Awful Drivers

[Rebellious Eagle]

As a new driver, I've become more aware of just how awful people drive around here. I know Jersey drivers have a bad rep but they seriously deserve it. Today I witnessed a car stopped for the ENTIRE length of the green light because the driver was looking at her phone. I couldn't believe how that even happened. Stupidity. I've also been a witness to people randomly stopping in the middle of the road or slowing to a crawl for no visible reason. And getting cut off by people making a turn? Happens all. the. time.

How are drivers where you are?

[yukina]

A lot of horrible drivers who seem to have been given a license without knowing what road signs and common courtesy are, especially in the public transport sector. I saw a driver stop in the MIDDLE of an intersection then moving on only to block the lane on green, pretty much causing havoc for a couple of minutes. And I have no idea how they could squeeze into every space they find only to find that you only have less than 5 inches to spare on both sides of the car.

Terrible, really. :/

[Pumpkin]

I've seen lots of awful drivers and some of them are just being dumb and rude so I get angry at them.

I overall try not to be too hard on people because we all make mistakes and I know how to drive and I've seen people who are above average drivers screw up occasionally (going through a red light, cutting someone off by accident, etc) and I know that when I have screwed up it was unintentional. So I try not to automatically assume the worse. If the person makes a mistake and acts like a jerk about it or they repeatedly do the same stupid stuff, then I get pretty upset.

One guy, back when I had to drive home from college at 10 at night, he was visibly drunk. He was ALL OVER the lanes and during red lights he would go to the middle of the intersection. Stop. Back up, and then slowly drift back into the intersection. It's a good thing there was barely any traffic. I got away from that driver asap.

[Shorty]

The drivers in Coeur d'Alene are a thousand times better than the drivers in Phoenix. I don't think I've ever gone so long without popping off at other drivers before.

San Francisco was okay. Not really too many assholes in the peninsula where I lived, just too much traffic.

[noxious.sunshine]

Nashville is notorious for horrible drivers. I'm sure Tennessee in general is.

Clarksville though... Omg. Hoorendous.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Truly bad drivers are pretty rare considering how many fucking cars are on the road all the time here. Plenty of people don't use their turn signals though and that pisses me off.

[Cloudane]

They are terrible here as well.

Extremely common behaviours here are:

- Approaching a junction into a busy road at about 500MPH, realising "gosh, that road has traffic on it" as if they somehow didn't expect it and screeching to a halt, sticking out half way

- Creeping forward at junctions, also until they end up sticking out half way

- People coming from the other direction barging their way through when there's only room for one car due to parked cars on their side of the road (despite the traffic rules here and in pretty much any other country being "if the obstacle is on your side of the road, you are the one who has to wait, because otherwise you'd have to drive on the wrong side of the road when there's traffic trying to use it and that's kind of stupid")

- Glaring at you and sometimes yelling through the window when they fail at the above barging and all you were doing was minding your own business driving along your own side of the road instead of stopping to wave them through

- Driving about 0.01mm from your rear bumper
- Related: Doing this despite the fact you're clearly looking for a space to parallel park, you indicated in decent time, stopped in front of a space, popped it into reverse and... oh thanks buddy you stopped right behind me and now I don't have room to park!

- Brake, think, turn, indicate

[Rebellious Eagle]

Don't forget putting the turn signals on...as they make the turn. Grr. And tailgating you when you're going 5 over the speed limit.

[Agent Proto]

I've seen my share of awful drivers pretty much everywhere.

[Jinx]

- Brake, think, turn, indicate


This. Pennsylvanian drivers are especially bad at this, and it's ruining my breaks, I swear.

[fire_of_avalon]

Nashville is notorious for horrible drivers. I'm sure Tennessee in general is.


As a North Carolinian yes. Horrible drivers from Tennessee.

[ThornQueen]

Ha, perfect timing on this because someone just ran in to my mom's new car (that she has had a week) as we were coming back from the water park. Apparently he "wasn't paying attention" and then "oh I was looking forward" as he just drifted in to our lane and rammed the side of our car. -_-

Fortunately we weren't on the highway or anything, so the damage was minimal. BUT STILL. He was probably texting, or just very bad at changing lanes/signaling - BAD AT DRIVING. PERIOD.

