Mr. jsutter:
Perhaps you should get a Gold Wing or a BMW motorcycle. Then you could ride safely without undue noise.
Here in WI, neither vehicle has the right of way when merging. You must yield to reason when merging.
I noticed things were different in WI. One other thing I learned,if you are comming up on a emergency vehicle that has its lights on (police car with someone pulled over on the Interstate)it is the law that when possible you must move over to the left.
WI. adopted this law around 2000 after some fatalities when people hit police cars,you will get a ticket if you don’t move over. I talked my way out of it,it helped I had a AZ license and really didn’t know that I was required to move over.
FoDaddy’s right.
NHSTA studies indicate–on a limited access highway–risk of accident increases roughly exponentially as one deviates from a low point. That low point is around 2 MPH in excess of the prevailing speed.
Consider that the NHTSA, most likely, would have preferrd the data not come out this way…unlikely to be propoganda. “Drive slowly and save lives” sounds good but, like “From each according to their abilities…,” it doesn’t work that way in real-world applications.
1. Keep up with the flow of traffic, even if it’s above the posted speed limit. If the prevailing speed is 75 MPH and you are the only one plodding along at 55 MPH you are creating a dangerous situation.
The same rule must also apply in reverse. If the traffic flow is slower than the speed limit then those drivers wishing to speed should slow down.
I would disagree. Those who are speeding are creating a dangerous situation. That said, it is important to keep in mind that most cars at those speeds have speedometers that will indicate about 5 mph high. In traffic which is moving faster than I would choose to drive, I generally will drive up to 5 mph over the speed limit. Note: that is and additional 5 mph after adjusting for speedometer error. How much over depends on many factors. There are times I have gone to 75 mph due to traffic because it would have been unsafe to be even 5 mph below that.
Common courtesy dictates that you compy woth the speed of the traffic in front of you on that 2-lane road.
Maybe, but it also dictates that you not drive above the speed limit or the prevailing speed on a two lane road! It is a two way street.
It would seem that one group is asking the other to violate the law and maybe drive faster than is safe.
That said the slow driver should be making an effort to allow those who are braking the law to safely and easily pass them.I sometimes think that every car should have a picture and name of the driver displayed on the back, and a short range car to car comunication device so you could say “excuse me Shirley, but I really have to get in the right lane, do you mind?” “Thank you”
The reason we are so civil when we walk and such jerks when we drive is because cars tend to depersonalize us. We don’t see people on the highway, only cars in our way.
I like it, Ken. It’s probably more than can be expected for a driver license, but the theory behind giving the vehicle operator enough situational awareness to recognize how his actions and his surroundings matter at every moment, seems inherently sensible.
Unfortunately, not only will this degree of awareness not be required for a license, but everything about the contemporary driving experience is geared to promoting situational obliviousness: cars have become rolling video arcades, every third driver (by my non-scientific assessment of the traffic around me) is on the phone, then there’s lunch to be eaten, makeup to be applied, unruly children to be scolded, paperwork to sort…
You’re not Whitey from Whitey’s Fish Camp are you?
NH, VT, ME MA that I know of.
Some only state when visdibility is limited but that is exactly what rain does.
That’s stretching the interpretation of the law isn’t it?? States like NY specifically state that Lights MUST be on when driving in Rain. BIG DIFFERENCE.
As the correct poster stated above it allows others to see you. In a big rain storm a gray car is hard to pick out from gray pavement. My vision is fine read your hand book.
I’ve NEVER had a problem when it’s raining DURING THE DAY. At Dusk…I’ll agree…I usually turn my lights on then.
Now not being able to see these vehicles without their lights on…is that because they’re hard to see or lack of driving attention?? I agree if you’re on your cell and not paying constant attention to the road then it will help. But I contend if you are diligent about driving your car the way you SHOULD be then you shouldn’t have a problem.
I use my signals, but it does seem that as soon as some one sees you want over(because you have your signal on) they move up and close the gap,motivation for not letting them know your intentions.
Here’s the problem I have with that…I see it happen EVERY DAY…
Car A and B are driving on the highway doing the speed limit of 65. Car B is driving a safe distance behind car A…Along comes car C and sees an opening and signals to pull in between cars A and B…THUS now making the gaps between the cars UNSAFE. Driver C is practicing UNSAFE driving and endangering the life of everyone around him. You’re allowed to pull in WHEN IT’S SAFE. NOT when there’s a 20’ opening for your 16’ car. I’m NOT saying YOU did that…but I see it ALL the time.
nope
I have heard people say “I never saw the guy” after they killed a motorcyclist. None has ever said “I never heard the guy – he should have had louder pipes.”
If you look, you will find the people with loud pipes don’t usually wear a helmet. If they do, it is one that doesn’t offer much protection. They also don’t dress to be seen in high contrast reflective colors. If the “loud pipes save lives” folks were really worried about safety, being seen would be just as important as being heard.
