Are we all heavy footers now when it comes to driving?

[Aggdaddy]

I don't like being in the end lane anymore than the next guy. I try to get over before it becomes an issue, but sometimes there aren't any gaps to get into unless you dive in and cut someone off. I don't like it being done to me so try not to do that to others. I am one of the few in Houston Texas that will go to end of the lane and wait with signal on until someone gives me the room to get in the lane. Why? Because its the right thing to do.

What I have noticed, in Houston anyway, is that there are many people who will let you in even though five drivers closed me out. You just have to learn to have patience.

We should all learn how to do the zipper technique effectively, but that hardly ever happens.

As far as the jumping the light, I do it all the time. Comes from experience. Sometimes you get people that will cut you off and brake hard in front of you just to bust a right into McDonald's or a left to make a uturn or something, ignoring the fact that they almost took my headlights out.

I don't give em the chance. Maybe I need to do a quick right or left, I will pull up with enough space so that the driver won't feel the need to brake. If I can't make it, no big deal. I probably should have been in that lane in the first place. Just gotta turn around.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

If there were no speed limits, I'd drive according to road conditions. I've been on roads where 90mph was entirely reasonable, and some where 25mph was too fast. You still have to use your head, and ignore signs that aren't appropriate.

You and I could be friends.

 

[BoomerD]

You and I could be friends.

Be vewy afwaid...

 

[Exterous]

Sweet jesus it took me a long time to realize this wasn't sarcasm.

If you ride the merge lane to the end, especially after coming onto the interstate at 30mph, I will do my best to run you off the road.

Why would the MN DOT use sarcasm on their website? And why would you run someone off the road who is doing what numerous Departments of Transportation want you to do? Do you think you know what is better and safer for traffic conditions than they do?

 

[Raduque]

If people can pass you on the right, you are too far to the left.

Even when I'm in the center lane going 10 over, it's midnight, and the left lane is clear for 35 miles?

 

[Engineer]

No, I am not a "heavy footed" driver.

 

[Engineer]

If people can pass you on the right, you are too far to the left.

In multi lane highways (3 or more in one direction), I disagree 100%.

 

[destrekor]

In multi lane highways (3 or more in one direction), I disagree 100%.

Yep.

Now, if there are only two lanes, if you can be passed on the right you are absolutely wrong.

If there are three lanes, if you are traveling at a decent speed you absolutely should be in the middle lane(s) - thus, it's possible for assholes to pass on the right. Not that they should, but some will.

 

[Murloc]

in Europe it's forbidden to pass on the right and logic also says that if you're being surpassed on teh right, you're going too slow and should move to the right so the midspeed cars can use the center lane. If they're overtaking you on the right you're not going to be slowed down anyway.

Now if there are lorries on the right then okay, stay center to avoid having to overtake each time, as long as you're going faster than them.

 

[raildogg]

One of the key benefits of "taking it easy" is that you're more efficient that way. For instance, this morning, a guy behind me at the light thought I took off slowly and went to left lane to pass me. I ended up driving faster than him eventually but it took me a bit longer.

We can't seem to wait 2 extra seconds to allow the other person to build up speed. Got to accelerate fast.

This is not to say I'm being efficient or any of that. It's just that in the end, you're both going to get there roughly the same time. Accelerating fast in order to beat the guy in front of you and then only to go slower than him in the end is a bit strange. But this happens constantly.

 

[Engineer]

One of the key benefits of "taking it easy" is that you're more efficient that way. For instance, this morning, a guy behind me at the light thought I took off slowly and went to left lane to pass me. I ended up driving faster than him eventually but it took me a bit longer.

We can't seem to wait 2 extra seconds to allow the other person to build up speed. Got to accelerate fast.

This is not to say I'm being efficient or any of that. It's just that in the end, you're both going to get there roughly the same time. Accelerating fast in order to beat the guy in front of you and then only to go slower than him in the end is a bit strange. But this happens constantly.

There's a study that I read a few years ago that showed that being too conservative on acceleration was actually worse for efficiency than a "moderate" approach. Just pointing out that there are bad efficiencies at the high and low end (not saying you're at either end).

