Posts Tagged ‘driving’
I asked a couple of transport truck drivers what bothered them about the drivers of small vehicles. We had a lively half hour discussion from which I gathered their top five concerns. Each of them could have serious consequences for everyone on the highway.
The first two concern sudden reductions in speed. The small vehicle driver will either pass the transport truck, pull in suddenly, and then slow down, or just slow suddenly without taking note of the truck behind. When you consider that a fully loaded truck with all the air brakes properly adjusted has only 50 to 65% of a small vehicles braking efficiency, you can guess how dangerous this move could be.
Passing over a double solid line when drivers are impatient with trucks forced to travel slowly is next. Often there is oncoming traffic and nowhere to go for all vehicles involved. The truckers would travel the speed limit on hills if they could, but they can’t so it would be best to wait for the proper place to pass.
On multi-laned roadway slow drivers that won’t keep to the right are frustrating. This situation isn’t limited to truck drivers either. People need to realize that even if they are traveling at the speed limit in the inside lane if someone faster approaches they must move to the outside lane.
The last situation is where drivers of small vehicles follow along directly beside heavy trucks. There is no law against this one, but it is not a good idea to do this with any vehicle. If either driver is required to make an emergency maneuver there is nowhere to move to. Pacing slightly ahead or behind is the preferred method.
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A bill that will make it illegal to have your pet sit on your lap while driving is heading to the senate after passing a vote 44-11.
Assemblyman Bill Maze (R-Visalia) says his legislation has nothing to do with pet-loving celebrities, such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, who are often photographed driving around Los Angeles with their small dogs.
At first I didn’t believe it when it said the bill wasn’t targetted at dog loving celebrities like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, but after doing a bit of research I can confirm that is true. If passed, the law carries a maximum fine of $35. I’m sorry but $35 is not enough to deter anyone, let alone celebrities with endless pocketbooks.
Chad Kroeger, the lead singer for a Canadian rock band, Nickleback was found guilty for charges he received back in June 2006.
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Not many people adhere to the rule of going into the left lane after a left turn at an intersection - instead they tend to drift across to the curb lane. Should a driver approaching the intersection from the opposite direction and turning right at that place cede right of way to the left-turner? Who would be in the wrong? Common sense suggests that the right-turner give way, even though they could be in the right.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? I often wonder why a lot of drivers have so much difficulty turning left correctly as they only have to remember three things; stay to the right of the center line as you enter the intersection, turn left to the left of the center of the intersection and leave the intersection to the right of the centerline, entering the first available lane for the direction of travel.
Of course, we could complicate the issue by adding another step. That would be properly signaling their intention as they approach the intersection.
The right turn driver that you speak of must turn right as closely as practicable to the curb or right hand edge of the roadway. They tend to forget this too and stray over to the left lane. It’s a wonder that we don’t see more crashes as everyone leaves the intersection.
Who yields to whom is more difficult to answer as it depends how long the left turn vehicle has been present. If the driver has yielded to immediate oncoming traffic and given the proper signal, other oncoming traffic must yield and allow the left turn. This would include our right hand turn driver described in the question.
Finally, if either driver wants to make use of the adjacent lane after finishing the turn properly, they must make a lane change.
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