I'd like to talk about driving, please.

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For background, I'm in my mid-50's and came into driving late in life. I never had the opportunity to learn at the age when most people do. My husband is a professional driver and was vital to my ability to finally clear that hurdle. I get a lot of good advice from him, but I'd also like to supplement it with input from the public who may not be professionals but are experienced. I've been licensed now for six years, but until recently I haven't had a lot of chances to put my newly acquired skill to use. I would drive to church or the doctor's office, both places about 5 or 6 miles from my house, and that was pretty much it.

All of that changed about a month and a half ago, when I got a job. Full time. In a neighboring city, not the one I live in. Given traffic conditions, the commute takes me about half an hour each way. It would be less if I were brave enough for the interstate, but I'm not.

Also, I used to be constrained to daylight driving, but no longer. God has healed my night vision, praise His name. I don't know if He did it through weight loss (nearly 75 pounds!) and my diabetes being under much better control now, or if He just plain worked a miracle, but the details don't matter. John 9:25, all the way. I'm glad He did it, because we're getting into the time of year where it gets dark earlier in the evening and stays dark later in the morning. Either going to or from work, one or the other, or maybe both, it's going to be dark. It also gets pretty rainy and/or foggy around here. I'd never had much occasion to need headlights or windshield wipers, since I wasn't driving in the kind of conditions that would require them. I am now.

Since I'm avoiding the interstate, I face curvy roads and roundabouts and school zones and road construction. What are they constructing? More roundabouts. They seem to be in love with them around here. Supposedly they're safer than intersections with traffic lights, but my own experience is that I've had more close calls at roundabouts than I have at traffic lights.

The speed limit along my route never goes above 40. (For those outside the USA, I mean miles, not kilometers. It would be about 64k.) Along most of the route, it's 35 (56k). But I'm sure you know better than to think people actually observe the speed limit. I try to. Flow of traffic may force me to do 5 or 10 over, but not if I can help it.

So I recently stumbled on an online discussion where people are talking about how much they hate slow drivers, and how people who drive slowly "cause" road rage and accidents. It soon turned out that their definition of "slow" was not going less than the speed limit (which would frustrate me too). By "slow" they meant driving less than 10 miles an hour above it.

During that online discussion, I was derisively called "granny" and ordered to stay in the right lane. I brought up the subject of making a left turn. If I know I'm going to be turning left soon, I'm going to be in the left lane. I'm not going to wait until the last minute and take a chance on missing my turn because nobody would let me over. What do they expect me to do? Stay in the right lane until I get to where I'm turning, and then cut across traffic? Silence. No answer. Not even a mocking one. I guess I won that round. By the way, I don't know about other states, but here, the rule about keeping right except to pass applies only to the highways. Not to the kind of streets that have traffic lights. I'll grant you that the speed limits feel ridiculously low on my route to and from work, but it is the law.

Do you obey speed limits, even if they seem silly? Why or why not? How exactly do "slow" drivers (defined by that discussion as those who drive less than 10 miles an hour faster than the posted speed limit) "cause" road rage, or accidents? And does anybody have any handy hints for negotiating roundabouts?

Thank you.
 

yeshuaslavejeff

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Roundabouts are great to help keep traffic flowing better, but may be more difficult to both new drivers and also older drivers because of the interaction while moving/ merging required (a little perhaps like merging onto a highway, and not always with a lot of space to do so) .

I don't know what could be done to learn to 'negogiate roundabouts' , other than , if it is safe to do, just stopping as if it was a stop sign there, and moving into the closest lane as soon as possible (this is what's great - no need to wait like waiting for a light to change, legally, even when there are NO other vehicles at or coming to the intersection.... ) In some cities recently in the us, it was noted that police cars, city busses, and regular drivers, and delivery drivers, and cabs, and trucks, just pull up to a red light, at an intersection, and then proceed through it if there is no one around, at night, when there is almost no traffic at all. Otherwise they sit there for up to a minute or more, for no reason other than the light is red - no other traffic at all..... that is part of the law that just doesn't always make sense....
 
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Anguspure

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For background, I'm in my mid-50's and came into driving late in life. I never had the opportunity to learn at the age when most people do. My husband is a professional driver and was vital to my ability to finally clear that hurdle. I get a lot of good advice from him, but I'd also like to supplement it with input from the public who are not professionals but are experienced. I've been licensed now for six years, but until recently I haven't had a lot of chances to put my newly acquired skill to use. I would drive to church or the doctor's office, both places about 5 or 6 miles from my house, and that was pretty much it.

