Is anyone else sick of it

[raceman]

With each passing day I see more and more people of all ages driving as if they know nothing of how to drive and drive properly. Are the new cars being made without turn signals and mirrors?

It seems to me that the average driver on the roads has no respect for anyone else or any of the rules of the road. People do not seem to know how to merge, use turn signals or a mirror.

I have had a dedicated run now for a year and parts of that route find me with my truck loaded to the max so I have had to learn to drive with a full load. Stopping a full load is not as easy as stopping a light load. The drivers whip around in front of me coming up to red lights, getting on to a highway during rush hour and then slam on the brakes and so on.

Is anything being taught to new drivers? Anything other than how to make the car go? What in the world has happened to the drivers? In another post we talk of crack downs on speeding etc. Why don't the Police do something about these people? Failure to yeild, improper lane change and just down right poor driving. If they ticketed for all of that stuff they would have money to save the world.

I am going to begin writting to everyone I can and ask that they get each city to crack down on these poor, non respecting idiots and hope many of you will bring it to the attention of folks in your areas.




Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[Broompilot]

Daughter finished Drivers Ed about 6 months ago. Teacher never taught them the common sense of using cruise control in the rain. I had to educate her on the dangers of using cruise control in poor weather conditions. I also had to break her of the habbit of using it every chance she got. City Expressway driving for example it was speed up slow down very annoying for a passenger its like they cannot teach students how to gently press on the accelerator or let off without breaking.

Other items that was no discussed very well.

Making a left turn she had a habbit of pulling to far up and than having to turn so sharp that the car was making a U-turn (a bit of an exageration) but you get the point.

Driving with someone behind you, and keeping enough distance with the people in front of you as to break slowly and not be rear ended and shoved into the person in front of you if they break suddenley.

Expierence is the best teacher, but they failed on all marks on teaching this young lady the reasonable responsibility of driving.

She is now after 6 months with a learners permit a much better and safer driver more aware of her surroundings.

 

[ATeam]

Blame parents who's children learn by example, watching their parents speed, and when they about them breaking the speed limit, learn from their parents that there is a justification of some sort for doing so and that not all laws should be equally respected.

Blame professional truck drivers that speed as a matter of course and justify that behavior to their kids that become truck drivers themselves one day.

Blame the carriers that turn a blind eye to log books that come in showing more miles driven than can possibly be done at legal speeds.

Blame law enforcement officials and policy makers that turn a blind eye to traffic laws in favor of going after the "real" lawbreakers and focusing on the so-called "big" cases.

Blame policy makers that themselves speed on thieir way to work at state legislatures, and who cave in to popular outcry when something like increasing driver-training requirements for existing and older drivers are considered.

These are but a few of the people responsible for the erosion of respect for legal, informed, and courteous driving.

Have you driven in the state of Washington lately? An amazing thing has happened there. We've seen it with our own eyes and love it! A large number of drivers are showing respect for trucks, giving them safe space, letting them in, etc. It's a result of a program the state recently ran where they put cops in trucks working with patrol cars to cite four-wheelers committing illegal acts around trucks. That was combined with a public education program about how cars should share the road with trucks. The program was initiatied by policy makers that became alarmed by the statistic showing that most car/truck accidents are caused by at-fault car drivers.

It's a highly-successful program in my view. I'm hopeful that once it is evaluated for results, other states will follow the example. It also shows that things can change if the right people (in this case, policy makers, law enforcement, educators, and car and truck drivers themselves) put their minds to it.

 

[DocRushing]

When a four-wheeler (or a two-wheeler) swoops in front of a big truck, a friendly one-second hello from a concealed train horn may encourage the offender to think twice before repeating his unsafe and offensive behavior.
A show-off artist may decide not to pull a trick at all when he sees a prominent sign on the tail of a truck saying "CAUTION -- VIDEO SURVEILLANCE RECORDER -- ALL AROUND."

 

[Dreamer]

I agree with you Raceman, it's totally ridiculous. However, I must brag a bit here on my kids. My son and daughter, now 16 and 19, are VERY aware of trucks, and how to drive around them. I hear them talking to their friends who are about to get THEIR permits, etc... to always give trucks room, and if in doubt, help them out by giving them the right of way, letting them in, etc. It does a dad proud to have a truck pass when the kid is driving, and of their own accord they reach down and flip the lights when he's past.

A big deal? maybe not, but it's shows me they have respect. and when my daughter was 17 and got her first car, the first thing she wanted was a CB. Now, she's 19, and she'll get mad at people who rag drivers on the radio, or in person. LOL.. it's hilarious to see an otherwise delicate lil thing fired up tellin some dude to 'show some respect, you have no idea what that guy's had to deal with today'

I've also heard them both quote that line from Black Dog... "How do you stop if something just jumps out in front of you?..... YOU Don't..."...and impress on their friends that trucks can't stop quick.

