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no, they're not every quarter mile, which would be "every few seconds". They're not even every 1/2 mile. Rarely even every mile, which would of course be 1 minute apart. We're talking about the freeway here.
no, they're not every quarter mile, which would be "every few seconds". They're not even every 1/2 mile. Rarely even every mile, which would of course be 1 minute apart. We're talking about the freeway here.
I wasn't attempting to be literal with my last comment.
no, they're not every quarter mile, which would be "every few seconds". They're not even every 1/2 mile. Rarely even every mile, which would of course be 1 minute apart. We're talking about the freeway here.
On I-40 going east through RTP:
Davis Dr to Miami Blvd - 0.7 mi
Miami Blvd to Page Rd - 0.6 mi
Page Rd to I-540 - 0.9 mi
Can confirm switching lanes "every few seconds" to let someone in.
Davis Dr to Miami Blvd - 0.7 mi
Miami Blvd to Page Rd - 0.6 mi
Page Rd to I-540 - 0.9 mi
Can confirm switching lanes "every few seconds" to let someone in.
Well luckily there are auxiliary lanes between the exits there so people don't have to merge in right away so not exactly a fair comparison.
There are some examples though. Not frequent but you'll have more of it in urban areas. I commute on 440 and from Melbourne to Wade are a bunch of on/off ramps with short merges (that are heavily used) where switching between right and left just for the sake of being in the far right lane is more of a hassle. 147 in Downtown Durham is another example that comes to mind.
Well luckily there are auxiliary lanes between the exits there so people don't have to merge in right away so not exactly a fair comparison.
There are some examples though. Not frequent but you'll have more of it in urban areas. I commute on 440 and from Melbourne to Wade are a bunch of on/off ramps with short merges (that are heavily used) where switching between right and left just for the sake of being in the far right lane is more of a hassle. 147 in Downtown Durham is another example that comes to mind.
There's barely enough auxiliary lane space in that section. That spot is notorious for the amount of weaving that happens.
Good call re: 147. I just drove it on Saturday and tend to agree with you.
I think traffic would flow much better through there if a 3rd lane was added from Alston to Chapel Hill Street that's only purpose was for merging traffic.
And what about 2 lane highways like 440 between Wade Ave & Crossroads? Right lane has to deal with awful weaving for exit/entrance ramps especially at Wade & Western so the left lane is really a cruising lane as well most of the way.
That is an awful stretch of road. It's way overcrowded, the merge lanes are short, the corriders are narrow and if you're heading south, you even have people entering from both sides. I actually try to avoid that stretch. If I'm going from Cary to the Art Museum area (for example), I'll take 40W to Wade avenue and get off at Edwards Mill and Blue Ridge. I think it's faster anyway (???) but certainly safer and easier on the nerves.
If I do have to drive that stretch of road, I just resolve to be patient, do my best to flow with traffic and drive get through. Not much slower or faster than the average, which can be hard when there's always two jackasses, one driving 10 under and another driving 20 over and weaving.
One of my least favorite stretches of road in the triangle.
Really not that hard. Move over when you see someone coming faster than you behind you. Don't question it. Don't judge it. Just move over.
If people are constantly merging, then either learn how to drive properly so you can get comfortable with it, or stay in the right lane and deal with it, but the worst possible answer is to sit in the left lane going slower than someone behind you wants to go because you can't negotiate traffic around you. That means you flat out aren't a capable driver, which is the point of this thread, that they need to stay off the road until they can handle these situations.
One of the best things that happened to me when I moved here was I learned to not let driving stress me out so much. In Boston I would come home after my commute and my wife would comment on how flush my face and neck were. It was physically affecting my blood pressure/health. Every single day was spent battling and trying to police selfish drivers who thought they were more important than everyone else on the road. I had frequent road rage incidents, was followed a couple times, threatened a couple times, it was ridiculous.
I hate to be the preacher guy, but I realized it's not worth getting so worked up over. Granted it's much easier here, as there's less traffic, less inconsiderate people, and the roads are designed in such a way that reduces the amount of opportunities people have to be a-holes. But seriously, this is the "south" and things are supposed to be slower. If it takes you an extra 20 seconds to get to your destination because someone is being a donkey, is it worth stressing over?
Really not that hard. Move over when you see someone coming faster than you behind you. Don't question it. Don't judge it. Just move over.
So if I'm sitting in in the RIGHT lane, going the speed limit, and someone comes up behind me, I should just move over left, don't question it? I get your point, and it SHOULDN'T be that hard, but it is, because people don't know how to drive.
I'm just saying, that it would be nice if you could "don't question it", but that would depend on having confidence that the OTHER driver is going to do the right thing. This entire discussion is predicated on the correct observation that they don't do that.
So driving like you suggest, shifting lanes without questioning it, is potentially more dangerous than adjusting to the VA Sloths. (and yes, I'm sure you don't just change lanes without questioning that the other lane is clear. I'm just saying, it's not that simple. If it were, we would not be on page 8 of this discussion.
EDIT: M378 hit the nail on the head. Be aware, drive defensively, but just CHILL. It is so much easier that way. Sometimes the "win" comes from not letting stuff get to you. (That is my driving personna, not my web-posting personna, hahahaha)
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