All of that changed about a month and a half ago, when I got a job. Full time. In a neighboring city, not the one I live in. Given traffic conditions, the commute takes me about half an hour each way. It would be less if I were brave enough for the interstate, but I'm not.

Also, I used to be constrained to daylight driving, but no longer. God has healed my night vision, praise His name. I don't know if He did it through weight loss (nearly 75 pounds!) and my diabetes being under much better control now, or if He just plain worked a miracle, but the details don't matter. John 9:25, all the way. I'm glad He did it, because we're getting into the time of year where it gets dark earlier in the evening and stays dark later in the morning. Either going to or from work, one or the other, or maybe both, it's going to be dark. It also gets pretty rainy and/or foggy around here. I'd never had much occasion to need headlights or windshield wipers, since I wasn't driving in the kind of conditions that would require them. I am now.

Since I'm avoiding the interstate, I face curvy roads and roundabouts and school zones and road construction. What are they constructing? More roundabouts. They seem to be in love with them around here. Supposedly they're safer than intersections with traffic lights, but my own experience is that I've had more close calls at roundabouts than I have at traffic lights.

The speed limit along my route never goes above 40. (For those outside the USA, I mean miles, not kilometers. It would be about 64k.) Along most of the route, it's 35 (56k). But I'm sure you know better than to think people actually observe the speed limit. I try to. Flow of traffic may force me to do 5 or 10 over, but not if I can help it.

So I recently stumbled on an online discussion where people are talking about how much they hate slow drivers, and how people who drive slowly "cause" road rage and accidents. It soon turned out that their definition of "slow" was not going less than the speed limit (which would frustrate me too). By "slow" they meant driving less than 10 miles an hour above it.

During that online discussion, I was derisively called "granny" and ordered to stay in the right lane. I brought up the subject of making a left turn. If I know I'm going to be turning left soon, I'm going to be in the left lane. I'm not going to wait until the last minute and take a chance on missing my turn because nobody would let me over. What do they expect me to do? Stay in the right lane until I get to where I'm turning, and then cut across traffic? Silence. No answer. Not even a mocking one. I guess I won that round. By the way, I don't know about other states, but here, the rule about keeping right except to pass applies only to the highways. Not to the kind of streets that have traffic lights. I'll grant you that the speed limits feel ridiculously low on my route to and from work, but it is the law.

Do you obey speed limits, even if they seem silly? Why or why not? How exactly do "slow" drivers (defined by that discussion as those who drive less than 10 miles an hour faster than the posted speed limit) "cause" road rage, or accidents? And does anybody have any handy hints for negotiating roundabouts?

Thank you.
There is an old Jewish saying that you can tell the truth about a person in their anger, in their wallet and in their cups. Perhaps we should add when driving in their car. Being in a car tends to depersonalize and we often get the impression we are dealing with an impersonal machine when we meet another vehicle, which does tend to bring out the worst.

It's a rough an tumble world out there on the road full of self absorbed and uncaring people. Hopefully the rules of the road act to protect users against the dangerous acts of others but crash statistics probably reveal another story. Speed limits are set to reflect the need for safety of all road users.

I understand what other road users are on about with regards slow drivers, I have been a motorcyclist for about 30 years and have enjoyed wanton (and dangerous) disregard for speed limits over the years due to the small size of a motorcycle allowing much freer use of the available road space.

One thing I did notice on long journeys while I was roaring around like a lunatic, is when I had stopped for a rest or fuel, how often the little slow car I had passed 20 minutes or so up the road would go trundling past (tortoise and hare style) and then it would take me ages to catch it again after I had got going. The upshot seems to be that the only reason for speeding is if its enjoyable, because the time savings for angst filled people rushing around to get somewhere is minimal. But we should not kid ourselves that speeding is safe for other road users or ourselves.

But being a motorcyclist is also a very dangerous sport, not just because of the temptation to speed, and it often seems that other road users are out to kill you. In fact the life span of a motorcyclist is often proportional to their ability to become paranoid about the murderous intent of everybody and everything else on the road.

So now for a few years, when I have been on the road things have changed (and don't get me wrong I am not reformed enough to not enjoy a good blast on a MC if I get a chance). Due to my burgeoning family I have had to give up 2 wheels (and 2 seats) so that I can transport the family and friends around.