/endrage

[Pheesh]

The drivers in Coeur d'Alene are a thousand times better than the drivers in Phoenix.

Or they were until you moved there, at least.

Perth is not very populated so the traffic isn't so bad. The drivers are mostly fine apart from the occasional bogan who will ride right on the ass of your car because you're not going 15k's over the speed limit like they want you to.

[Flaming Ice]

I think drivers are getting way worse because the "rush" mentality but, apparently, going really ssssssssllllllllooooooooww in town is the new thing....I don't care if people go over the limit by 10 but at least drive 50 in a 50 zone........


Then there are those people who go 60-70 on a highway, 80-90 in town..........Then the one green light in the center of the town doesn't last very long and people take forever just to go through it........

And some person ran into me before while I was walking. He was at a stop sign, it was night but there was light all around so there's no way he couldn't have seen me....he walked out of his vehicle with a cigarette in his mouth........



Also, you don't need be "nice" all the time, take your right of way because when other people are behind you you just slow them down and delay traffic, and possibly cause confusion.

[The Man]

There are a lot of old people in Florida, and there are a lot of smurfing terrible drivers here. I'm pretty sure this isn't coincidental.

[Flaming Ice]

Perth is not very populated so the traffic isn't so bad. The drivers are mostly fine apart from the occasional bogan who will ride right on the ass of your car because you're not going 15k's over the speed limit like they want you to.



Some guy was flashing his lights at me because of this before...I was mean and sped up when he went to pass me :|

[The Man]

I was mean and sped up when he went to pass me I'm not sure about Canada, but in the U.S. that's illegal. It's also very dangerous.

[Madame Adequate]

Yeah, I've been in cars with women driving before.

[Flaming Ice]

I was mean and sped up when he went to pass me I'm not sure about Canada, but in the U.S. that's illegal. It's also very dangerous.




I know....it was stupid.


But I get sick of all those idiot drivers who think you have to go over the speed limit all the time.....especially flashing lights at someone at night...daytime is different but at night it's blinding and equally dangerous.

[~*~Celes~*~]

Today we were on the express way and a pickup truck was trying to merge into our lane and pass us, only instead of being a nice guy and doing it the right way, he slowly crept into our lane (he was right next to us on our right while we have a concrete wall on our left) and finally gets his chance so he speeds up and gets in front of us, running us off the road onto the shoulder in the process. :rage:

[Yar]

As an Ohioan I can safely say that Michigan drivers are the worst. Fuck you and your no fault car insurance. Slow the hell down, there is no reason to be going that fast.

[Jiro]

Someone cut us off on the way home. We're on the roundabout, going straight, and the person looks at us in our RED CAR and then proceeds to go anyway. If not for some nice brake use by the driver (which wasn't me and thus induced a heart attack) we would be inside of this idiot's car.

[Psychotic]

Britain: UP YOUR ARSE, ALL THE TIME

I am also genuinely curious if there are any other UK EoFFers that actually drive. BoB, Iceglow, DK, Huxley... none of them do it! Am I all alone?

[Cloudane]

I'm from the UK. And yup, so much tailgating. C'mon, I'm already breaking the law doing 35 in a 30 zone, what more do you want? Nothing else gets such strong pressure to do illegal stuff :/

If there's only 1 behind I often take a liking to annoying them by holding them up as a parting gesture (sometimes accompanied by another type of gesture). I.e. they're 2mm away from my back bumper so I need to brake carefully now! So I indicate then sloooowly drift to a stop, then turn.
Or if they've been particularly obnoxious maybe stop, pick my nose, watch them start to rage in my mirror, scratch my arse, and then turn.


Also, you don't need be "nice" all the time, take your right of way because when other people are behind you you just slow them down and delay traffic, and possibly cause confusion.

Not much of a problem here as people are never nice, but in the next town it often was just a slow moving line of people being all "after you!"
Well, if it's a solid wall of traffic behind me and we're ground to a halt anyway, I'll wave 1 out of the side junction. I've been the guy waiting forever for a gap in infinite traffic, and it sucks. However this usually gets a hopeful look from the one behind him - sorry but no, I'm nice sometimes but I'm not a traffic light, it's not my job to sit here letting everyone out - sit tight and wait for the next "nice" driver.
And when there's NOT a wall of traffic and just no need for it, it grinds my gears. We have systems for a reason - if everyone diddles around being polite to each other, the system means sod-all.