I tend to think that I may be too low on that end. I just see no need to floor it. Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[raildogg]

Such is the primate way of life. It's rather ingrained in our species. We may have nice and fancy things and do ridiculously awesome stuff that other animals can't even begin to understand, but if you strip it all away, we're no different than the rest of the primate family with our pissing contests, tribe mentality, and desire to be the one at the top with the pregnant women in tow.

This is the key. Change the way man thinks then you wouldn't need rules, laws and regulations. You wouldn't need cops and lawyers and judges. We only have these things because we humans are so corrupt in every single way. And this carries over to our driving as it does to everything else we do.

 

[HeXen]

It's a habit that some develop. Speeding also becomes a habit. I have seen people speed by and cut in front of cars just to reach the next stoplight and turn into a Walmart. They just developed bad driving habits is all.

 

[raildogg]

There's a study that I read a few years ago that showed that being too conservative on acceleration was actually worse for efficiency than a "moderate" approach. Just pointing out that there are bad efficiencies at the high and low end (not saying you're at either end).

I tend to think that I may be too low on that end. I just see no need to floor it. Maybe I'm just getting old.

You might be right. Being too slow or too fast are probably not the optimal ways to driving. If you're in that much of a hurry, then change your way to live. If you like to accelerate fast, then find find an open road.

 

[Aikouka]

In multi lane highways (3 or more in one direction), I disagree 100%.

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Yep.

Now, if there are only two lanes, if you can be passed on the right you are absolutely wrong.

I think I know what you're both trying to convey with this, but your statements are too general. I believe that you're trying to say that on 3+ lane (in each direction) highways, avoid sitting in the right lane to leave it for on-coming and off-going traffic. However, to simply disagree with "if you're being passed on the right means you should move over" would also include people driving too slowly in the left-most lane.

Oddly enough, slow people are usually pretty good at avoiding the left-most lane here on the four-lane interstate, so I don't have too many problems. Personally, my goal when driving on roads with multiple lanes is to keep as far right as I can (within reason). Although, the other day I made a bit of a dumb decision. I was about a mile from my exit on a five lane stretch, and I was in this rather nasty chunk of traffic that made it hard to move over, but they weren't going much slower than me. I decided to pass them, but I had a hell of a time making my exit.

in Europe it's forbidden to pass on the right and logic also says that if you're being surpassed on teh right, you're going too slow and should move to the right so the midspeed cars can use the center lane. If they're overtaking you on the right you're not going to be slowed down anyway.

You're not supposed to do it here either. I'm not sure if it's illegal (that depends on the state), but I'm pretty certain that the driver's manual says not to do it. Although, back in New York, everyone used improper driving techniques all the time as a way to speed up the flow of traffic. For example, passing on the left on a one-lane road is not legal, but we did it all the time. The shoulders were fairly wide where I lived, so it wasn't uncommon for me to move my car as far as I could to the right (barring any pedestrians on bicycles and such) so people could pass me on the left. We also did similar things when you were trying to make a left turn on a one-lane road where the person turning would move as far as they could to the left, and people would drive around them on the right. None of this is technically kosher when it comes to the driving manual, but it really helps keep traffic moving.

 

[Engineer]

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I think I know what you're both trying to convey with this, but your statements are too general. I believe that you're trying to say that on 3+ lane (in each direction) highways, avoid sitting in the right lane to leave it for on-coming and off-going traffic. However, to simply disagree with "if you're being passed on the right means you should move over" would also include people driving too slowly in the left-most lane.

I will usually stay in the right lane unless nearing a busy on ramp or if going through a city in which I'm not sure which way the road splits (yes, there are highways that split to the left and right and there will be people who try to push me out of the way in the left lane even though I HAVE to be there to get where I'm going). Generally however, I'll move over for you as quick as I can as long as you don't put your car up my ass. If you tailgate and try to push me, I'll slow down (not brake check, simply let off the gas and slow down) and move back over well after the car that I was originally passing is now back safely in front of me. (I hate fucking tailgaters).

