Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Pennsylvania > Pittsburgh
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-22-2010, 12:51 PM
 
9,855 posts, read 15,158,116 times
Reputation: 5481

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianTH View Post
First, the OP discussed both that specific issue and also not using turn signals in general, as did many other subsequent posts.

Second, what makes you think failing to use turn signals properly at intersections doesn't cause accidents? For example, in the specific scenario the OP described, it could induce a lane change as the driver behind seeks to move into the right lane to get around the unexpected left-turner after the light turns green, and with that lane open to through traffic at speed (due to the green light), and the lane-changer being stopped (due to the unexpected left-turner), that is a situation ripe for an accident.

Seriously, I think it is ridiculous to argue that complying with the rules for using turn signals has nothing to do with car accidents. That is what they are there for.
I personally think it is absurd to propose new regulation and new taxes on anyone (including drivers) when the country is in the economic crisis that it is. Would those regulations be beneficial in a perfect world? Absolutely! Unfortunately pennsylvania's deficit is $1 billion and growing. Until that is under control, I have little patience for recommendations to increased legislation.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-22-2010, 01:31 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,871,363 times
Reputation: 2910
Quote:
Originally Posted by hnsq View Post
I personally think it is absurd to propose new regulation and new taxes on anyone (including drivers) when the country is in the economic crisis that it is.
Absolutely. Safer driving would undoubtedly cause a double-dip recession.

Sheesh. Bringing down the U.S. per capita car accident rate would actually be very beneficial for our economy. And we're not even talking about new regulations, just better training and enforcement with respect to the existing regulations. The cost of that would be negligible on a macroeconomic scale.

The fact that our economy is in poor shape is no reason to stop doing things that make sense. Just the opposite--we should be addressing the current drags on our economy, and an excessive rate of car accidents is one of those drags.

Edit: By the way, I find it interesting that when the topic at hand is using turn signals, car accidents are off topic, but macroeconomic policy is on topic. Not exactly an intuitive result.

Last edited by BrianTH; 09-22-2010 at 01:59 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2010, 02:38 PM
 
9,855 posts, read 15,158,116 times
Reputation: 5481
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianTH View Post
Absolutely. Safer driving would undoubtedly cause a double-dip recession.

Sheesh. Bringing down the U.S. per capita car accident rate would actually be very beneficial for our economy. And we're not even talking about new regulations, just better training and enforcement with respect to the existing regulations. The cost of that would be negligible on a macroeconomic scale.

The fact that our economy is in poor shape is no reason to stop doing things that make sense. Just the opposite--we should be addressing the current drags on our economy, and an excessive rate of car accidents is one of those drags.

Edit: By the way, I find it interesting that when the topic at hand is using turn signals, car accidents are off topic, but macroeconomic policy is on topic. Not exactly an intuitive result.
The economy is in poor shape because we overregulate and over-coddle citizens.

I brought up staying on topic time and time again, but you seemed to be incapable of doing so. I was just following your lead. You opened the door to this tangent, not me.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2010, 02:47 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,871,363 times
Reputation: 2910
Quote:
Originally Posted by hnsq View Post
The economy is in poor shape because we overregulate and over-coddle citizens.
Yep, that's it. If we could just be like Somalia, where nobody is coddling the citizens with driving regulations, our economy would be going gangbusters.

And of course the economic crisis has nothing to do with an underregulated financial industry that created a huge housing bubble, then fell like a house of cards when the housing bubble burst. Nope, it was that darn DMV!

Quote:
I brought up staying on topic time and time again, but you seemed to be incapable of doing so. I was just following your lead. You opened the door to this tangent, not me.
Your Post #31 came before your Post #36. That is kinda how the numbering works.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2010, 02:57 PM
 
6,357 posts, read 5,005,953 times
Reputation: 3309
Quote:
Originally Posted by hornet67 View Post
The main problem is the generally abysmal state of driving "skills" in this country. Most people view having a driver's license as a right, not a privilege, especially given he sense of entitlement that has existed for some time...Far too easy to get a driver's license in the ole USA.
i agree with you, but what we are complaining about exists in every modernized country. i cant think of one place outside the US ive been to where i didnt think the drivers were insane.

i think its a much bigger problem, besides the ''entitlement" issues most people seem to have (i enjoyed your pointing that out, by the way). its the modern world and its conveniences - people lose common sense and sensibilities. they get stupid, non-thinking, and unable to cope with the slightest inconvenience or deterrant from what is routine.
so put someone behind the wheel and they think every other vehicle is a distraction or an obstacle, rather than another PERSON trying to conduct their own business, pleasure, errands, or what have they.

this has been a lecture from her holiness:

Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2010, 03:01 PM
 
1,158 posts, read 1,844,793 times
Reputation: 455
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover View Post
Perhaps a number of these people have found the driver in front of them to be attractive, wish, somehow, to connect with them, give them some indication they're attracted to them, praying they'll turn off into a convenience store parking lot, so you follow, and tell them one of their tail lights is out, or pay them a compliment on their vehicle.

And the person they're following may be one of these drivers who puts their turn signals on the very last minute, and the driver/pursuer behind does likewise.
Sorry about that! Can't let this potential love-of-my-life get away from me!
How my luck works is... I would think the guy behind me is following me b/c he realizes how badly he wants to meet me, he drives up alongside me, winks at me while motioning for me to pull over that I gladly comply...then he carjacks me and dumps my beaten body into a roadside ditch
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2010, 07:01 PM
 
1,158 posts, read 1,844,793 times
Reputation: 455
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallysmom View Post
I can explain it, and maybe you won't be as annoyed anymore!!!

I do it all the time. Since I vacuum for a living, and have for 12 years 5 days a week, I didn't think to protect my hearing for several years. I've lost 15% of the hearing in one ear and 5% in the other.

I no longer hear the click click click of the turned on turn signal as I drive down the road. And I'm 51 -- so it's not old age.

I do have a trick to remember to turn it off during lane changes, but sometimes someone does something stupid so I have to pay attention to the road, and that's when it happens.
Actually, I've caught myself leaving the turn signal on b/c I had the radio on and it's daylight and didn't notice still flashing so I'm sure I've annoyed other drivers as much as they've annoyed me by doing that!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2010, 07:08 PM
 
Location: SW Pennsylvania
869 posts, read 1,559,066 times
Reputation: 856
I just got back from the grocery store and I saw this woman driving on I-79, using no turn signals, tailgating, cutting others off, and just being a bad driver.

However, in the turn lane to the shopping center (Giant Eagle in Washington) she used her turn signal! And she didn't turn in on until we started moving!

I see this frequently: People only using turn signals in turn lanes, when it is obvious that everyone is turning.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2010, 07:51 PM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
12,528 posts, read 17,441,601 times
Reputation: 10629
I wonder why car manufacturers don't make turn signals that beep after, say, 1 minute, to let old guys like me know to turn it off. Seems pretty simple.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-23-2010, 01:30 AM
 
15,631 posts, read 26,120,239 times
Reputation: 30907
Quote:
Originally Posted by Copanut View Post
I wonder why car manufacturers don't make turn signals that beep after, say, 1 minute, to let old guys like me know to turn it off. Seems pretty simple.
I just went to the light place to pick up 600 bucks in lights (oh, I love my job! ) and he said his girlfriend just tested a Ford Escape.

And that was one of the features.... so they are thinking about this stuff!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Pennsylvania > Pittsburgh
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top