Do many of you all find today's driving habits amusing??

[agentsteel53]

As I said, since I wasn't there and didn't see what happened, I'm not in a position to pass judgment, and neither are any of you. For example, I'd like to know how fast the vehicle that hit him was going at the time.

the other vehicle was going 4 billion trillion miles per hour.  he still had right of way.

the original post had a huge cloud of entitlement parked over it.  the tone was almost openly bragging about how he looked only at one lane, moved over two, and was surprised at the rudeness of others to not get out of his fucking way.

[1995hoo]

You sound almost like NE2 now.

[agentsteel53]

You sound almost like NE2 now.

I'm okay with that.

I have a strong opinion that, in a topic where people are complaining about bad drivers, one should not openly post anything to the effect of "I did something stupid.  why the fuck is everyone else a bad driver?"

it reminds me of the joke about a guy hearing the radio broadcast.  "there's someone going the wrong way down the freeway."  "one?  they're ALL going the wrong way!"

[jeffandnicole]

A big peeve of mine is people who believe it is their obligation to stop and let someone out of a private driveway (gas station, shopping center, fast food restaurant etc.) when they obstruct traffic behind them.  I was let out of a bank parking lot once and the car in the next lane over did not share the enthusiasm of the driver in the curb lane.  My car was mostly destroyed, but I was otherwise uninjured.  Ever since then, I have refused to let someone out in a situation like that, and it aggravates me to no end whenever I see someone do that.

you attempted to turn across multiple lanes, and checked only the nearest lane of approaching traffic? 

please shred your license.

I interpreted the comment as being that as he turned into the first lane, the front of his car crossed into another lane and someone speeding down that lane hit him. I'm sure we've all encountered the situation where you're trying to turn out of a gas station or a 7-11 or whatever (the bank, in this example) and the driveway configuration is such that you're going to protrude across the line even as you turn into the nearest lane.

Of course, that doesn't mean it's OK not to check the other lane, but I'm not about to pass judgment when I wasn't there to observe the situation. Suppose the person who stops to let you in is driving a big SUV, you can't see over it, and the person waves to indicate the way is clear....but it's not. You weren't there to see "renegade" in the collision and neither was I, so it's not like we can know what happened.

Or it could be what happened to my dad - he intended on making a left turn onto a 4 lane roadway.  The car in the nearest right lane stopped to let my dad thru.  As my dad pulled out, a car in the next lane over hit him.  Of course, the car that stopped realized what happened and took off.

This is the result of someone being nice, but failing to pay attention to their surroundings.  It's very much like waiting for a line of vehicles to pass, and the last car in line decides they want to stop and let the person out.  It would be faster and safer for all involved if that car just went. 

Yes, sometimes, we need to practice courteous driving skills.  But there's being courteous...and then there's obeying the law.  Often times, the two conflict with each other.  I don't often let someone out of a parking lot into my line.  One, is for selfish reasons - I bet that person is probably going to go slower than the speed I would be travelling.  But two - technically, it's not my responsibility to become traffic cop and permit that person to pull out from a stop sign when there's traffic on the road.  Doing so puts me at risk for causing an accident, and even if I wasn't directly involved, I could be found liable for the accident.

[theline]

I'm with agentsteel on this 100%. When I don't have the right-of-way, my first obligation is to be certain I'm not putting my vehicle in a position that might infringe on those that do have the right-of-way. It's not only the law, it's also the smart thing to do.

I don't want to wreck my car (or anyone else's) or cause injury. The fact that someone else may have been speeding or not paying attention will give me little comfort when I'm lying in the ICU or give my family little comfort if I'm in the morgue.

When some well-meaning citizen waves me into traffic the only time I proceed is when he's in the nearest lane and that's where I'm going. Otherwise, I smile and wave him on.

[Kacie Jane]

Or it could be what happened to my dad - he intended on making a left turn onto a 4 lane roadway.  The car in the nearest right lane stopped to let my dad thru.  As my dad pulled out, a car in the next lane over hit him.  Of course, the car that stopped realized what happened and took off.

This is the result of someone being nice, but failing to pay attention to their surroundings....

Uh.... no.   Why is it the responsibility of the person being nice to check the other lanes of traffic?

