PASSING AUTOMOBILES cutting it too close

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

There is already a law like that. Unless there is signage or traffic lights to indicate otherwise, a person already in a traffic lane has the right of way over someone entering or crossing the lane.

Not sure it exists in all states, and if it does, it certainly is not enforced. I know it is not in Texas.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Not sure it exists in all states, and if it does, it certainly is not enforced. I know it is not in Texas.

In Louisiana, it's only enforced in the event of a collision, to determine fault for traffic ticket (and insurance) purposes. They don't chase down offenders who don't cause collisions; the price of the misdemeanor ticket isn't worth hot pursuit. Kind of like a "no blood, no foul" rule in playground basketball games, except on the highway.

[cwf]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

There is already a law like that. Unless there is signage or traffic lights to indicate otherwise, a person already in a traffic lane has the right of way over someone entering or crossing the lane.

Hey, Protag... oh, yessir, I was/am aware of that law. What it 'fails' to do is define is how far the 'lane posession' extends!

I hit someone from behind in a situation much like this... I was in the left lane.. overtaking someone in the right lane. A car pulled out from side business exit (by Lafayette Airport on HWY 90)... then immediately pulled into the left lane, in front of me, stopping.... no signal.. I was going about 50 (speed limit was 70)...

I was ticketed.

[xrvr]

Many feel that if they put their turn signal on it gives them the right to the lane and anyone in that lane must adjust to them to give them room. Totally wrong and dangerous and rudely aggressive. The VW would have been too close to the car in front. All the driver had to do was slow down and stay behind the truck on the right.

[herkvet]

Something that helps me is a Voyager wifi back up camera on the FC. I keep it on with the sound turned off when I drive. When you pass someone you can follow them move out of the line of sight before moving back over. More importantly, the motorcycle or idiot that wants to pass you on the right because you aren't fast enough are very visable. And you can also see someone "hiding" right on the AS bumper.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by cwf

I hit someone from behind in a situation much like this... I was in the left lane.. overtaking someone in the right lane. A car pulled out from side business exit (by Lafayette Airport on HWY 90)... then immediately pulled into the left lane, in front of me, stopping.... no signal.. I was going about 50 (speed limit was 70)...

I was ticketed.

When it happened to me, the other guy was ticketed for "failure to yield" and "improper lane change." I was ticketed for "failure to maintain proper vigilance" which is cop-speak for "You didn't react quick enough to avoid the accident."

[featherbedder]

Drive Chicago area & St louis area you will see about mergers that turn signals on, you yield to them or they will hit you, most have junk cars & no insurance as laws don't apply to them. Pulling 31' AS or 18 wheeler you tend to be aware of this. Il also left hand lane riders worst state I have been in.

[dznf0g]

Wisconsin is worse for left lane riders

[m.hony]

I don't believe the mirrors are to blame. If you wait until you see the entire front of the vehicle (both headlights) you are passing to move back over, that will be plenty of space. The people that cut across too soon are just rude and disrespectful- especially the ones that are already moving into your lane (sharing the lane) while they are still beside you- haven't even cleared your bumper- come within inches of your bumper- It is not an issue of your speed. They do it to me whether I'm going 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70- you get the idea. My speed has nothing to do with it. They aren't just mad at me. They're mad at the whole world or just oblivious. The have no regard for their own lives (health, safety) or their own property. Why should they have any regard or respect for your life, health, or property? I think in our increasingly entitlement mentality society that people are unaware of the value of a dollar or lack a work ethic and don't understand what it is to work and earn something. We take care of our stuff because we worked so hard to earn it. That aspect is missing in today's society.

[xrvr]

M.hony. You are CORRECT! Peace,jim

[r carl]

Well, one thing for sure, the driver of the vw had to talk to the cop with a full diaper!

[Ray Eklund]

"m.hony They do it to me whether I'm going 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70- you get the idea." Post #49
********
If the speed limit is 75mph and you are going 85mph... you will have tailgaters and those wanting to pass whenever there is a trailer in tow in front of them.

The speed limit could be 45mph, you are doing 45mph to 50mph and you will have tailgaters and those wanting to pass you. At 60... 70... the speed limit is not the problem.

- I have driven the empty highways of Nebraska, Central Kansas, Wyoming, Eastern Colorado and notice a human quirk during the day, although especially at night. I-70 & I-80 is flat and mostly straight for several hundred miles in some of these States. When a moving object on the highway is seen in the far distance, the vehicle behind this vehicle will "catch up to it". Often, once they have caught up they will remain behind you and not pass. At night it is tough, as these driver's do not dim their headlights. Maybe others following this Thread have noticed this. Even if you slow down to help them decide to pass and keep going, they do not. If they do, they will reduce their speed with nobody on the horizon and you have to slow down or pass them.

