Driving and Car Etiquette

[VorFemme]

Unless there is some absolute necessity, if you are driving a car and have passengers, please do not roll down ALL the windows while going 70 mph on the highway.

Really, I get that you wish you were on a motorcycle and want to feel the wind in your face, but I don't. And I get that you have almost no hair, so it doesn't bother you, but it does me.

Does this bother anyone else besides me? I think I'll make an independent post...

DH loves his convertible - but he still wears his hair cut in a military manner - there is no way that any of it is going to get into his eyes and the number of tangles is going to be kept down since it is short and thinner than it used to be (he's 55).

I like the convertible, too - but I want to be wearing something that controls how much whipping around my hair does.

The debacle last week that ended up with my hair less than half the length I usually prefer has had ONE good effect.  I can leave the top down and have only two or three small tangles to deal with.........a pixie cut may not be my best look, but it does mean that DH can indulge in leaving the top down.

It's been raining the last couple of days - so the top has stayed up!

[misha412]

When pulling into a turn lane to wait to pull across traffic, please pull your entire vehicle into the turn lane. It is dangerous for drivers in the traffic to have to manuver around the tail end of your vehicle. (seems to be especially prevalent where I live for some reason)

Travel in the lane that is appropriate to your speed. If you are doing 15-20 under the speed limit, the inside or fast lane is usually not the correct one to be in. If school buses and semi's and bi-cyclists are passing you on an uphill incline, you are going too slow to be in the fast lane.

Your cell phone conversation is NOT more important than driving safely. Nor is being able to have the right music station on, or trying to feed the baby in the back seat, or putting on your make-up, or light up your cigarette. Driving with your elbows so you can smoke and talk on the cell phone is impolite among other things. (Seen all of the above in various combinations).

If you do not know an area (new arrival, tourist, etc.), please be aware that gunning the car from the outside lane to the inside lane of a 4-lane busy road/highway all in a one block stretch might make people a little upset. Do not be surprised at honking horns, angry gestures, and rude things screamed out the window. While the reactions are impolite of themselves, some reactions cannot be helped when one fears for their lives or the lives of their loved ones. You might want to drive down another block or two and turn around.

Do not become upset when someone in front of you stops for an emergency vehicle. It might be your loved one that needs to get the help. Please do not chase the ambulance or police officer so you can get ahead of traffic.

Do not become upset when traffic stops for a funeral procession. It is considered good manners in the US South to stop for a funeral procession. And please do not tail onto the end of a funeral procession to get ahead of others in traffic.

[paladin]

If you are involved in a minor fender bender, don't just park your car in the middle of the road, pull over to the shoulder or nearest safe place that will not impede traffic to complete your paperwork.

When parking:
-Do not double park. 
-Be sure to leave enough room for others to get in and out of the vehicles in adjacent parking spots. 
-Take care not to block any driveways.

 

Unless it's the only way to get the attention of someone who is either seriously backing up traffic or endangering others, don't honk your horn-especially for fun, at night, in a residential neighborhood, or near a hospital.  It seriously disturbs the peace.

quoting for emphasis, as this is acutally illegal in UK.

POD

[sparklestar]

Parking: don't take up more space than necessary, but leave enough space for yourself and other cars to manuvere safely.

Radio: I'm on the driver's choice. My mum tried to enforce "my car, my choice" once but realised Radio4 sends me to sleep - not good if I'm driving!

Accidents: don't yell. Being in an accident is traumatic enough - if everyone is okay, there is no harm done, that is why we have insurance.

[gadget--gal]

If you're riding with others, you are in a small, enclosed space. This is not the time to get out the heavily scented hand lotion and rub it all over. Or paint your nails. (Yes, these things should go without saying, and yet somehow they don't.)

one spring, my mum inadvertently set pff my allergies because of  her hand cream. I simply couldnt breathe! even when she washed it off, I still had trouble when we got in her car, because it was an enclosed space. 

[Mopsy428]

Drivers and passengers: if you are having a conversation with someone, please do not turn up the radio, interrupt the conversation with the preface, "I LOVE THIS SONG!!", and start singing.

[Gyburc]

If you intend to pull across the road in order to park on the opposite side, please use your indicator to show you are going to do so. Do not just slam on the brakes and put on your hazard lights before slewing across the road.

Additionally, if there is traffic coming your way, do not continue to drive at them on the wrong side of the road until you reach your preferred parking spot, forcing them to reverse out of your way.