"Why? It’s no less safe to go 55 when those passing you go 75."
Yes it’s less safe. If there’s continuous traffic going 75, with you going 55, that generates an unsafe situation where you and you alone are generating a roadblock, and impeding the flow of traffic. You are removing use of that one lane for everyone else, causing traffic to squeeze into one fewer lanes than otherwise just to get past you. It’s very selfish. This is in a multi-lane situation. In single-lane (per direction) situation my grandparents recognize they are holding up traffic and pull over on the shoulder periodically. Despite being flat, Iowa has almost no passing zones for some reason.
On the contrary, a few others are right that if traffic is going SLOW for some reason they should also match. It's just as impolite to weave through at 75MPH when traffics doing 55.
I don't know about OP, but I've read that guide, and a few points just are wrong. "Slow down" is just not good advice if you are driving far slower than everyone else.
"2. When you turn onto a highway with a higher speed limit, accelerate briskly up to speed. The people you just pulled out in front of should not have to brake because you are too limp-footed with the accelerator. "
Excellent advice. To those who say slow down and pull in behind: This is right as well, if possible. But if traffic is heavy, this is not always possible. I see FAR too many people here in Iowa that are asses about this.. they just casually coast onto a busy interstate at like 45MPH, you'll hear they are just not giving it any gas.. it's awful, and of course EXTREMELY dangerous -- these roads have 70-75MPH speed limits! They will even pull right out in front of semis! The cops here REALLY should ticket them for "failure to yield" since there's yield signs at the end of every ramp which they are blatantly ignoring. And possibly a second ticket for driving below the minimum speed if they merge on slow enough.
"3. Exercise lane discipline,"
Yes! This used to be a TERRIBLE problem here in Iowa. Now it doesn’t seem to be a problem on the interstates and rural highways anymore, but in town I have to go by on the right constantly. People will just go 5-10 under the speed limit in the left lane. Are they turning left? No, just no lane discipline.
You would think that there has never been motorcyclist at fault in a traffic accident. I know of several not with us anymore,alcohol and motorcycles.All really good guys but at fault in their own deaths.
I was thinking more of being in the right lane wanting over into the left. In the case you state car B should slow down and let car C in,what do you intend to block car C from a offramp? Or car C should slow down so much in the left lane so they can get in behind you?
Haha, I get it guys. But I don’t think that a Goldwing or a BMW is going to save you from the soccer mom in the suburban screaming at her kids while talking on the phone.
Wearing darker colors might be harder to see, but all the chrome isn’t.
Btw: my bike was a bright blue Yamaha Enduro 350. I wore the prerequisite gear that went with, and matched, it.
I do agree that B should probably let him in…MAYBE…But most of the time what happens is Car C just needs to pass car B. Usually the closest car behind car B is 1/2 mile…Car C can’t pull in behind car B…no that would be the SAFE thing to do…instead car C has to pull in front of car B. That’s the VAST MAJORITY of these situations I see…Wouldn’t the SAFE thing to do is to pull in behind car B???
Couple I forgot about that’s a pet-peeve of mine.
Right turn on red doesn’t NOT mean you can turn right on red when ever you want.
First you MUST come to a complete stop.
Then give ALL pedestrians and ALL other traffic the right-of-way. THEN AND ONLY THEN can you turn-right-on-red.
Here in NH and MA…pedestrians have the right of way when in cross-walks. My youngest plays BB. And many times for practice we have to park across the street from the gym. There’s a cross-walk to cross a semi-busy street. We usually have to wait for about 10-20 cars before someone OBEYS THE LAW and actually stops to let us cross.
I’ve ONLY seen this in MA…But at 4-way stop signs when there are several cars at each stop sign…MOST states people are Courteous and people take their turn. But in MA…it’s a free-for-all. I’ve seen one car in the front of the line wait their turn…and then go…then 4-5 cars come racing through the stop-sign right on each others bumpers BLOCKING all other traffic who has the right of way.
RED-LIGHTS…When the light turn red…STOP. Again…mainly a New England thing. Light turns red, but there are usually 3-10 cars that plow through the red-light AFTER IT’S CLEARLY turned red.
I live in Boston. When I first learned how to drive (at age 25!), my father told me, “Drive as if everyone else on the road is an idiot.” First of all, I learned that, in fact, everyone else on the road IS an idiot. Secondly, I learned that that includes me as well.
BTW, passing on the right is legal in Massachusetts.
And in response to another posting: Yes, Americans as a whole have a cultural tradition of disrespect for the law, beating the system, and a me-me-me attitude. I lived in Germany once, and people there are much more honest and courteous. And driving instruction is much harder. The driving test lasts 2 hours. They have a lot fewer accidents that we do, however, accidents on the highway are almost always fatal due to the lack of a speed limit.
One more point, I am the only one who uses the deceleration lane when exiting a highway?