Overly nice drivers are a road hazard

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I really find it annoying when someone that has the right of way waits to let me go. It adds uncertainty that undermines the entire concept of 'right of way'.

I couldn't agree more with you or with the article. Hesitant and polite drivers are the scariest. I'd rather be in a car with a confident speeder any day.

I live by a 4 way stop. The number of times someone clearly beats me to the stop and then sits there and then waves me through is astounding. I usually very clearly mouth G0-F-Yourself. They get all big eyed and curse back somehow shocked I would throw their kindness in their face like that. How dare I...

A) If they had done a just-shy-of-a-rolling-stop like most of us they would have been clear of the intersection before I finished my as-close-to-a-rolling-stop-as-possible-without-actually-being-one.
B) How do I know that they are not just looking to write off the crap car they are driving. They clearly get there first, I go and they pulled into me just not expecting me to be there... to witneses and according to them I am at fault.

Thanks anyway A-hat.

[theg69]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I really find it annoying when someone that has the right of way waits to let me go. It adds uncertainty that undermines the entire concept of 'right of way'.

I actually think the problem is driver education. A lot of these people who "waits to let you go" do not realize that they have the right of way. This is my biggest pet peeve and the other driver gets pissed off because I did not acknowledge their kindness (I usually just honk at them).

The one that aggravates me the most is the uncontrolled T-intersection.
The rule states:
"Some intersections have no traffic signs and no traffic signal lights. At these intersections, you must yield the right-of-way to a vehicle on your right. "

So, when I am yielding to you appropriately at this intersection, don't wave me through!! Conversely, don't assume that just because you are going straight, you have the right of way! I had to argue with my parents about this exact intersection by their house because my mom would just blow right through the T-intersection without braking (she would go straight but since it is uncontrolled, she is supposed to yield to anyone turning out from the right).
It's ridiculous how many people think she is correct to do this!!

[sun]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

My mom (always has lived in a small town) recently came down by herself (sans my dad) to help us clean our new house. Her driving skills in the City made me want to pull out my hair. Constantly braking and letting people merge - it was so frustrating.

Haha my mom is exactly the same. Terrible driver in the city. I guess Vancouver can be intimidating to drive in to people who aren't used to it, but it is painful riding in the car with her. She once parked at metered parking and centered the two meters on her car instead of bumper-to-meter - thus taking up two spots lol.

[GGG]

The one that bugs me is when I am on a bicycle and people treat me like a pedestrian. Don't stop for me to cross the street. I will wait you out. Unless I am dismounted in a crosswalk treat me like a car.

[Machiavelli]

The timing of this thread is funny for me. I nearly got into an accident today because someone was being "nice" and let someone coming from the other direction turn left in front of him. From my approach, I didn't know he had stopped for a car and just thought he was waiting at the light. The driver of the other car very nearly T-boned me.

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Never stop for pedestrians who are not in a crosswalk- in fact, I sometimes start driving if non-jaywalkers are still walking but have left the designated crosswalk lines.

I honk at bad drivers. EVERYONE needs to start doing this so these people learn not to be idiots. If you just sit there and let them do what they're doing without embarrassing them, they will continue doing bad stuff and never learn.

I'm pretty trigger happy with my horn too. I tell my wife that I'm teaching Calgary drivers one driver at a time

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by smoothpops

This may be a little off topic. What I don't get, is why some some drivers floor it when the light turns green, only to go speed limit. let your car get some momentum, and then accelerate to speed limit at a reasonable pace. It's better for your car, and if someone needs to pass to get into the next lane over, it's no big deal.

I'm a gunner, particularly if I'm at the front of the line. Most especially when I'm turning left, and I'm at the front of the line. Why shouldn't I get my ass moving? People don't like to be held up - I certainly don't. And those left hand turn lights don't last forever - I like to be efficient and get as many of us through as possible. I hate sitting through 2 or 3 turn lights because some yutz at the front of the line isn't paying attention to the light change and then dawdles through the damn intersection - especially those intersections where you're turning across the C-train tracks. Haul arse, man. There's just no need to Sunday drive it away from an intersection.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I really find it annoying when someone that has the right of way waits to let me go. It adds uncertainty that undermines the entire concept of 'right of way'.

It drives me nuts, particularly when we have our 'new driver' in the driver's seat. She knows exactly how right of way goes, and so often, we're frigging directing traffic at 4 way stops. "No lady, you go now. And you over there, your turn. NOW it's my turn."

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Never stop for pedestrians who are not in a crosswalk- in fact, I sometimes start driving if non-jaywalkers are still walking but have left the designated crosswalk lines.

I may or may not do this same thing. And if they give me the finger, I lay on the horn.

I honk at bad drivers.

We have started honking as well. I laid on the horn this afternoon, when we were coming back from the city. Some absolute dipstick was in the fast lane on the last curve eastbound on Hwy 1, out of Chestermere, doing freaking 80 km/h in a 110 km/h zone, where typically, the flow of traffic is going about 120 km/h - everyone was having to quickly jump into the right lane to go around him/her, and I absolutely nailed the horn as I went past. If you can't drive the bloody speed limit, a) don't drive in the left lane and b) don't drive on the highway (better yet, don't drive at all) - you're going to cause a major accident, if you're driving 30 km/h under the speed limit on a busy highway.

Every time we've been in the US, we hear horns, lol. Last trip my husband made to Vegas, he said if drivers weren't cheetah swift off the line when the light turned green, they heard about it.

[Weiser Wonder]

I think generally nice drivers get in less accidents than aggressive drivers, but that's just my perspective.

Also, a woman wrote the article since all of you keep using male pronouns/signifiers.

