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Why are you even posting in a local thread about driving in NC when you are in Germany? This is not a generic "how to drive" thread.
^^ This ^^
So let's get back to the OP's topic, please:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Merboy
I don't generally like to post negative things about the area but lately I've encountered a LOT of bad drivers. I commute from North Raleigh to the RTP every day and it seems as though drivers on 540 and 40 are either super aggressive because apparently it's a race to get from one place to another or else they're super lazy and can't be bothered to signal or check their blind spot before merging.
I do see quite a few NC plates in western PA. Alot of them are driving badly. I just assume they are coming back home for a visit since half of PA is in NC now.
I know I'm going to hate myself for getting involved in this, but .....
My commute is primarily on a two-lane highway (one lane in each direction), with infrequent passing zones and many areas of limited visibiliy. So which is preferable -- moving over (which means driving off the road) or speeding up (so that I'm whipping around blind curves at 70 MPH? Neither, as far as I'm concerned. So, sorry -- if you're tailgating me on that road, I'm slowing down until you back off.
I'd appreciate a link to the NC state law that says this.
Since I said if you can get over one lane to the right safely, I think we can assume I'm not talking about traveling on roads with only one lane in each direction.
I'm driving on the Raleigh Autobahn. I'm in the center lane of the 3 lane Autobahn and am going 105 mph. I am gaining on the car ahead of me since they are only going 100 mph, so I get in the left lane to pass them. As I am gaining ground on the car I am passing I see in my rearview mirror another car enter the Autobahn and rapidly get into the left hand lane since they are going 125 mph and passing all other cars. I have not yet gotten past the car I was trying to pass, but I am too close to it to immediatley move back into the center lane unless I slow down. It is obviously my responsibility to speed up to at least 125 mph so that I do not force the car behind me to tailgate me.
Is this correct? I need to keep this in mind so that I do not force those poor helpless drivers into the dangerous circumstance of tailgating me through no fault of their own.
You are supposed to move over at your first opportunity, yes, whether you're going the speed limit, 10mph, or 100mph over. Someone wants to go faster. Move over.
The sarcasm in your post is derived from the same source of pride that forces people to look in their rearview and go "im going fast enough" when all you have to do is move over. I get your point about being stuck "in the middle" but however you do it, slow down or speed up, just move over. It's simple. Someone wants to go faster. It's not your place to question why.
How about if your SO or sister or friend was in the passenger seat in labor, they want to do 80 in a 65 and you're sitting up front going "nah im going fast enough." In the scheme of things, is your ego that important?
You are supposed to move over at your first opportunity
So the person behind me is justified for tailgating even if I am maintaining a safe following distance (2 second rule) behind the car in front of me and I cannot change lanes because I would be cutting other cars off?
I agree that the world would be a much better place without the people who drive 65 mph in the left lane. I am not defending that type of driving. When I am in the left lane on 440 it is because I am going faster than cars in the center lane. If someone wants to go faster than me and I can get over to the right I do so. However if someone gets inches from my bumper and my only option would be to speed up and get inches from the car in front of me what should I do?
Last edited by slim2none; 02-28-2011 at 05:59 AM..
So the person behind me is justified for tailgating even if I am maintaining a safe following distance (2 second rule) behind the car in front of me and I cannot change lanes because I would be cutting other cars off?
I agree that the world would be a much better place without the people who drive 65 mph in the left lane. I am not defending that type of driving. When I am in the left lane on 440 it is because I am going faster than cars in the center lane. If someone wants to go faster than me and I can get over to the right I do so. However if someone gets inches from my bumper and my only option would be to speed up and get inches from the car in front of me what should I do?
Youre supposed to do whatever youre comfortable with to get the heck over ASAP. Either speed up or slow down, your call. Put your right blinker on to let the person know you're going to move over, create the opportunity to do so (by either slowing down or speeding up, your call) and execute.
Not defending the person inches from your bumper, I am defending the expectation that once that happens (whether you can anticipate it by seeing them in your rear view coming at you quickly, or if they whip behind you quickly) that people just move over.
No one is justified for tailgating really, but what is justified is the responsibility of the person who is holding them up to move over the quickest way possible to just diffuse the situation and get out of the way. I think you agree, we're saying the same thing basically.
Question for the tailgaters - why don't you just slide by in the right lane if the person in the left lane doesn't move over?
They do. And whats whats dangerous and causes accidents. There is a reason the left lane is a passing lane.
The scenario of people whipping right and left in and out of lanes because jerkoff in the left lane is too proud to just move over is the source of all the issues we're talking about here.
They do. And whats whats dangerous and causes accidents. There is a reason the left lane is a passing lane.
The scenario of people whipping right and left in and out of lanes because jerkoff in the left lane is too proud to just move over is the source of all the issues we're talking about here.
I see. And the speeding tailgater jerkoff is blame free?
Solution: Remove the licence of both the tailgater and left lane hog!
I don't generally like to post negative things about the area but lately I've encountered a LOT of bad drivers. I commute from North Raleigh to the RTP every day and it seems as though drivers on 540 and 40 are either super aggressive because apparently it's a race to get from one place to another or else they're super lazy and can't be bothered to signal or check their blind spot before merging.
I'm a fairly courteous driver and I let people in front of me as often as I can. Yet this is not a common trait with drivers around here (anymore). When people see me signaling to get over they speed up to either block me or to get ahead of me so I'm not "in their way". I don't drive slow at all (though I try not to break any sound barriers) and people still get right up on my ass even when there's hardly any other traffic and they can easily get around me if they're in such a hurry.
It's sort of like the internet in a way. There's a level of anonymity because drivers don't have to directly interact with each other by talking, etc so it becomes this free-for-all where you can be as rude as you want. And I'm not asking for much, I just don't want my life jeopardized because some other driver doesn't realize how dangerous he's being. I'm just saying, we all have to get places, let's not be *******s to each other in the process.
Wow! Someone finally said what I have been meaning to say for quite some time now. I now realize that it was not just me, but instead that there are some real horrible and discourteous drivers out there. You hit the nail right on the head Oh let's not forget the geniuses out there texting while driving too ... and I have personally witnessed this many times with my jaw dropped in amazement Totally reckless, stupid and selfish ... of course these are the same folks that will tell you that they know what they are doing and whom seriously believe that causing a devastating and fatal accident will never happen to them as a result of this stupidity
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Totally reckless, stupid and selfish ... of course these are the same folks that will tell you that they know what they are doing and whom seriously believe that causing a devastating and fatal accident will never happen to them as a result of this stupidity 
