Driving defensively against offensive drivers

[McDave]

Makes sense. It's like two lanes merging together into one. Cars in both lanes have to cooperate, regardless of which lane seems to continue and which lane ends.


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[barts]

Our experiences with other drivers in the Airstream has been mostly good if we're driving during the week; it's the weekenders that simply have no clue it seems.

Our most common issue where we need to take evasive action is people who merge onto freeways without looking until the last moment, when they see a wall of blue and aluminum. I've now taken to very quickly blipping the horn; these people are easy to spot by their target fixation on the end of the on-ramp.

I will agree that riding motorcycles definitely helps with the 'situational awarness', but switching from a ride that does 0-60 in under 4 seconds to one that takes at least five times as long takes a little getting use to .

- Bart

[PKI]

One of my greatest traffic frustrations is when two lanes merge into one and folks move into the go ahead lane before reaching the merge. The result is to slow the go ahead lane while rewarding the merge lane by reducing the number of cars in it. So everyone in the know, moves to the merge lane and the go ahead waits and waits. If both lanes hold and yield one each lane over and over, the merge goes quickly and efficiently. However, there are not many folks who understand and practice the process.

Outside of Virginia Beach we were one car behind a nice Bambi. Thought we could give them a wave. It was about a mile to the merge and by the time we got there we were 20 cars back. No wave. No smile. No fun that day.

Travel safe. Pat

[J. Morgan]

I take the other side of this issue, I think it is courtesy to get in the lane that is to remain open early, but,,, I am not opposed to blocking the lane that is ending to keep people from jumping line. I have done that, and there is little doubt that I will again.


Superat stultitia.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

I am not opposed to blocking the lane that is ending to keep people from jumping line.

I've done that before, but I try not to do it anymore. It's not a competition to see who can get in front, and if they really want to be in front and don't endanger me to get there, then power to them. At least when they're in front I can keep an eye on them more easily.

[markdoane]

We do the "zipper merge" in Minnesota. It's our way.

[McDave]

Originally Posted by markdoane

We do the "zipper merge" in Minnesota. It's our way.

👍That's the spirit!

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I've done that before, but I try not to do it anymore. It's not a competition to see who can get in front, and if they really want to be in front and don't endanger me to get there, then power to them. At least when they're in front I can keep an eye on them more easily.

To me it is kinda like standing in line at the supermarket and whole droves of people cutting in front of me.

I try to be a very courteous driver, and as such, so long as it is safe for me to do so, I will demand a little courtesy in return on occasion.


Superat stultitia.

[RAH]

There have been a lot of great points in this thread on how to drive in a way to arrive at your destination campground safely. I try to do two things:

First, I drive with no emotion, or at least I try really hard to. I have no angry reaction to anything another driver does. Anger while driving is a useless emotion, at least for me. This has been a big change for me, especially since I started towing.

Second, I ascribe the best possible motive to every other driver and everything I observe them doing on the road. I assume that each driver is doing the best they can, based on their experience, vehicle condition, and their frame of mind. For some young drivers, I attribute their speeding and impatience to their inexperience. For some older drivers, I assume they are doing the best they can. For some vehicles that appear to be held together by duct tape, I assume that the vehicle may be cause for some difficulty in driving safely. For other drivers, I assume they are having a bad day, they are stressed, they have distractions in the car (kids, pets, phones, whatever), they are unfamiliar with the roads, or they really have to go to the bathroom. Whatever another driver does, I believe they are doing the best they can at that point in time. By ascribing the best possible motivation to other drivers, it helps me keep my own emotions out of my head, so my actions and reactions are driven by logic and decision.

Driving in this fashion requires quite an imagination sometimes, as there is such a high frequency of really bad driving behavior that endangers everyone on the road. For me, I have no use for a loud air horn mentioned in previous posts. If I had one of those, I would be more quick to ascribe negative motives to other drivers, and then decide to take an action (i.e., the air horn) out of my own anger. For me this would delay my taking a more appropriate action to improve my own safety, such as putting more distance between myself and them.

Like they used to say on Hill Street Blues, let’s be careful out there.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by RAH

For me, I have no use for a loud air horn mentioned in previous posts.

A horn in a motor vehicle is meant to warn others of impending danger, as in "Hey! You're about to do something needlessly risky!"

Too many people use their horn instead as a way of saying, "Hey! I'm in a hurry!" or even, "Hey! You piss me off!" And because so many people do, too many people who HEAR your horn ignore it because they assume you're NOT providing a warning but rather making a rude comment with it. Like blowing a raspberry.

In all the time I've owned and driven motor vehicles, I've probably used the horn more often at the vehicle inspection station to test it than I did on the road.

[Hittenstiehl]

RAH
That is the best advice so far. It makes for a more peaceful, less stress method of getting there.

[Rich Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

RAH
That is the best advice so far. It makes for a more peaceful, less stress method of getting there.

Amen. Great post.

[Protagonist]

There has been a lot of discussion on this thread about how riding a motorcycle makes you a better defensive driver. Normally I'd agree.

But just this morning in the New Orleans metro area, I had an encounter— thankfully only a near miss— that reminded me that, for every safe and responsible motorcyclist, there's another who believes that his beloved ride is fueled by pure testosterone. I swear, these guys really need one of Julius Caesar's slaves riding pillion, screaming over and over into his ear, "Remember, thou art mortal!"

[time2play]

Whenever I hear the term "near miss" it always reminds me of George Carlin's take on the term. As he said, how can nearly hitting someone be a "near miss"? Shouldn't it be called a "near hit" instead?



