Awareness On The Road

[David Barnett]

Many years ago I was stopped by a State Trooper for speeding on the highway entrance ramp! Go figure. As you said, you need to get up to speed to merge onto the freeway. I wasn't written a ticket.

Sometimes it isn't clear that there's going to be a space to merge into if you accelerate up to the speed limit on the onramp.

 

[David Barnett]

When stopped at a light, try inching backward if you have the space to do it. The other clown thinks they're inching forward and pumps the brakes because you're still inching backward and they think they're still inching forward.

That works in parking lots too.

 

[flathd]

Example 1: Where the speed limit changes from 45 to 25 and people continue going the same speed. That is what's called a "speed trap" and there usually a cop parked about half a block past the 25 mph sign. There is one by where I walked my dog and the cops are always catching speeders.

 

[BryMelvin]

This seems to be increasingly rare. Here are a few examples that I have been seeing.

Example #1. There is a road that bypasses downtown traffic along the edge of the city where I live in. I use this road to get to where the grocery stores and shopping is. On the way home, I turn onto this road, and it is 45 for 3/4 mile, 35 for a half mile, then 25 for a half mile. A number of times recently, I am behind someone who starts out going about 35. No biggie, it turns 35 soon enough. In the 35 zone, they continue at 35. Then in the 25 zone, they continue at 35.

Uhhhh, dude. WTH? It's like these people decide a single speed they like, and use it everywhere.

This happens very frequently on this road. That, or someone decides 19 MPH is their preferred speed, and use it down the whole stretch. 35 in that sort stretch of the 45 zone is no biggie - but 19 MPH feels like we should just get out and walk.

Is this a big deal? No, unless I am in a hurry. Are they hurting anyone? Again, no. I just wonder if they have enough awareness of their surroundings to be safe.

Example #2. Merging onto the freeway (sorry, motorway for those across the pond ). If you are merging into a 65 MPH zone, the goal is to be going 65 by the time you merge to be safer. So many time, drivers dawdle down the ramp, don't accelerate, then try to merge into 65 MPH traffic at 40 to 45. Uhhhh, dude. You are going to die or cause a wreck. This is a long ramp, you had the time and the space to accelerate. Pedal on the right - push it harder.

I get that trucks sometimes cannot get up to speed. I get trailers will inhibit speed. Sometimes a person's car may not be in proper repair to get up to speed. Many times, this is just people not being aware and not being safe. They get onto the highway, then accelerate.

Example #3. I often use my cruise control on the freeway (motorway ). I will have my cruise set, and I will have a car pass me on the left, merge into my lane, then slow down to 5 MPH less than where my cruise is set. No biggie, I pull into the left lane, reset my cruise, and continue past. Once I am past them and pull back into the right lane, they speed up, pass me, get in my lane, and slow down again. Repeat for miles and miles. I sometimes wonder if this person is just playing with me, but they never look over, never look at me, and they just seem oblivious. That, and this happens all the time with a lot of drivers. I often wondered if my cruise control was not working properly, but this happens with every car I've ever had, and my wife's cars, and my kid's cars, and...

Rant over. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

I use I19 allthe time (between Tucson and Nogales) It has a 75 mile speed limit but many of the Produce trucks coming up from Mexico and Nogales AZ are governed at 60 or 65. You get used to it. But for weird; Busness I19 is 50 or 55 mph limit untill a strretch through pecan Groves Where it Widens to 4 lanes and the speed limit drops to 45. There is usually a Sahuarita cop there to monitor too!. Go figure, blatant speed trap.

 

[David Barnett]

If you have adaptive cruise control, and try to go at or near the speed limit, you will never reach your destination. Someone will always pass and then pull over, and your car will automatically back off to create a safe following distance, which will then be filled by another car, ad infinitum.

The only way to make adaptive cruise work to your advantage is to set the speed for 20-25 MPH faster than you actually plan to travel. You can tuck in behind someone who is going at a comfortable rate, and stay there for miles. If they slow down, you can whip into the left lane and the car will automagically accelerate you past the slower cars, until you can find another comfortable space to tuck into.

 

[Slip Kid]

Example #2. Merging onto the freeway (sorry, motorway for those across the pond ). If you are merging into a 65 MPH zone, the goal is to be going 65 by the time you merge to be safer. So many time, drivers dawdle down the ramp, don't accelerate, then try to merge into 65 MPH traffic at 40 to 45. Uhhhh, dude. You are going to die or cause a wreck. This is a long ramp, you had the time and the space to accelerate. Pedal on the right - push it harder.

I get that trucks sometimes cannot get up to speed. I get trailers will inhibit speed. Sometimes a person's car may not be in proper repair to get up to speed. Many times, this is just people not being aware and not being safe. They get onto the highway, then accelerate.