As a consequence I have found myself slowing down but also been subject to much slower drivers who regard a safe speed as being a wee bit below the speed limit, and due to the large steel box I am driving down the road I often find myself stuck behind them for the duration of my journey. I would like it if, as a courtesy, they pulled over a little bit to allow following traffic to get past but this is not always possible and those of us who like to push along should take a chill pill, turn on some nice music and have a cruise. Besides, for myself with kids in the car, this is the safest way to get around anyway.

So in response to your question I have learnt that in actual fact the slowness of some drivers does not affect my journey time at all significantly. So the frustration and anger of people at slow drivers is actually more of a reflection of their own character than anything the slow driver is guilty of. Perhaps they should all buy a motorbike and take out their need for speed at a local race track if they're worried about the safety implications for themselves. Certainly as Christians we should be using the time on the road to hone our Love for all people.

The only advice I have for roundabouts is that you start looking at what is going on in the roundabout as far ahead as possible and have an idea what you are going to do before you get there. The whole idea of roundabouts is to smooth the traffic flow and drivers who stop at the give way sign before they start looking at what is going on can cause congestion. But once again courtesy and kindness is everything on the road so those of us who like to make all smooth and quick also need to chill a little.

We are not dealing with cars (or motorbikes, or trucks etc) on the road, we are dealing with other people with all of their quirks and vulnerabilities.
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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We are not dealing with cars (or motorbikes, or trucks etc) on the road, we are dealing with other people with all of their quirks and vulnerabilities.
Yet now google cars/ self-driving cars are making the scene....
 
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For background, I'm in my mid-50's and came into driving late in life. I never had the opportunity to learn at the age when most people do. My husband is a professional driver and was vital to my ability to finally clear that hurdle. I get a lot of good advice from him, but I'd also like to supplement it with input from the public who may not be professionals but are experienced. I've been licensed now for six years, but until recently I haven't had a lot of chances to put my newly acquired skill to use. I would drive to church or the doctor's office, both places about 5 or 6 miles from my house, and that was pretty much it.

All of that changed about a month and a half ago, when I got a job. Full time. In a neighboring city, not the one I live in. Given traffic conditions, the commute takes me about half an hour each way. It would be less if I were brave enough for the interstate, but I'm not.

Also, I used to be constrained to daylight driving, but no longer. God has healed my night vision, praise His name. I don't know if He did it through weight loss (nearly 75 pounds!) and my diabetes being under much better control now, or if He just plain worked a miracle, but the details don't matter. John 9:25, all the way. I'm glad He did it, because we're getting into the time of year where it gets dark earlier in the evening and stays dark later in the morning. Either going to or from work, one or the other, or maybe both, it's going to be dark. It also gets pretty rainy and/or foggy around here. I'd never had much occasion to need headlights or windshield wipers, since I wasn't driving in the kind of conditions that would require them. I am now.

Since I'm avoiding the interstate, I face curvy roads and roundabouts and school zones and road construction. What are they constructing? More roundabouts. They seem to be in love with them around here. Supposedly they're safer than intersections with traffic lights, but my own experience is that I've had more close calls at roundabouts than I have at traffic lights.

The speed limit along my route never goes above 40. (For those outside the USA, I mean miles, not kilometers. It would be about 64k.) Along most of the route, it's 35 (56k). But I'm sure you know better than to think people actually observe the speed limit. I try to. Flow of traffic may force me to do 5 or 10 over, but not if I can help it.

So I recently stumbled on an online discussion where people are talking about how much they hate slow drivers, and how people who drive slowly "cause" road rage and accidents. It soon turned out that their definition of "slow" was not going less than the speed limit (which would frustrate me too). By "slow" they meant driving less than 10 miles an hour above it.

During that online discussion, I was derisively called "granny" and ordered to stay in the right lane. I brought up the subject of making a left turn. If I know I'm going to be turning left soon, I'm going to be in the left lane. I'm not going to wait until the last minute and take a chance on missing my turn because nobody would let me over. What do they expect me to do? Stay in the right lane until I get to where I'm turning, and then cut across traffic? Silence. No answer. Not even a mocking one. I guess I won that round. By the way, I don't know about other states, but here, the rule about keeping right except to pass applies only to the highways. Not to the kind of streets that have traffic lights. I'll grant you that the speed limits feel ridiculously low on my route to and from work, but it is the law.

