Dangerous driving habits (Escondido, Mesa: living, safety, moving)

[esmith143]

I drive a lot (used to commute to work 25 miles one way) and I've never seen any problems with tailgating. Most drivers are quite courteous.

Generally speaking, if you're being tailgated, most likely that's because you're the one who's being inconsiderate. (I wanted to use the 'd' word too, but I probably shouldn't.) This is not Alaska, and it is often impossible to drive around the person who chooses to keep 10 others from getting to work in time by driving at or below speed limit in the left lane on the freeway. Freeways are too busy as is, without you creating further impediments. The correct response is to accelerate or to change lanes to your right.

Also, what you should really need to understand is that speed limits are probably much more "optional" than in Alaska. Even if the speed limit sign says 65, in practice, it is perfectly normal for most lanes on the freeway to move at 75 whenever possible. You will NOT get a speeding ticket by driving 75 (I've been passed by police cars at that speed more than once). Anyone who obstructs this "normal order of things" by trying to drive too slow too far left will cause natural dismay and consternation among fellow commuters, especially during rush hour, and may even trigger a tailgating incident.

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by esmith143

I drive a lot (used to commute to work 25 miles one way) and I've never seen any problems with tailgating. Most drivers are quite courteous.

Generally speaking, if you're being tailgated, most likely that's because you're the one who's being inconsiderate. (I wanted to use the 'd' word too, but I probably shouldn't.) This is not Alaska, and it is often impossible to drive around the person who chooses to keep 10 others from getting to work in time by driving at or below speed limit in the left lane on the freeway. Freeways are too busy as is, without you creating further impediments. The correct response is to accelerate or to change lanes to your right.

Also, what you should really need to understand is that speed limits are probably much more "optional" than in Alaska. Even if the speed limit sign says 65, in practice, it is perfectly normal for most lanes on the freeway to move at 75 whenever possible. You will NOT get a speeding ticket by driving 75 (I've been passed by police cars at that speed more than once). Anyone who obstructs this "normal order of things" by trying to drive too slow too far left will cause natural dismay and consternation among fellow commuters, especially during rush hour, and may even trigger a tailgating incident.

Thanks for speaking up! We Alaskans like a fresh opinion however misinformed. Your post however assumes quite a bit and at least to me is the most naive I have read. Please consider these points:

1) Most people with vehicles like mine have no trouble keeping up with the pace, in fact when I drive to L.A. everyone goes 80 and I like that. Your assumption that I somehow block the flow of traffic is a joke.

2) We drive fast in Alaska. Why doddle?

3) For myself I rarely drive in the far left lane here in the chaos of California.

4) The law in all states suggests 1 car length per 10 mph. I have never seen that except in Alaska. It's because we still have courtesy.

The fact that you have NEVER seen a tailgating incident speaks volumes.

Other than that your post may make complete sense.

[eastcoastbias]

Is it too much to ask the kind people of SD to use turn signals- state your intentions before you cut me off. Even our law enforcement seems to neglect their turn signals. It drives me up a wall when people nudge in at the last moment slam on their brakes so they don't hit the slower car in front of me all the while they never use their turn signal.

Yes, I looked it up-even in California- the left lane is a passing lane- not a Sunday stroll lane.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

What I've noticed is that the tail gating goes on mostly in the far left or far right lane. I've also noticed that no matter how many are in the left lane it still occurs. Somehow these idjuts think that they will get all 5000 cars to move to the right if they just tailgate a lil harder.

The ones in the far right lane seem to like to use that lane to avoid being in the #1. I guess the thinking might be it more likely to get a ticket when the morons are out there all alone? If you want to speed at least don't put everyone else at risk. If I'm speeding I stay in the #1 and will take my lumps but I try not to speed. It's a lot easier since I sold my M3.

[Jenkay]

OMG, the worst place I ever drove as far as people not using turn signals? Wisconsin. Seriously. I first noticed it on a trip between Green Bay and Chicago- I don't think a single person signaled a lane change the whole way!

And the worst place I've ever driven in terms of people not using the passing lane for... well, passing? Louisiana/Mississippi. People like to drive 5mph below the speed limit in the left lane for some reason.. Which is so weird to me, because *all* the highways are 2 lanes in each direction, so you'd thing people would know how that stuff works.. Plus it's waaaaay worse on a 2-lane highway where people don't have anywhere to go to pass someone.

Most agressive drivers? Los Angeles and San Francisco. I grew up driving in SoCal, and I'm terrified of driving in SF, and it has nothing to do with the hills.

It's true that tailgating happens here a lot. I see people tailgating people in the #2 or #3 lane with NO TRAFFIC on either side and no excuse not to pass. DOUCHEY!

That said, for the people that advocate tailgating: I don't get it. If you can pass, pass, even if it's on the right. Tailgating is NOT SAFE FOR YOU (the definition of taligating is following too closely to safely avoid a collision) and you are MUCH more likely to get into an accident because you're being impatient (something like 65% of accidents are caused by tailgating!). The only point to it is to impose your will on someone that isn't going as fast as you'd like to be.. But you're not gonna get anywhere fast if you get into a crash (plus it's automatically your fault, so you're double-screwed). I see this all the time in the left lane when the person in front has no place to get over to the right, too- what's the point of mad-dogging them if the can't go anywhere to get out of your way?