If someone in the right lane is letting you in, but you are turning left (or feel that you need to pull beyond the right lane in order to turn right), then it is your responsibility and yours alone to check the other lanes.  If you can't do so, then like theline said, you wave him on and wait for the next opportunity.

Doing so puts me at risk for causing an accident, and even if I wasn't directly involved, I could be found liable for the accident.

Again, no.

[jeffandnicole]

Yes & Yes.  MANY legal cases have ruled the driver waving someone thru is responsible. 

http://virginiabeach.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/waving-a-car-or-truck-driver-into-a-highway-lane-may-pin-civil-liability-on-a-driver-for-any-injury-or-death-that-results/

http://www.pavlacklawfirm.com/blog/2012/03/23/think-before-you-wave-78449/

http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2014/03/06/244965.htm

[renegade]

As I said, since I wasn't there and didn't see what happened, I'm not in a position to pass judgment, and neither are any of you. For example, I'd like to know how fast the vehicle that hit him was going at the time.

the other vehicle was going 4 billion trillion miles per hour.  he still had right of way.

the original post had a huge cloud of entitlement parked over it.  the tone was almost openly bragging about how he looked only at one lane, moved over two, and was surprised at the rudeness of others to not get out of his fucking way.

Wow. You sure read a lot into that while still missing the point entirely.  People stop every day to let people out of private driveways, when they should keep moving and not hold up traffic.  They think they are somehow being polite, something I don't think you have to worry about.  In many cases, that politeness causes someone to be maimed or killed, whereas continuing on their way would allow traffic to clear and the person waiting to get out would be able to do so safely.  Also, stopping to let someone out can and does block the view of other oncoming traffic. 

Thanks for your insightful opinion, though.

I heard the house next to NE2 is up for sale.  You should buy it.  I'll bet you two could be good friends.

Troll.

[renegade]

Yes & Yes.  MANY legal cases have ruled the driver waving someone thru is responsible. 

http://virginiabeach.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/waving-a-car-or-truck-driver-into-a-highway-lane-may-pin-civil-liability-on-a-driver-for-any-injury-or-death-that-results/

http://www.pavlacklawfirm.com/blog/2012/03/23/think-before-you-wave-78449/

http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2014/03/06/244965.htm

This.  This is exactly what I am talking about.

[agentsteel53]

unless the traffic is almost completely stopped, I will disregard people waving me in. 

then again, I generally don't even merge in front of someone whose right turn signal is on.  yes, they could be turning at a driveway upstream from me... or they could be turning downstream from me at another driveway, or at the next cross street.  if they're clearly slowing and turning, then I will turn in front of them, but not until that point.

[agentsteel53]

Wow. You sure read a lot into that while still missing the point entirely.  People stop every day to let people out of private driveways, when they should keep moving and not hold up traffic.  They think they are somehow being polite, something I don't think you have to worry about.  In many cases, that politeness causes someone to be maimed or killed, whereas continuing on their way would allow traffic to clear and the person waiting to get out would be able to do so safely.  Also, stopping to let someone out can and does block the view of other oncoming traffic. 

I happen to agree with what you say here.  however, in the post that started it all, you breezily admitted that you took advantage of a wave, failed to consider traffic in other lanes, and went ahead and gave your car some spontaneous body work.  so, I do not have high regard for your opinion, because it was part of a confession of sheer and complete dumbassery. 

if you hope to be a logical and intelligent being on this earth, you cannot say "I hate this!  I take advantage of it!".  that just doesn't make sense.

Thanks for your insightful opinion, though.

I heard the house next to NE2 is up for sale.  You should buy it.  I'll bet you two could be good friends.

Troll.

I'll take 100 trolls over one dumb fuck any day.

[Brandon]

Or it could be what happened to my dad - he intended on making a left turn onto a 4 lane roadway.  The car in the nearest right lane stopped to let my dad thru.  As my dad pulled out, a car in the next lane over hit him.  Of course, the car that stopped realized what happened and took off.

This is the result of someone being nice, but failing to pay attention to their surroundings....

Uh.... no.   Why is it the responsibility of the person being nice to check the other lanes of traffic?