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

If everyone else seems like a heavy foot... it might be more accurate/easy to just say you have a light foot.

 

[HeXen]

+


I think I know what you're both trying to convey with this, but your statements are too general. I believe that you're trying to say that on 3+ lane (in each direction) highways, avoid sitting in the right lane to leave it for on-coming and off-going traffic. However, to simply disagree with "if you're being passed on the right means you should move over" would also include people driving too slowly in the left-most lane.

Oddly enough, slow people are usually pretty good at avoiding the left-most lane here on the four-lane interstate, so I don't have too many problems. Personally, my goal when driving on roads with multiple lanes is to keep as far right as I can (within reason).

To also point out that some slower drivers may be in the far left lane simply because they are going to need to take the next left turn. In heavy traffic, i'd rather see someone get in the lane they need for a turn sooner rather than cut me off passing across 3 lanes to get to a turning lane at the last possible minute.

 

[PrinceofWands]

It's always seemed that way to me, but probably because I've always been a cautious driver. I don't break the rules, including speed limits. Not because they're rules, but because they're reasonable and good for everyone.

 

[Engineer]

To also point out that some slower drivers may be in the far left lane simply because they are going to need to take the next left turn. In heavy traffic, i'd rather see someone get in the lane they need for a turn sooner rather than cut me off passing across 3 lanes to get to a turning lane at the last possible minute.

In cases of left or split lanes, there are no fast lanes involved unless there are multiple lanes to the left and right, AFAIK. Once you're through the turn/split, you can then safely and quickly return to the right lane if you're moving slower.

I agree with your point about getting over early vs rushing across traffic.

 

[Murloc]

To also point out that some slower drivers may be in the far left lane simply because they are going to need to take the next left turn. In heavy traffic, i'd rather see someone get in the lane they need for a turn sooner rather than cut me off passing across 3 lanes to get to a turning lane at the last possible minute.

that's not a motorway though, motorways only have exits and entrances with acceleration and deceleration lanes on the right.
If it's not a motorway, there are no fast or slow lanes imho, because it doesn't make sense to have a fast lane and an exit on the left.

I don't really know american roads though, here all multilane non-motorways have traffic lights so you're stopping regardless so it doesn't matter because everyone has to slow down anyway at some point.

 

[CZroe]

There is really no big advantage to constantly flooring the car. It might save a minute here and there but that's about it.

Wrong. When traffic is backed up behind you enough that all cars cannot make it through on one cycle, any delay in accelerating potentially leaves that many more cars stuck through the next cycle, compounding the problem.

I can't stand seeing idiots who leave huge gaps in turn lanes and drive thrus despite having just witnessed the problem it caused themselves when they were unable to enter. CLOSE IT UP, PEOPLE!

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Please, can't we all just get along? LOL! Say hello to my little friends.
You will need Java runtime. http://www.mtreiber.de/MicroApplet

 

[IronWing]

I made a 500 mile trip last week. As an experiment, I drove the speed limit the entire way. What I learned is that people are even bigger idiots than I had suspected. Driving excessively fast, one doesn't interact with the morons for very long and thus misses out on the nuances of human stupidity. Driving the speed limit offers ample opportunities to observe really bad driving.

 

[raildogg]

So lets say you're going to be turning right about 2 or so medium sized blocks up ahead. Is it worth it to speed up dramatically in order to pass a car in front of you so you can save 1 or 2 seconds?

I understand people are very stressed out and that always reflects in their driving but really, do we lose our control that easily? It's like you can spot the angry drivers by the way they drive.

Today, I made a stupid move myself. When I was merging right to get off the highway, I saw that the exit had a huge backup of traffic so I switched back to the left lane so I could get off on the next exit. I knew the van was coming up pretty fast behind me but I did try to speed up but could not match the van's speed.

So he lays on the horn and then goes in front of me and speed checks me. He was withing a foot or so. I understand what I did was very appropriate but dude, you're driving a van. I'm sure its work related. Don't you want to be a bit more responsible to your work than let your anger get the best of you?

Anyway, driving is often times a reflection of the person.