Turning left on red from a one-way to another one-way street......

[Samckitt]

Just venting a little here.

Moved to Virginia back in November & have noticed this has got to be the state with the worst drivers.

One of my pet peeves is I always see people that WILL NOT turn left from a one way to another one way on a red light. Near where I work I come to an intersection like this ever day, & you have to set at this light for a LONG time before it will change. So turn left on red, both roads are one way.

The other day I saw a guy come to this red light, he sat there for a while before turning right on the red light, going the wrong way on the one way road. He went about a block in the wrong direction, then turned around & went back the right way on the one way road. Obviously he didnt know you can turn on red as long as it is one way to one way roads.

[wmhjr]

Around here we have tons of people (generally older people) who fail to make right turns on red. I think so many people learned to drive before many states allowed right turn on red that people are often uncomfortable doing it. Add to that the fact that so many drivers are just poor drivers, and it gets worse. We have left turn on red onto one way from one way problems here also. There was actually a newspaper article about this in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette not long ago.

[John Wright]

I wait patiently as folks sit at those red lights trying to turn right without a car in sight waiting for the light to turn green. <BTW, honking does no good because they will not know why you are raising all the cain>

Scot, I understand your pain......there are parts of this state where the driver's are not even paying any attention to the road signs or the traffic lights.

on a similar note: Saw in the local paper yesterday that NoVa is reinstating the red light cameras in Fairfax.

[pedro]

Having lived in VA since I was in 6th grade, I would blame both the poor driving and the "no left turn on red" on Virginia's Driver Education system. I don't recall anything about red lights and one way streets in drivers ed or the several driver improvement classes I have taken.

Try sitting at the light outside NSA in Norfolk trying to make a left, it takes 3 minutes to change and I always seem to get to it just as it changes to red.

Pete

[69stang]

There's one (left turn from one way street onto one way street) that I sit at a couple of blocks from work. The light is pretty quick, maybe 30 seconds, and its hard to see to the right from a car to see if someone's coming so I sit through it.

[MrQuick]

man scot, im not picking on you but you seem a bit angry with your recent posts....have you tried a high fiber diet? If not, please get your blood pressure checked....
a few seconds at a light doesn't erk me like pepole that stop to merg onto a highway and people that step on their brakes going up hill with a 5 car gap. That is down right dangerous. At least you guys stop at lights in your town. Jackholes around here don't even do that. Stop signs, forget about it.
Stanley Roberts does a great piece on the news and its available on youtube...
GAx2EyEGK2M

[Samckitt]

Still venting about the drivers here. GET OVER WHEN SOMEONE COMES UP BEHIND YOU. Obviously they are driving faster than you are, so get out of their way!

One day, coming back from Indiana, between Richmond & Newport News on I-64, I was doing 5-10 over the speed limit & the left lane was open, I come up on this car in the right lane that had been there for a couple miles. Right when I get there, she comes over into my lane to pass the car in front of her. She gets past, but then doesn't get back in the right lane. And she is driving right at the speed limit or a little under. I was stuck behind her for a few miles before there was a big enough opening in the right lane that I can get around her and get back into the left lane. I keep watching her in my mirror & she never did get over. WTF? Why drive in the right lane for miles, then get in the left lane to cause backup behind you? I don't get it.

Now, people from VA, don't take offense to any of this, I am sure this wasn't anyone on here. :-)

[John Wright]

like pepole that stop to merg onto a highwayLOL...I lay way back on those on-ramps and watch for an opening...then get a run on them and pass them on the left. I know "yikes" right?

[Samckitt]

I got into an argument with a friend of my wife because she thought that people getting on an interstate, coming down the on ramp, have the right of way over someone already on the interstate. She said she doesn't look, just drives on, & merges over without looking, then went on to say it is the law that they HAVE to get over & let her on. WOW.

[John Wright]

I got into an argument with a friend of my wife because she thought that people getting on an interstate, coming down the on ramp, have the right of way over someone already on the interstate. She said she doesn't look, just drives on, & merges over without looking, then went on to say it is the law that they HAVE to get over & let her on. WOW.

Now I don't have a problem if the car stops because there is no opening and they just don't have enough time to get up to speed to blend in....it's when there are no cars coming and they come to a complete stop anyway that gets me....or take off like they are going to go, then stop...never take your eyes off that car until they are long gone or you may get very intimate with it...LOL

[mo2872]

My favorite around here is the people ON the highway, with an EMPTY lane next to the left of them, that won't/don't get over so you CAN merge......just plain courtesy.....

[John Wright]

My favorite around here is the people ON the highway, with an EMPTY lane next to the left of them, that won't/don't get over so you CAN merge......just plain courtesy.....

Yup, I sit at the end of my driveway every morning waiting a for a single car to get over in the left lane and let me out....nope, very rarely does that happen so I sit and watch that single lane of traffic file by me, one by one, and spaced just far enough apart that I can't get out.

[Steve68]

Yup, I sit at the end of my driveway every morning waiting a for a single car to get over in the left lane and let me out....nope, very rarely does that happen so I sit and watch that single lane of traffic file by me, one by one, and spaced just far enough apart that I can't get out.