Do you obey speed limits, even if they seem silly? Why or why not? How exactly do "slow" drivers (defined by that discussion as those who drive less than 10 miles an hour faster than the posted speed limit) "cause" road rage, or accidents? And does anybody have any handy hints for negotiating roundabouts?

Thank you.

I think roundabouts are potential hazards and can cause accidents. So I would avoid them like the plague. They are confusing. I would drive an extra 10 minutes to avoid one if it was in a congested area. Well, then again, I live in a state where people drive really fast, and they swerve across lanes almost hitting the other car (as if that was normal). They also have monster trucks in my area, as well. This means loud trucks that make your ears bleed. At night, the headlights are so bright, it almost blinds you. These monster trucks ride up on your rear end in the middle lane of a four lane highway (Especially if you have a little car). Picture something like this...

full


There is a major accident at least once a week here. Then again, folks drive like they are on crazy pills or something. One time a semi truck cut in front of me almost hitting the end of safety berm as it was getting off an exit. He was also going crazy fast, too. It was like something out of a movie. Crazy.

When folks tail me on the highway, I just let off the gas. I do this because I see cars on the side of the road every once in a while that has a smashed up rear end. For if I let somebody tail me at top speeds, and somebody else flies in front of me and slams on their brakes, the guy behind is going to smash into my rear end. So I don't let em tail me. It's dangerous in my opinion; And changing lanes is not the safer option, either. For we sometimes get folks flying down the highway at 100+ miles per hour and they just appear out of nowhere (swerving in between lanes as if it was some kind game or something).

Only by God's grace am I protected.
 
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For background, I'm in my mid-50's and came into driving late in life. I never had the opportunity to learn at the age when most people do. My husband is a professional driver and was vital to my ability to finally clear that hurdle. I get a lot of good advice from him, but I'd also like to supplement it with input from the public who may not be professionals but are experienced. I've been licensed now for six years, but until recently I haven't had a lot of chances to put my newly acquired skill to use. I would drive to church or the doctor's office, both places about 5 or 6 miles from my house, and that was pretty much it.

All of that changed about a month and a half ago, when I got a job. Full time. In a neighboring city, not the one I live in. Given traffic conditions, the commute takes me about half an hour each way. It would be less if I were brave enough for the interstate, but I'm not.

Also, I used to be constrained to daylight driving, but no longer. God has healed my night vision, praise His name. I don't know if He did it through weight loss (nearly 75 pounds!) and my diabetes being under much better control now, or if He just plain worked a miracle, but the details don't matter. John 9:25, all the way. I'm glad He did it, because we're getting into the time of year where it gets dark earlier in the evening and stays dark later in the morning. Either going to or from work, one or the other, or maybe both, it's going to be dark. It also gets pretty rainy and/or foggy around here. I'd never had much occasion to need headlights or windshield wipers, since I wasn't driving in the kind of conditions that would require them. I am now.

Since I'm avoiding the interstate, I face curvy roads and roundabouts and school zones and road construction. What are they constructing? More roundabouts. They seem to be in love with them around here. Supposedly they're safer than intersections with traffic lights, but my own experience is that I've had more close calls at roundabouts than I have at traffic lights.

The speed limit along my route never goes above 40. (For those outside the USA, I mean miles, not kilometers. It would be about 64k.) Along most of the route, it's 35 (56k). But I'm sure you know better than to think people actually observe the speed limit. I try to. Flow of traffic may force me to do 5 or 10 over, but not if I can help it.

So I recently stumbled on an online discussion where people are talking about how much they hate slow drivers, and how people who drive slowly "cause" road rage and accidents. It soon turned out that their definition of "slow" was not going less than the speed limit (which would frustrate me too). By "slow" they meant driving less than 10 miles an hour above it.

During that online discussion, I was derisively called "granny" and ordered to stay in the right lane. I brought up the subject of making a left turn. If I know I'm going to be turning left soon, I'm going to be in the left lane. I'm not going to wait until the last minute and take a chance on missing my turn because nobody would let me over. What do they expect me to do? Stay in the right lane until I get to where I'm turning, and then cut across traffic? Silence. No answer. Not even a mocking one. I guess I won that round. By the way, I don't know about other states, but here, the rule about keeping right except to pass applies only to the highways. Not to the kind of streets that have traffic lights. I'll grant you that the speed limits feel ridiculously low on my route to and from work, but it is the law.

