[ZiGeNX77]

Whether they are new drivers, old drivers, or just plain dumb... I see these traffic rules broken nearly daily. Aside from the usual... cell phone drivers, tailgating, people who cut others off, etc... these are rules that people don't seem to know or follow which are also pet peeves of mine that drive me nuts.

1. DON'T use the center lane as a driving lane.
I see people going into this lane trying to turn left, realize they drove in too soon and continue to drive the length it takes to get to the street before finally turning left.
EXAMPLE: Drive into the lane... then proceed to turn or merge into the regular lane accordingly. If you came in way too early, merge back out, then back in again when safe.

2. DON'T use the stop sign incorrectly. These two things will confuse other drivers and make you look stupid.
a. When stopping before another car at a stop sign, you have the right of way, so GO! Don't brake, scoot forward, brake, etc.
EXAMPLE: Approach the stop sign, brake slowly until almost stopped, then exaggerate your stop by making the car move enough so it is clear who stopped first. If you stopped first, proceed quickly (yes quickly).
b. Also if another car is stopped because of a stop sign, don't wait for them to go. They are waiting for you because you have the right of way!
EXAMPLE: If you see a car stopped, don't stop yourself. Go because they have to stop and wait for you.

3. DON'T stop early. Stopping early and slowing down early are not the same.
Sure, you are thinking "defensive driving" and trying to stay out of accidents. Well it is dangerous and selfish. Braking too early and stopping with more than 2 car lengths between you and the car ahead of you is annoying and a safety hazard. Be courteous and think about other drivers as they might not have enough room to stop because they expect you to come to a complete stop earlier.
EXAMPLE: A good defensive driver will "cover" the brake early, and lightly apply the brakes and use the full length of the road ahead of you to stop in a consistent manner.

4. DON'T turn right on a green light when cars in oncoming traffic is turning left into the same lane you are about to merge into. You may think you have the right of way, but you are wrong. When they are turning left (which is your right), you have to treat traffic as if it is cross traffic (going straight from where you are turning).
EXAMPLE: The light is green, you have to turn right. Don't jam through the right turn like a brainless animal. Yield for cars and pedestrians just like you've learned a hundred times in driver's ed., or did you?

5. DON'T drive slow or too fast in the wrong lane.
EXAMPLE: When there are two or more lanes in your direction, try to stay in the lane that fits your speed. If you are a fast driver, stay on the inside (far left) lane(s). If you are a slow driver, drive on the outside (aka right or merging) lane.

6. DON'T drive on the bike lane... or any solid line.
If you are following a car, while driving in part of the bike lane, you will not see the bicyclist or pedestrian (waiting to jaywalk or jogging) because your view is blocked. You can potentially kill or injure someone. I have three close friends that got hit this way. Thank God they were not serious.
EXAMPLE: This one is simple, be smart and drive between the solid lines. That's what it is there for.

*all of these will vary with road conditions or special scenarios, so these only relate to general driving conditions.

Feel free to correct me or add your own that fit into this category. I think rules vary by state, but they are very similar.

This post has been edited by ZiGeNX77: 23 October 2006 - 08:41 PM

[crashdummy]

6. Open your eyes and look for bikers before you turn, or pull out anywhere.


7. Dont get so close to motorcycles. Im tired of retards trying to cut me off or tail me... its freaking dangerous.

[dunpingy]

i think my biggest pet peeve are those idiots who try so hard to cut you off and once they succeed theres a red light or someone else in front. its like great job you saved one second of your time..

[Orijinalx]

when somebody is on the fast lane, and is going the same speed as the slow lane car...OH WOW! i cant stand that. holds up soo much traffic!

[ddonq]

some of my pet peeves. believe, me there is more.
-when someone cuts you off and then starts going really slow.

-breaking early, and for no reason.

-when people just sit there when no cars are coming when they can turn right.

-tailgaters.

-idiots driving on the fast lane when they are going like 60 mph.

-driving with your highbeam on at night.

[roflingsam]

wasup with people going like 50mph on the streets when they know there is going to be a light?

[ghost]

8. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR BLIND SPOTS before changing lanes

or else you're gonna end up with a pissed off driver and a nasty mark on your car.

[rnam1]

When Turning Left do NOT "swing" your car across to the next lane. Stay in your lane.

[cinnabunny]

8. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR BLIND SPOTS before changing lanes

or else you're gonna end up with a pissed off driver and a nasty mark on your car.

YES.. my biggest pet peeve ever! so many times ppl dont check and just go into lanes and almost hitting me >.<

[MC Muffin]

Don't forget to stop COMPLETELY before making a right turn at a redlight. Treat the redlight as a stop sign. I see people slow down before the intersection, check for traffic, and coast through. However, this is grounds for a ticket! My mom got a 400 dollar ticket because she didn't stop completely before turning right.

I'm not sure if this law is only for California (never had this problem in North Carolina, where I used to live), but I've seen quite a few people get pulled over because of this, so if you live in CA, be careful! Stop before turning right on a red!

[aznfishyfart]

one thing i hate the most are bicycle riders....u should ride going WITH traffic NOT against it....and use the freaking bike lane!!! thats y its there
i almost got a bicycle rider cuz i was going into the right turn only lane and he came right at me (at night) thank god i was looking and wasn't going fast

[ZiGeNX77]

That is so true MC Muffin. Many break that rule including myself in California, however I've never heard of anyone getting a ticket for that here in the San Jose area. I think it is one of those rules that cops tollerate unless you did it in a reckless way. Either way, yes that is another rule that everyone breaks.