I've also seen my daughter bow her head as we passed a truck wreck, and ask God to take care of the driver.

Am I biased? Sure. Am I a proud dad? Absolutely. These little things won't change the world, but I know at least the two of them are spreading 'ripples' of respect for drivers in their own little circles. And perhaps, just maybe, that might save a life, maybe theirs, somewhere down the line.

I wish the driver's ed programs spent more time dealing with 'sharing the road', but usually, it's just a quick blurb, and on they go.







Dreamer
Forums Administrator

 

[Panzer]

What's interesting too is the way people change when driving. I had a buddy of mine who was an accountant and about as bookish, meek looking guy you ever saw. Never raised his voice, laid back, and all around nice guy. But.... Get him behind the wheel and he makes the late Dale Ernhart look like a Sunday school bus driver. The guy would speed, cut corners, cut off others, in general drive like a real jackass. All the while cursing anyone in front of him. Amazing really. I suspect that he took worked out his frustrations from everyday life while drving, but really don't know. But I did know that when ever we went somewhere together, I drove...

 

[redsnapper]

You are not going to get any results writing to city officials about four wheelers. City officials are four wheelers. Fight the fights you can win. The fight you can win is to be tolerant of them. We ply the open roads every day. We are in different time zones and different road conditions on a weekly basis. Four wheelers as a rule are cruising the same roads every day. They aren't used to change. We, as professional drivers are used to different conditions all the time. They {4 wheelers} are rude and unschooled as drivers, we are professionals, we control ourselves and know our limits. Professional drivers vote. That power is how we control the roads.
Let us unite and use the power we have.

 

[DannyD]

I drive a 4 wheeler, but I've got my beefs on the road. In no particular order, these are what comes to mind:

1) Some jackazz on a cell phone driving 50MPH in the center lane while traffic is generally doing 70-75.

2) You move over to let someone in, & they don't let you back over.

3) Vehicles that speed up as you're about to pass. On this one, in a lot of cases, I don't even think they realize they're doing it. I know I'm keeping the same speed. I might be doing 72 & come up on someone doing 68 lets say. They slowly speed up as I'm about to pass. I'm thinkin "if you'd have went this fast in the first place, I wouldn't have passed you." Then when ya get in front of em, they back off to the speed they were going before. I truly do feel that these people do this unconciously.

4) On city streets, people who pull in front of you & then make an immediate left. Ugggggh!!

5) People who insist on staying 4 or 5 car lengths behind the vehicle in front of them in rush hour traffic. On this one, the person is technically doing the right thing. The challenge though, is that other vehicles keep using that space to get into the lane. Then the person backs off again, another vehicle gets in that open spot & the process continues. If someone's going to do this, they should at least be in the right hand lane.

6) People who will not pass you no matter what. They stay exactly X distance behind you for miles & miles. I had one guy follow me 50+ miles one time. I slowed down to 45 even. This guy would NOT pass me. I should have pulled off the road, but I was a lil bullheaded I guess.

7) In bad weather, when there's one decent lane (usually the right lane) that ya can travel maybe 40, someone gets in it & does 25. If they're going to go that slow, get in the left lane & let people pass you. I practice what I preach here. I make sure someone who wants to pass me is able to.

8) People who change speeds/can't pick a speed & drive it. I don't mean they're changing from 60 to 80 & back down. I'm thinking more like they float in the 65-75 range & then back down. This one kind of relates to #3 I guess. I kind of like to be alone on the road when it's possible. Since I drive later on at nite, I get my wish of a fair amount. If there's another vehicle on the road, I'll go a different speed. I don't care what speed the other vehicle goes, but just pick one. I'll go either faster or slower. It doesn't so much matter. You pick your speed & I'll adjust accordingly. I don't want the person on my tail, making it tough to pass, or riding directly beside me though.

9) People who insist on merging at the last minute in a construction zone. As much as I can, I won't let these people in. I actually think I might have a solution to this problem. It would be interesting to try it.

Solution is this: Put little speedbumps on the road about 5 miles before the lane is about to close. Gradually have the speed bumps get larger & larger as the lane closure gets closer. I think this would cause people to start getting over earlier. This might be better in theory than in reality, I don't know. I think it would be worth a shot though.

10) People who will not pass a truck or otherwise drive to slow in the left lane. I'm not saying they have to do 85. I rarely exceed 75 myself. But mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, if you're in the left lane................ STEP ON IT!!! =)

11) I'm behind a slow moving vehicle, someone is passing me on the left. But they're taking so long to pass me that other cars come up behind them & now I can't get over, leaving me stuck.