Do you obey speed limits, even if they seem silly? Why or why not? How exactly do "slow" drivers (defined by that discussion as those who drive less than 10 miles an hour faster than the posted speed limit) "cause" road rage, or accidents? And does anybody have any handy hints for negotiating roundabouts?

Thank you.

Personally speaking, I try to keep pace with traffic, if traffic is moving at 75 MPH, I try to do that speed.

However, I do realize it's speeding, and speeding is against the law. Florida has essentially blessed the keep pace with traffic idea, and you can be ticketed for going the speed limit...not kidding, makes no sense.

Road rage is real, I have seen it, I have felt it, and drivers not keeping pace with traffic seem to illicit that rage, along with a myriad of other reasons like loud motorcycle pipes, sudden lane changes, flat tires, screaming children, high has prices, and the list goes on.

As far as accidents, no, not buying that one, driving the speed limit does not cause accidents in and of itself, but people can obey the speed limit, and be texting and cause an accident.

I will say that nervous ninny drivers do irritate me, and if I had my choice, I would rather deal with speeding.
 
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Anguspure

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Yet now google cars/ self-driving cars are making the scene....
As a driver and a motorcyclist I loath the idea. It's galling enough having the the profession I enjoy being over run with automation causing a reduction in the skills and professional pride without the thought that what I enjoy doing for recreation going the same way.
But as a road safety measure and for the task of transporting people from point A to pint B it seems to me that once the systems are set up properly it will be the only logical way to go.
Again not that I would find enjoyment in it, but it has always amazed me that a government will set the speed limits that they do and then openly permit the sale of vehicles that are capable of vastly exceeding those limits for use on the roads. Especially in this world of electronically controlled vehicles. It would be nothing fit a speed limiter to all vehicles, even one that was capable of reading different speed limits.
Certainly my navigation screen tells me that I am over the speed limit whenever I am wherever I go.
 
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Lost4words

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I think roundabouts are potential hazards and can cause accidents. So I would avoid them like the plague. They are confusing. I would drive an extra 10 minutes to avoid one if it was in a congested area. Well, then again, I live in a state where people drive really fast, and they swerve across lanes almost hitting the other car (as if that was normal). They also have monster trucks in my area, as well. This means loud trucks that make your ears bleed. At night, the headlights are so bright, it almost blinds you. These monster trucks ride up on your rear end in the middle lane of a four lane highway (Especially if you have a little car). Picture something like this...

full


There is a major accident at least once a week here. Then again, folks drive like they are on crazy pills or something. One time a semi truck cut in front of me almost hitting the end of safety berm as it was getting off an exit. He was also going crazy fast, too. It was like something out of a movie. Crazy.

When folks tail me on the highway, I just let off the gas. I do this because I see cars on the side of the road every once in a while that has a smashed up rear end. For if I let somebody tail me at top speeds, and somebody else flies in front of me and slams on their brakes, the guy behind is going to smash into my rear end. So I don't let em tail me. It's dangerous in my opinion; And changing lanes is not the safer option, either. For we sometimes get folks flying down the highway at 100+ miles per hour and they just appear out of nowhere (swerving in between lanes as if it was some kind game or something).

Only by God's grace am I protected.

I loath cat drivers!
 
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Quackduck

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I have been able to drive a car since I was 12, we had a large property when I was a child and my father allowed my sisters and I to drive around it in his large car. I passed my test at 17 when one is officially permitted to drive on the roads. Here in the UK one has to renew one's licence when one is 70, and every three years after that. I have just renewed mine, I shall be 70 in January.

I dislike the idea of driverless cars, I wouldn't feel safe in one.
 
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It is really a caseof driving safely, for yourself and others.
Because other road users are speeding you need to be far more aware of what is going on behind you.
May I suggest that you ensure your rear lights are bright so you can be seen.
There is little else you can do other than to be aware and ready to take action to avoid a potental collision.

Here in the UK local councels have sised on speed cameras as a means of adding to there revenue.
Speed in an area with cameras and one faces a heavy charge to go on a speed awarness course, or points which add up to a lose of a driving licence.
 
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Quackduck

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Here in the UK by law drivers and passengers are required to wear seat belts. Motorcyclists have to helmets. There is talk of bringing in a law to require all cyclists to wear helmets and high viz jackets, which I think would be very sensible.
 
