Anonymous wrote:If you're in the passing lane and somebody comes up behind you, you need to move over even if the other person is speeding.

What if you're in the process of passing someone even slower than you?

If you're in the passing lane and somebody comes up behind you, you need to move over even if the other person is speeding.

Anonymous wrote:Stopping or slowing down to wave pedestrians across the street where there is no crosswalk is incredibly dangerous. Some drivers think this makes them a nice person, but it is a terrible idea.

Yes! As a pedestrian, I want to walk behind your car. I'm not stepping in front of you. Idc

If you habitually back into parking spaces, you are annoying.

Stopping or slowing down to wave pedestrians across the street where there is no crosswalk is incredibly dangerous. Some drivers think this makes them a nice person, but it is a terrible idea.

Driving is bad actually, is ruining our planet on many ways, and should be largely supplanted by trains and public transportation.

Anonymous wrote:A rolling stop is fine at many un-busy intersections where you can clearly see cars coming on the intersecting street.

True, most of the time. DC drivers don't nearly hit people most of the time when rolling stop signs. Just occasionally.

Anonymous wrote:Turn signals are necessary when you change lanes, actually.

I wholeheartedly agree, except that apparently cars behind me perceive them as a reason to speed up so I can’t change lanes. I hate driving here.

Anonymous wrote:
My unpopular opinion is that people have no clue about statistical risk and hardly ever assess risk accurately.

OP with his or her perceived safe speeding proves my point.

And I would say that your post proves my point, assuming it's an all or nothing situation as if every driver carries the same risk. As a pedestrian, slow drivers are some of the worst. They're zoned out, on their phone, not constantly checking all their mirrors, and only look at the next step ahead instead of looking multiple steps ahead. Unaware and unfocused driving is much more dangerous than speeding, imho of course.

A rolling stop is fine at many un-busy intersections where you can clearly see cars coming on the intersecting street.

My unpopular opinion is that people have no clue about statistical risk and hardly ever assess risk accurately.

OP with his or her perceived safe speeding proves my point.

Anonymous wrote:Turn signals are necessary when you change lanes, actually.

I'll add a PSA to Maryland drivers: wanting to change lanes is not the same thing as right of way.

Anonymous wrote:We all have them. What's yours?

Me, I don't think speeding is dangerous by default. The details matter. 80 on the highway? If you're alert, it's perfectly fine. 80 on a local road? Um, no. If it's 35, 45 can be totally safe. IF it's 45, 60 can be fine.

There are TONS of unsafe "slow" (or speed limit) drivers who are distracted, do not have good control, and are unsafe. I say this as someone who's lived car-less for many years, and still lives in a highly walkable area (and walks a lot myself). The person going speed limit but on a hands free phone call, is WAY more distracted than someone going 15 over, but fully present.

What's your unpopular driving opinion?

No. Speeding on the highway and speeding in town are very different beasts. The speed limit is only 35-45 in areas where you're likely to encounter pedestrians and/or frequent cross traffic. The speed limits are set with stopping distances in mind. If the speed limit is 45 and you're doing 60, you will not be able to stop in time to avoid an accident if someone pulls out in front of you from a cross street. And they would not be in the wrong to do so because they are gauging their window to enter traffic based on the posted limit.

10-15 miles over on the highway is normally fine for the same reasons.

The fact that it's unsafe to text while driving slowly does not mean that it's safe to speed while not texting. Two things can both be unsafe.

Turn signals are necessary when you change lanes, actually.

We all have them. What's yours?

Me, I don't think speeding is dangerous by default. The details matter. 80 on the highway? If you're alert, it's perfectly fine. 80 on a local road? Um, no. If it's 35, 45 can be totally safe. IF it's 45, 60 can be fine.

There are TONS of unsafe "slow" (or speed limit) drivers who are distracted, do not have good control, and are unsafe. I say this as someone who's lived car-less for many years, and still lives in a highly walkable area (and walks a lot myself). The person going speed limit but on a hands free phone call, is WAY more distracted than someone going 15 over, but fully present.

What's your unpopular driving opinion?