Explain that shit, and I'll do my best not to do it - A bit of a language gap, here.
When you are driving in congest areas with a lot of intersections, people like to drive into the intersection even if there isn't enough room to get all the way across. Then, they are still in the intersection when the light turns red, creating a wall of cars for the other lanes in the intersections, effectively stopping all traffic.
Explain that shit, and I'll do my best not to do it - A bit of a language gap, here.
When you are driving in congest areas with a lot of intersections, people like to drive into the intersection even if there isn't enough room to get all the way across. Then, they are still in the intersection when the light turns red, creating a wall of cars for the other lanes in the intersections, effectively stopping all traffic.
Ah, that's a fair call. I hate it when people do that.
It's more acceptable if you're turning, but try not to if you can help it (it's still a dick move). Also, don't get hung up about speed limits. Just go about as fast as everybody else, and only worry about it if you're at the front of a pack.
Signal before you execute your maneuver. Dear god.
Also, please don't speedily cut across two lanes and get into the merging lane, thus preventing me from merging onto the highway. Please. It makes me a very unhappy young man.
Also, please don't speedily cut across two lanes and get into the merging lane, thus preventing me from merging onto the highway. Please. It makes me a very unhappy young man.
People like that are fucking assholes. If you know you have to get off at the next exit, do NOT try to pass another car right before said exit. You'll be slowing down on the exit ramp anyways!
Also on the "asinine" level of driving: in the case of a four-lane highway (two in each direction), don't poke along in the passing lane. Nothing pisses me off more than being on the interstate and wanting to pass, only to be blocked by some dingleberry who is driving a whopping two miles an hour faster than the person he is passing. They end up taking up the pair of lanes for several miles and it ends up congesting traffic.
I need to find one of those bumper stickers that says, "Lead, Follow, or GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY".
The problem with a bumper sticker is that it's on the _back_ of your car.
Need a programmable scrolling sign board that does mirror image writing so it can be read in the rear view mirror of the car in front of you.
Stay to the Right is the law in all 50 states, but almost never enforced.
If you think that having two cars driving side by side is frustrating, try driving on I-405 - six lanes in each direction - and all the lanes are blocked by cars going almost exactly the same speed, with a half mile between them and the next car ahead. Argh! So glad that I no longer have to drive on that nightmare of a highway.
If you think that having two cars driving side by side is frustrating, try driving on I-405 - six lanes in each direction - and all the lanes are blocked by cars going almost exactly the same speed, with a half mile between them and the next car ahead. Argh! So glad that I no longer have to drive on that nightmare of a highway.
Here is all you really need to know: No two objects can occupy the same point in space at the same time. Obey that one principle at the very least and you should be fine.
I drive on a major Interstate (I-77) to work everyday.
First, remember is always give the people room ahead of you and a little more. Second, trucks like driving in the center lane very fast on interstates. Let them pass and when passing them give plenty of room behind you so the truck can stop if you have to slam the brakes on. Third, when there is a entrance ramp, change to the outer lane(or the next lane to the left) because most times people are idiots about how to merge properly.
Use the three second rule. Following to close too another vehicle is dangerous and leads to all of those 21 car pile-ups.
I use a two-second gap for following most passenger vehicles (which is the minimum recommended by defensive driving courses), and a larger gap when following a large truck. Actually, I try not to follow large trucks wherever possible, since they have giant fucking blind spots. However, my car can also stop very quickly; a larger, heavier vehicle should always leave more room.
Also, when merging onto a highway, fucking accelerate. You should already be going at your intended speed by the time you're ready to merge, barring any sort of congestion in the merge lane (which shouldn't be the case, because you should be moving the fuck over to let people merge).
I use a two-second gap for following most passenger vehicles (which is the minimum recommended by defensive driving courses), and a larger gap when following a large truck. Actually, I try not to follow large trucks wherever possible, since they have giant fucking blind spots.
Actually, they changed it to a three second rule in the last six months, according to the defensive driving course I just took. Also, to ensure safe distance from a truck you should be far enough behind it to see its mirrors. As to your point about merging, while your statement makes common sense, it is technically illegal under NYS law for people to merge out of the right lane to accommodate the oncoming traffic. By NYS law, you may only merge left to 1) pass someone going under the speed limit or 2) to move away from an obstruction in the shoulder (an accident, a police officer pulling someone over, construction vehicles, etc.)