If someone in the right lane is letting you in, but you are turning left (or feel that you need to pull beyond the right lane in order to turn right), then it is your responsibility and yours alone to check the other lanes.  If you can't do so, then like theline said, you wave him on and wait for the next opportunity.

Exactly.  I hit someone who decided to just go out of a driveway when waved (by two cars).  Of course, the wavers left the scene of the accident.  The twit that I hit kept screaming at me, "you was speedin'!".  The City of Chicago policeman shows up and asks my side of the story.  I tell him that I was slowing down for a red light in the left turn lane.  Thought I had the whole lane to slow down in nicely as there was no one in front of me, and then she pops out from between two vehicles to my right.  He then asks her her side of the story.  She tells him about the drivers waving her out, so she thought it was clear and just went.  Policeman then tells her, "lady, you know you're supposed to look first."  Her jaw hit the pavement after that and she shut up as the cop wrote her a ticket.  Priceless.  Her insurance picked up the whole thing including my rental car.

[agentsteel53]

Yes & Yes.  MANY legal cases have ruled the driver waving someone thru is responsible. 

http://virginiabeach.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/waving-a-car-or-truck-driver-into-a-highway-lane-may-pin-civil-liability-on-a-driver-for-any-injury-or-death-that-results/

http://www.pavlacklawfirm.com/blog/2012/03/23/think-before-you-wave-78449/

http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2014/03/06/244965.htm

it's also illegal to sell a pickle in Connecticut that doesn't bounce, and corporations are people.  not all laws are sensible.

[1995hoo]

....

then again, I generally don't even merge in front of someone whose right turn signal is on.  yes, they could be turning at a driveway upstream from me... or they could be turning downstream from me at another driveway, or at the next cross street.  if they're clearly slowing and turning, then I will turn in front of them, but not until that point.

I agree with this for the additional reason that it might just be the stereotypical old lady who doesn't know her blinker's on. I never trust anyone until I see the car is actually turning.

[Brian556]

Here is a video of a woman texting and driving, and constantly encroaching into other lanes. You got to watch this.
Not amusing at all. This woman should be arrested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVZJuqHWuOg&feature=youtu.be

[jeffandnicole]

Or it could be what happened to my dad - he intended on making a left turn onto a 4 lane roadway.  The car in the nearest right lane stopped to let my dad thru.  As my dad pulled out, a car in the next lane over hit him.  Of course, the car that stopped realized what happened and took off.

This is the result of someone being nice, but failing to pay attention to their surroundings....

Uh.... no.   Why is it the responsibility of the person being nice to check the other lanes of traffic?

If someone in the right lane is letting you in, but you are turning left (or feel that you need to pull beyond the right lane in order to turn right), then it is your responsibility and yours alone to check the other lanes.  If you can't do so, then like theline said, you wave him on and wait for the next opportunity.

Exactly.  I hit someone who decided to just go out of a driveway when waved (by two cars).  Of course, the wavers left the scene of the accident.  The twit that I hit kept screaming at me, "you was speedin'!".  The City of Chicago policeman shows up and asks my side of the story.  I tell him that I was slowing down for a red light in the left turn lane.  Thought I had the whole lane to slow down in nicely as there was no one in front of me, and then she pops out from between two vehicles to my right.  He then asks her her side of the story.  She tells him about the drivers waving her out, so she thought it was clear and just went.  Policeman then tells her, "lady, you know you're supposed to look first."  Her jaw hit the pavement after that and she shut up as the cop wrote her a ticket.  Priceless.  Her insurance picked up the whole thing including my rental car.

Police don't rule on cases.  They simply decide who is at fault based on the evidence they have available.  In cases like this when the person doing the waving left the scene, it becomes a simply, more ordinary careless driving incident.  The stop-sign runner will go to court and be found guilty.  And the insurance company of the stop-sign runner will simply pay for the damages.

Now, if the waver did stay at the scene, then that changes the situation.  The cop will still probably write the ticket to the person going thru the stop sign.  The insurance company would pay Brandon what he is due.  But now stop-sign runner and their insurance company could decide to pursue liability against the waver.  In fact, if this scenario would've occurred in Brandon's accident, Brandon probably isn't even involved in the case at this point.   It would be a separate case of the stop-sign runner vs. the waver.