(Why do people do this? It seems to be mainly HGV drivers where I am...)

[rhirhi]

Just because you are a city counsel man and a woman 5streets up has had her home broken into 2times in 2years, does not give you leeway to be honking your horn up and down EVERY. single. street. of the town every night because 'it should scare the hood'lums away' (Yes, it is happening, and for some reason the cops WILL NOT arrest him, even though ALL citizens complain!)

[JoW]

1)  The posted speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum, and it was set because it is appropriate for area.
2)  The sign that says "Blind Drives" means there are hard-to-see driveways along the road.  Cars may be pulling out of those driveways.  Or they may be slowing down to turn into those driveways.
3)  The double yellow line down the middle of the road means do not pass.  It does not mean "speed up when passing".  Its there for a reason. 

My house is one of about 8 on a 1/2 mile stretch of road with "Blind Drive" signs at each end and a double yellow line down the middle.  There have been several accidents and countless near-misses because people don't follow those rules.   

[shhh its me]

  Do not leave your car running in a residential  neighborhood if your muffler is broken or your car is unusually loud especially at night.

Pedestrians should begin to cross while there is enough time to completely cross the intersection. ie not start across a 8 lane road when the warning lights have been flashing for 15 second already.

Drivers should not harass pedestrians.  If while your turning right do not imped pedestrians  by turning 2 feet in front of them or startle them by speeding just behind them. Do not speed at pedestrian "because they know I will stop " 

[marcel]

  Do not leave your car running in a residential  neighborhood if your muffler is broken or your car is unusually loud especially at night.

Pedestrians should begin to cross while there is enough time to completely cross the intersection. ie not start across a 8 lane road when the warning lights have been flashing for 15 second already.

Drivers should not harass pedestrians.  If while your turning right do not imped pedestrians  by turning 2 feet in front of them or startle them by speeding just behind them. Do not speed at pedestrian "because they know I will stop " 

There, corrected that for you

[Ferrets]

Do not park on pedestrian crossings (aka pelican crossings over here in the UK)

Really. If the traffic is moving slowly, do not blithely carry on until the queue stopping means you come to rest straddling a pedestrian crossing. Even if the traffic light is green at that point. Because when the traffic light changes to red (as they are wont to do), and the pedestrian light flicks to green, then people have to try and cross the road whilst edging around your vehicle (which is no picnic even when you're perfectly mobile, let alone if you have the extra width and awkwardness of a wheelchair or pushchair).    

And if when drivers have been so inconsiderate as to do that, then please do not decide that this is the optimum moment to jerk your vehicle forward and risk killing any pedestrian who has the temerity to get across when the flaming pedestrian light is green. Please do not shake your fist at us, either.

Conversely, thank you to all those drivers who, when there isn't a car-length of space past the crossing, do as they should, stop before the crossing, and wait until there is space before continuing. You get a big, big smile from me when I'm waiting on the side of the road and see you do that.

And this shouldn't need saying, but...don't run red lights on these crossings, either. (Or red lights full stop, obviously.) Even if you don't think you see anybody on them. I have been very nearly flattened by Mr/Ms 50mph-what-red-light? more times than I care to think about.

[Why, yes, I am fed up of taking my life into my hands every morning when I cross that wretched road. ]

[JoW]

  Do not leave your car running .....

Side note - In Omaha, Nebraska, USA it is illegal to leave a car running unattended.  So if its  brutally cold and you go out, start your car, then go back in the house while it warms up and your car gets stolen you get a ticket.  That law was passed to cut down on the number of cars stolen in the winter when the owners left them running to warm them up.

[BethanyAnne]

If your lane is ending and merging into another lane, it is your responsibility to signal and merge as efficiently and seamlessly as possible into the other lane.  The drivers that are already in the established lane are not really obligated to slam on their brakes to "let you in" especially when you are not signalling your intent.

Actually, when one lane is ending you are supposed to merge every other car. No one lane has the right over the other.

[BeagleMommy]

If your car became snow covered the night before please clean it off properly.  That means clearing all the windows, not just the driver's side of the windshield.  If the passenger side of the windshield is covered in snow, you can't see what's happening on your right.  Please clean off as much of the roof of your car as possible.  Blowing snow can endanger other drivers or the snow can slide onto your windshield and block your view.

My father and I call cars that look that way "snow tanks".