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Regional driving etiquette

Started by index, September 16, 2021, 09:33:01 PM

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index

What are some driving practices/etiquette in your area that aren't really found elsewhere/are only found in a handful of specific areas similar to your own, and uncommon otherwise?

In the High Country, specifically Avery, Mitchell, Madison (not really High Country but it still applies), and Yancey counties, drivers on the mountain roads are very courteous. If you're stuck behind a slower driver on a mountain road, a lot of the time they'll pull to the side on one of the gravel turnouts found in the area and let you pass them. I usually thank them by letting my hazards flash twice.

However, this is nonexistent in Watauga County. Tourists, especially those from Florida, and certain people, will go 20 miles under the limit and slam the brakes at every slight turn in the road, or they'll slow down to gawk at the scenery and create their own mini traffic jam. I once had to deal with both of these from one idiot from Florida, on NC 105 heading into Avery County, and there wasn't a climbing lane until the Avery-Watauga line. They were going 30-35 in a 50-55. Having lived here since the Spring, I now know the local lingo for these head cases is Floridiot.
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Counties traveled


Rothman

The big one in MA that has lessened to some extent, was turning left at the beginning of the green rather than the end.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

SkyPesos

Southwest Ohio driving etiquette:

- Hog the left lane whenever possible
- Merge in a lane closure at least a mile before the closure starts

Scott5114

Quote from: index on September 16, 2021, 09:33:01 PM
In the High Country, specifically Avery, Mitchell, Madison (not really High Country but it still applies), and Yancey counties, drivers on the mountain roads are very courteous. If you're stuck behind a slower driver on a mountain road, a lot of the time they'll pull to the side on one of the gravel turnouts found in the area and let you pass them. I usually thank them by letting my hazards flash twice.

In Texas and southern Oklahoma, it's common for slower drivers to pull to the right and straddle the edge line to make it easier to pass.
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jmacswimmer

#4
Maryland:

On roads with 3 lanes or more in one direction, avoid the right lane like the plague.  Especially on I-70 between Frederick & Baltimore Beltway, and I-95 northeast of Baltimore :spin:

If there is a speed camera, ignore all advance warning signs and continue speeding until the camera is in sight, at which point you should slam on your brakes from 10 over to 10 under (just to be safe).
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bwana39

In Louisiana, right of way is absolute. If that light turns green the ROW is yours. Some people will TRY to hit you.  Do NOT try to sneak in the last moment for a left turn.
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Rothman

Quote from: SkyPesos on September 16, 2021, 09:47:15 PM
Southwest Ohio driving etiquette:

- Hog the left lane whenever possible
- Merge in a lane closure at least a mile before the closure starts
OH is the worst with left lane blockers.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

jamess

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 16, 2021, 09:57:05 PM
Quote from: index on September 16, 2021, 09:33:01 PM
In the High Country, specifically Avery, Mitchell, Madison (not really High Country but it still applies), and Yancey counties, drivers on the mountain roads are very courteous. If you're stuck behind a slower driver on a mountain road, a lot of the time they'll pull to the side on one of the gravel turnouts found in the area and let you pass them. I usually thank them by letting my hazards flash twice.

In Texas and southern Oklahoma, it's common for slower drivers to pull to the right and straddle the edge line to make it easier to pass.

Common in Mexico, wonder if its Mexican drivers!

index

Quote from: jamess on September 16, 2021, 10:36:55 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 16, 2021, 09:57:05 PM
Quote from: index on September 16, 2021, 09:33:01 PM
In the High Country, specifically Avery, Mitchell, Madison (not really High Country but it still applies), and Yancey counties, drivers on the mountain roads are very courteous. If you're stuck behind a slower driver on a mountain road, a lot of the time they'll pull to the side on one of the gravel turnouts found in the area and let you pass them. I usually thank them by letting my hazards flash twice.

In Texas and southern Oklahoma, it's common for slower drivers to pull to the right and straddle the edge line to make it easier to pass.

Common in Mexico, wonder if its Mexican drivers!
IIRC, in Mexico, certain roads are meant to be driven that way. You'll have a dashed line and a decently sized shoulder, and you actually drive straddling the dashed line the whole time, rather than when someone wants to pass, and people will pass by straddling the double yellow lines. I don't think that's a particularly safe arrangement but it seems like it's standard fare there.
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Counties traveled

TheHighwayMan3561

MN:

-On a 6-lane freeway
Right lane: -5
Center lane: Speed limit
Left lane: +5 tp +10

-Don't honk at someone who's a little slow to get going at a red light. Wait for them to notice it, and if it's been about five seconds, then it's OK to horn them.
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JayhawkCO

#10
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 17, 2021, 12:13:08 AM
MN:

-On a 6-lane freeway
Right lane: -5
Center lane: Speed limit
Left lane: +5 tp +10

-Don't honk at someone who's a little slow to get going at a red light. Wait for them to notice it, and if it's been about five seconds, then it's OK to horn them.

