Rules of the road (red light, speed trap, braking, lane)

[Dave_n_Tenn]

Have you ever noticed other drivers who do not know the rules of the road?... for instance.... driving with the 4-way flashers on, during fog or rain.

What do you notice?... your thoughts

[Mr.Cat]

Another one is switching lanes without putting on the blinkers.

[titaniummd]

Left turn from the right lane.
Right turn from the left lane.
Going straight on right turn only.
Keeping blinkers on.
Driving slow in the left lane.
Running Stop signs.
Running red lights.
"California stop".
Speeding up in the Yield lane.
U turn in the No U turn intersection.
Crossing the double white line.

[NHDave]

Yes, it's been pointed out many times on here.

[Sayantsi]

Driving with flashers on in heavy rain or fog is for visibility, also, if you're on the highway and need to come to an emergency stop, you should also use the hazard lights while braking - that's part of what they are for, and in Europe heavy braking automatically engages them as a safety feature.

Flashing headlights is another thing people don't seem to know about anymore either. "Flash to pass" is a single flash or double flash to warn slow traffic ahead of you that you are approaching them quickly and will be passing them. It should be done 100 yards from them or so so they have time to merge right or are aware of you coming up, but Americans wait until they are tailgating slow traffic to do this, which defeats the purpose. Also, a triple flash to oncoming traffic warns of a speed trap or upcoming hazard.

Another common European driving technique is driving with the left turn signal on in the left lane to alert cars that you want them to let you buy. Its another technique for getting the attention of slower drivers ahead of you.

So much driving skill and technique is lost on today's drivers.

[NHDave]

Originally Posted by Sayantsi

Driving with flashers on in heavy rain or fog is for visibility

In some states in the US driving with the hazards on is illegal.

[Sayantsi]

Originally Posted by NHDave

In some states in the US driving with the hazards on is illegal.

Can you say which ones?

[caution]

edit quoted the wrong guy

My thoughts on four way flashers? Don't use them, ever, unless the car is stationary and in, or close to, the lane of travel. If you drive with them on in low visibility situations, or worse, pull way off the road and leave them on, you are creating a hazard

[NHDave]

Originally Posted by Sayantsi

Can you say which ones?

Not off the top of my head, I seem to recall FL and AL maybe? Not sure in NH either. I know we forbid the action by any member of the Fire Dept (responding to a call) I was captain on as it prevents the use of turn signals, whether it's actually illegal in NH I don't know.

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by Sayantsi

Driving with flashers on in heavy rain or fog is for visibility, also, if you're on the highway and need to come to an emergency stop, you should also use the hazard lights while braking - that's part of what they are for, and in Europe heavy braking automatically engages them as a safety feature.

Flashing headlights is another thing people don't seem to know about anymore either. "Flash to pass" is a single flash or double flash to warn slow traffic ahead of you that you are approaching them quickly and will be passing them. It should be done 100 yards from them or so so they have time to merge right or are aware of you coming up, but Americans wait until they are tailgating slow traffic to do this, which defeats the purpose. Also, a triple flash to oncoming traffic warns of a speed trap or upcoming hazard.

Another common European driving technique is driving with the left turn signal on in the left lane to alert cars that you want them to let you buy. Its another technique for getting the attention of slower drivers ahead of you.

So much driving skill and technique is lost on today's drivers.

Sayantsi, I have to respectfully disagree with you on a couple of points:

The laws on using flashers vary form state to state. But I'll definitely agree with you on using flashers to warn traffic behind you that traffic ahead of you is stopped. I also use my flashers when trucking slowly up a hill or merging into traffic in a big truck before i'm up to speed.

As for flashing your brights to signal a passing manuever, I disagree for two reasons:

As often as truck drivers use lights for each other to signal clearance to cut back after passing, any confusion can be dangerous and I speak from experience; As a newbie trucker in NJ, I pulled out to pass a slower big truck when I put on my turn signal and got the high beams from a guy in a BMW. Misjudging his speed, I pulled out in front of him. He was NOT happy. But that's where I learned of that idiotic habit. I'm tempted to blink my lights to communicate "clear" to car drivers but worry that most (if they even see me) might misinterpret my message and a crash for which I'd be liable would result.

I wish that anybody who "flashes to pass" could sit at the wheel of a big truck in the right lane and have some idiot fill up the 12-16" of West Coast mirrors with blinding flashes at night on a dark stretch of highway... (It's bad enough that my fellow truckers flash the brights instead of DIMMING their lights when clearing other truckers over...)

Having said that, I also drove in Europe and sure wish we could bring some of their habits and techniques to this side of the Atlantic. The problem, I believe, is that Europeans have a whole different philosophy about driving (and life...) And we 'Mericans have no standardized driving rules, techniques and laws from state to state.