I live example #2 on an almost daily basis. I’m usually in a group with several other cars trailing behind someone barely going 45 mph on the entrance ramp to I-95 south. I have to look for an opening and floor it as soon as I enter the highway to avoid getting run off the road from the on coming traffic. Every time I look at the driver of car causing this they appear oblivious to what they’re causing. It’s like they think they are in a funeral procession.

 

[flathd]

Many years ago I was stopped by a State Trooper for speeding on the highway entrance ramp! Go figure. As you said, you need to get up to speed to merge onto the freeway. I wasn't written a ticket.

That happened to me many years ago on a motorcycle. I was going 75 mph on the entrance ramp and passed a Highway Patrol as I got on the freeway. He pulled me over, but no ticket. He sincerely told me to "Never speed on My Highway ever again".

 

[suthol]

Merging onto the freeway (sorry, motorway for those across the pond ). If you are merging into a 65 MPH zone, the goal is to be going 65 by the time you merge to be safer. So many time, drivers dawdle down the ramp,

In our part of the world Freeways are highways that have no charge to drive on, Motorways are toll roads

 

[Toto'sDad]

They have rules in California about how much your windows can be tinted. Most of the cars I see now that are even remotely expensive have all the windows tinted so that you cannot see the occupants under any circumstances. Even the windshield is blacked out. I don't see how these people see where they are going, or other cars on the road.

 

[Tonetele]

I drive slower than the speed limit. I rushed around all my working life, not just driving. So, now I'm in no hurry.

 

[Cesspit]

Years of riding a motorcycle every day teaches you to pay better attention or you die

This is so true. That standard of driving in the UK has decreased over the years. Inappropriate speed, not just speed is a problem for many, not driving to the conditions or traffic flow. The biggest issue is that drivers don't look! Funny how folk focus on speed when complaining about drivers but the biggest cause of accidents is inattention. And I'm not surprised, mobile phones and fiddling with all the tech in modern cars in a huge problem.
To all on two wheels, ride safe.

 

[Addnine]

Scaredy cats? I'll be a do gooder and move over in the left lane and give you plenty of space so you can stay in the right lane and putz along behind all the "sissies."

Thanks for nothing. You are teaching them that it is not THEIR responsibility to blend with existing traffic, which has the right-of-way. More and more, they just wander out there, assuming misguided softies like you will just work around their laziness.

 

[suthol]

There is nothing like a lot of laps on a race track to teach on spatial awareness

 

[ReverendRevolver]

I almost got clipped by a teenager in a minivan this morning. I guess they didn't cover in drivers ed that at a 4way stopsign intersection, you don't get to immidiately follow the car in front of you if 2 other cars were at 2 other stopsigns before you pulled up.

Stupid driving is normal. That doesn't make it less irritating.

 

[nojazzhere]

Unless I missed it in the other replies, Texas requires (can't speak for other states) drivers entering a freeway from an entrance ramp to BLEND with existing traffic.......meaning, if everyone is doing 65MPH, you don't move over into traffic at 45MPH. You need to get up to 65MPH and THEN merge into traffic. If you move over at 45MPH, and someone bumps you in the rear, you MAY be held responsible. (Yeah, it's hard to prove)
Kind of off-topic......when I was a very young kid, my dad (sarcastically) told me Cadillac owners were issue a certificate of ownership to the road when they bought their cars......for years I took that literally, and thought there was actually a document of ownership that the rest of us had to respect.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

I drive slower than the speed limit. I rushed around all my working life, not just driving. So, now I'm in no hurry.

Don't stop there!

 

[unixfish]

Don't stop there!

Typically older folk are better about that - they were brought up to be polite. "Karens" yacking on cell phones are the worst - if you dare say "excuse me" so you can get around, they come back at you with a vengeance, like it is their right to block the aisle.

 

[Phrygian77]

I get this all the time on Spring Creek Hwy where the speed limit changes from 55 to 45 through two different intersections, and stays at 45 for several miles north of the Shadeville intersection, past the school. People will either drive 45 or 55 the whole way, or worse, they're going 60-65. I've passed many people going 45 only to have them tailgating me when the speed zone drops to 45. It's ridiculous.

 

[Phrygian77]

Edit: duplicate

 

[flathd]

Thanks for nothing. You are teaching them that it is not THEIR responsibility to blend with existing traffic, which has the right-of-way. More and more, they just wander out there, assuming misguided softies like you will just work around their laziness.

I'm not teaching anybody anything and neither are you. I'm moving into the passing lane so I can maintain my speed. If you want to be a Macho Macho Man, stay in what ever lane you think will teach the other drivers a lesson.