- Having a trailer in tow is much similar, but no matter your speed they want to pass. YOU are an obstacle and they cannot see the road in the distance, only the shiny posterior and bumper of your Airstream or SOB. As they begin to pass they... slow down, realizing they are going 80mph to pass a vehicle going 65 to 70mph. And hang in your right side "blind spot" or slowly pass and cut in front of you to keep THEIR speed down.

This is not 100% but maybe 20% of drivers on the road. Truck drivers understand how the UP and Down speeds work like we do. People pulling a UHaul cannot judge speed nor distances. Watch out for them...

Just be aware that you are dealing with the driving public. Most have good judgment. Some never had any judgment or "common sense". Insurance adjusters know who those people are by their accidents. Some individuals are just... evil. They resent your having a trailer, a late model truck, a beautiful wife or your license plate. Just IGNORE and reduce speed to let them ride off into the sunset and with luck, they will end up rolled in a ditch not hurting anyone, but themselves.

Many of you will see the aggressive driver in City Traffic. You say to yourself "where is a COP when you need one?" This is when the police with unmarked vehicles catch them sometimes. Eventually these people will create mayhem. It is amazing how polite and speed conscious drivers are with a Highway Patrol riding the passing lane, or not.

Just do not let YOURSELF get into a situation where you are now a target. Road Raging events are rare, but you read about them in the local paper. Yes... the guy or carload of guys were creating a situation that you were able to avoid... just take a breath, relax and get over it. It is NOT YOUR JOB to protect the highways. Eventually these people get their justice. Just do not let it become your life's ambition to do the enforcement. Get a plate number, description of the vehicle and make it known to whatever local patrol answer... their radio can contact a Highway Patrol ahead and be waiting to catch this guy so he can "have a nice day".

I have been passed on I-80 with a guy sticking his bare MOON out the window as they roared west into Laramie, Wyoming.

I have passed an RV going 30mph on a two lane road with a 65mph speed limit in New Mexico and when I began to pass with our 23 foot Airstream in tow... For this RV driver, it became a RACE and I could not return back into my lane. California plate on the vehicle being towed behind, no phone service... This could have been fatal... for ME. I managed to get back into the right lane... and let it go. There are CRAZY people. Just do not let if be YOU.

I have been driving since I was 15 and I am now 65. Years, not mph. These events are RARE, but you must be thinking clear in a situation. I do not want to add to my short list of Nuts and Idiots seen in traffic. Drunks... just avoid them, report them or keep your distance but do not lose sight of them. You will experience a Drunk weaving more than the Road Raging Hominoid.

Bikers are aware of those who... hate motorcycles. ... and I need to cut this short and leave the rest up to others for advice.

[Protagonist]

Possibly my favorite near-miss of all time, personally witnessed near Lake Providence on US65 in November 2013…

I was southbound, on a two-lane section of highway with yellow "No Passing" stripes down the center. Ahead of me, a driver decided to ignore the No Passing zone and pass the vehicle ahead of him; only to find another driver northbound doing exactly the same thing! It looked like it was going to be side-by-side head-on collisions, so I started slowing to a crawl just in case.

To my surprise, both southbound drivers took to the ditch while both northbound drivers kept coming. Good thing I slowed down when I did, or the northbound passer who ran the southbound non-passing driver off the road would have hit me! But since I slowed down so much, the northbound passer had room to cut back into the proper lane with a whisker's clearance between his front bumper and my front bumper, and between his rear bumper and the passee's front bumper.

I had to pull over to the shoulder and wait about half an hour before I got over the shakes so that I could continue on my way! Coming down off an adrenaline high is no fun, but I'm very proud that I did not stain my britches from that near miss.

[NavyCorpsman]

Memories of SoCal and New Orleans....turn signal on, count to three and MERGE.

[Rich W]

Here's an experience from me. I used to be a UPS driver. Every day at lunch I pulled into the outermost area of the parking lot to eat lunch and relax for a while. I always stayed away from the busy areas so I didn't take up needed parking spaces or block lanes.

One day I'm enjoying the spring weather, sitting in the driver's seat, my feet propped up with sandwich in hand. I watched a car coming diagonally across the lot, 2 women in front chatting away. The driver didn't seem to be paying attention and kept coming right at my parked truck. I got ready to abandon ship, should the need arise.