I use a two-second gap for following most passenger vehicles (which is the minimum recommended by defensive driving courses), and a larger gap when following a large truck. Actually, I try not to follow large trucks wherever possible, since they have giant fucking blind spots.
Actually, they changed it to a three second rule in the last six months, according to the defensive driving course I just took. Also, to ensure safe distance from a truck you should be far enough behind it to see its mirrors.
I was taught to stay behind by a car length for every ten miles an hour you travel.
@ Andrew, I have heard that one, too. The driving instructor didn't recommend it as perspective is skewed by speed, height from the road, and the relative size of the vehicles around you.
I was taught to stay behind by a car length for every ten miles an hour you travel.
That metric breaks down so rapidly as to be useless. The time metric is much better.
I leave two seconds before me at any point, including trucks (which can't stop faster than I can barring some immediate upstream collision). In the ancient past, when I commonly traveled the 401 truck route through Canada between New York and Michigan, I drafted, and even at two seconds out, the efficiency gains were substantial. There is no excuse to ever follow a car closer than two seconds.
I was taught to stay behind by a car length for every ten miles an hour you travel.
That metric breaks down so rapidly as to be useless. The time metric is much better.
I leave two seconds before me at any point, including trucks (which can't stop faster than I can barring some immediate upstream collision). In the ancient past, when I commonly traveled the 401 truck route through Canada between New York and Michigan, I drafted, and even at two seconds out, the efficiency gains were substantial. There is no excuse to ever follow a car closer than two seconds.
The problem with following a truck by two seconds is that you are not factoring in the much longer period of time it takes for a person to engage breaks on a truck and the longer amount of time it takes for the break lights to come on on a truck (particularly a semi with multiple trailers). Moreover, if you aren't far enough back to see their mirrors, then they cannot see you and will maneuver as if you are not there.
I don't think anyone where I live has ever heard of such rules. Either that or they are so important and above the law that they don't have to follow them. I always try to keep a safe distance from the car in front of me. And as some kind of reverse karma, I seem to have a strong magnet on the back of my car because people can't seem to stop tailgating me. It is not acceptable, but I can understand if someone is tailgating a slow car. But I generally go 5-10 miles over the speed limit, but that is not enough I guess. It is really bad on this very curvy and dangerous back country road I drive on everyday. I can go 15-20 miles over the limit and 99% of the time someone will be on my ass. It makes me so unbelievably mad. It makes me even more mad when someone in front of me is going slow, therefore by the laws of physics causing me to go slow, and the person behind me STILL gets on my ass, like its my fault. /angry tailgating rant
Anyway, I've also noticed that in heavy traffic on the major interstate I drive on everyday, the right most lane before an entrance ramp is unusually clear, and the lane next to it on the left is super slow. I wondered why this was happening, then I figured it out. A lot of smart people decide to get out of the right lane to let people merge safely, therefore the right lane has less people. But then some assholes decide to go in the right lane anyway to get ahead, then realize "omg people are merging!" and rudely cut back over to the left lane again. Thus making everyone behind them brake and slow that lane down even more.
In the ancient past, when I commonly traveled the 401 truck route through Canada between New York and Michigan, I drafted, and even at two seconds out, the efficiency gains were substantial.
I would like to see this tested, as everything I've read about drafting on highways makes it sound completely ineffective.
I would like to see this tested, as everything I've read about drafting on highways makes it sound completely ineffective.
On the show Mythbusters, drafting behind an 18-wheeler truck was tested and results showed that traveling 100 feet (30 m) behind the truck increased overall mpg efficiency by 11%. Traveling 10 feet (3.0 m) behind the truck produced a 39% gain in efficiency.
Furthermore, I used to keep meticulous records of my gas mileage, as a way of determining when there might be a problem with my car. I consistently gained miles per tank when drafting versus non-drafting. As for the dangers, they're almost entirely absent on an otherwise empty highway provided the car driver is paying attention. With no other cars on the road, a simple swerve to the left lane avoids all issues, and the truck driver can see the (straight) road to the horizon. The car can stop significantly faster than the truck, and two seconds, even at high speed, is quite a bit if distance to maneuver within.
Granted, this was on straight, empty Canadian roads in fair weather. One drop of rain, one curve, or any other traffic, and the draft was off.