[Loony BoB]

Britain: UP YOUR ARSE, ALL THE TIME

I am also genuinely curious if there are any other UK EoFFers that actually drive. BoB, Iceglow, DK, Huxley... none of them do it! Am I all alone?
Matt has his licence, although I don't know if he actively drives a car yet. Danielle had to put off learning how to drive in order to save for the wedding, but both of us want to learn afterwards so we can go on road trips together.

[Jinx]

Driving 5mph over isn't speeding. It's driving.

[Spuuky]

Canadians are awful drivers. Every single one of them. Sorry, Canadians, but you are.

Also, it's one thing to go 5mph over the speed limit. It's another thing entirely to tailgate people and flash your lights because they are "only" going 5mph over the speed limit.

[Pike]

Yeah, I've been in cars with women driving before.

You had best not be referring to me. :colbert:


Also, it's one thing to go 5mph over the speed limit. It's another thing entirely to tailgate people and flash your lights because they are "only" going 5mph over the speed limit.

This makes me angrier than anything else ever holy shit all drivers in the entire world need to chill I swear to god

[Mirage]

The drivers in my area never use indicators, or if they do, half a second before they make a turn/change lanes.



Yeah, I've been in cars with women driving before.

You had best not be referring to me. :colbert:


Also, it's one thing to go 5mph over the speed limit. It's another thing entirely to tailgate people and flash your lights because they are "only" going 5mph over the speed limit.

This makes me angrier than anything else ever holy shit all drivers in the entire world need to chill I swear to god

It's still amazing me how when I am driving like 5-10 km/h over the speed limit, there are still people who are just itching to overtake me at any opportunity they'll get.

[Pike]

Oh man yeah people who pass you when you're already going like 10 over

That really pisses me off

I don't even know why it does, it just does :colbert:

[Jinx]

I pass people here going 5-10 over all the time. Mainly because the highways are 50 when they should be 65, and I'm not going to go 50.

[Pike]

Yeah, nah, I don't buy it. If there's a speed limit, it's there for a reason. Those guys who lay the roads down are way smarter than I am.

Besides it's not like going ten over the speed limit is going to save you any more than like 15 seconds in the long run on most trips. I go full schadenfreude when some speeder passes me and then gets stopped at a red light. :mwahaha: CONGRATS ON THINKING YOU'RE SAVING TIME WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT, BRO

[Mirage]

When I first started reading that post, Pike, I was thinking "oh yay someone who thinks like me", but then you started talking about red lights while I secretly wish they crash their cars and get seriously injured.

Unless someone is driving extremely poorly, I'm not going to overtake them if they're driving at the speed limit.

[Pike]

When I first started reading that post, Pike, I was thinking "oh yay someone who thinks like me", but then you started talking about red lights while I secretly wish they crash their cars and get seriously injured.

That too, or at least get pulled over

One of these days one of those guys who passes me whilst speeding is going to get pulled over and I am going to laugh and laugh

[Jinx]

The roads are fine. Granted, they might be much worse in the winter.

People just drive like pusses. I was taught to be a really aggressive driver. I'm not a dick about it. I don't ride people's asses or drive on the shoulder. I always, always, ALWAYS use my turn signal, and I actually slow down and don't slam on my breaks. I do honk at people, but only when they sit too long at a green light, or you cut me off/endanger me, or you're going 15 under on a road where I can't pass you (unless the weather is bad).

But I have a lead foot. GET OVER IT.

[Mirage]

Because honking on people actually helps. If you're doing it in those situations, you're either too late for it to change anything anyway, or just stressing others in traffic, which makes them more likely to make even more mistakes. Good job making the roads a less safe place to be.

[Jinx]

I don't care. If you aren't paying attention and almost hit me, you don't deserve a tip of my hat. Sorry. If you're trying to get into my lane and cut me off because you didn't check your blind spot, it actually can help. In fact, one time it saved me from being in a car accident. Soooo. Yeah.

[Mirage]

Not honking doesn't mean you're tipping your hat. In either case, one of those examples is acceptable I guess, the others still aren't.

