Driving and Car Etiquette

[Seraphim]

If you are on single lane country roads with minimal overtaking opportunities and have created a queue behind you, slow down and indicate right when it's safe for them to overtake you.  Don't speed up on the only straight bit of road therefore nixxing the only chance they have to overtake you for another 67 miles...

Actually, please dont do this, as then the drivers behind you dont know if you are indicating it is safe to pass or if you are turning right.

If they decide you are indicating to let them pass and try to pass you, and you are actually turning right it is going to end up very messy! And the driver that is trying to overtake will be a fault.

If you are a slow vehicle and there is nowhere to pass, please pull over to the side of the road. It will only take an extra 30 seconds and everyone behind you will be very very happy


Edited to add: This applies if you drive on the left (like in Australia) please read backwards for all your RH drivers Sorry!

[sparklestar]

True - specifically I was thinking of long, single track country roads with no turn offs!

[claddagh lass]

If someone has the right of way don't suddenly decide to cut them off.  Sitting an extra two seconds to make your turn will not hurt anything.

This happened to me this morning.  I had the right of way on a turn and someone suddenly speeded across the four way stop.

[Shoo]

If you HAVE the right of way, USE IT!!  

It is aggravating and very unsafe for someone who has the right of way to just sit there and motion for someone else to turn or go or whatever.  There are traffic rules in place for a reason.  If you just arbitrarily decide to not follow them, someone could get hurt.  You're not doing someone a favor by not taking your turn...you are frustrating and possibly endangering them!!!

[Piratelvr1121]

My pet peeve is the sort of aggressive drivers who feel like they need to teach everyone else how to drive.    IE running up on the bumper of the car in front of you if they're not going fast enough around a turn for your liking.     

Or "Brake checking" a tailgater.   One guy I knew in college would swerve on purpose to get tailgaters to back off.   It worked but made passengers nervous.   

[Aeris]

In Houston, it's not just the numbered highways that have multiple names...it's also the streets.

For example, Bellaire becomes Holcombe, Studemont becomes Montrose, Wirt becomes Chimney Rock, North Braeswood becomes South Braeswood and South Braeswood becomes Stella Link, and there are plenty of other examples.  You really have to know where you are and where you're going.

But that's also true in much of NYC, especially in Lower Manhattan and the outer boroughs.

If you look at a map/old maps you see that in many cases these streets either cross current/former city lines. Many neighborhoods were once independent cities (The Heights for example that is why the area is still dry - it is in the original city charter)

As Houston engulfed the towns streets were connected, even if the cities weren't annexed (Belliare, Piney Point, Hedwick, Bunker Hill, Spring Valley). Also when the highway traffic got busy enough to need overpasses some streets were moved over to make the pattern of on ramps, over passes, off ramps work better. Voss was moved over that is why you have that section called old Voss. Memorial cut Piney Point in two and now you have that little section called S. Piney Point that Vargos is on (actually most people just call it Fondren because it dead ends into Fondren right about in front of Vargos) Wirt is in Spring Valley (Do not speed there) Chimney Rock is in Houston. 90A is Called Old Main because it was originally Houston's Main Street.

Southside is my favorite floating city. It's like 8 blocks long, and I think they're only purpose is to give traffic tickets on Bellaire.

[Ambrosia Hino]

if you are the car causing a long line of traffic, and you are going significantly below the speed limit (10mph or more below), and we're driving through very hilly, no-pass areas, please, pull off the side of the road as soon as its safe to do so, and let everyone else by.

please, do not slam on the brakes to stop at a yellow light. by this, I don't mean "oh the light is yellow, I need to slow down so I can stop when its red" but "stop-on-a-dime but the light is still yellow and if anyone behind you didn't have new brakes, there was just a wreck 3 cars back"

do not pull out of a gas station parking lot into the rear passenger tire of another car, then scream that its THEIR fault that your headlight is now broken. Teen drivers actually are not automatically in the wrong (I was the 16 year old, and it was my rear passenger tire...her insurance paid)

Cops...do not give me a ticket for running a red light when I did indeed stop, for a full minute, before making my right turn. Telling me I ran a light, to which I responded "No, if I'd run it, I would've wrecked with *described other vehicle" then stating "Oh, well you weregoing to"...since when did you receive mind-reading powers? It doesn't matter if I was "going to" stop or not, I did stop and that is the point. You can NOT ticket for assumed intent.

