r/driving

I’m in sales and drive A LOT and this is a story about something I saw yesterday (I drove roughly 900 miles over the past 2 days). Left lane camping is not new and I’ve accepted that we as a society are never going to be able to educate this behavior out of the general public, but this lady was something else. I was on the interstate for about an 80 mile stretch and she and I were near each for probably the last 40 miles of it. She never once got out of the left lane- didn’t matter how many times people started to pile up behind her, but she also was not consistent in her speed. I’d estimate that it would vary as much as 40 miles an hour at times because I had my cruise set at 75 and she kept falling behind and pulling ahead of me. What makes this so egregious is that you could tell she felt entitled to that lane. If anyone aggressively tail gated her to try to get her to move over she’d get vindictive- many times I’d watch her slow down on purpose beside another car to block someone from passing. I watched her brake check someone and almost cause a 4 car pileup. She even got mad at me because she’d started to speed and pull up beside me for the 20th time and there was someone in front of me in the right lane that I could tell was going slower. So instead of getting trapped again by the left lane camper, I punched it and pulled around the slower car in front of me, settling back to my cruising speed in the right lane. Well she didn’t like that and sped past me doing probably 100 to prove something- no idea what that was supposed to prove. I should have called her license plate in since she was a danger to everybody around her but was lazy and didn’t bother.

Anyway- stay safe out there. You can’t fix stupid I guess.

What is it with people who drive slow as shit especially on one-lane back roads where it’s next to impossible to pass because there’s either a million other vehicles coming in the other direction or there’s a lot of obstructions. I’m not necessarily talking about vehicles like cement trucks, although getting stuck behind one is annoying as fuck but at least they have a legit reason for driving slow. I’m talking about regular drivers, especially those driving vans and SUVs. Are they just afraid to hit the accelerator, like if they actually speed up they’ll spontaneously combust? A lot of these drivers drive so slow that I can walk faster than they drive. Hell, a fucking tortoise can move faster than they can drive. And then of course if you heaven forbid try to pass them, they get offended and either honk their horn at you or all the sudden speed up like they all the sudden found the accelerator and now have a propeller up their ass, which is extremely dangerous and has lead to many head on collisions. I know I’ve almost had a few because of this.

There’s an early King of the Hill episode where Hank meets a neighbor by crashing into his car. They’re both backing out of their driveway, and one turns out left and one right, so they crash. Hank says it’s the other guy’s fault for backing out the wrong way, because you have to back into the lane closest to the curb.

Is that true? I honestly can’t remember from driving school, and I back out of my driveway into the far lane all the time, because I’m headed that direction. Of course I check for cars and am safe and all that, but I wanted to make sure I’m not breaking a law in the process 😂.

What is the correct etiquette here? this was like no good deed goes unpunished.

I was driving down a road, that feeds into a main road.

Along the way, there is a street that feeds into this with a stop sign.

Since no one in front of me was able to move, I let the driver with the stop sign go ahead.

This is what normally happens in this area- each driver sets someone in.

After I let the driver in and proceeded to go, the angry person in back of him like wanted to drive pretty much right into my car, honks at me and gives me the finger.

All of this while the driver in back of me, was giving him space to go as well. Like- he couldnt wait 2 more seconds.

Then he was looking to go around me once in back of me, while still giving me finger.

I didn't react- once we were on the road he proceeded to cutoff another driver to move over.

We have one horn. The only thing we can do to differentiate is to hit it differently (one long one, a light beep, successive short beeps, the parting beep when passing the person who almost hit you). Why don't we have 3-4 horns that could be used in various instances? I know it's not going to happen, but it's nice to dream about.

I was behind someone at a red in the right lane. The middle lane car started moving on a green turn light (he was going straight). I honked because I saw and didn't want him to get hit. But then the guy in front of me thought I was honking at him and went through on the red. I had no way to say "sorry that wasn't intended for you." Thankfully oncoming traffic was distracted and completely missed their green.

Would you have honked? Is it not worth it because of the possible extra risk it could have caused?

It's annoying how variable the green-to-red transition times of traffic lights can be. Some intersections have yellow lights that stay on for five or more seconds and others where the yellow light barely lasts for a second.

Why can't there be a standard requiring the length of time the yellow lights stays on? A consistent transition time would help drivers properly react when encountering yellow lights, reducing incidences of stopping too early or getting caught running a red light. I'd say a three second transition is perfect.

Hello Everyone!

I wanted some feedback. I got a ticket today for parking on the no parking/cleaning side. There was no sign near my car or close to where I parked. When I called, they said it’s 3 or so trees infront of you. Was I supposed to drive the next street to find it? I don’t know where the police officer took the photo of the sign. I put a form to dispute it.

