Anonymous wrote:I drive a lot. Dangers are mainly caused by the maybe 3-5% of drivers who are "conspicuously dangerous." My guess is that they are all sociopaths. The behavior includes weaving in and out of traffic, extreme speeding, and extreme tailgating. Speed itself--for example, driving in the center lane on I-95 doing 78 or whatever--is irrelevant. It's the guy doing 90 weaving in and out of traffic who is going to get people killed. Cops don't seem to be able to deal with this problem. Cameras are ridiculous and ineffective.

As annoying as it is, the statistics do not show that reckless driving per se is the main cause of accidents and fatalities. 31% of fatality relate to alcohol. Distracted driving and speeding are also major factors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drive a lot. Dangers are mainly caused by the maybe 3-5% of drivers who are "conspicuously dangerous." My guess is that they are all sociopaths. The behavior includes weaving in and out of traffic, extreme speeding, and extreme tailgating. Speed itself--for example, driving in the center lane on I-95 doing 78 or whatever--is irrelevant. It's the guy doing 90 weaving in and out of traffic who is going to get people killed. Cops don't seem to be able to deal with this problem. Cameras are ridiculous and ineffective.

But on that rare occasion that you see one of these sociopathic aggressive driver pulled over.... ahhh the schadenfreude is delicious. I try to blow 'em a kiss if I can do so safely.

A couple decades ago I was driving I-95 in Florida when a car with a couple of teens (maybe early 20s) flew past us. A few miles down the road I saw them pulled over.

Then half an hour or so later I see the same car hauling it on the interstate.

I took great joy in seeing that same car pulled over a second time a few miles later. Hopefully their driving record was destroyed at that point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speeding isn't the problem. Frustration with poor and inconsiderate drivers is the problem, as is distracted/drunk/stoned driving. People who don't know how to merge without disrupting main lane traffic flow, people who camp in the passing lanes virtuously adhering to the speed limit, people driving at or below the speed limit on roads which obviously are safe at speeds 10 -15 over the limit, bicyclists who partially block motorized traffic on single lane roads, and drivers blowing through red lights at high speed right after the lights change are all causes of road rage and of accidents. Merely driving 10-15 over the speed limit is not a meaningful contributor to accidents, unless also distracted/drunk/high or simply incompetent as a driver (e.g., driving too fast for conditions in bad weather).

A major related issue is the virtually nonexistent bar to obtaining a driver's license. Almost anyone, regardless of actual driving skill, can get a license, which is seen by most people as an inalienable right instead of a privilege which should be earned.

Agree. It would be a pain, but people should have to work harder to get and keep a license. It is so clear that many, many drivers (and not necessarily new ones) have no idea what the rules of the road are. And I'm so tired of people making bad moves that endanger everyone because they got in the wrong turn lane. No, you cannot swerve over into my lane abruptly or hold up a line of traffic while you try to merge into another lane because you don't want to turn around.

A good driver will occasionally miss their turn. A bad driver never will.

Anonymous wrote:I drive a lot. Dangers are mainly caused by the maybe 3-5% of drivers who are "conspicuously dangerous." My guess is that they are all sociopaths. The behavior includes weaving in and out of traffic, extreme speeding, and extreme tailgating. Speed itself--for example, driving in the center lane on I-95 doing 78 or whatever--is irrelevant. It's the guy doing 90 weaving in and out of traffic who is going to get people killed. Cops don't seem to be able to deal with this problem. Cameras are ridiculous and ineffective.

To be fair I think it’s hard for cops to do much in the moment because if they pursue the speeder there is a good chance they will drive off even faster and kill an innocent person. We need some sort of GPS linked system to send these people steep fines (as opposed to exacerbating them in the moment) and we need to strictly enforce our traffic laws.

I’m also liberal and agree with a PP I’m tired of all the “equity” arguments for allowing people to endanger others.

Lower income people are perfectly capable of driving the speed limit and maintaining sobriety. If they really need their car to get to work and pick up their kids and whatever else makes their life function, then they should make sure they don’t do anything stupid with it.

And on the other end of the spectrum rich people shouldn’t just be able to pay what is to them a small fine and keep on driving like a mad person. There should be a sliding scale based on resources and it should hurt the family with the teen zipping around in a BMW. And if it happens more than once, the car gets impounded.

First DUI should be a felony. It’s ridiculous that it takes 3+ DUIs to finally get charged with a felony. Drinking and driving is not some fundamental right, so I don’t understand why we treat it as a little oops. The only thing I can think is that the people drafting these laws like to drive home from happy hour after throwing a few back and are scared of serious consequences if they get caught.

Drunk drivers are some of the most selfish people imaginable.

Anonymous wrote:It would be inequitable to do this.

What would be inequitable about using average speed for every driver? I'm a DP and not saying I'm in favor of the policy, I just don't see how it would be inequitable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What they really need are cameras on the beltway to ticket the weavers and aggressive drivers that think it’s a video game. Everyone drives fast when traffic allows, but those maniacs need some serious intervention.

Once again, just stay in the right lane and let them go as fast as they would like to the left of you. If people are always cutting in front of you or tailgating you then there is a reason and it’s staring right back at you in the rear view mirror.

I already am driving in the very farthest right lane, and I am going above the posted speed, and there is a wide open lane to my left, but still idiots tailgate me for looong distances (not merely to the next exit).

Tailgating is not because of slow speed. It happens because some drivers cannot drive properly.

I think you need remedial driver's education. I stand by my statement that you cannot drive well. Otherwise, you would not be attracting so much nonsense and drama. I bet you have a lot of drama in your personal life too, honey.

