Anonymous wrote:People who zone out just looking in front of them.

You should be looking around constantly when driving. That's a GOOD thing. That's what an aware driver does.

A distracted driver only looks in front.

A speeding driver who is constantly looking around is infinitely better than a slow driver just looking forward.

There are studies that the faster you drive, the more narrow your field of peripheral vision is. Also, it is charitable to think that most speeding drivers (who are already breaking the law and driving aggressively because they are speeding) are looking around more than someone driving cautiously.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When approaching an intersection, SLOW DOWN, look to your right, your left, front, diagonal and stop for pedestrians, bikers or other drivers. Being cautious saves lifes.

Not unless their is a light or stop sign. Good way to get rear ended.

Taking your foot off of the brake as you approach an intersection is a defensive driving technique taught by the National Safety Council in their defense driving courses. I know because I recently took it.

I was wondering how long it would take for the usual DCUM aggressive driver to show up who claims people who drive defensively are the dangerous ones.

Huge difference between this (being ready to brake) and slowing down/braking.
Did this class tell you that your #1 priority is to be predictable?

I'm glad you took the class. Sounds like you needed it. Wish more people would who did not grow up here or have forgotten.

No, that's something you convinced yourself to justify being an aggressive and dangerous driver.

Bingo. The people who say this are the same ones that think that someone driving the speed limit on the beltway is the dangerous one because if everyone else is speeding/ being aggressive then the person following the law and driving safely is somehow the one putting everyone else at risk.

Slowing down or braking before an intersection, especially if you can't see is not inherently dangerous or unpredictable behavior because pedestrians have the right of way at the crosswalk/ intersection and a car needs to be able to drive a speed that allows the driver to stop safely for a pedestrian. If you rear end someone who slows down to ensure he won't kill a pedestrian then you are a bad driver and absolutely at fault.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I try to be a cautious driver and make sure to stop for pedestrians at cross walks. I’ve noticed that when I’m in the right turn lane and stop to allow someone to cross, an impatient person behind me will get into the left lane to pull around me to then cut me off and turn right in front of me … where the pedestrian is! This has happened a few times now since I’ve lived here and I don’t know if they just don’t see the pedestrian and assume I’m stopped for no reason? Or do they just no care about waiting for people to safely cross?

Don’t move to an area with lots of pedestrians, bike lanes, buses, etc. and then expect to drive as if cars are the only thing on the road. I don’t get it!

Does this happen to you a lot? It's never happened to me. It's one of two things (or both)
You are a terrible driver and the person behind you is exasperated and subsequently not making good choices because they recognize you as an idiot driver and you are not giving them good, predictable signals, so they don't trust you.
The person behind you is an a-hole
Or both

DP. It's happened to me several times in the past few years, too. It's horrifying, because you know they're heading straight toward a person in the crosswalk, and you know they are too impatient to wait 30 seconds. In one case, the driver was annoyed because I wasn't turning right on red at an intersection with a no-right-on-red sign, AND there was a person in the crosswalk. I think too many drivers have gotten used to the idea that they should never have to stop, wait, or even slow down when they're turning right.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I try to be a cautious driver and make sure to stop for pedestrians at cross walks. I’ve noticed that when I’m in the right turn lane and stop to allow someone to cross, an impatient person behind me will get into the left lane to pull around me to then cut me off and turn right in front of me … where the pedestrian is! This has happened a few times now since I’ve lived here and I don’t know if they just don’t see the pedestrian and assume I’m stopped for no reason? Or do they just no care about waiting for people to safely cross?

Don’t move to an area with lots of pedestrians, bike lanes, buses, etc. and then expect to drive as if cars are the only thing on the road. I don’t get it!

Does this happen to you a lot? It's never happened to me. It's one of two things (or both)
You are a terrible driver and the person behind you is exasperated and subsequently not making good choices because they recognize you as an idiot driver and you are not giving them good, predictable signals, so they don't trust you.
The person behind you is an a-hole
Or both

It doesn’t happen a lot, but I’ve lived in this area nearly 15 years and it’s happened probably 2-3 times that I can remember. DH was driving one of the times that I recall, so I don’t think it’s me being a bad driver. In fact I’ve never caused an accident nor gotten a traffic ticket in my entire life. I think people are just impatient and don’t want to wait behind a car to turn right. This is in Arlington near where there’s lots of cross walks and pedestrians.

This happened to me once in Boston, on the street where I lived at the time, and it was so insane I still remember it. Here I haven't ever had anyone actually pull around on the left to turn right in front of me, but I have been honked at a lot in DC and Arlington for waiting for pedestrians to cross before I turned right. When they had the walk sign. It's the aggression.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am with you except for who puts their hamburger donut or coffee in the TRUNK??WTF? Maybe you need to go find your coffee in the trunk and have some.

Enjoy them before or after driving. Put them in the trunk so you don’t get tempted during your trip.

This . I'm sure PP was using hyperbole but if you are distracted by anything, put it in the trunk. If you can't resist the ping of your phone PUT IT IN THE TRUNK. Chatty passengers? Right in the trunk.

I did this, but my chatty passengers ate all my donuts. I want to be a safe driver but I want my donuts too. What should I do?

Were your chatty passengers riding in the trunk?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am with you except for who puts their hamburger donut or coffee in the TRUNK??WTF? Maybe you need to go find your coffee in the trunk and have some.

Enjoy them before or after driving. Put them in the trunk so you don’t get tempted during your trip.

This . I'm sure PP was using hyperbole but if you are distracted by anything, put it in the trunk. If you can't resist the ping of your phone PUT IT IN THE TRUNK. Chatty passengers? Right in the trunk.

I did this, but my chatty passengers ate all my donuts. I want to be a safe driver but I want my donuts too. What should I do?

Lol

Anonymous wrote:Drivers in this area appear to be insane …. You can’t indicate to change lanes on the beltway or people speed up to cut you off and have been rear ended by tail gaters multiple times … I can’t think of any cities in developed countries with more aggressive drivers … not meaning to leave out folks in Cairo/ Delhi/ San Paolo etc. but trying to make reasonable comparisons … maybe I’m wrong but even when driving in heavy traffic in LA, I found the drivers more chill ….

If you are being rear ended by tailgaters often, then you're the problem. Look at the common demoninator.

Regarding signaling... I think you (and a whole lot of people) are doing it wrong. You don't just turn on your signal and expect people to let you in. You first look for an open window of space, THEN signal right as you go into the next lane. It's an indicator, not a request. Expecting people to let you in means you're totally doing it wrong. Pay attention to your total surroundings all the time, and it's not a problem.

People who zone out just looking in front of them.

You should be looking around constantly when driving. That's a GOOD thing. That's what an aware driver does.

A distracted driver only looks in front.

A speeding driver who is constantly looking around is infinitely better than a slow driver just looking forward.