I'm surprised you didn't describe the Minnesota Box.  Person in front of you going exactly the speed limit, someone on your side also going exactly the speed limit.  Only two lanes.  Enjoy for twenty miles.

Chris

US 89

Texas: person in left lane going 90 swerves across entire freeway to make an exit. Invariably driving a big pickup truck.

jakeroot

Sort of driving-related.

In Seattle and Tacoma, parking facing either direction is acceptable regardless of the street being one-way or two-way. Just don't do it on really wide roads.
Also in the Seattle region, stay right-ish unless you are passing. The 'left lane for passing' law is decently well-observed and enforced.

In Vancouver (but also Seattle too), always wait to turn left from the middle of the intersection. Waiting behind the stop line is considered rude. Up to three or even four cars may turn after the phase ends, so cross traffic may have to yield for a brief moment.

NoGoodNamesAvailable

Quote from: jakeroot on September 17, 2021, 01:52:26 AM
In Vancouver (but also Seattle too), always wait to turn left from the middle of the intersection. Waiting behind the stop line is considered rude. Up to three or even four cars may turn after the phase ends, so cross traffic may have to yield for a brief moment.

Same thing in NYC and North Jersey. It's very common and expected for people to turn left when the light turns red. When I go back home to upstate NY this seems very rare. People will just wait scared behind the line and if they don't see a gap, they'll wait for a whole new cycle. When I explained the concept of waiting in the intersection and turning left on red to my mom (who learned to drive in a rural area), she had no idea what I was talking about.

Rothman

Quote from: NoGoodNamesAvailable on September 17, 2021, 02:09:39 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 17, 2021, 01:52:26 AM
In Vancouver (but also Seattle too), always wait to turn left from the middle of the intersection. Waiting behind the stop line is considered rude. Up to three or even four cars may turn after the phase ends, so cross traffic may have to yield for a brief moment.

Same thing in NYC and North Jersey. It's very common and expected for people to turn left when the light turns red. When I go back home to upstate NY this seems very rare. People will just wait scared behind the line and if they don't see a gap, they'll wait for a whole new cycle. When I explained the concept of waiting in the intersection and turning left on red to my mom (who learned to drive in a rural area), she had no idea what I was talking about.
I've lived in Upstate NY for nearly 20 years in a couple of different cities and have only come across people waiting at the stop line rarely enough to where it is out of the ordinary and annoying.  Glad we now know your mother is one of them. :D
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

1995hoo

In the DC area, especially Northern Virginia, a lane change doesn't count unless you get ahead of someone in the other lane. Doesn't matter that the traffic is heavy ahead of that guy on your right up ahead and there's nobody behind him for over a mile–if you change lanes to fall in behind him, you've admitted defeat and admitted you're a pussy. Instead, you have to speed up, but because you can't use a blinker, you have to match your speed to whatever gap is in front of that guy and assume that he will interpret that as a blinker.

More seriously, regarding the wait behind the line versus wait in the box thing, waiting behind the line is very common here because it's often easier to see oncoming traffic if you stay further back like that.




In Illinois, I'd suggest "etiquette" can be summarized quite simply: Do whatever the opposite is from what Crash_It says.
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jeffandnicole

Quote from: NoGoodNamesAvailable on September 17, 2021, 02:09:39 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 17, 2021, 01:52:26 AM
In Vancouver (but also Seattle too), always wait to turn left from the middle of the intersection. Waiting behind the stop line is considered rude. Up to three or even four cars may turn after the phase ends, so cross traffic may have to yield for a brief moment.

Same thing in NYC and North Jersey. It's very common and expected for people to turn left when the light turns red. When I go back home to upstate NY this seems very rare. People will just wait scared behind the line and if they don't see a gap, they'll wait for a whole new cycle. When I explained the concept of waiting in the intersection and turning left on red to my mom (who learned to drive in a rural area), she had no idea what I was talking about.

This is standard practice across America.  The 'all-red' phase is specifically designed to clear traffic out of the intersection safely before the cross traffic gets a green light.