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A_Thinker

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What I have learned ... in some 45 years of driving ... is that is better and safer ... to be patient, observant, and courteous when driving.

Sometimes driving is a matter of waiting until you are sure you can accomplish any particular maneuver (i.e. backing out of a driveway or parking space, making a lane change, making a turn, entering a round-a-bout, etc). The majority of accidents I have been involved in (3 of 4) involved my giving in the pressure of others drivers to initiate maneuvers where I should have waited until I was more sure of my circumstances.

Also, always drive according to what you believe is safe and necessary, ... not other drivers. For, if you have an accident, ... it's all on you. Drivers who were blowing at you to execute a maneuver before it was safe ... will be long gone on to their destinations.

Unfortunately, some drivers don't appreciate patience in the driving of others. That's just a fact of life. People are, a lot of times, in a hurry because they didn't allow sufficient time to get to their destination. That's what really causes road-rage and accidents, ... not courteous and observant drivers.

As to round-a-bouts, they are newer here, as well. What I observe (and try to explain to my wife) is that it's best to wait ... until there is an opening in the circle traffic to accommodate your entry ... and that if you stay in the outer lane of the circle, it will be easier to exit when you should. Once you are in the round-a-bout, you can't stop, ... but circling more than once is not a sin ... and may be required (though probably not).

My wife hates to have drivers behind her/us blow ... as we wait to be as safe as we need to be, ... but it's better to be blown at ... than to risk an accident. You can't help other people's impatience ... if you can, it's best to ignore them.

As to speed limits, ... I tend to drive with the flow of traffic, though perhaps a bit more conservatively, ... as I don't wish to pay speeding tickets. I've gotten 3 or 4 over the course of 45 years. Driving is an acquired skill. You'll get better at it as you do more, especially driving daily along the same path. My wife tends to commandeer the lane from which she will be turning early ... I tend to wait a bit longer, to her frustration.

If you can, I would continue to avoid the interstates ... as the more impatient drivers tend to favor them. I like driving the interstates, but I have been driving them for 45 years now.

Above all, trust and depend upon God to guide you and to keep you safe. He has kept me out of many dangerous situations, ... and we have never had a really serious accident (i.e.some car damage, but no injuries).

Remember ... better SAFE ... than sorry.

May God continue to be with you.

P.S. Congratulations on your weight loss, better managed diabetes, ... and healed eyesight. God is good ...
 
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A_Thinker

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So I recently stumbled on an online discussion where people are talking about how much they hate slow drivers, and how people who drive slowly "cause" road rage and accidents. It soon turned out that their definition of "slow" was not going less than the speed limit (which would frustrate me too). By "slow" they meant driving less than 10 miles an hour above it.
During that online discussion, I was derisively called "granny" and ordered to stay in the right lane.
Those that frequent online discussions tend to be passionate, rather than patient, ... and, as such, would be tilted more to complaints about other drivers ...
 
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LovebirdsFlying

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Well, I was wrong. So was hubby, and I’ll need to tell him. I looked up the state law and read it for myself, and keep right except to pass applies to all roads with two or more lanes going in the same direction. You can be fined $138 for continuous driving in the left lane.

In fact hubby just came into the room and I told him. His take is that in practice, in the suburban areas, if traffic isn’t filling all lanes, it gets backed up. And it does leave the question of left turns. If I know I’m going to be turning left, how soon can I get into that lane without being guilty of continuous driving? If I wait too long, traffic may not let me over. That’s been my experience.

What I don’t like about roundabouts is the rapid-fire turns of the wheel. I just made a right and I don’t even have time to mentally adjust to going in that direction before I have to quickly turn the wheel left and then right again. Especially if it’s a two-lane roundabout and there is another vehicle beside me. Thinking in “clock face” terms, I can’t stand to have anybody on my ten or my two. It makes me nervous. I can’t see around them.
 
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Well, I was wrong. So was hubby, and I’ll need to tell him. I looked up the state law and read it for myself, and keep right except to pass applies to all roads with two or more lanes going in the same direction. You can be fined $138 for continuous driving in the left lane.