[Jinx]

Or people could just pay attention to what they're doing, and other people wouldn't have to honk at them to get their attention so they honker isn't killed. There's that.

[Pike]

Honking is rude I'm glad that no one here does it

[Spuuky]

Or, you could do the responsible thing, and assume that the car is ALWAYS going to merge in front of you ("cut you off") and slow down accordingly.

[Mirage]

But spuuky that's not aggressive enough.

[Jinx]

I do just want to point out that merging in front of you and cutting you off aren't the same thing.

[Shorty]

There's a difference between being an aggressive driver and an efficient driver. LA is a perfect example of this. Those people are efficient as fuck, there are just too fucking many of them for it to work out.

[Denmark]

just let people in ahead of you in heavy traffic because it's going to cost you at most 3 seconds

[Spuuky]

I do just want to point out that merging in front of you and cutting you off aren't the same thing.No, but most people mean that someone merged in front of them when they said "that guy cut me off!!!!!!"

If you drive assuming that everyone around is a terrible, dangerous, and reckless driver, then your odds of getting in an accident are tremendously diminished at basically no meaningful time cost.

[Rebellious Eagle]

I see a need to honk my horn too, especially when I've had to sit behind people who didn't move when the light turned green. It's not rude (not paying attention to lights when there are other cars behind you IS rude, however), and that's what the horn is there for, after all. So you can use it when it's appropriate.

[Pheesh]

Everything said so far that Pike hates and gets mad about also annoys the trout out of me.

Also for the UKers, the other day Locky informed me that you guys use MPH over there D: the Americanisation is strong in you.

[Cloudane]

Honking is fine if it's to alert others to your presence.


The roads are fine. Granted, they might be much worse in the winter.

People just drive like pusses. I was taught to be a really aggressive driver. I'm not a dick about it. I don't ride people's asses or drive on the shoulder. I always, always, ALWAYS use my turn signal, and I actually slow down and don't slam on my breaks. I do honk at people, but only when they sit too long at a green light, or you cut me off/endanger me, or you're going 15 under on a road where I can't pass you (unless the weather is bad).

But I have a lead foot. GET OVER IT.

No offence, because you're generally awesome, but your driving attitude is kind of frighteningly arrogant. Kind of like Jeremy Clarkson with tits. I don't think I'd like you on the roads much.

Aggressive is not the way to drive (as many people far more qualified than I have said in many places), and I hope it's not too hard if you learn it the hard way... like when my otherwise lovely uncle got a lead foot and left behind 2 kids and a single mother, one of many statistics :(

[Relena Peacecraft]

Yeah, nah, I don't buy it. If there's a speed limit, it's there for a reason. Those guys who lay the roads down are way smarter than I am.

Besides it's not like going ten over the speed limit is going to save you any more than like 15 seconds in the long run on most trips. I go full schadenfreude when some speeder passes me and then gets stopped at a red light. :mwahaha: CONGRATS ON THINKING YOU'RE SAVING TIME WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT, BRO

Roads certainly have a design speed, but you probably don't know what it is. Mostly it's going to be related to the steepness of curves or visibility. The observation appears to be that most drivers will drive whatever speed they feel comfortable on a given road, and it tends to follow a bell curve of sorts.

At least in theory, many traffic engineers recommend setting the speed limit at the 85th percentile. Of course, the interstates in and around Milwaukee are for some reason set at 55mph, which as far as I've observed, can't be much better than the 10th percentile. (I always drive at or very near the speed limit, and I am lucky to ever pass anyone driving in Milwaukee.) Meanwhile, in Montana and North Dakota, where the speed limit is 75mph on I-90/I-94, I am very rarely passed and am passing people all day.

I especially like the people who blasted past me at 85 or something, only to slow down to 70 after they pulled in front of me. Yeah, thanks guys.

If there were no speed limits, I'm not entirely sure what I'd do. On one hand, I'm perfectly comfortable driving way faster than most drivers, but on the other hand, fuel economy drops rapidly as speed increases. I suspect I'd say screw fuel economy and just go however fast I felt comfortable given the road and traffic conditions. Who knows.

[Jiro]

I never use my horn when people are nutjobs because I'm too busy trying not to be in a car accident to beep.