DP. No. Don't defend the idiot tailgaters. We all have experienced this. If you are on a highway and you are already *above* the posted limit AND not in the number one lane, there is absolutely no reason for someone to be riding up your butt. None. They are not allowing safe distance if there were a need to stop.

Anonymous wrote:It would be inequitable to do this.

Disagree. 35 mph is 35 mph, no matter one's race or income. There is no societal structure or historic set of policies that makes a speed limit easier for some than for others.

Signed, the most liberal person you know

Anonymous wrote:I drive a lot. Dangers are mainly caused by the maybe 3-5% of drivers who are "conspicuously dangerous." My guess is that they are all sociopaths. The behavior includes weaving in and out of traffic, extreme speeding, and extreme tailgating. Speed itself--for example, driving in the center lane on I-95 doing 78 or whatever--is irrelevant. It's the guy doing 90 weaving in and out of traffic who is going to get people killed. Cops don't seem to be able to deal with this problem. Cameras are ridiculous and ineffective.

But on that rare occasion that you see one of these sociopathic aggressive driver pulled over.... ahhh the schadenfreude is delicious. I try to blow 'em a kiss if I can do so safely.

Anonymous wrote:Speeding isn't the problem. Frustration with poor and inconsiderate drivers is the problem, as is distracted/drunk/stoned driving. People who don't know how to merge without disrupting main lane traffic flow, people who camp in the passing lanes virtuously adhering to the speed limit, people driving at or below the speed limit on roads which obviously are safe at speeds 10 -15 over the limit, bicyclists who partially block motorized traffic on single lane roads, and drivers blowing through red lights at high speed right after the lights change are all causes of road rage and of accidents. Merely driving 10-15 over the speed limit is not a meaningful contributor to accidents, unless also distracted/drunk/high or simply incompetent as a driver (e.g., driving too fast for conditions in bad weather).

A major related issue is the virtually nonexistent bar to obtaining a driver's license. Almost anyone, regardless of actual driving skill, can get a license, which is seen by most people as an inalienable right instead of a privilege which should be earned.

Agree. It would be a pain, but people should have to work harder to get and keep a license. It is so clear that many, many drivers (and not necessarily new ones) have no idea what the rules of the road are. And I'm so tired of people making bad moves that endanger everyone because they got in the wrong turn lane. No, you cannot swerve over into my lane abruptly or hold up a line of traffic while you try to merge into another lane because you don't want to turn around.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What they really need are cameras on the beltway to ticket the weavers and aggressive drivers that think it’s a video game. Everyone drives fast when traffic allows, but those maniacs need some serious intervention.

Once again, just stay in the right lane and let them go as fast as they would like to the left of you. If people are always cutting in front of you or tailgating you then there is a reason and it’s staring right back at you in the rear view mirror.

I already am driving in the very farthest right lane, and I am going above the posted speed, and there is a wide open lane to my left, but still idiots tailgate me for looong distances (not merely to the next exit).

Tailgating is not because of slow speed. It happens because some drivers cannot drive properly.

And tailgating doesn't cause accidents unless the car being tailgated needs to, or chooses to, brake suddenly. Just ignore the tailgater. Unless she rams you, no accident is going to occur from her being close to your back bumper.

DP but my kids ride in the backseat of my car and in the instance that I do need to brake suddenly (because a car cuts me off, a tree branch falls in the road, a pedestrian darts out, etc.) I would like to not get rear ended. The fact the other driver would be at fault won’t fix my kids getting injured.

There is absolutely no reason to drive super close to the car in front of you, especially if the passing lane is open. It doesn’t happen to me very often, but I hate when it does.

People need to accept that traffic can be bad in this area and build in a time buffer instead of zipping around people and riding their tails.

Anonymous wrote:I drive a lot. Dangers are mainly caused by the maybe 3-5% of drivers who are "conspicuously dangerous." My guess is that they are all sociopaths. The behavior includes weaving in and out of traffic, extreme speeding, and extreme tailgating. Speed itself--for example, driving in the center lane on I-95 doing 78 or whatever--is irrelevant. It's the guy doing 90 weaving in and out of traffic who is going to get people killed. Cops don't seem to be able to deal with this problem. Cameras are ridiculous and ineffective.

I agree. Add to this, cutting off other cars, making erratic stops in turning lanes (witnessed this just this morning on 355...), aggressively accelerating to prevent people from lane-switching. It adds up to purposeful high-risk aggressive behavior, not just going over the speed limit.

It would be inequitable to do this.

I drive a lot. Dangers are mainly caused by the maybe 3-5% of drivers who are "conspicuously dangerous." My guess is that they are all sociopaths. The behavior includes weaving in and out of traffic, extreme speeding, and extreme tailgating. Speed itself--for example, driving in the center lane on I-95 doing 78 or whatever--is irrelevant. It's the guy doing 90 weaving in and out of traffic who is going to get people killed. Cops don't seem to be able to deal with this problem. Cameras are ridiculous and ineffective.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What they really need are cameras on the beltway to ticket the weavers and aggressive drivers that think it’s a video game. Everyone drives fast when traffic allows, but those maniacs need some serious intervention.

Once again, just stay in the right lane and let them go as fast as they would like to the left of you. If people are always cutting in front of you or tailgating you then there is a reason and it’s staring right back at you in the rear view mirror.

+1

We live in a very international area with various backgrounds in driving. The US does a VERY poor job at educating new drivers or new immigrants who get drivers licenses.