HyperbAllea

I wrote this “rant” awhile back, but everything still applies to what I see every day driving around Cary and Apex. Hope you enjoy…

This list has been inspired by the drivers that risk their lives and the lives of others every day on the roads around my house in Apex and my work in Cary. Were it not for the complete and utter carelessness and stupidity of these so-called “drivers” the items featured on this list would not have been brought to my attention. I offer this page as a guide to incompetent drivers in Cary, Apex, and throughout the nation. Most of you took driver’s education. All of you have free access to the traffic laws in your area. Please. I beg of you. Take advantage of these resources and don’t drive like an idiot.

NCDMV Driver’s Handbook

1. Turn Signals

The standard way of signaling your intentions to turn in the Cary area seems to be braking hard and veering in the general direction in which you wish to turn. This is not only a way to make the person behind you very mad, but also a way to end up with the rear end of your car smashed in.

That’s where the handy invention called the turn signal comes in. With a mere flick of your wrist you can let all the drivers around you know exactly where you are planning on going so any braking or veering (though gently merging is highly recommended) that follows the signal will be expected and accepted. Letting other people know where you are going so they can get out of your way is a common courtesy. Turn signal use applies to both normal turning and to changing lanes. Try it. You might just like it. And besides, it’s the law!

Finally, a tip straight out of the NCDMV Driver’s Handbook: “Signal at least 100 feet before turning or stopping. The faster you are driving, the further ahead you should signal.” If you start signaling when you are already turning it’s really too late for it to do any good.

2. Turn Lanes

The concept of proper turn lane usage is an all-too-often overlooked topic, and for that very reason no one seems to know how to use one correctly. Turn lanes are there to keep those who want to turn from disrupting the flow of traffic in the driving lanes. Therefore, a driver entering the turn lane should do so quickly and smoothly, without causing the drivers in the other lanes from having to slow down too much.

Gently merge into the turn lane as soon as possible. DO NOT wait until the end of the turn lane to get out of the way. You’ll only piss people off.

Unless the turn lane is very short, get over into the turn lane and then do most of your braking to slow down. DO NOT brake hard or come to a complete stop in the driving lane before getting into the turn lane. That’s a good way to cause a rear-end collision.

3. Stop Lines

Here’s the law straight from the NCDMV: “When a stop sign, stoplight, flashing light, or other traffic-control device requires a vehicle to stop at an intersection, the driver must stop at the appropriately marked stop line.”

You see them every day at nearly every intersection, but do you pay any attention to them? Judging from my experience, probably not. I’m talking about the bold white lines you find at traffic signals and stop signs. Contrary to popular opinion, those lines are not there for decoration. Stop lines mark the outline of an intersection, i.e. where you are supposed to stop. If you cross over a stop line at a red light, entering the intersection, you have run the red light. And, in case you couldn’t figure this out on your own, sitting in the middle of an intersection is not the safest place to be.

If you need a more selfish reason for stopping behind the stop line, here it is. The sensors that trigger light changes are located behind the stop lines at intersections. If you stop on the other side of the stop line you will not trigger the light to change and will be stuck sitting there looking like an idiot until another driver pulls up behind you and triggers the light for you. This especially applies at night when lights change almost exclusively using triggers. And let’s face it…you don’t really want to be sitting alone at a dark intersection for very long.

4. Acceleration Lanes

From the Driver’s Handbook: “When entering the interstate, use the acceleration lane until your vehicle’s speed matches that of the other traffic and then merge safely.”

The purpose of the acceleration lane should be obvious from its name…at least you would think so. But all too often I find myself getting on the highway behind a person who insists on going 35 MPH down the acceleration ramp, then wonders why he/she has such a hard time merging.

There is a simple solution to most of your merging problems. If the speed limit on the highway you are about to enter is 55 MPH, get your car up to 55 before you reach the end of the acceleration lane. Then you can merge. If the speed limit is 65, get up to 65.

And a quick request for those of you already driving on the interstate. If you see people coming off the acceleration lane, LET THEM OVER! Speed up, or slow down, or, if there is no one in the lane beside you, change lanes to make room for merging drivers. Don’t be a jerk!