Also this one time I was doing ~5kph over the speed limit and this ass was tailgating me. I slowed down and a few moments later the asshole got pulled over by a cop. Wish that would always happen.

[Cloudane]

I think there's probably a view amongst many drivers that the speed limit is set to cover the lowest common denominator of driving skills and reactions, and that because they perceive themselves as at least an above-average driver it needn't apply to them. And yeah I worry when folks assume they're a great driver. It's not really the place for pride. I think that I'm probably a bit rubbish - it's safer that way.

[Quindiana Jones]

I live and drive in China. My god. I don't even want to talk about it.

The people here are selfish and oblivious to everything and everyone around them. This follows and is increased when they enter traffic.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Canadians are awful drivers. Every single one of them. Sorry, Canadians, but you are.

Also, it's one thing to go 5mph over the speed limit. It's another thing entirely to tailgate people and flash your lights because they are "only" going 5mph over the speed limit.

Are you sure you weren't in Quebec? Quebec drivers are horrid, especially Montreal drivers. So many times I am glad I do not cross as the light changes (Amber light? OH I WILL SPEED UP EVEN THOUGH IT WILL OBVIOUSLY BE RED LONG BEFORE I GET THERE AND THEN DRIVE THROUGH THE RED LIGHT!)

[Mirage]

I think there's probably a view amongst many drivers that the speed limit is set to cover the lowest common denominator of driving skills and reactions, and that because they perceive themselves as at least an above-average driver it needn't apply to them. And yeah I worry when folks assume they're a great driver. It's not really the place for pride. I think that I'm probably a bit rubbish - it's safer that way.
Exactly. If most people were above average, then the average would have been higher than it is. Most people aren't though, they're just average, even if they don't want to admit it.

[Cloudane]

I think the true realisation comes when you think about how bad the average driver is, and take into account that 49% of drivers are even worse..

[NorthernChaosGod]

I just remembered one of the things that annoys me the most: when people don't wait for their fucking turn at four-way stops. In the past two weeks I've had three people get in my way because they don't understand turns.


Yeah, nah, I don't buy it. If there's a speed limit, it's there for a reason. Those guys who lay the roads down are way smarter than I am.

Besides it's not like going ten over the speed limit is going to save you any more than like 15 seconds in the long run on most trips. I go full schadenfreude when some speeder passes me and then gets stopped at a red light. :mwahaha: CONGRATS ON THINKING YOU'RE SAVING TIME WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT, BRO

I drive fast all the time and I regularly cut off at least 30% of my allotted time for getting to job sites.

[Jinx]

I just remembered one of the things that annoys me the most: when people don't wait for their smurfing turn at four-way stops. In the past two weeks I've had three people get in my way because they don't understand turns.



I KNOW, RIGHT?

It's super simple guys, I swear. Whoever gets there first, or whoever is on the right hand side if you make it there at the same time.

I also get annoyed when turning. Okay, I understand you've been waiting to turn for a long time, but I'm on the right hand side. I have the right of way, people.

[NorthernChaosGod]

It's terrible. Yesterday I almost got into an accident with my little sister in the car because of it.

[Spuuky]

I KNOW, RIGHT?

It's super simple guys, I swear. Whoever gets there first, or whoever is on the right hand side if you make it there at the same time. And if people pull up to all 4 at the exact same time?

[Psychotic]

People just drive like pusses. I was taught to be a really aggressive driver. Then whoever taught you is incompetent and you should not be in control of a potentially dangerous machine until you learn to drive properly. Being aggressive on the road is not remotely acceptable on a social level, much less a god damn safety one.

I have never honked my horn while driving because people fuck up and make mistakes. It happens - we've all done it. Anyone who honks at me gets the finger they deserve.

[Cloudane]

Ah yeah, that would be our left turn.

Without any lefts or rights the priority:
Those turning in from the main road without crossing traffic
then
Those turning in from the main road while crossing traffic
then
Those turning from theh opposite without crossing traffic
then
Those on the opposite side going straight across
then
Those turning out while crossing traffic (if the one opposite is, whoever got there first)

(kinda - various things happen at the same time)

i.e. if you're turning right (left, in every other country)... sorry, you're gonna have to wait a while. Deal with it. We all had to know that to pass the test, so no excuses.