She kept getting closer, now I'm curious as well as worried. At almost the point of no return, the driver finally looks up and sees my truck. She slams on her brakes, blows her horn and shakes her fist at me as she finally changes her course.

It was an interesting lunch, better than most.

[m.hony]

Another quirk about uneducated/untrained drivers (maybe some of them don't have a drivers license or insurance):
They "wolf pack" and are just a few feet from the car in front will going 75 mph or faster- if one guy has to brake suddenly, there will be a major pile-up-
I try to always drive alone- I never want anyone beside me- especially on a bridge-

[Rich W]

I've taken driving tests in 3 different states, trained my kids in 4 different states. Each time, on the written exam, you are required to get some number, like 16 of 20, correct. The problem is, they never review the test with you. Those 4 questions you missed are still in your brain, but as correct. So now you go out on the road with the wrong answers in your head.

This leads to:

1. Turn signals are optional
2. If used, turn signals automatically give you the right of way
3. If two cars arrive at an intersection at the same time, your car has the right of way
4. When getting on the Interstate from the on ramp, you have the right of way, others need to move over to accommodate you
5. When using the on ramp, go to the end at the last posted speed, get on the Interstate at the same speed, drive at least 1/2 mile at that speed before moving up to match traffic, then move to the far left lane and drop 5 mph or more below the limit; stay there until you are ready to exit.
6. Tailgate
7. When approaching the car ahead of you, especially at night, especially when the other lanes are open, continue to get as close as you possibly can get behind them before changing lanes.

... and so on

[Ray Eklund]

OK. This is my last post, since I does not include towing an Airstream.

My wife and I were moving from the Kansas City, Missouri area to Littleton, Colorado. It took two tractor trailers for our move... mostly my "stuff" so we had some plants and one Blue Heeler heading to our new home in our SUV.

I drove to Hays, we fueled up the SUV and I let the wife drive the rest of the way to Denver. We were going WEST on I-70 and passed Wakeeney, Kansas in western Kansas. So far, so good.

We came upon a work area and the left lane of I-70 was closed for repairs and we, really the wife driving, came up upon a slow moving 18 wheeler going about 20 miles an hour slower than the posted work zone speed. We could not pass as the left lane was being torn apart to be repaved for a few miles.

The winds from the northwest were picking up and those dark fluffy clouds with black and purple colors were closing in a few miles ahead of us, north of the Interstate. I was watching the dust blowing in the distance and my wife watching the back end of the slow moving truck, swaying with each larger gust of wind. The wind began to pick up significantly. A cross wind so the truck was leaning ... south and in no hurry. Sand was blowing up the north side of the highway grade and pelting the side of our truck. Sand blasting was more the sound.

To the northwest I spotted a Missouri Soda Straw... a small tornado. And not far from it... a second one. We were in what I saw as the projected cross over where tornado, highway and we meet. I calmly asked my wife if she had ever seen a tornado before. She said "no"...?

"Well there are TWO coming our way and debris around them was flying all around the bases." The 18 wheeler was really beginning to lean with the winds picking up. It was a Meeting Jesus moment on its way.

Lucky for us, we reached the end of the construction zone, hit the gas peddle and cleared out of Kansas, never to look back.

Had we been pulling an Airstream... the story could have had the same ending, but an uneven finish on the passenger's side aluminum. It has been over twenty years ago... but we were not going to pull over to see how big these two tornadoes were. Sometimes you have to be able to stay calm and manage to Get Out of Dodge, as they say.

When you read the posts on the Thread... remember... there are worse things that can happen while traveling.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by m.hony

I try to always drive alone- I never want anyone beside me- especially on a bridge-

Yes, I'm the same way and believe that's why it's so stressful to drive thru a big city towing the trailer, especially a city where I've never been before, or Houston.....Houston is the absolute worst.

If I know I've a ways to go before any exits, I get in the inside lane and that way I only have to watch one lane beside me. Also I don't have to worry too much about traffic entering and exiting, but it sure PO's a lot of drivers behind me even though I do my best to drive the speed limit. I've seen lots of them tell me I'm #1.

No matter how fast you drive, there's always someone in a big hurry and wanting to get around you, and most times when they do, there they are in front of you and don't go anywhere else for a long time, but, they're in front by golly!

[cwf]

New AS rear bumper sticker:
"I may be slow, but I am ahead of you!"