[1AngryTaxPayer]

You are more likely to die in a car accident than anything else so why up the chances. Drive like you are taking a DL test.

[Movin-on-up2011]

I don't understand how people with little cars can tailgate an SUV. I would be to nervous to do that since on the 5 it's not uncommon for traffic to come to a complete stop and then continue.

[esmith143]

Originally Posted by AADAD

Thanks for speaking up! We Alaskans like a fresh opinion however misinformed. Your post however assumes quite a bit and at least to me is the most naive I have read. Please consider these points:

1) Most people with vehicles like mine have no trouble keeping up with the pace, in fact when I drive to L.A. everyone goes 80 and I like that. Your assumption that I somehow block the flow of traffic is a joke.

2) We drive fast in Alaska. Why doddle?

3) For myself I rarely drive in the far left lane here in the chaos of California.

4) The law in all states suggests 1 car length per 10 mph. I have never seen that except in Alaska. It's because we still have courtesy.

The fact that you have NEVER seen a tailgating incident speaks volumes.

Other than that your post may make complete sense.

Very well then, consider these counterpoints:

1) You said yourself that you're being tailgated when you go 70. Next time that happens, try to accelerate to 75.

2) Tailgating means that you're blocking the flow of traffic. Period. There are no ifs, ands or buts.

3) Okay, there is one "but": maybe you're confusing tailgating with normal following distance. Yes, people don't follow the 1 car length / 10 mph rule. It's impractical on busy freeways. Roads are perfectly dry 350 days of the year, anyway.

4) When someone gets closer to me than normal, I accelerate or move out of the way. I do not consider it tailgating. I consider it a common courtesy. In other countries (e.g. in Germany) the driver behind would turn on his left blinker, or flash headlights, to indicate that you're impeding him. Here we (sadly) don't have the same conventions, but it does not mean that drivers are rude.

5) It's very easy to be courteous to others when you don't have to bump into other people every day. As the saying goes, good fences make good neighbors. In a busy community like SoCal, you can't always do anything you want and then puff your lips if something happens that you don't like. There are certain protocols to be followed.

and finally 6) If you seriously think that drivers in SoCal are rude, don't ever, ever try to drive on the East Coast.

Originally Posted by Jenkay

f you can pass, pass, even if it's on the right.

Passing on the right is an unfortunate necessity that we have to cope with, because of poorly written traffic laws and low speed limits. But the ability to pass on the right is precisely the reason why our multi-lane freeways are seen as "chaotic" by newcomers. I also recall reading that it substantially increases the frequency of traffic accidents. It's better to get the slow driver to move (if it can be done safely) than to pass on the right.

P.S. you might be interested in seeing this survey which claims that Californian drivers are sixth least aggressive in the country.

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by esmith143

Very well then, consider these counterpoints:

1) You said yourself that you're being tailgated when you go 70. Next time that happens, try to accelerate to 75.

2) Tailgating means that you're blocking the flow of traffic. Period. There are no ifs, ands or buts.

3) Okay, there is one "but": maybe you're confusing tailgating with normal following distance. Yes, people don't follow the 1 car length / 10 mph rule. It's impractical on busy freeways. Roads are perfectly dry 350 days of the year, anyway.

4) When someone gets closer to me than normal, I accelerate or move out of the way. I do not consider it tailgating. I consider it a common courtesy. In other countries (e.g. in Germany) the driver behind would turn on his left blinker to indicate that you're impeding him. Here we (sadly) don't have the same conventions, but it does not mean that drivers are rude.

5) It's very easy to be courteous to others when you don't have to bump into other people every day. As the saying goes, good fences make good neighbors. In a busy community like SoCal, you can't always do anything you want and then puff your lips if something happens that you don't like. There are certain protocols to be followed.

Your point #2 is quite illuminating. I think most people here would disagree and disagree with prejudice. I have been alone in lane with multiple free lanes on either side with a car ON my bumper.

Your other suggestion of speeding up for someone who is already putting me in danger is the most bizarre comment I have heard so far in this discussion.

[esmith143]

Originally Posted by AADAD

Your point #2 is quite illuminating. I think most people here would disagree and disagree with prejudice. I have been alone in lane with multiple free lanes on either side with a car ON my bumper.

Then I really don't have anything else to add, except to say that I don't recall seing anything like this in 10 years of driving in SoCal, see my point #3, and maybe he was trying to read something on your bumper sticker.

And I reiterate, don't ever go to East Coast. If you can't handle people following you, I wonder what you'd do if you found yourself in a commute where people routinely cut you off, keep you from changing lanes by closing any gap in traffic the second they see your blinker, pass you using the freeway shoulder, refuse to abide by standard lane merge patterns, and lean on the horn the second you miss the green light.

I think I'm done here.