[crabtrees]

Can anyone enlighten me as to the purpose behind the mindless tailgating phenomena on the Las Vegas freeways? I used to think the drivers in California were bad, but they don't have anything on the drivers here in the valley. The freeway system is like one large NASCAR track. I constantly have people flying past me when I'm doing 80mph, weaving in and out of cars, and tailgating all over the place! I can't believe how common it is to see 10 cars lined up maybe 3 feet apart from each other flying down the freeway at 80+mph. If I had a tow hitch on my truck I could probably tow some of these cars because they right on my @ss all the time! I'll watch a car in my rearview mirror half a mile behind me doing 90+mph, it will finally get on my @ss and just tailgate a few feet behind me until I move. I have open lanes around me, but nope, they refuse to change lanes. They just ride my @ss until I move out of their way. I see accidents on the freeway every other day on my commute home where someone is tailgating and crashes into the person in front of them because they can't break fast enough. I just don't understand it. And no, these tens of thousands of people are not just California transplants. I hear that all the time. That's ignorant talk.

[WVREDLEG]

Yesterday, a driver raced past me to cut in front of me to enter the exit ramp. There was no one behind me and no traffic for a half mile back in any lane.

Yesterday, a driver rode up in the merge lane in a cone zone and sped up to wedge in between me and the one car-length ahead car in front of me. No one behind me.

Yesterday, a driver right of me in a double left turn lane did a U-turn from that lane. I stopped in the middle of my legal left turn to avoid being clipped by the illegal turn.

I rarely witness so much aggressively pointless driving in one day--especially considering I time my commutes to off-peak times. I used to get angry, but now I just sigh and hope they don't kill someone.

[gvc8]

and we all end up paying for the reckless driving with higher and higher and higher insurance rates

[Prosze]

Why is it that I always manage to be stuck behind people that cant even do the speed limit? You want to drive slower/slow like you are on a scenic drive, get in the right lane. I'm also tired of the sit at green lights and arrows to play on the phone people.

[calisoccer99]

I think most people in Vegas drive too slow

[Hughie]

Most of these POS cars have way too much horsepower.

[Saruyama]

Originally Posted by calisoccer99

I think most people in Vegas drive too slow

Too slow? Every morning I drive through a 15 MPH school zone and people are flying by me at 50+. That's too slow?

[EA]

Well, we don't actually teach people how to drive. The driving test tests memory only. Law enforcement only gives out tickets to make money. Safety equipment only prevents injury and death. Nothing we are doing addresses the root problem. People sucking at driving.

[justthe2ofus]

Driving in Vegas is a whole new experience.

I have never seen people anywhere else absolutely refuse to accelerate off the line at a light to achieve the speed limit. Half the time, they don't reach it and then catch the next red light. Lights are timed to approximate traffic flow at a particular speed. When people don't drive the posted speed, traffic backs up.

Then there's the problem with people who will not pull up at a red light, because they're checking their phone.

The Strip is full of idiots looking at everything but the road. Half are tourists who are enthralled with the crowds and buildings during the day or with all the 'pretty lights' at night. Compound that with the cabbies and ride share people, who are always in the wrong lane to approach their destination. What's sad is that these are locals who should know where they're going.

On the highways, it's a free-for-all. But that isn't any different from anywhere else in a metropolitan area.

As for the OP, if you're in the left lane doing speed, and you are approached by a nut doing 90, and you have the opportunity to yield into the next lane to allow him/her to go by, do.

If you are a driver that consistently cannot achieve the posted speed, stay out of the left lane of any street.

[Cold Warrior]

LV drivers seem pretty tame to me.