In fact hubby just came into the room and I told him. His take is that in practice, in the suburban areas, if traffic isn’t filling all lanes, it gets backed up. And it does leave the question of left turns. If I know I’m going to be turning left, how soon can I get into that lane without being guilty of continuous driving? If I wait too long, traffic may not let me over. That’s been my experience.
People do this all of the time.

The only time law enforcement will even notice ... is if you are consciously slwoing the left lane traffic, ... while, consequentally, forcing cars to pass you on the right.

In other words, the situation would have to be extreme ... and deleterious to traffic safety.

I mentioned before ... my wife does not wait. If she knows she has a left turn coming up, she will move to the left lane ... even a mile or so previous. She's never gotten a traffic ticket ... that I know of ...
 
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What I don’t like about roundabouts is the rapid-fire turns of the wheel. I just made a right and I don’t even have time to mentally adjust to going in that direction before I have to quickly turn the wheel left and then right again. Especially if it’s a two-lane roundabout and there is another vehicle beside me. Thinking in “clock face” terms, I can’t stand to have anybody on my ten or my two. It makes me nervous. I can’t see around them.
Stay in the the outermost (right-most) lane of the circle.

Easier to enter on to ... easier to exit off of ...

It shouldn't matter to you ... what the driver on the inner track of the circle is doing ... and you shouldn't have to yield to get back out of the circle ...
 
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That would be another argument in favor of the right lane. I'm also noticing that if I'm in the right lane, I have less trouble with the glare of headlights coming from the other direction. Most of my turns to and from work will be left. I suppose I'll try defaulting to the right lane until I've cleared the roundabouts, then moving to the left lane as soon as I can afterward. I *was* doing that for a while, but lane changes make me nervous too.

The main part of my route is a four-lane road that used to be the main highway. Now it's a highway in name only, as in it's still called "Such-and-such Highway," but in practice it's a suburban street. Actual highways don't have stop signs or traffic lights.

I just read that my state has more roundabouts than any other. Doesn't surprise me. I didn't think it was my imagination. And they're building more every day around here! Depending on which route I take to work, I'll have to deal with a minimum of three, and could be as many as six. There are two almost back-to-back with each other on that nominal highway, and the road connecting them is almost as serpentine as the roundabouts themselves are. Then it continues to snake back and forth for quite a while afterward, so a lane change wouldn't really be safe at that point. I'll need to wait until the road straightens out and then look for a chance to get over.

Oh, and around those curves, there is noooooo barrier between lanes going in the opposite direction. No wall. No median island. No railing. No raised bumper of any kind. Just a row of little yellow lights, Pac-Man style. The traffic is coming straight toward you, headlights glaring, most of them going at least five miles an hour over the limit. Eek.
 
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That would be another argument in favor of the right lane. I'm also noticing that if I'm in the right lane, I have less trouble with the glare of headlights coming from the other direction. Most of my turns to and from work will be left. I suppose I'll try defaulting to the right lane until I've cleared the roundabouts, then moving to the left lane as soon as I can afterward. I *was* doing that for a while, but lane changes make me nervous too.

The main part of my route is a four-lane road that used to be the main highway. Now it's a highway in name only, as in it's still called "Such-and-such Highway," but in practice it's a suburban street. Actual highways don't have stop signs or traffic lights.

I just read that my state has more roundabouts than any other. Doesn't surprise me. I didn't think it was my imagination. And they're building more every day around here! Depending on which route I take to work, I'll have to deal with a minimum of three, and could be as many as six. There are two almost back-to-back with each other on that nominal highway, and the road connecting them is almost as serpentine as the roundabouts themselves are. Then it continues to snake back and forth for quite a while afterward, so a lane change wouldn't really be safe at that point. I'll need to wait until the road straightens out and then look for a chance to get over.

Oh, and around those curves, there is noooooo barrier between traffic going in the opposite direction. No wall. No median island. No railing. No raised bumper of any kind. Just a row of little yellow lights, Pac-Man style. The traffic is coming straight toward you, headlights glaring, most of them going at least five miles an hour over the limit. Eek.
Yea ... don't change lanes on a curve. That takes some serious experience to execute well.
 
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Convince yourself that you need to learn to drive on the highway. Get hubby to take you out.

The highway is much safer than the roads you're on; there is never anyone entering the highway perpendicular to you; nobody turning left in front of you; people heading off a ramp need not come to a sudden stop; no roundabouts. You'll never need to take a left turn. You can drive in the right lane indefinitely and then coast down your exit ramp.
 
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