I'm sure I missed a few, but those are what comes to mind.

Happy driving,
Danny

 

[terryandrene]

DannyD: You've pretty much described an average day on the road. I like your speed bump theory, but I'd hate to be the one in an ambulance that needed to over those bumps. Conjures up a good image!

 

[greg334]

Hey this is good, but I disagree with redsnapper – just because we are professionals, many don’t close to being professional or safe. Many times I get passed on the right or cut off by a truck that does not wait for me to at least flash my light when I feel it is safe.

As far as I am concerned, I don’t care what the reason is for a kid to drive, I strongly feel they should start at 18, not 16. Seen too many accidents of kids being cut out of cars dead not to think age is the biggest factor for mass killing here. the parents have most to blame for this, watching a relative who is 17 being busted for driving first 70 in a 45 and at the same spot with the same cop being busted doing 90 in the same 45 still have his license and still able to drive. It makes me sick that this happens at all. It is partially the cops fault, the first time he wrote the ticket for 10 over and the judge, who is at fault too, didn’t give him any points but just the fine – how insane. If he was my kid, his license would be cut up, the car would be sold and I would tell him too d**n bad, live with it. Now he is rewarded by a trip to France and Italy. Oh yea his father was a sheriff and quit because of seeing too many children getting killed in car accidents, ironic?

I like Germany’s licensing program and I think we should take a seriously look at it for our kids. It seems to build responsibility in their drivers and not the three week program to get a license, something that is lacking here. I know that the feds are studying the issue on how to reduce fatalities among the age groups under 25 and some were over in Germany back in September to gather facts, I think they were there for Oktoberfest too.

I have to also add that under 18, you are a juvenile which means special treatment - the supreme court rules you can’t execute anyone under 17 because their so called thought processes are not developed enough to make proper judgments (tell that to the victims) - if you do a crime, your records are sealed – you can’t drink – you can’t own a hand gun (in many states you can’t own a long gun and even in some states adults are discourage) – and you can’t get a CDL. So I have to ask why is it we are quick to give a potential weapon to someone who can’t (according to the law) be responsible enough to make proper decisions with smaller less destructive weapons?

OK another thing that really bugs me, in Michigan and many other states there is no rules of the road per se. I was taught that the left lane was only the left lane for passing but not the fast lane. The fast lane seems to be an Autobahn thing (Autostrada if you are in Italy, France – do they have a lane a 2CV can pass another 2CV?), not here in the US.

DannyD, number 5 – I am one of those sort of – not slow rush hour. I don’t care what people think, I feel that I can’t stop in a 2 car length distance with 2500 lbs on my truck (9500 lbs total), if I can I don’t want to take a chance.

What really p***es me off is people who think a turn signal gives permission to make a lane change, it does not.

 

[raceman]

greg334, I agree. That is when they usally use a turn signal. When they are going to something so wrong, they think that flash will make it legal.

As for writting to get something done about it, well what I meant by that is getting the illegal stuff looked at. I know we can never change the evryday driver. We should be able to get back to legal driving and that includes signals, speed limits etc.

Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[FIS53]

Well here in Ontario Canada the OPP (Provincial Police) actually did a campaign last summer against bad drivers. They were after just those you are complaining about. Yup a lot of tickets were handed out. I think though a lot fought them and a lot got off the charges as the cops couldn't make it to all the court cases. But every year they do the speeders and bad driver campaigns besides the usually highway patrols.
Rob Fis

 

[cheri1122]

In regard to Danny's #5 : drivers who pass a long line of people patiently waiting when the lanes are cut back, then put on a signal to move over at the front of the line are always my biggest peeve - I mean really, would they do that if the line was on foot? It's the drivers who let them in I don't understand! But in a few places, I've seen a method that seems to solve the problem fairly: a sign instructing drivers to use both lanes to merge point, then take turns.
The problem of keeping a safe distance from the vehicle ahead is getting worse, as traffic gets heavier - if you leave enough space for someone to get in, someone will.
Until more roads are built to accommodate the increase in vehicular traffic, which doesn't seem to be high on anyone's priority list, the best that can be done is to identify and educate the offenders. Aggrressive drivers are the responsiblity of the police on the scene, and drivers at both ends of the age spectrum require extra attention.
My 16 yr old daughter is attending drivers' ed right now, and I expect that she will be as safe & courteous a driver as her older sister, who is 28, & has had no tickets or accidents, & is very much aware of the proper behavior around big trucks, lol. (Like Dreamer's daughter, she is petite, but ferocious when people don't respect the needs of big trucks)
I would totally disagree with Redsnapper: the solution lies in educating drivers to know what's expected, then punish the offenders who don't comply.