I've added another one (#6) that I just remembered while driving today. It is related to crashdummy's post.

one thing i hate the most are bicycle riders....u should ride going WITH traffic NOT against it....and use the freaking bike lane!!! thats y its there
i almost got a bicycle rider cuz i was going into the right turn only lane and he came right at me (at night) thank god i was looking and wasn't going fast

I can totally relate. There are arrows on the bike lane to remind them to ride with traffic but they don't get it. So dangerous. Right before turning, I make sure to turn my head real quick for one last check before proceeding.

[AznTigerx78]

Oh man, here's one that really bothers me. You know how sometimes the right lane is wide and by the stoplight it's wide enough to fit 2 cars side by side so that people can make their right turns without having to wait? It makes me angry when the person at the very front just decides to hog up all that space by stopping right in the middle of that area causing everybody that wants to turn right to wait when all they have to do is scoot over to the left and leave some room. I guess it's not really a rule, but it's just a courtesy thing.

Bikers, man, it really bothers me when they have an entire bike lane to ride in, but they decide to bike ON the solid line potentially getting in the way of drivers.

Oh, really bothers me too when people like to floor their cars off a stop light just to have to brake hard again at the next light. Do they like wasting gas or what?

[ZiGeNX77]

Oh man, here's one that really bothers me. You know how sometimes the right lane is wide and by the stoplight it's wide enough to fit 2 cars side by side so that people can make their right turns without having to wait? It makes me angry when the person at the very front just decides to hog up all that space by stopping right in the middle of that area causing everybody that wants to turn right to wait when all they have to do is scoot over to the left and leave some room. I guess it's not really a rule, but it's just a courtesy thing.

True, there are a lot of non courteous drivers here in the bay area. I don't want to stereotype but many of those that hog the right turn lane seem to be Asians. I've taken notice whenever this happens, and sadly that has been the case. I was in another part of the country and people honk and flip their highbeams when this happens, and it is common to see it. I would do it here too, but people would get mad here in the Bay Area. I can't remember where I saw this... Virginia????

[aznfishyfart]

Oh, really bothers me too when people like to floor their cars off a stop light just to have to brake hard again at the next light. Do they like wasting gas or what?

its not that all the time....
for example around where i live i know how the traffic lights like to behave (when they change colors)
so for example there is a long straight street near my place....it has about 6-7 signals the first one is almsot completely opposite to the other 5-6, so when the first turns green i hit the gas (mind u i never go more than 5mph over limit) so i can make it past the other 5-6, which saves me about 5-10 minutes. otherwise u get stuck at the lights.

[Petite_Mal]

6. DON'T drive on the bike lane... or any solid line.
If you are following a car, while driving in part of the bike lane, you will not see the bicyclist or pedestrian (waiting to jaywalk or jogging) because your view is blocked. You can potentially kill or injure someone. I have three close friends that got hit this way. Thank God they were not serious.
EXAMPLE: This one is simple, be smart and drive between the solid lines. That's what it is there for.

I think you may have actually witnessed me doing this, but were too polite to say anything about it. Cleveland and Atlanta don't care about bikers, therefore have no bike lanes... so, I have been conditioned not to care about them either. Until now.

It's taken some getting used to... especially those weirdos that peddle those laying down-ish bikes on expressways at night, with only a few tiny reflect-ish-y things, when I'm not wearing my glasses.

[bingPWR]

I absolutely hate it when I am in a lane, and there's another lane that merges into my lane, people try to drive way up to the front and force their way in even though there might be a long line behind them. I see plenty of people that know they could wait in line, but they choose to go to the front to force their way in.....

[joonage]

1. DON'T use the center lane as a driving lane.
I see people going into this lane trying to turn left, realize they drove in too soon and continue to drive the length it takes to get to the street before finally turning left.
EXAMPLE: Drive into the lane... then proceed to turn or merge into the regular lane accordingly. If you came in way too early, merge back out, then back in again when safe.

Well, according to driving laws (at least in Washington), you can drive in the Center lane for up to 300 ft.

I missed that question on my driver's ed test. I put 100.

But I do agree with you. Anybody that really drives in that lane for more than 50 feet I think is crazy.

[ZiGeNX77]

I think you may have actually witnessed me doing this, but were too polite to say anything about it. Cleveland and Atlanta don't care about bikers, therefore have no bike lanes... so, I have been conditioned not to care about them either. Until now.

It's taken some getting used to... especially those weirdos that peddle those laying down-ish bikes on expressways at night, with only a few tiny reflect-ish-y things, when I'm not wearing my glasses.

I don't think I saw you do that, well at least not when a car ahead of you is blocking your view at least. So you're off the hook for now. I did witness how insanely fast Mal drives! She got an S4 and she guns that car like a loaded weapon.

[ZiGeNX77]

Well, according to driving laws (at least in Washington), you can drive in the Center lane for up to 300 ft.

I missed that question on my driver's ed test. I put 100.

But I do agree with you. Anybody that really drives in that lane for more than 50 feet I think is crazy.

Wow 300 feet?

Well it has been a long time... a LONG time since I took any DMV tests. I wish I could look into that for California, but I'm too lazy. I just hate how people in on coming traffic go into the center divide so early that I cannot go in to turn left.