You still aren't factoring in the time it takes before the break lights come on, the time it takes for you to react to the break lights, the fact that the truck driver can't account for you when maneuvering (since they can't see you), and that traveling that closely you cannot see the road ahead of you to anticipate any issues.
traveling that closely you cannot see the road ahead of you to anticipate any issues.
You don't need to be that close to the trucks. I could clearly see the road ahead of them. It's not as though I'm just off their bumper: the draft tail is surprisingly long.
You still aren't factoring in the time it takes before the break lights come on,
I am unaware of any significant delay in standard commercial truck brake lights engaging. They always came on effectively immediately when the truck broke, and I always had plenty of time to slow down in kind. I would always be fully behind the truck no matter the situation, so the truck's lateral movement was never a concern, and momentum alone ensured that even if the truck broke suddenly and with delayed lights, I could stop significantly faster. Thousands of miles of this never once presented a problem.
Except the break lights in multiple units are notoriously poorly hooked up and the truck driver's response time, which is often slower as it takes more force to engage said breaks.
I really really really hate it when people speed up when I'm overtaking them. I also hate it when I move over to let someone pass me, and then they just hang back for a while.
Except the break lights in multiple units are notoriously poorly hooked up
You have to check your lights, especially when you hook up a trailer, if they all work. Even then, they will either work, or not at all, none of this delay bullshit you put forth.
truck driver's response time, which is often slower as it takes more force to engage said breaks.
And the brake lights will only light up when you've fully depressed the brake pe-don't be stupid. It is far more likely that the brake lights light up WELL before the truck even starts braking. Do you have any proof that brake pedals in a truck are harder to engage than those of a normal car? They're not like bicycle brakes where you have to provide the force to brake, hydraulics do the work, the rest these days is done by a computer.
Comments
EDIT: Bad timing resulted in redundant posts.
Also, please don't speedily cut across two lanes and get into the merging lane, thus preventing me from merging onto the highway. Please. It makes me a very unhappy young man.
I need to find one of those bumper stickers that says, "Lead, Follow, or GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY".
Need a programmable scrolling sign board that does mirror image writing so it can be read in the rear view mirror of the car in front of you.
Stay to the Right is the law in all 50 states, but almost never enforced.
If you think that having two cars driving side by side is frustrating, try driving on I-405 - six lanes in each direction - and all the lanes are blocked by cars going almost exactly the same speed, with a half mile between them and the next car ahead. Argh! So glad that I no longer have to drive on that nightmare of a highway.
First, remember is always give the people room ahead of you and a little more.
Second, trucks like driving in the center lane very fast on interstates. Let them pass and when passing them give plenty of room behind you so the truck can stop if you have to slam the brakes on.
Third, when there is a entrance ramp, change to the outer lane(or the next lane to the left) because most times people are idiots about how to merge properly.
Also, when merging onto a highway, fucking accelerate. You should already be going at your intended speed by the time you're ready to merge, barring any sort of congestion in the merge lane (which shouldn't be the case, because you should be moving the fuck over to let people merge).
As to your point about merging, while your statement makes common sense, it is technically illegal under NYS law for people to merge out of the right lane to accommodate the oncoming traffic. By NYS law, you may only merge left to 1) pass someone going under the speed limit or 2) to move away from an obstruction in the shoulder (an accident, a police officer pulling someone over, construction vehicles, etc.)
I leave two seconds before me at any point, including trucks (which can't stop faster than I can barring some immediate upstream collision). In the ancient past, when I commonly traveled the 401 truck route through Canada between New York and Michigan, I drafted, and even at two seconds out, the efficiency gains were substantial. There is no excuse to ever follow a car closer than two seconds.
/angry tailgating rant
Anyway, I've also noticed that in heavy traffic on the major interstate I drive on everyday, the right most lane before an entrance ramp is unusually clear, and the lane next to it on the left is super slow. I wondered why this was happening, then I figured it out. A lot of smart people decide to get out of the right lane to let people merge safely, therefore the right lane has less people. But then some assholes decide to go in the right lane anyway to get ahead, then realize "omg people are merging!" and rudely cut back over to the left lane again. Thus making everyone behind them brake and slow that lane down even more.
Granted, this was on straight, empty Canadian roads in fair weather. One drop of rain, one curve, or any other traffic, and the draft was off.