[Jinx]

I think my definition of an aggressive driver is different from most everyone's here. What I mean is that I'm not a scared driver I'm not cautious on the road to the point of causing accidents. When I say aggressive, I mean that I'm not afraid to merge into a small space in the middle of rush hour or whatever. I know how to get where I'm trying to go.

And yes, there is such a thing as being overtly cautious.

[Psychotic]

If you think it's cautious drivers who cause the majority of accidents then I don't know what to tell you.

[Jinx]

I never said the majority of cautious drivers.

Maybe you all should just ride in the car with me and see what I mean by "aggressive."

[Psychotic]

Don't you get it?

The Awful Drivers thread hasn't suddenly become about you

It was always about you :stare:

[Jinx]

:(

I thought it was about Shorty

:(

[Cloudane]

When I say aggressive, I mean that I'm not afraid to merge into a small space in the middle of rush hour or whatever.

Well, that's fair enough. There's a difference between aggressive/arrogant and confident. At rush hour sometimes you just have to take a "head down arse up" kind of approach to get from A to B.

[Jinx]

Yeah, I'm probably more confident than I am aggressive. Good substitute word. And addressing your earlier post: I don't think I'm a great driver. Proficient? Sure. But I'm aware that I'm nowhere near perfect.

But yes, I do still honk at people when they almost get in an accident with me, and it's not my fault.

[Shorty]

I'm not awful driver.

[Jinx]

I'm not awful driver.

NOT ACCORDING TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER RIDDEN IN A CAR WITH YOU

I dunno, I'm just jumping on the bandwagon. xD

[Shorty]

I can see this is an argument for which I have no proof to win with, so I won't even try. :)

[Relena Peacecraft]

:(

I thought it was about Shorty

:(

Only time I've been in a car with her, I was driving. She'd probably have tried to murder me if she were the one driving.

[Shorty]

Yea, but with the shovel I keep in my trunk. Not with my driving habits.

[Jiro]

No, okay, four way stop signs are stupid, and here's why:

Chance and whatever state that it is possible and plausible that four drivers would all reach the stop signs at the same time, and all want to continue straight. Who goes first? WHO GOES FIRST WHEN THERE IS NO MEANS TO DETERMINE WHO GOES FIRST? Stupid invention, imoclearly the most impatient driver goes first

[Pheesh]

I was so weirded out when I saw one in USA for the first time. It makes no sense, just put a friggin round-a-bout there like normal people, you crazy Yanks.

[Jinx]

Yeah, but then with round-a-bouts you have the idiots who will stop in the middle of the round-a-bout and wait for you to enter.

HELLO I HAVE A YIELD SIGN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY I WILL ENTER THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE WHEN YOU HAVE PASSED ME






adlfjaouwreoruoduosufoseuroesur

[Shorty]

No, roundabouts are the most genius thing ever and would make everything more efficient. Even with the idiots, it would improve absolutely everything.

[Jinx]

I like round-a-bouts. Just pointing out they have their problems. ;)

[Shorty]

They have no problems. The drivers who stop in the middle of them are the ones with problems. Also, I have never ever seen anyone do this xD

[Cloudane]

People do that? O_o
I've never seen anyone stop in the middle of a roundabout, unless it's one of those fancy hybrid roundabouts with traffic lights on it, or they're a foreigner.

I have however had plenty of people charge out onto the roundabout in front of me causing me to brake while I'm trying to get around it. If I have to brake too hard that earns a blast from my horn.

[Jinx]

It's happened to me so many times. I get so angry every time. I wave at them. They usually sit there staring at me like I'M the idiot. Then I wave a bit harder and yell go.

FUCKING YIELD SIGNS HOW DO THEY WORK

[Denmark]

traffic circles (i refuse to call them by your silly name) take up a decent amount more space than a four-way stop and so they're not always the best idea, e.g., in cities. i'm in full support of them when practical but they're not always practical.

i have two four-way stops on my way to and from work and neither place would be a good place to "just put in a roundabout". they have to be planned there from the start, and, well, one of these 4-ways is on a hill. sloped traffic circle? lol no terrible idea.

[Cloudane]

traffic circles (i refuse to call them by your silly name)

So you refer to them in a

http://i.imgur.com/qM3dEzz.jpg

roundabout way.