Yes & Yes.  MANY legal cases have ruled the driver waving someone thru is responsible. 

http://virginiabeach.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/waving-a-car-or-truck-driver-into-a-highway-lane-may-pin-civil-liability-on-a-driver-for-any-injury-or-death-that-results/

http://www.pavlacklawfirm.com/blog/2012/03/23/think-before-you-wave-78449/

http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2014/03/06/244965.htm

it's also illegal to sell a pickle in Connecticut that doesn't bounce, and corporations are people.  not all laws are sensible.

In many cases, we're not talking about laws - we're talking about legal rulings.  Totally different avenues. 

[Kacie Jane]

Yes & Yes.  MANY legal cases have ruled the driver waving someone thru is responsible. 

http://virginiabeach.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/waving-a-car-or-truck-driver-into-a-highway-lane-may-pin-civil-liability-on-a-driver-for-any-injury-or-death-that-results/

http://www.pavlacklawfirm.com/blog/2012/03/23/think-before-you-wave-78449/

http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2014/03/06/244965.htm

Eh.  Civil lawyers are money-grabbing idiots, what else is new.

I'll concede this.  If an entering car is clearly indicating an intention to turn left or go straight rather than turn right, and a driver waves them through without making sure all lanes are clear, then that driver is doing something negligent.  So I suppose there's some possibility those decisions are correct.  Maybe.

But that still doesn't absolve the entering driver of their own responsibility to make sure their path of travel is clear.  I didn't read those links super closely, but it looked like they always split responsibility at most 50/50.  I don't personally agree with that, but that does at least show the juries/judge didn't lose all sanity.

So I apologize for speaking too quickly.

[Coelacanth]

A big peeve of mine is people who believe it is their obligation to stop and let someone out of a private driveway (gas station, shopping center, fast food restaurant etc.) when they obstruct traffic behind them.  I was let out of a bank parking lot once and the car in the next lane over did not share the enthusiasm of the driver in the curb lane.  My car was mostly destroyed, but I was otherwise uninjured.  Ever since then, I have refused to let someone out in a situation like that, and it aggravates me to no end whenever I see someone do that.

Over half of the collisions I have ever been in were caused by someone doing this.

There are some driving habits (lane changes without signaling, leaving too much space at a stoplight) which I find annoying or frustrating, but this letting people out of a driveway thing is one of the few that makes me downright angry.

[Mr_Northside]

There are some driving habits (lane changes without signaling, leaving too much space at a stoplight) which I find annoying or frustrating, but this letting people out of a driveway thing is one of the few that makes me downright angry.

The worst (IMO) is when someone does this for a vehicle pulling out of a driveway/parking lot into a queue for a traffic signal that is sensor actuated (as opposed to timed).  Usually the car pulling out takes their sweet time (maybe being extra sure they are being let out - and / or just not in a hurry), which creates enough of a gap that the signal decides to switch phases. 
It's usually yellow just long enough for the car from the driveway/lot and the car that let him/her go to make it thru, leaving me to either run a red light or sit and wait the cycle.

[Brandon]

Or it could be what happened to my dad - he intended on making a left turn onto a 4 lane roadway.  The car in the nearest right lane stopped to let my dad thru.  As my dad pulled out, a car in the next lane over hit him.  Of course, the car that stopped realized what happened and took off.

This is the result of someone being nice, but failing to pay attention to their surroundings....

Uh.... no.   Why is it the responsibility of the person being nice to check the other lanes of traffic?

If someone in the right lane is letting you in, but you are turning left (or feel that you need to pull beyond the right lane in order to turn right), then it is your responsibility and yours alone to check the other lanes.  If you can't do so, then like theline said, you wave him on and wait for the next opportunity.

Exactly.  I hit someone who decided to just go out of a driveway when waved (by two cars).  Of course, the wavers left the scene of the accident.  The twit that I hit kept screaming at me, "you was speedin'!".  The City of Chicago policeman shows up and asks my side of the story.  I tell him that I was slowing down for a red light in the left turn lane.  Thought I had the whole lane to slow down in nicely as there was no one in front of me, and then she pops out from between two vehicles to my right.  He then asks her her side of the story.  She tells him about the drivers waving her out, so she thought it was clear and just went.  Policeman then tells her, "lady, you know you're supposed to look first."  Her jaw hit the pavement after that and she shut up as the cop wrote her a ticket.  Priceless.  Her insurance picked up the whole thing including my rental car.

