blind spot and I can't see whats coming, I'm not going. Sitting on your horn will not make me turn any sooner either, however; I can be polite enough to sit there through the green phase until the light turns yellow so you can sit there for the next red light ...
[Edited for brevity].
These are great, thank you.

I especially like this right turn thing. I'm not going to turn if I can't clearly see what's coming from the left or if there are pedestrians who look like they are getting ready to cross.

What is with people these days with their rudeness and impatience? We'll get along better if people can simply wait a few seconds and show some courtesy.

The fact is that they'll get there just as quickly anyway. How many times have you seen somebody speeding, cutting people off, etc., only to find them sitting next to you at the next traffic light?

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Old 06-21-2016, 10:51 AM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
9,830 posts, read 7,166,359 times
Reputation: 7767
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people drive 25 MPH over the speed limit (or more) on the highway, which for me is usually 400 north. They're swerving in and out of lanes doing 90+ while everyone else is doing around 70, they're riding 2 inches from people's rear bumpers, changing lanes back and forth into tight spaces between cars.

For what? How much time did you save? A couple minutes maybe? Not worth it to endanger people's lives like that. Just leave earlier!

Always be a few seconds back from the car in front of you, at those high speeds. I wish cops would catch these people.
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Old 06-21-2016, 11:17 AM
 
Location: Kirkwood
23,726 posts, read 24,689,423 times
Reputation: 5702
Quote:
Originally Posted by primaltech View Post
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people drive 25 MPH over the speed limit (or more) on the highway, which for me is usually 400 north. They're swerving in and out of lanes doing 90+ while everyone else is doing around 70, they're riding 2 inches from people's rear bumpers, changing lanes back and forth into tight spaces between cars.

For what? How much time did you save? A couple minutes maybe? Not worth it to endanger people's lives like that. Just leave earlier!

Always be a few seconds back from the car in front of you, at those high speeds. I wish cops would catch these people.
Those people need to have their DL permanently revoked. That is selfish behavior and puts everyone at risk.
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