YEAHHH


I've rarely seen occasions where a 4-way intersection without traffic lights would be a good idea over a roundabout, in situations where the traffic is heavy enough to warrant one. It sounds like a recipe for accidents to me

[Pheesh]

Yeah, but then with round-a-bouts you have the idiots who will stop in the middle of the round-a-bout and wait for you to enter.

HELLO I HAVE A YIELD SIGN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY I WILL ENTER THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE WHEN YOU HAVE PASSED ME






adlfjaouwreoruoduosufoseuroesur

Never once have I had this happen to me, but saying that, I saw only 1 roundabout the entire time I was in USA so I assume people maybe just panic when they encounter one over there?

[Pumpkin]

There is some truth to what Phil says. They installed one not far from where I lived back up in Canada and people didn't know what to do with it because their weren't very many. It cased some fuss at first, until people adapted to it.

[Lionblade]

Solution for all bad drivers: make every license test as difficult as the Finns'.

178 Top Gear - Hakkinen Finland by J1MZ - Car Videos on StreetFire (http://www.streetfire.net/video/178-top-gear-hakkinen-finland_200347.htm)

[Jiro]

I think the fact that roundabouts are uncommon in the USA explains any stupidity encountered on them. Usually the problem is people entering when they shouldn't, and that is a problem you encounter with all types of intersections anyway.

Also you would be wise to call them roundabouts so as not to disrespect the one we own (http://home.eyesonff.com/members/15806.html).

Mind you, the "always able to turn right at traffic lights" thing in the US is glorious. Too often do I sit at lights waiting to turn left when there is fucking nothing there.

[Mirage]

Solution for all bad drivers: make every license test as difficult as the Finns'.

178 Top Gear - Hakkinen Finland by J1MZ - Car Videos on StreetFire (http://www.streetfire.net/video/178-top-gear-hakkinen-finland_200347.htm)

Norwegian license tests aren't too easy either. Or at least, all the lessons required in advance before even taking the final test.

[Lionblade]

I think the fact that roundabouts are uncommon in the USA explains any stupidity encountered on them. Usually the problem is people entering when they shouldn't, and that is a problem you encounter with all types of intersections anyway.

Mind you, the "always able to turn right at traffic lights" thing in the US is glorious. Too often do I sit at lights waiting to turn left when there is smurfing nothing there.

A: Were I the owner of something rear wheel drive, I would powerslide through every roundabout. Of course, we don't actually have many in NYC...I didn't actually experience one until I went to Gettysburg.

B: That's not a hard and fast rule. Within NYC limits, for example, you can only turn right on red when there's a sign explicitly permitting it.



Solution for all bad drivers: make every license test as difficult as the Finns'.

178 Top Gear - Hakkinen Finland by J1MZ - Car Videos on StreetFire (http://www.streetfire.net/video/178-top-gear-hakkinen-finland_200347.htm)

Norwegian license tests aren't too easy either. Or at least, all the lessons required in advance before even taking the final test.

Anything would be an upgrade. I think my road test was five minutes, and consisted mainly of parallel parking. I lost points for "hard acceleration out of a turn." I think the test administrator was just miffed that her previous student had an S Class.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Mind you, the "always able to turn right at traffic lights" thing in the US is glorious. Too often do I sit at lights waiting to turn left when there is smurfing nothing there.

B: That's not a hard and fast rule. Within NYC limits, for example, you can only turn right on red when there's a sign explicitly permitting it.

In San Diego, the rule is you can turn unless there's a sign explicitly forbidding it.

[noxious.sunshine]

I think that's everywhere..... Cuz it's definitely a thing in TN.

The one good thing about Texarkana... they have a U-Turn lane for getting right back on the freeway or the access roads without having to go through a light. So instead of sitting through 2 lights to make 2 left turns, there's another lane that goes on the far left side of the road and you can just stay there to make a U turn.

I nearly got ran off the road by a big ass Freightliner. I was wicked livid pissed. He wasn't even looking! Just decided to get on over! He barely even heard my horn!

[Lionblade]

The one good thing about Texarkana... they have a U-Turn lane for getting right back on the freeway or the access roads without having to go through a light. So instead of sitting through 2 lights to make 2 left turns, there's another lane that goes on the far left side of the road and you can just stay there to make a U turn.