US 89

Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 17, 2021, 08:10:29 AM
Quote from: NoGoodNamesAvailable on September 17, 2021, 02:09:39 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 17, 2021, 01:52:26 AM
In Vancouver (but also Seattle too), always wait to turn left from the middle of the intersection. Waiting behind the stop line is considered rude. Up to three or even four cars may turn after the phase ends, so cross traffic may have to yield for a brief moment.

Same thing in NYC and North Jersey. It's very common and expected for people to turn left when the light turns red. When I go back home to upstate NY this seems very rare. People will just wait scared behind the line and if they don't see a gap, they'll wait for a whole new cycle. When I explained the concept of waiting in the intersection and turning left on red to my mom (who learned to drive in a rural area), she had no idea what I was talking about.

This is standard practice across America.  The 'all-red' phase is specifically designed to clear traffic out of the intersection safely before the cross traffic gets a green light.

There are definitely regions where it is better practiced than others, though. Almost everyone does it in Utah where I learned to drive, but it seems like a foreign concept to most drivers down here in Georgia. It really does make it take that much longer to drive through high-traffic areas where it’s difficult to make a left.

hbelkins

In Kentucky, drivers pull over when meeting a funeral procession.


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paulthemapguy

Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 17, 2021, 08:10:29 AM
Quote from: NoGoodNamesAvailable on September 17, 2021, 02:09:39 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 17, 2021, 01:52:26 AM
In Vancouver (but also Seattle too), always wait to turn left from the middle of the intersection. Waiting behind the stop line is considered rude. Up to three or even four cars may turn after the phase ends, so cross traffic may have to yield for a brief moment.

Same thing in NYC and North Jersey. It's very common and expected for people to turn left when the light turns red. When I go back home to upstate NY this seems very rare. People will just wait scared behind the line and if they don't see a gap, they'll wait for a whole new cycle. When I explained the concept of waiting in the intersection and turning left on red to my mom (who learned to drive in a rural area), she had no idea what I was talking about.

This is standard practice across America.  The 'all-red' phase is specifically designed to clear traffic out of the intersection safely before the cross traffic gets a green light.

The first thing that came to mind when seeing this thread title was the variable practice of pulling into the intersection waiting to turn left at a signal.  Not every locale across the US does this-- driving in West Virginia left me confused why no one was doing it.  I would get stuck behind someone in the left turn lane at a green light, frustrated that they wouldn't pull forward.  (If the intersection is along a curved section of road alignment, this is forgiven, especially if the curve is to the right.)
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nexus73

During my time in Louisiana, here is what I noticed:

Green means go.  Yellow means go faster.  Red means last chance to go!  Be very careful at signalized intersections when in the Bayou State.

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

CoreySamson

Texas:

Drivers at a four way stop always (and I mean always) yield the right of way to another driver at the intersection if both arrived there at the same time, regardless of whether they actually have the right of way.

Straddling the line allowing for someone to pass is definitely something I've only seen in Texas. In fact, I like doing it myself.

As a general rule, Texas drivers are usually the most courteous and nice you'll find anywhere, except on the freeway, where they turn into wholly different creatures.
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1995hoo

Quote from: hbelkins on September 17, 2021, 09:29:32 AM
In Kentucky, drivers pull over when meeting a funeral procession.

I used to see some people do this in North Carolina, even when the funeral procession was on the other side of a divided highway, but certainly not everyone did it. I remember getting the stinkeye from some old man when I didn't pull over and stop for a funeral procession that was on the other side of a wide median–he had pulled over and stopped and was standing next to his car with his hat off.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Rothman

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2021, 09:54:22 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 17, 2021, 09:29:32 AM
In Kentucky, drivers pull over when meeting a funeral procession.

I used to see some people do this in North Carolina, even when the funeral procession was on the other side of a divided highway, but certainly not everyone did it. I remember getting the stinkeye from some old man when I didn't pull over and stop for a funeral procession that was on the other side of a wide median–he had pulled over and stopped and was standing next to his car with his hat off.
In NY, you have mixed results as well.  I think police escorts help with traffic control in more developed areas, however.

In KY, when my grandfather died, we still had to have an escort in Floyd County.  The escort actually blocked half of the Four Lane (US 23/460/KY 80) for our procession with his car and standing behind it with his hands in the air.  Without him doing that, I don't think people would have stopped on their own.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: CoreySamson on September 17, 2021, 09:49:53 AM
Straddling the line allowing for someone to pass is definitely something I've only seen in Texas. In fact, I like doing it myself.

It happens on rural roads in Colorado too.  A lot of times it's Jeeps and such since they're so used to having to move over to have others pass on 4WD roads.

Chris



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