I can't believe no one's mentioned this simple rule:

Do NOT shave your hoo-ha while driving.

http://keysnews.com/node/21349

this reminds me...an adult novelty store my friend used to work at sold a particular item that made her want to gather license plate numbers and driver's license numbers...something normally battery-operated for a lonely woman's recreation - plugged into the cigarette lighter instead of using batteries...

Please, if you MUST use this item, either be the passenger (with a non-distracted driver) or pull over and do what you need to do before resuming your drive...I really, really don't want you to try driving while doing this

[Bexx27]

I was once rear-ended while stopped at a red light by someone who was changing her shoes while driving.

[rhirhi]

I was once rear-ended while stopped at a red light by someone who was changing her shoes while driving.

I hate to admit it, and after the fact I was thinking 'How was I not just killed?', but I've changed clothes while driving- from school clothes (private school) to my track uniform. Just to make a HS track meet. Changed tops *completely*, slid off the school skirt (at least I didn't have to change my shorts- they were underneath) and changed socks (I hate wearing shoes while driving). On the interstate. Going at least 70 mph. My only defense is that I was 17 and had strange priorities (I loved track).

But at least I did wait until I was AT the track to take my muscle relaxers. I at least knew better than to take them while driving (I had been injured that day, my Cousin is a doc and got me at least ready for that day)

[KaosP]

Turn into your own lane.  Don't turn from the inside lane to the outside lane, especially when someone else is trying to turn from the outside lane into the outside lane.

The other day, I watched a police officer sit at a light and pull anyone over who turned left from the left lane into anything other than the left lane in which they were supposed to be turning. (did that make sense?) So I think this might be a legality thing, not an etiquette thing.

(illegal or not, it's pretty high on my "ARRGH!" list for driving)

[KaosP]

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.

This isn't how I was taught. I was taught that the person in the merging lane was supposed to match their speed and find a spot in which to merge, as Betelnut said, "as efficiently and seamlessly as possible". And to be honest, I *hate* when someone assumes I'm going to let them in just because didn't do this, and ran out of lane.

Anyway...if you're turning left at a light, ENGAGE THE INTERSECTION! Take it (without turning your wheels) and pull up so that you're parallel to the street on which you are turning. It will make your left turn much quicker, hence getting through before it turns red, and may allow a car or two behind you to go through. (another tidbit from Young Driver's of Canada)

[567Kate]

It's not polite to wave another car ahead of you at an intersection (like a four way stop) when it's your turn to go. It just makes it confusing. Take your appropriate turn.

[Shoo]

It's not polite to wave another car ahead of you at an intersection (like a four way stop) when it's your turn to go. It just makes it confusing. Take your appropriate turn.

This drives me crazy!  People think they're being nice by doing this, but all they're really doing is creating a dangerous and confusing situation.  Traffic rules exist for a reason!!

[Mopsy428]

It's not polite to wave another car ahead of you at an intersection (like a four way stop) when it's your turn to go. It just makes it confusing. Take your appropriate turn.

I admit that I'll do this if it's only me and another car, and the other car just barely stops. For me, it's like, "What are you doing?! Just go so you don't suddenly take off while I'm crossing the intersection." People like that make me nervous. 

[567Kate]

It's not polite to wave another car ahead of you at an intersection (like a four way stop) when it's your turn to go. It just makes it confusing. Take your appropriate turn.

I admit that I'll do this if it's only me and another car, and the other car just barely stops. For me, it's like, "What are you doing?! Just go so you don't suddenly take off while I'm crossing the intersection." People like that make me nervous.  

Yeah, I let pushy people just go as well, rather than risk an accident taking my turn. I was referring to the action Shoo describes: waving someone ahead when it's really your turn because you think it's nice, but it's confusing for any other drivers or pedestrians who are trying to follow the traffic pattern.

Edited to fix a typo