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Are you taking like pulling onto an on ramp going go the instate? Because your supposed to be going highway speed by the time you get to the highway. Cars on the interstate are supposed to get over so you can merge on safety.
Um, no. Cars that are merging are supposed to merge safely and at the speed of traffic. People already on the freeway shouldn't have to pull over, but they do. I do it, too, for courtesy (large trucks that can't accelerate that fast) and because some idiots just toodle onto the freeway like they're the only ones driving. Also, some freeway entrances only give you about 20 feet to get going and some twist around a curve so you can't even see the traffic as you get on the freeway until you're already on it.
Having said that, in our area we have what is probably the longest on-ramp ever - at least a quarter of a mile. And people STILL drive it at 30mph and merge onto the freeway at that speed. It's a two lane on-ramp for the first part and I've passed cars on it at 60mph (highway speed here).
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I will give a pass to people who are lost. I've been in the situation of trying to find an address many, many times and it's frustrating. I wish the US would enact some sort of law that made it mandatory for all houses and businesses to have their addresses clearly posted with large numbers on every building.
And as for going slower over curvy roads, I'll cut people a pass on that, too. Most of the time, if you go over a curvy road for the first time, you aren't going to know it like the locals do. You also aren't going to know which turns are banked and which ones aren't, which ones have another curve right beyond it, and what might be in front of you.
On our curvy roads (with no shoulders), I've run into people walking, jogging, walking their dogs, biking, and loose dogs, cats, goats, chickens and deer. I've even heard of people coming round the corner and coming eyeball to eyeball with a bear or two. I tend to drive a lot slower down those roads now and pull over when the people behind me can pass safely. Let them deal with the fallout of driving fast.
Oh, for people who end up side by side with another car, here's something that can help.
Most people will automatically speed up if you are inching by their car. Use that to slow them down. If you are passing someone and they speed up to be level with you, veeeerrry slowly start slowing down. Just ease back very gently and take them back with you. Then, when you've got them back to where they were, you punch the gas and pass them.
I've gone to pass people who are doing 55 and they've sped up to 65, keeping pace with me. I've been able to slow a lot of them down to about 58 or 60, then I hit it to 65 and pass. Believe it or not, most people don't speed up deliberately. There's just something inside their brains that like being in a herd.
Speaking of which, how many people here see those %^$#* cars that will come up even with a large truck and then not finish passing it? Now THAT drives me nuts. I'm like, "OK, already! Pass the big, bad truck! Jesus!" I'm sure the truck drivers hate it, too.
I can honestly say I don't do any of these because I try to be considerate and I've always been an efficiency-freak. The "not-going on a green light" is particularly frustrating for me. When you see the spacing on NASCAR restart or even an Indy grid-start, it leaves you wondering how hard is to pay attention and moderately accelerate with the car in front. Personally I think the issue is that folks 1) don't pay attention 2) stop too close to the car in front eliminating a proper acceleration buffer zone 3) fear the car in front will slam on the brakes.
The other one that gets me is the side-by-side driving on a 2-lane highway. I refuse to drive in people's blind-spots and have no issues moving to the right to be passed. Unless there's law enforcement attempting a traffic-break, I get annoyed when folks block the passing lane or hold up traffic.
Finally, folks coming lane changing into your lane and failing to match your speed is also really annoying. At least it's avoidable by reading the car's "body language" and changing lanes before it affects you having to change your speed.
Clearly we have very low standards in motoring in the United States and give far too many people the license to operate a motor vehicle on public roads. Greater education and regulation would be much appreciated.
ITA. I don't dawdle in the passing lane, either, but when I see someone approaching from behind, I always pull over. And even if I can't do so, the person always knows that I will because I immediately use my directionals.
Are you taking like pulling onto an on ramp going go the instate? Because your supposed to be going highway speed by the time you get to the highway. Cars on the interstate are supposed to get over so you can merge on safety.
No, they are not. IF a car on the highway that you are merging into can do so safely and chooses to do so, that is a courtesy, not something they are "supposed" to do. They have the right of way, you do not, and that means exactly what it says - it is on you to yield the right of way to vehicles on the highway.
In my area, most of the roads are one lane in each direction, and "no passing" is posted. If I am already driving 5-10 mph over the limit, and if the traffic in front of me is also driving 5-10 mph over the limit, what do those tailgating morons think they will accomplish by driving only a few feet behind my rear bumper?
If I’m in a rental car, my favorite trick with tailgators is to simply drop my right side wheels off the road thus kicking up rocks and other debris. Or, hitting my windshield washers. Either way, they usually drop back right away.
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Originally Posted by reed067 Are you taking like pulling onto an on ramp going go the instate? Because your supposed to be going highway speed by the time you get to the highway. Cars on the interstate are supposed to get over so you can merge on safety.
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Originally Posted by AlaskaErik
This is correct. It's even stated in the Alaska Driver Manual. I imagine other states would have something similar in their driver manual.
It's in the Alaska Driver's Manual that merging cars have the right of way over cars that are already on the highway? Really? Can you point me to that?
As per the Alaska driver's manual for license testing:
"ENTERING THE CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAY-FREEWAY
• Use the acceleration lane to get up to cruising speed before attempting to merge into the traffic stream.
• Yield to approaching traffic on the freeway as you are about to enter and stop if necessary, but be cautious of the vehicles following you."
It appears to be misstatement from the poster.
There are even diagrams on the next page. Clearly the merging car MUST blend or yield to the traffic flow on the highway.
It's in the Alaska Driver's Manual that merging cars have the right of way over cars that are already on the highway? Really? Can you point me to that?
Don’t mess with Texas(HorseLady).
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Originally Posted by Delahanty
ITA. I don't dawdle in the passing lane, either, but when I see someone approaching from behind, I always pull over. And even if I can't do so, the person always knows that I will because I immediately use my directionals.
Agree. If only everyone had the same consideration.
It's in the Alaska Driver's Manual that merging cars have the right of way over cars that are already on the highway? Really? Can you point me to that?
No, it's in the Alaska Driver Manual that you're supposed to use the onramp to get up to cruise speed. In other words, don't be 20 or 30 mph under the speed limit at the point of merger.
As per the Alaska driver's manual for license testing:
"ENTERING THE CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAY-FREEWAY
• Use the acceleration lane to get up to cruising speed before attempting to merge into the traffic stream.
• Yield to approaching traffic on the freeway as you are about to enter and stop if necessary, but be cautious of the vehicles following you."
It appears to be misstatement from the poster.
There are even diagrams on the next page. Clearly the merging car MUST blend or yield to the traffic flow on the highway.
The initial post I responded to was about what speed to be at when entering a controlled access highway. Obviously entering traffic has to yield, but it's hard to merge when you are going 20 or 30 mph slower than the flow of traffic. And it's really messes up the people behind you. I see this all the time. Too many idiots don't understand the concept of getting up to cruising speed when entering a controlled access highway.
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