5. Four-Way Stops

I have yet to figure out why people are so frightened by four-way stops. There is really nothing to them. The first person to arrive at the intersection has the right of way. If 2 or more people stop at the same time, then the person farthest to the right has the right of way.

Here it is, step by step: When you come to the stop sign, stop. Look around. If you were the first to stop, then you have the right of way…so GO. Don’t wait around too long before going. If you wait around, the other drivers will lose their patience and go anyway, leaving you sitting at the intersection for who knows how long. If you get there and someone else has stopped right before you, let them go. As soon as they have gone, you can go. It’s really not hard.

6. Flashing Traffic Lights

Flashing traffic lights are also very simple to master. A flashing yellow light is the same as a yield sign. That simply means that you can go if the way is clear. Slowing down at an intersection with a flashing yellow light is a good idea, but please, DO NOT stop unless there is something coming. These lights make it easy for traffic to keep flowing at night, so don’t hold the rest of us up.

A flashing red light is the same thing as a stop sign. That means stop. All the way. After you have stopped, look around to make sure things are clear. If they are clear, you may go. If they are not clear, stay put! Even though it’s night time and there are not very many other cars on the road, you MUST come to a complete stop. Chances are the way is going to be clear anyway, but there will always be that one time that some lunatic will come flying around the bend going 65 and smash into you. Stopping and looking can prevent stuff like that from happening.

7. Center Turn Lanes

I know many of you are going to be shocked when I say this, but the lane marked with yellow lines and turning arrows you see running down the middle of many two lane roads is NOT a merging lane. This lane is not there for you to drive in. This lane is not there for you to pull into and wait to merge into the traffic. The center turn lane is ONLY there for making left turns from the main road onto side roads or into parking lots.

I don’t speak for all of the drivers of Cary, but if I find you sitting or driving in the center lane trying to merge I WILL NOT let you in. Even if you have your turn signal on I WILL NOT let you in. If you’ve been waiting a long time to make a left turn onto a busy road and are growing impatient, make a right turn, turn around, and go back in the direction you originally intended. Sure, it takes a bit longer, but it also cuts down on incidents of road rage caused by drivers blocking the center turn lane by illegally using it to merge.

8. Fast Lane/Passing Lane

On a highway with two lanes going in either direction, each lane has a specific use. The right lane is for driving and the left lane is for passing. In other words, unless you are passing another car or making room for a car entering the highway you SHOULD NOT be riding in the left lane. Staying in the right lane prevents the dangerous traffic “clumps” where most highway accidents occur.

If, by chance, you find yourself mistakenly riding in the left lane and someone comes up behind you wanting to go faster, move to the right lane. If you are going slower than the traffic around you, move into the right lane. In simple terms: Don’t be stubborn. Stay out of other people’s way.

9. Parking Lights vs. Headlights

Even with all my other traffic complaints, I have to say that my driving pet peeve is seeing people driving around with their parking lights on. Let us stop for a moment and reflect on what was just said. Done reflecting? Good. I feel silly even having to say this. Parking lights are for…you guessed it…parking, i.e. when you are sitting still in a dark parking lot and want to make sure people see you.

Driving around with your parking lights on can create several problems.

1. You are not as visible with parking lights on as you are when you have your headlights on. Creates a greater risk of having someone run into you.
2. Parking lights really do nothing to help you see the road in front of you. You are so much more likely to run into a pothole, another car, or, even worse, a pedestrian.
3. People will assume you are parked if you end up sitting still for too long. Duh.

10. Intersections

The final item to be added to this list is really more of a collection of issues rather than a single one, so I will do my best to sum everything up.

1. DO NOT change lanes in an intersection. Totally illegal and totally dangerous.
2. Pedestrians have the right of way in most situations. Even if they do not have the right of way at a particular time you would still be guilty of manslaughter or assault if you happened to hit one. DO NOT run them down or even act like you’re going to.
3. If you intend to turn at a particular intersection, but find yourself in the wrong lane to do so DO NOT look over to the person next to you and beg them to let you over. Missing the turn is your fault. Don’t inconvenience the people around you. Simply go straight, turn around, come back to the intersection, then turn in the direction you originally intended. Very simple.