Frustrated: Rules of Driving

[1911 DeadHead]

Can someone please explain the "left on arrow only"? I see more and more of these, and in very few places I can understand why they are there. I suspect this is to keep ppl from yielding in the intersection on a green.

 

[JettaKnight]

Can someone please explain the "left on arrow only"? I see more and more of these, and in very few places I can understand why they are there. I suspect this is to keep ppl from yielding in the intersection on a green.

It's to minimize collisions. Left turns across oncoming traffic lanes is a dangerous procedure (relatively speaking). Given the relative speed differences the results of a collision are extreme and often tragic.

This is why Michigan has their turn arounds and more and more roundabouts are replacing traditional intersections.

As a motorcyclist, I fear intersections where someone could easily turn in front of me - "I didn't see him!!".

 

[Stschil]

Cop cars full of the LEO's family going 75 on 465

 

[JettaKnight]

Cop cars full of the LEO's family going 75 on 465

Yup. - but worse is cop cars driving at or below the speed limit with a long train behind them.

 

[rich8483]

I see situations where semis have to pull out in front of someone to enter the roadway or they'd never get out. But at least show some effort to get up to speed.

trust me, they are giving it all the effort they can.
the power to weight ratio of a truck is no where near what it is in a car. lower powered trucks are already driven with throttle to the floor with every gear change.

350-450 horse for a truck is pretty commen place. pulling 40 ton. (admittingly a different torque curve)
its actually pretty easy to buy a truck or suv with nearly as much power but only moving 5000 pounds.

a 600 horse truck is a real treat. and when loaded they are still no rocket ship.

my brothers 325 horse cat would often not make to other side of an intersection before it turned red even if he was the first one in line when it turned green.

 

[rich8483]

There was a day when truckers were among the most professional and courteous on the road and would have never done this. (I know this "dates" me as an old fart )

There also was a day when if you wanted to really cover some miles you ran with the trucks because THEY'D be the ones moving FASTER than the traffic flow.
I remember commonly driving with them and going 75+ mph and feeling totally safe because they clearly knew how to drive.

Nowadays, it's common to see them hardly able to keep it in their own lane and going 20mph slower than everybody else.
I do my best to QUICKLY get by them and keep away from them because I don't trust their ability to safely control their vehicle.

SURE, there's a lot of good truck drivers out there still, but on AVERAGE they aren't as good as they used to be.
I have no idea why...?

go on google and look for truck driving jobs. you will see a large amount of them would be willing to take you on with no experience or even a license. you will quickly realize how many of the truck drivers out there are just as new at driving as the trainee at the hardware who doesnt know how to use the register.

there are a lot of great drivers out there, but in the last several years, there has been an influx of newbies. this is also why a lot of company trucks are either geared or governed to only go a certain speed. this explains the trucks passing with a speed difference of 0.0001 mph. they are both going flat out in top gear.