Protagonist, whatever it's called, glad to hear your safe from your encounter!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by time2play

Whenever I hear the term "near miss" it always reminds me of George Carlin's take on the term. As he said, how can nearly hitting someone be a "near miss"? Shouldn't it be called a "near hit" instead?

Thank you for that trip down Memory Lane.

But comedy aside, "near miss" is the right term. It was a miss, but near.

By the way, an accident where two or more moving vehicles hit each other is a "collision." However, an accident where one moving vehicle hits a stationary object is an "allision." Nobody but the Coast Guard uses that word anymore, and they often misuse it as a contraction for "alleged collision." Fun facts to know and tell.

Sooner or later, I'll expel all of this useless trivia cluttering up my brain. Hopefully the useful stuff won't disappear along with the trivia!

[Ray Eklund]

RAH Post #69 is the Holy Grail for Trailering Towing.

My wife was a passenger with a co worker and commented about her 'tail gating and not signaling' during lane changes. Her co worker... did not even realize she was doing anything up to that point. She said 'If you drove any other way in Houston, you would never be able to exit the Highway". But my wife's comment did make a profound change in her driving in Kansas City, Missouri.

Many of these drivers are not even aware this is risky behavior. They don't, and do not care. They may have learned from a parent or 'friends'.

Learning to fly a helicopter at the age of 19 taught me there are more directions than front, back, left and right. There was also ABOVE and BELOW. After that experience... my driving seemed simple.

Make it a personal contest. Try to locate the poor driver(s) on your four planes of direction and keep an eye on their driving behavior. Watch everyone react. Avoid them by letting them advance and leave your area. But... IF they create an accident, you may want to volunteer your information as a witness. Not that many would.

These incidents are not unusual. Some may even figure you as a possible rear end collision opportunity and pull over in front of you and lock up their brakes. It is usually a wreck with a license plate.

You may want to believe that everyone thinks, reacts and respects others on the road. Ignore these people. Some drivers may actually WANT to create an issue. Avoid eye contact. You reduce one grey hair at a time in these situations. I have seen too many close encounters among other drivers. Think and look ahead. Try to predict the behavior(s) of others in advance. It sure beats listening to the radio and you get better at it over time.

How far ahead? That separates a pilot from an automobile driver. Speed, space, conditions and visibility. Our task is simple.

[ColoradoLady]

Many of the prior posts are "right on". I have found that in my retirement years, I just don't need to be in as much of a hurry as most folks seem to be! It does not bother me if someone "takes the spot" in front of me...if they need it, they can have it! For me, my goal is to arrive where I am going....safely.

It does concern me that there seems to be little "road courtesy" shown these days. If I can, in some small way, demonstrate a bit of road courtesy, perhaps one or two may learn from it.....or not. I am always going to allow the road hogs to have their way, rather than to test them. It does me no good to have the lead by one or two vehicle lengths....again, my goal is to arrive safely. I usually feel much safer, by seeing the road hog ..... Way up front.

[PKI]

Near Hit - in the Bay Area, folks ride a motorcycle to beat the traffic backups. Distance is easy to drive, if the car in front is moving. So riders split lanes. That is the practice of riding between two lanes of cars that are slowed, stopped, or often moving quickly, but not quick enough. So lots of near hits when slowed for traffic and lane change contemplated as a bike blasts past in your way. Right of way you ask. Well, if you change lane and hit a bike, you are at fault.

Hazard bang- one method of notifying the folks in traffic of your presence is to blip the throttle as you approach. When traveling at speed and approaching a stopped section of traffic, the approach speed is significant and can startle drivers who have not detected the bike. Issue is escalated when bike has open or near open exhaust. Kind of like having a explosive device detonated in your ear. Needless to say, folks often have a very negative perspective of such riders.

Hazard buzz - the quieter bikes often come in the form of what some people reference as organ donors. The current range of high performance bikes can accelerate to what most folks think of as excessive speed rather quickly. Had one pass me at over 100 mph and was considerably startled.

Hazard crash - often the image of the traffic blockage that is passed after a long wait in line is a bent and mangles motorcycle laying on it's side. Rear end car smashes are marked by folks exchanging info. The bike event quite often has an emergency vehicle called before the wrecker shows up.

Bikes can be ridden safely. Travel safe. Pat

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

These incidents are not unusual. Some may even figure you as a possible rear end collision opportunity and pull over in front of you and lock up their brakes.

Fortunately for insurance and driving record, some state laws recognize that the vehicle in back isn't always at fault, that hitting someone who has just pulled into your lane doesn't necessarily mean you were following too close.

But that's a small comfort when your vehicle is totalled due to engine compartment damage and the other guy's vehicle is still driveable with just a dented-up rear end.

So my rule is, if anyone changes lanes in front of me within my preferred safe following distance, I don't wait for him to brake; I start slowing down to widen the gap regardless.

In my ideal driving scenario, everyone ahead of me is pulling farther ahead, and everyone behind is falling farther behind. Seldom ever happens that way except maybe in west Texas, but adjusting my speed to come as close as possible to that ideal is a habit.

[slowmover]

Pilots tend to have poor driving records. Military the worst.

I know that in never going back to a non Hensley hitch that it's always easier for me to move the rig as one when its called for. Ditto for braking.

As for driving with no emotion, it's a nice idea. Better be a short day en route to keep it feasible. Haven't seen a citation or other in about thirty years (knock on wood) And brakes last me 100k miles these days; 50/50 city & country. But I'd never bank on being emotionless. Best to know what sets one off.

Offensive drivers really don't care. It's the others around one to also be aware of. Too easy to involve them in something not of their making.