Why are drivers so flat-out dumb?

[thspfc]

Every single day I see a million cars backed up at a crash site where the road goes down to only one open lane. A lot of these people have probably been sitting there for 15-30 minutes, and yet they would rather grumble at their misfortune than find another way around the crash. The most extreme example I can remember happened two miles from my house. A traffic light wasn't working, so it was being treated like a four way stop (intersection of a four lane state highway and a side street with businesses on it). A hundered cars decided they would rather lose 10 minutes of their time than simply turn onto a different side street and go around it.

???

[jeffandnicole]

Unlike you, most people don't have the physic ability to know if that detour will save 5 minutes, or add 5 minutes.

I'm sure the homeowners on those side streets don't want the added traffic either.

[MNHighwayMan]

Why are there so many of these topics bashing shitty drivers? This is the third in the last month, and this one sucks just as much as the first did.

[kalvado]

Why are there so many of these topics bashing shitty drivers? This is the third in the last month, and this one sucks just as much as the first did.

Some drivers keep looking in the mirror instead of looking at the road - so they describe what they see in a mirror...

[RobbieL2415]

1) Most drivers are non-commercial.  Their job isn't on the line if they screw up.  There's no incentive for them to drive properly if all they might have to do is pay a fine to the state.

2) Loose licensing requirements that let unqualified people drive on the public road.

3) They might be on drugs.

4) They flat-out do not care about other drivers.  They want to get home from work ASAP.

5) They are from out of town and not familiar with the roads.

6) A lot of drivers have been driving for 20+ years and have ingrained in their mind poor habits.  They do say you can't change people.

7) They are too old to be driving

8) They are not mature enough to drive.

9) They don't understand the handling characteristics of their vehicle.  I.e. people in SUVs and crossovers turning wide in parking lots when their vehicle's profile isn't that large.

[webny99]

They do say you can't change people.

"It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks" would probably be more fitting.

[frankenroad]

A traffic light wasn't working, so it was being treated like a four way stop (intersection of a four lane state highway and a side street with businesses on it). A hundered cars decided they would rather lose 10 minutes of their time than simply turn onto a different side street and go around it.

What surprises me about this is that people were actually treating it like a 4-way stop.   My experience has been that when a light is out at the intersection of a 4-lane road and a side street is that the people on the main road assume you can treat it like a permanent green.   Living one on of those side streets, I had to wait almost 5 minutes one time when our light was out before there was a safe break in traffic on the main road.

[kalvado]

A traffic light wasn't working, so it was being treated like a four way stop (intersection of a four lane state highway and a side street with businesses on it). A hundered cars decided they would rather lose 10 minutes of their time than simply turn onto a different side street and go around it.

What surprises me about this is that people were actually treating it like a 4-way stop.   My experience has been that when a light is out at the intersection of a 4-lane road and a side street is that the people on the main road assume you can treat it like a permanent green.   Living one on of those side streets, I had to wait almost 5 minutes one time when our light was out before there was a safe break in traffic on the main road.

To quote original poster:

A traffic light wasn't working, so it was being treated like a four way stop (intersection of a four lane state highway and a side street with businesses on it). A hundered cars decided they would rather lose 10 minutes of their time than simply turn onto a different side street and go around it.

So, asking on behalf of @thspfc - what makes you so dumb of a driver?

[Brandon]

Why?  Because driver's education in the US is a piece of shit and a major joke.

[kalvado]

Why?  Because driver's education in the US is a piece of shit and a major joke.

And the prize for not reading beyond thread title goes to.....

[RobbieL2415]

Why?  Because driver's education in the US is a piece of shit and a major joke.

And the prize for not reading beyond thread title goes to.....

Detouring and accident situations are covered in driver training programs.

[hotdogPi]

Why?  Because driver's education in the US is a piece of shit and a major joke.

And the prize for not reading beyond thread title goes to.....

Detouring and accident situations are covered in driver training programs.

This thread isn't about unsafe driving.

[jeffandnicole]

Why?  Because driver's education in the US is a piece of shit and a major joke.

And the prize for not reading beyond thread title goes to.....

Detouring and accident situations are covered in driver training programs.

They certainly weren't many years ago.

[Brian556]

Because they hand out drivers licenses like participation trophies

[kalvado]

Why?  Because driver's education in the US is a piece of shit and a major joke.

And the prize for not reading beyond thread title goes to.....

Because they hand out drivers licenses like participation trophies

Winner number two!

[kphoger]

Because they hand out drivers licenses like participation trophies

I knew a man who was a Christian missionary in Ghana (and surrounding countries).  He suggested that, in Ghana, it might be possible to send your dog to the DMV and he'd come back home carrying your driver's license in his mouth.   

[JoePCool14]

I would say it's because people are just ignorant of what's going on and how to act in a specific situation. Everyone merging over 2 miles ahead of where lane closes and causing a delay because they needed to make sure they moved over. People continuing to turn left long after the turning phase ended delaying the opposing traffic from proceeding. Blocking intersections when they can't make it across because they just have to make the green and wait a cycle. Driving 30 mph through parking lots because they just need to get out and get home after class. And of course, lazy parking jobs.

Overall, people just don't care.