[Smartcar]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I find it hard to understand how you could t-bone someone who had stopped to let someone out of a parking lot, like this guy is describing.

She would have t-boned the car that was coming out of the parking lot, across her lane, which was beside the lane in which the guy had stopped to let the guy out. But she stopped in time because she wasn't distracted or speeding.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

I think generally nice drivers get in less accidents than aggressive drivers, but that's just my perspective.

I don't believe failing to get into a crash makes you a good driver. A person's unsafe operation of a vehicle should be the indicator. Doing actions that inconvenience serveral other vehicles or cause a chain reaction that affects hundreds of other vehicles still makes that person a hazzard on the road.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Smartcar

She would have t-boned the car that was coming out of the parking lot, across her lane, which was beside the lane in which the guy had stopped to let the guy out. But she stopped in time because she wasn't distracted or speeding.

So in that situation, the person at fault is clearly the person coming out of the parking lot and is not really related to the person who stopped 'nicely' at all.

[ken0042]

I would agree that you are right as to who is "at fault." However that doesn't change the fact the the cause of the accident would have been the person who was trying to be nice.

I was involved in a serious crash many years ago. Short version, a vehicle was doing 70 in a 90 zone, and I was 2 cars back. After a few openings where the 2nd car didn't pass, I proceeded to pass both vehicles. As I was beside the second vehicle she pulled out to pass. I swerved to avoid being sideswiped and lost control; eventually hitting the lead vehicle. The lead vehicle was found to be 25% at fault as they caused accident. The vehicle that tried to pass unsafely was still mostly at fault, but the police did lay blame to both drivers.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by smoothpops

Hehe i have a corolla, even when i floor it, I go nowhere fast. My beef is more with the peeps that floor it off the light just to get to speed limit, there's really no need to do that and messes with the flow of traffic. they won't let you pass, but then they stop accelerating so you can't quite get in the lane, behind them. Almost as bad as the people that that only speed up when you're trying to pass them.

That is a really odd beef to have, and I am not really sure how it messes up traffic flow. As others mentioned, the goal is to get up to speed limit as soon as possible. In theory, anything slower than speed limit is what hinders traffic flow.

I HATE stragglers who are at the front of the line who take forever to speed up. It especially grinds my gears when they are turning left at a turn signal and screws everyone behind over.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I would agree that you are right as to who is "at fault." However that doesn't change the fact the the cause of the accident would have been the person who was trying to be nice.

I was involved in a serious crash many years ago. Short version, a vehicle was doing 70 in a 90 zone, and I was 2 cars back. After a few openings where the 2nd car didn't pass, I proceeded to pass both vehicles. As I was beside the second vehicle she pulled out to pass. I swerved to avoid being sideswiped and lost control; eventually hitting the lead vehicle. The lead vehicle was found to be 25% at fault as they caused accident. The vehicle that tried to pass unsafely was still mostly at fault, but the police did lay blame to both drivers.

How did the police lay blame to the driver who was doing absolutely nothing illegal. Irritating, yes. Illegal, no. That story if it is how you stated it is 100% the fault of the person who didn't shoulder check prior to passing resulting in the accident.

[TheGrimm]

- People who don't know how to merge properly, GET UP TO SPEED and find your opening, expecting all of the traffic to slam on their brakes for you to "merge" is beyond stupid. Worse still is the cars that slam on their brakes at the end of the merge lane and risk getting rear-ended in the process!

- Uncontrolled T-intersections are also pretty stupid, I am under the impression that the Alberta law states that you always yield to the car on your right, however this is definitely different from US laws where the lane going straight through has right of way (which is actually logical). I go through one of these twice a day and have had someone almost T-bone me a couple of times because I don't think the general public knows the proper way to deal with these.

[ken0042]

I found the California law which applies. I'm sure I have seen this law in our provinces; with different wording but similar tone.

No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, unless the reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, because of a grade, or in compliance with law.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by fotze

Even if Ken's legislation does not apply to Alberta (and it sounds like it might if that's what the police found) it should be. Driving that much under the limit with no good reason should absolutely be illegal. They may not be as much as a safety risk as big time speeders, they are a risk.

But 70k in a 90k zone I don't think is that unreasonable of a speed. I think you are in range of the speed LIMIT. I don't think you are considered a slow moving vehicle until you are 30km below the limit. I would argue that going 70 in a 90 would be compliant with California Law.

[GrrlGoalie33]

This morning, the following scenario played out before my eyes:

A mom and her young (3-4 yo) girl run across the crosswalk when the hand is flashing orange. The girl loses her shoe, and mom continues to run across the road not realizing it. She gets to the other side and kinda stands there not really knowing what to do. I waited a couple of seconds to see if mom was going to dart back out into the street.

When the light turned green, the guy coming opposite to me gets out of his van, picks up the offending shoe, and runs across the road to give it to mom. He is in the only straight through lane going in his direction.

Nice guy, but total d-bag move as a driver.

[You Need a Thneed]

Going too slow gets you docked points on your driver's test, but I don't know if there is a specific law against it. Certainly the police could come up with an infraction if need be though.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by TheGrimm

- Uncontrolled T-intersections are also pretty stupid, I am under the impression that the Alberta law states that you always yield to the car on your right, however this is definitely different from US laws where the lane going straight through has right of way (which is actually logical). I go through one of these twice a day and have had someone almost T-bone me a couple of times because I don't think the general public knows the proper way to deal with these.

Just curious, if that's how it works in the US, what happens when both cars (one going north-south, and the other going east-west) are going straight on an uncontrolled intersection? Who yields to who?