Police don't rule on cases.  They simply decide who is at fault based on the evidence they have available.  In cases like this when the person doing the waving left the scene, it becomes a simply, more ordinary careless driving incident.  The stop-sign runner will go to court and be found guilty.  And the insurance company of the stop-sign runner will simply pay for the damages.

Now, if the waver did stay at the scene, then that changes the situation.  The cop will still probably write the ticket to the person going thru the stop sign.  The insurance company would pay Brandon what he is due.  But now stop-sign runner and their insurance company could decide to pursue liability against the waver.  In fact, if this scenario would've occurred in Brandon's accident, Brandon probably isn't even involved in the case at this point.   It would be a separate case of the stop-sign runner vs. the waver.

I don't know how things are done in New Jersey, but the insurer takes who got the ticket into account here in Illinois.  The person who got the ticket is generally assumed to be at fault.  And yes, she did get a ticket.  I watched the cop write it and hand it to her.

An interesting note, she also tried to get me in trouble for not having a city tax sticker in my windshield.  Some municipalities in Illinois have them (such as Chicago), some do not (such as mine, Joliet).

[hbelkins]

Watching this discussion about someone pulling out into multiple lanes of traffic when only one lane occupant stops to allow the other driver to pull out reminds me of an action taken by KYTC in Hazard at the request of the local police department.

In one area where KY 15 intersects a local street, 15's a four-lane undivided highway (there are no tolls so you don't have to pay  ). People in the the right lane of the northbound direction were stopping to let people pull out to turn left. The right lane becomes an exit-only lane for the on-ramp to KY 80 eastbound. So when the drivers pulled out, they did so right into the path of the left lane, which is the through lane for KY 15 northbound. Local police said they were working too many wrecks, so they requested KYTC eliminate left turns off the local street onto KY 15 southbound. And they also requested that KYTC eliminate left turns from southbound KY 15 onto this road.

[Zmapper]

My new pet peeve - people who are unable to maintain reasonable composure when driving through regular urban traffic situations. Regardless of the other motorists' allegedly irresponsible actions, the driving behaviors depicted combined with the demonstrably heightened level of emotional distress increase the odds of a collision occurring.

Besides, multiple times [6:14, 10:57] the tires of the vehicle in front are visible, indicating that more space was left than what the poster deems prudent. If you're going to criticize others for improper (but excepting egregious cases, not necessarily illegal) behavior, it would be reasonable to expect that you display the same level of courtesy towards other motorists.

[renegade]

Wow. You sure read a lot into that while still missing the point entirely.  People stop every day to let people out of private driveways, when they should keep moving and not hold up traffic.  They think they are somehow being polite, something I don't think you have to worry about.  In many cases, that politeness causes someone to be maimed or killed, whereas continuing on their way would allow traffic to clear and the person waiting to get out would be able to do so safely.  Also, stopping to let someone out can and does block the view of other oncoming traffic. 

I happen to agree with what you say here.  however, in the post that started it all, you breezily admitted that you took advantage of a wave, failed to consider traffic in other lanes, and went ahead and gave your car some spontaneous body work.  so, I do not have high regard for your opinion, because it was part of a confession of sheer and complete dumbassery. 

if you hope to be a logical and intelligent being on this earth, you cannot say "I hate this!  I take advantage of it!".  that just doesn't make sense.

Thanks for your insightful opinion, though.

I heard the house next to NE2 is up for sale.  You should buy it.  I'll bet you two could be good friends.

Troll.

I'll take 100 trolls over one dumb fuck any day.

I did not say that I take advantage of this.  The lesson here is not to do this.  Have a nice day.

[1995hoo]

....

Besides, multiple times [6:14, 10:57] the tires of the vehicle in front are visible, indicating that more space was left than what the poster deems prudent. If you're going to criticize others for improper (but excepting egregious cases, not necessarily illegal) behavior, it would be reasonable to expect that you display the same level of courtesy towards other motorists.

Don't forget the camera is higher on the windshield than the driver's eyes. The perspective is not the same.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

Amusing?  More like infuriating.