I know exactly what thats like, Scot, come back to FL, Orlando especially, we have the (some of you memebers will not like this) the Spanish, they drive in the passing lanes going 10 to 20 miles under the speed limit, you can beep the horn, it does not phase them on bit, it some of the wildest driving you've ever seen,

BUT, the next worse thing is a 16 yr old girl with a cell phone, and after that, is a UCF soroity(sp) girl with a cell phone, they will drive down the middle of a 2 lane highway to talk on there cell phones, and not have a clue what there doing or care, beeping dosent help, I have actually have come to yelling at them, "HANG UP THE PHONE" it bring a new meaning to the word confusion!!!

there's more but I cant do it, thats why I'm moving into a more rural area,

[Ishmael]

Oh man do I remember Orlando! 20-year-old girl in a bmw x3 right on my bumper texting entirely clueless followed by a lady putting on her makeup. Don't you have laws about texting and driving?
London Ontario is worse though. At least three people turn left on red. I watched two people opposite each other make a left turn from the second lane and drive straight into each other.

[69stang]

I got into an argument with a friend of my wife because she thought that people getting on an interstate, coming down the on ramp, have the right of way over someone already on the interstate. She said she doesn't look, just drives on, & merges over without looking, then went on to say it is the law that they HAVE to get over & let her on. WOW.

There's a lot of people around here that apparently think the same. WB I-70 to I-675 and the on ram from NB 675 to WB 70 and there's a yield sign where the on ramp joins 70. Its a fight everyday on the drive home. And it don't help when good intentioned drivers let people in stopping 70 traffic on the off ramp.

[406 Q-ship]

I got into an argument with a friend of my wife because she thought that people getting on an interstate, coming down the on ramp, have the right of way over someone already on the interstate. She said she doesn't look, just drives on, & merges over without looking, then went on to say it is the law that they HAVE to get over & let her on. WOW.


There's a lot of people around here that apparently think the same. WB I-70 to I-675 and the on ram from NB 675 to WB 70 and there's a yield sign where the on ramp joins 70. Its a fight everyday on the drive home. And it don't help when good intentioned drivers let people in stopping 70 traffic on the off ramp.

There are States that have laws that the car on the interstate must move over to the next lane (if traffic allows) allowing the vehicle merging on to the freeway. I believe it is on the books in Michigan (according to my Dad). I always try to move out of the lane allowing merging traffic to enter the freeway if the lane is open but then again when towing in Cali you can not necesssarily travel in any other lane than the furthest to the right. It amazes me how many people will try to merge on to a freeway between a tow vehicle and the trailer.

[parsonsj]

I drove home from Tampa today in a serious rain storm. I passed at least 10 vehicles driving under the speed limit with their hazards on... in the left lane.

All I can say is: all you parents out there please take the time to teach proper driving technique and etiquette to your teenagers. It's the only hope we have.

[Vicinity]

I drove home from Tampa today in a serious rain storm. I passed at least 10 vehicles driving under the speed limit with their hazards on... in the left lane.

All I can say is: all you parents out there please take the time to teach proper driving technique and etiquette to your teenagers. It's the only hope we have.

I can't even state how much it annoys me when people get scared in the rain and decide to do 10-20 under the limit while REMAINING IN THE LANE (usually the ONLY lane). Seriously, I can handle the rain, please pull off so I can continue, you don't need to protect me by blocking my path.

[69stang]

In my instance, off ramp & on ramp merge in a single separate transition lane alongside the freeway. Off ramp traffic has right-of-way over on ramp traffic by virtue of yield sign at point of mergence of on ramp with off ramp. Its a screwed up, outdated half cloverleaf. Bottom line, freeway traffic has right-of-way over merging traffic.


All I can say is: all you parents out there please take the time to teach proper driving technique and etiquette to your teenagers. It's the only hope we have.
X2

[Steve68]

all hail JP!!

and again what I'm going to say will offend, but, FHP says, FWIW, that the slow driving in the rain with the flashers on originiated on south FL, it all started more than 10 yrs ago with the newcomers to the state,

and it has to be fixed with education, with our children, because the state wont do it, and they dont want to hurt feelings!!!

[Jims78elky]

Wow...:screwy:

[Jims78elky]

I got into an argument with a friend of my wife because she thought that people getting on an interstate, coming down the on ramp, have the right of way over someone already on the interstate. She said she doesn't look, just drives on, & merges over without looking, then went on to say it is the law that they HAVE to get over & let her on. WOW.

Please don't let her 'borrow" the Monte anytime soon dude! lol..;-P

[MrQuick]

My favorite around here is the people ON the highway, with an EMPTY lane next to the left of them, that won't/don't get over so you CAN merge......just plain courtesy.....

oh yeah, thats my favorite...they try to jam past you just to get in front of you only to get off the highway. People are just nuts.

[zbugger]

I hate stupid drivers too. Too many issues to list here. Might as well just come for a ride with me and be entertained. Oh, and Vince and I lost count as to how many people tried to merge into the trailer when we went down to Southern California. Of course, we just sit and watch as they nearly crap themselves and damn near drive themselves off the road when they finally notice the GIANT WHITE WALL next to them!!!

[John Wright]

oh yeah, thats my favorite...they try to jam past you just to get in front of you only to get off the highway. People are just nuts.They only do that when I am hauling nearly 20K behind me...they use up my cushion gap between me and the car in front to slam on brakes and turn(usually without any signals).

[Jim Nilsen]

My driving instructor in high school taught us that a vehicle that weighs 3,000 lb or more and is moving towards you has the law of physics as it's right of way and no traffic law will stop it from killing you if you get in the way !!!!

People who think laws will protect them are the worst offenders of stupidity ever produced, you are never guilty of the crime until after it happens and then someone is already in trouble along with you. It makes you wonder how many of these people are only children? Brothers and sisters tend to teach you that you will both be in trouble if mom and dad catch us!

Teach your children is the best advice and don't be afraid to teach others when you get the chance even if it hurts their feelings because it just might save someones life.