THIS. Eastern New Jersey needs this more than a fat kid needs vegetables.

It's one reason I hate driving there, even though the Outer Bridge is only ten minutes from my house.

[Sephex]

I plugged in a device to my PC and instead of it working normally, all it did was crash! Drivers suck sometimes.

[qwertysaur]

I live in the land where the Jersey Drivers and City drivers meet, and it is very interesting. :p

[Pike]

Re: roundabouts: No one over here ever sees them so they don't teach it to you in drivers' ed or anything. We had one built here in town a few years back and I still have no idea how to use it. I just sort of wing it (so does everyone else, I think.)

And yeah, right turn on red is glorious.

[Mirage]

It's pretty easy, really. Yield for everyone who is coming from your right when you are approaching it. When you're inside the roundabout, everyone else who is not yet in the roundabout must yield for you. Oh, and roundabouts can have lanes (sort of) too, so don't change lanes excessively while in it. And you also don't need to yield for someone on the inner lane if you're going to use the outer lane.

At least that's how it is where I live!

[Cloudane]

It's pretty easy, really. Yield for everyone who is coming from your right when you are approaching it. When you're inside the roundabout, everyone else who is not yet in the roundabout must yield for you. Oh, and roundabouts can have lanes (sort of) too, so don't change lanes excessively while in it. And you also don't need to yield for someone on the inner lane if you're going to use the outer lane.

At least that's how it is where I live!

For most other folks you'd have to yield to the left, since the rest of the world drives on the right. It's only us who drive on the correct side :P

Also, at least here, indicate towards the exit (left indicator here, right indicator elsewhere) after passing the exit before the one you want.

[Mirage]

Nah, that's just because i constantly mix up left and right when I use the words. I never do when I'm actually navigating though.

And indicators are obvious when you're doing what's practically the same as going from one road to another. You can treat a roundabout as a one-way circular priority road with a lot of T-intersections on, after all. :p

[The Man]

The way I learned to remember left and right was that you can make a capital L with your left hand facing you.

[Shorty]

I mix up left and right all the time. :(

[Jinx]

Mix up left and right what?

[Shorty]

You need clarification on what lefts and what rights I mix up?

[Jinx]

Yeah. Is it the words themselves? Or actual lefts and rights? xD

[Shorty]

Directions and which hand is what.

[Spuuky]

I can't really imagine mixing up left and right. Do you also mix up "up" and "down"?

[Shorty]

Sometimes. And sometimes I mix up red and purple and green and blue and water and earth.

[Cloudane]

The way I learned to remember left and right was that you can make a capital L with your left hand facing you.

And now my laptop's built in camera chooses this time to sulk, but I just make a capital L with my right hand facing me :P

[Pheesh]

It's pretty easy, really. Yield for everyone who is coming from your right when you are approaching it. When you're inside the roundabout, everyone else who is not yet in the roundabout must yield for you. Oh, and roundabouts can have lanes (sort of) too, so don't change lanes excessively while in it. And you also don't need to yield for someone on the inner lane if you're going to use the outer lane.

At least that's how it is where I live!

Over here you have to yield for both lanes because usually the inner lane is for going right and straight, and the outer lane is for going left and straight. So if you're both going straight and you don't yield for the car coming from the right you're going to T-Bone them or they'll T-Bone you.

[Jiro]

And the only good T-Bone is a steak.

Shorty does indeed mix up her left and right. At least it is constantly, so just reverse your directions for her.

[qwertysaur]

Or remind her it's her other left!

[Pheesh]

Shorty took the wrong exit on the freeway like 3 times in the space of 15 minutes one night. So many u-turns... *shudders*

[The Man]

And now my laptop's built in camera chooses this time to sulk, but I just make a capital L with my right hand facing me :P
I meant with the palm of your hand away from you, not the other way around. :monster:

[Mirage]

The way I learned to remember left and right was that you can make a capital L with your left hand facing you.

except that doesn't work in other languages

in either case, I don't have problems remembering it when I actually think about it. It's just when I do it verbally only

[Quindiana Jones]

How to use roundabouts: accelerate and go straight over them. Try to avoid the ornamental sculptures that are often displayed in the centre.