This didn’t happen to me but I’ve been thinking about it because I see this situation all the time

- Intersection with traffic lights, both are green

- One lane traveling in each direction

- You’re in the northbound lane waiting to make a left

- Several cars in the southbound lane are also waiting to make a left

Seeing that no one is actively traveling south, you go to make your turn. Before you’re able to complete the turn, someone headed south decides to go off the road to get around the turning cars to continue south. While you have already initiated your turn, you didn’t complete it yet and the car hits you. What do you guys make of this?

Does your opinion change if the southbound car cuts into a right turning lane and then continues to driving straight?

English isint my first language so sorry if its writen poorly

so me and my friend went out to drive the car i was supose to get from my grandpa after getting my driver license everything was fine so we decided to swap places so my friend will teach me basics of driving i was supose to reverse and drive out of the place but it was my first time driving ever and i wasnt really aware of anything and I let go of clutch to fast and car accelerated like crazy i panicked and I hit tree behind me and broke right rear light and both left side doors and rear of the car dented so the car isint really suitable for driving anymore my grandpa got furious at first but then said that it was my car so its just my problem that i broke the car and that it learned me a lessons but on the otherside there is my Mother saying how could i be so reckless and I should pay back my grandpa for car but I cant really earn any money im 17 and I have really important exams coming in a month so i dont have time for finding a job and working i dont really know what to do im panicking like crazy and afraid that next time I get in a car I will cause similar situation

i'm 23, autistic, still haven't driven a car. I relied on Uber, my mom to drive me around. Every time I go to the DMV, it always says "Exam failed" despite my best efforts to pass it. I failed twice today due to some questions on the computer that are hard for me to understand. I've had enough of failing. i'm an adult, not a baby. I must pass the permit test by the end of the month. It can't wait any longer. I must pass it. not next week, not next month, not next year, like, I must actually pass it. Cause if not, i'll lose faith in driving permanently.

About a year and a half ago, (I had been driving for 6 months at most at the time) I rear ended someone. it was an unfortunate accident but at the end of the day, I didn’t realize that the person in front of me had come to a complete stop, and rear ended them, and that was my fault. Luckily no one was hurt and I was in a Kia soul and they were in a big truck so I totaled my car of course but luckily didn’t cause major damage to their truck. Since then I have terrible anxiety about driving. At the beginning it was so bad that I couldn’t even ride in cars without being very anxious. I have driven occasionally since then (literally just around town if no one was available to drive me and I had a car available to borrow) when absolutely needed but every single time I do drive I am shaking uncontrollably, so much that I sometimes have to switch to cruise control just to keep a steady pace, because my legs are shaking so much that I can’t keep the gas pedal steady. and afterwards it would take me a while to regulate my anxiety and feel normal again. I’ve come here to ask if anyone else has been through something similar, and what they did to help the anxiety. I know I can’t rely on other people to drive me everywhere, and I want the freedom of driving myself back when I do have the money for a car again, but I can’t shake the fear of getting in another wreck. What can I do to help it? Thanks in advance for any advice

I have homonymous hemianopia and both left half of my eyeballs are blind, so I only have centre vision and right peripheral. (Driver seat on right side, drive on left road)

Every year I have to do an eyesight report and a esterman binocular vision test to drive, I usually always pass by the bare minimum and this year I failed by 3 points.

I'm pretty sure I can just keep retesting until I pass but I do notice the issue of having to twist my entire body to check my left blind spot as a head turn doesn't give me enough fov.

Should I just not drive or is there any special mirrors or helping aids for this condition?

Honestly when I drive I'm always hyperalerted and anxious because something could be coming at my from my left and I might have no idea. I have always been driving the same road to and from work and too afraid to drive new roads and to new places because of this.

EDIT: forgot to mention I also have astigmatism but obvious glasses help with that, the loss of vision not so much.

My husband has been teaching me to drive a manual and it’s going alright, but I’m wanting a more professional leaning experience because I learn better when I understand the reasoning behind why I’m doing what I’m doing (and he can’t help me because he’s essentially self taught).

What’s a good online resource I could use to learn whilst I’m practicing my driving with him?

Was turning left into a neighborhood. I would have to cross three lanes. People in the first two lanes were letting me go thinking they were being fucking nice. I I was shaking my head, but they kept waving me on and like an idiot, I was feeling pressured so I went, crawling, I couldn’t see if anyone was coming from the third lane - yet the idiots in both lanes kept waving for me to go as if they wanted me to rush.

I inched slow slowly, didn’t see any cars, but of course it was risky in a car could’ve come where I couldn’t have seen it and I could’ve done a T. And I know it’s stupid to fall under pressure because these people would not be the ones paying for my accident or taking any responsibility.

It’s so stupid that we feel so self-conscious as human beings and feel the need to not look like an ass, even when the other person will not take any accountability or pay for your car crash.

what has worked for you to really not feel self-conscious, even if you have to keep sitting there for a long time and keep saying no?

It’s really hard not to look their way when they’re in your line of vision, obviously I’ve tried that I need something better

How does one gain the confidence and get over anxiety when driving?