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Raleigh and the rest of the state is a melting pot of drivers that are entrenched with very different mindsets when it comes to "how to drive." You cannot say "people can't drive here" when literally half the drivers (or more) are from elsewhere and brought their attitudes or lack of skills with them. Every day I see license plates from all over the east coast, and it's going to continue.
There were a lot of Troopers this weekend, and it made a noticeable difference in behavior. Unfortunately it was likely just a show of force over the holiday. They have been almost non-existent on I-85 between Charlotte and Greensboro the last few years, and the average speed kept going up. Between the pandemic and recent turmoil I don't foresee many more being added in the near future. I think most Troopers spend more time working wrecks and filling out paperwork than patrolling.
I wish Raleigh PD was a bit more aggressive in stopping speeders. They never seem to make many stops, even before the events of the last couple of years. Going a little over on the Interstate is one thing, but there are too many drivers going 15-20+ over on local roads with traffic lights, driveways, pedestrians, etc.
It is scary how many people don't follow this; was very apparent today.
Are DTR lights not standard by now? I've never owned a car without them.
A lot of people put their lights on auto, and not all cars turn the lights on with the wipers. It should be if your wipers are on for more than 60 seconds, turn on the lights. Seems pretty simple to implement.
I've driven enough in Raleigh to make an assessment. In Boston, we're fast, rude and aggressive. But for the most part, skilled and predictable. In the Triangle, you're fast, rude and aggressive. Without the skill or predictability. Hands down, some of the dumbest and most dangerous drivers I've come across in 50 years of driving and I've driven in most of the lower 48. I've got a second home in Greensboro now and the Triad is just as bad. It's almost as though none of you ever really learned how to drive.
A lot of people put their lights on auto, and not all cars turn the lights on with the wipers. It should be if your wipers are on for more than 60 seconds, turn on the lights. Seems pretty simple to implement.
Yeah I wish all cars were like BMWs. Wipers come on when they sense rain drops, lights do too. Unfortunately not many people manually switch on their lights so they don’t even think about it when it rains. Here especially it is is necessary - you can barely see anything when it rains hard.
Honestly, I see a lot of people with NY license that either drive too slow or don’t know how to merge into traffic. I don’t know if they are city people who never had to drive in NYC and now had to get a car or what. Maybe old people? I don’t know. Also, there are too many drivers who seem to forget that they need to exit and then just try to get into the exit lane from the left lane like crazy. Like what were you thinking for the last mile?
Honestly, I see a lot of people with NY license that either drive too slow or don’t know how to merge into traffic. I don’t know if they are city people who never had to drive in NYC and now had to get a car or what. Maybe old people? I don’t know. Also, there are too many drivers who seem to forget that they need to exit and then just try to get into the exit lane from the left lane like crazy. Like what were you thinking for the last mile?
No planning perspective. If you are 1.5-2 miles out from your exit, then you should start moving over the right lanes so you can safely exit. Instead, you zoom past the rest of us, and try to move over 4 lanes or more to exit. And then you get mad when everyone is honking or pissed off at you.
Are we really that dumb that we can't even plan that far ahead?
And let's make sure - Let's say you are not going to your job. If you are going somewhere new, then look at Google maps or whatever map of your choice and at least have some idea of where you are going. Not just follow the GPS blindly. Then again, even the GPS warns you how far ahead the exit is coming up.
People say this all the time but I have never found this to be true or encountered a situation like this?
For the most part me either, especially up north, but one lady here in a Honda CRV on the 440 to 40 exit who knew damn well she was doing it and putting us all at risk, and, in Singapore as a manifestation of kiasu, where letting someone in front of you = losing face. The latter had us wondering if Americans suffer from kiasu.
Anyway, I didn't weigh in on this until now because it's very much the same stuff different year and I did here years ago, when I noticed the difference in driving patterns here vs. in the tri-state area, where I last drove in the US decades before moving here.
I don't refer to the driving here as aggressive, to me it's reckless and uninformed. IME most up north driving is assertive - lead, follow or get the hell out of the way.
Having said that, I'm not driving as often as I did then due to Covid, so I'm not seeing it every day.
Some things no one mentioned yet are a lack of fear and some misplaced confidence that these reckless drivers have the equipment and driving capability to get themselves out of the hole they are putting themselves and everyone around them into.
That, and, a lot of the reckless driving I see is done by younger people in either dangerous crappy cars or nouveau riche in BMWs or driving things like those new-version Chargers or Challengers. I seriously doubt these people ever took any defensive driving or other driving courses, and their cars are writing horsepower checks than their abilities can't cash. To me they drive like they've never been in an accident, which is a very educational and level-setting thing.
I used to think the most dangerous thing here is the tailgating, but I've come to consider even more dangerous and frequent is the rampant passing on the right.
I do agree with the earlier cocktail comment - in addition to the overall recklessness, with so many locals + transplants from all over the country, it's also a dangerous mix of driving styles. I also agree with the skills comments.
Last edited by Repatriot; 07-08-2021 at 07:20 PM..
It is scary how many people don't follow this; was very apparent today.
Are DTR lights not standard by now? I've never owned a car without them.
My first vehicle didn’t have em (95 4Runner) and I hate our present vehicle’s iteration of it…. but even if you don’t have em…. I don’t know how you drive without lights on during rain.
Whether you claim He-Man / She Ra super powers of sight or forgetfulness(yet have a reminder every time a vehicle with theirs on drives by you) is one of those details for details sake things.
A lot of people put their lights on auto, and not all cars turn the lights on with the wipers. It should be if your wipers are on for more than 60 seconds, turn on the lights. Seems pretty simple to implement.
My last vehicle, which turned out to be a lemon, had that feature where your lights come on when the wipers do. Great idea. I noticed while driving my kid's car one day that it wasn't dark enough in the rain for the lights, which were on auto, to come on.
I've also never been anywhere where people drive after dark with no lights on....it doesn't seem like rocket science that if you get in the car at say 8 pm and sunset is at 8:30 and you're going to be driving for an hour you put your lights on.
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