Im originally from new york, now new jersey, and ive seen this behavior more in NY, NJ, and Boston more than in any other area. I believe that for folks to live successfully in these areas requires a high level of aggressiveness, which manifests itself in many areas, including driving.
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Half a car length is not enough. Don’t be surprised if that driver doesn’t want to get cut off.
Ever thought about getting in the left lane sooner when you already know where you need to make a left turn ?
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And what happens when you don’t know where to turn that day ?
I personally believe if a car is traveling the same speed as you ( not passing ) and you need to merge, it should not try to intentionally get in front of you when you are signaling to merge. This is just my opinion. I believe if everyone in the left lane is going to try to get in front, the car in the right will not be able to merge safely. And traffic condition becomes problematic.
But I understand that you might want me to figure out something rather than you coming off the accelerator for 2 seconds so I might merge
Oh yes. I see on the road all the time where a car in the right lane would aggressively merge into the left lane, cutting off whoever in the left lane. I believe the car in the right lane has to do this as cars in the left lane are hesitant to give way.
It’s really bad here in Newyork. My mother prefers to drive in the left lane all the time for this reason, though I’ve repeatedly told her the left lane is meant for passing.
If you are traveling on a busy roadway, you shouldn’t be waiting until you are just 1/2 mile away before moving into that left lane.
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Depending on how much traffic and the speed, it may be all you get. I’d like more but that is not always possible.
Not sure how heavy Clueless’ traffic is.
I must be picturing this incorrectly. If the other car speeds up and passes you, doesn’t that leave an opening that you can move into at that point?
In any event, I agree with the other comments that say you’re probably to trying to get into the left lane later than you should.
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If this practice is in the city traffic then she is not really doing anything wrong . Now out in the country low traffic areas then the right lane should be the place to be . I travel a 6 lane area and the are so many vehicles that all lanes have vehicle’s in them .
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It would be nice if this was the case but the car behind the one that speeds up also speeds up, and the entire lane of cars follow, until one courteous driver ( which is rare to find) let’s you in.
If you visit New York ( assuming you don’t drive in New York) you’ll understand what I’m saying. Nobody gives a flying rat that your indicator is on and you want to merge. Absolutely no one, except a very small percentage.
And this only fascinated me because people would rather jump in front of you when you signal your intention instead of coming off the accelerator for 2 seconds. And the irony is that after they jump in front of you, they continue to go at a slow speed.
Question. When you follow somebody, your normal pacing distance, how many cars do you think can fit between you and the car in front of you? If you said 20 then I’m going to try to make sure that you merge behind me.
Also, do you drive a Tesla? I find Teslas to be annoying to have near me. Mainly because they tend to be obnoxiously driven.
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I’ve had a number of cars over the years. I currently drive a Lexus IS.
When I go inside of my car I always keep in mind that today I’ll be sharing the road with everyone and that defensive driving should be heavily involved in my commute. I have taken defensive courses to lower my car insurance premium.
By no means I’m suggesting I’m a perfect driver but rather I understand basic road safety issues.
A car’s indicator is a traffic communicator which allows for clarity. It signals where the car is intended to go. Just like a traffic stop light, you see the RED, you must STOP. You see a flashing RED, you must stop and proceed when safe to do so. You see a YELLOW, you must prepare to stop. You see a flashing yellow, you must use caution.
A car’s indicator flashes. It is alerting traffic its intention. The fact that it flashes should have us as drivers prepared rather than to ignore it, or try to beat it. At least that’s what I believe is safer for everyone.
I do get upset when someone merges without turning on their indicator. I consider such rude and obnoxious.
Of course, there is no law stating that drivers must obey indicators. We are simply told to be courteous and nothing to enforce that.
Ah, true, but in their mind, they won!
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As a former New Yorker (Long Island) I would say a half a car length is like cutting someone off. I would think “look at this moron” if someone did it to me. sorry, but you are cutting them off. A half a cars length is like 10 feet.
I would want to see the driver in my rear-view mirror before I went into the left lane.
and always give yourself plenty of time to make your exit or turning lane. if you can’t then go to the next and turn around. you are not going to lose that much time.
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I would agree if this was about merging while a car is half length behind. The issue here is turning the indicator on while a car is behind you half car length. Two different scenarios
Changing Lanes: What To Do
Step #1: Turn on your turn signal.
Turn signals are the only way you can let other drivers know that you’ll be changing lanes. Traffic School Online reports that you are legally required to activate your turn signals at least 100 feet before making your move. Using your blinker to signal your intent to change lanes, merge into traffic, and even turn into a parking spot can help keep you safe and ticket-free. Plus, when you’re in a traffic jam, using your turn signal may be the only way to “ask” another driver to let you in ahead of them.
Step #2: Check your rearview and side mirrors.
After activating your blinker, take a look into your rearview and side mirror to ensure you have enough space to make the lane change. If there’s a car in the lane you’re merging into, wait until you can see the entire vehicle (wheels included) and a few feet of pavement in front of it in your rearview mirror.
At this point, if the other car is going at or below the same speed as you are, you should have enough room to change lanes. It’s essential to keep an eye on the speed of the car you’re trying to merge ahead of — if they’re accelerating, you are better off letting them pass you before changing lanes (as the space for your car is quickly closing).
While some states allow drivers to speed when passing slow vehicles, doing so isn’t always in your best interest. Speeding is one of the fastest ways to increase your risk of an accident.
Step #3: Look over your shoulder to check your blind spot.
Even after checking your mirrors, there’s a spot behind the car that you can’t see – and that spot could easily contain a car or motorcycle! Immediately after checking your mirrors, look over your right shoulder to ensure you don’t miss anything. Always remember when checking your mirrors and blind spot that it’s easy to miss smaller objects, like cyclists, so keep your eyes peeled. Additionally, you can better avoid getting hit by not lingering in other drivers’ blind spots.
Step #4: Change lanes!
Once you’ve determined that it is safe to change lanes, it’s time to go for it! Maintain your speed and glide into the lane smoothly.
Step #5: Turn your turn signal off.
Don’t be that person driving down the highway with your turn signal blinking. As soon as you’re in your desired lane, turn off your blinker.
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You want traffic in the left lane to back off 4 car lengths in 2 seconds to let you in? If the left lane is inaccessible, continue driving straight and make 3 right turns, same as making a left turn, you will find yourself on Walmart Boulevard.
That is why others won’t let you into the left lane, they don’t to deal with a motorist that will stop in a travel lane in an effort to make a left turn. You could continue past that left turn and make a U-turn later.
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Here in Newyork ( I am assuming where you live is different) our roads are built in such a way that left turners don’t use the left traveling lane to make turns to obstruct traffic. Instead, we have an exit-left lane for that. But to get to the far left exit lane, you must be in the traveling left lane.
I hesitate to respond. It reminded me of “citizens of the world”. At any rate we need to differentiate driving in heavy metro traffic situations versus open road travel. In heavy traffic where all the lanes are full, you had better anticipate the lane you need to be in well ahead of time. People putting their turn signals on in heavy traffic is a little scary and I want to avoid being around them.
On the open road, I avoid driving in someone’s blind spot and don’t allow someone in my blind spot mile after mile. I’ll either slow down or accelerate to get them out of there. Sometimes these people never get the hint and after putting a mile or two between us, hear the come again and hang back in the blind spot, never wanting to pass.
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Me thinks someone is living up to their screen name .
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