Aggressive drivers

[Pete F]

I went to get my oil changed at Ron Tonkin Acura (free lifetime) at 2:30 in the afternoon, 70 mph on hwy 26. Coming back after going to Lowes, 70 on hwy 217 and hwy 26 at 3:40. When was the last time anyone did this at these times? Most former times it was stop and go and you had to pay attention. You were lucky to maintain 50 mph.

The funny part was watchng groups of 8 to10 cars running bumper to bumper on 217 doing 70 mph. I was 10 car lengths back, very sparse traffic in slow lane. I think that they are so used to fighting traffic on 217 that is the only way they know how to drive. I am not exaggerating, they were less that a car length from each other with very little traffic.

I have also noticed more bad drivers than usual out on the roads. I am not sure what is causing that. They seem to be a higher percentage than normal. Maybe the good drivers are staying home?

 

[TTSX]

Frankly, driving should be a much, much more difficult license to acquire. I would say at least a third of people don't take it seriously enough and the punishments for poor diving aren't severe enough. Unfortunately, it's treated as a right and just like many rights, it's abused. I'm glad nothing bad happened to your daughter, though I do believe (please take this with a grain a salt) she should also be informed that making mistakes in driving, regardless of who is at fault, can easily result in death or worse, debilitating lifelong injury. A pickup plowing broadside into a Civic at 40 or so isn't just a fender bender

 

[2A2Dend]

5mph-over
Sometimes 10mph
Sometimes more
If you can't handle vehicles going faster than you, get off the road. YOU'RE the hazard.

Washington needs AutoBahn rules.
But that would mean WADOT would actually have to dip in-to all that cash we pay for -taxes-

Nothing directed at the OP post.

 

[Member 34319]

Learned to drive in Reno Nevada. Basically 90% California drivers and the rest don't lag that far behind.

Moving here, I get the OPs concern. Oregonian drivers are far far less offensive than just about any other western state. Oregon drivers are extremely defensive in nature.

With the massive influx of folks from other states, I get it, it's not the same I imagine as it once was.

 

[Pete F]

Every time that I came back from working in California, my wife wouldn't drive with me.

It always took some getting used to when coming back to Oregon or Washington, especially grocery stores. No store in California would last with the slow service in Oregon or Washington.

 

[Camelfilter]

...I have also noticed more bad drivers than usual out on the roads. I am not sure what is causing that. They seem to be a higher percentage than normal. Maybe the good drivers are staying home?

Yup, we've noticed the same.

Red light runners, stop sign runners, aggressive driving etc.

Dunno if it's a rumor that LEO aren't actively enforcing driving infractions (or not as much) since the Covid shutdown started, or what.

Plus a theory also just popped into my brain. Drugs & drunks! With fewer normal folks out driving, statically the % of drug & drunkies out would be higher.

Because they don't care & are out and about doing whatever druggies & drunkies do.

 

[TTSX]

Every time that I came back from working in California, my wife wouldn't drive with me.

It always took some getting used to when coming back to Oregon or Washington, especially grocery stores. No store in California would last with the slow service in Oregon or Washington.

Self check is the answer. Always use it when it's available. I'm better at their jobs than they are and I'm paying to be there

 

[FireArm]

sorry didnt mean to honk that long, sometimes my horn gets stuck. JK

learning is best in rural areas, neighborhood streets and large parking lots. I understand needing to teach general driving on highways but there are some factors like time of day and flow of traffic to consider. Congratulations to her! And you for teaching!

 

[titsonritz]

People are a$$holes, the end.

 

[jbett98]

A couple on months ago I was following an older guy with his grand kids in the back seat of his brand new Prius while driving kinda slow in the fast lane over in SW Portland out of Hillsdale.
I turned on my blinker to get in the right lane so I could make it through the upcoming intersection which was green at the time.
As I started to move over, a high school kid in a lowered and turbo charged rice burner gassed his car from way back and decided to not let me get moved over into the right lane.
I stayed mostly in the fast lane to let him fly on by me and once he streaked past, I started back to my signaled lane change.
The kid decided to make a hard right turn at the upcoming intersection and slammed on his brakes to do a sliding sideways drift.
I then moved back into the fast lane behind the Prius and that's when the older gentleman decided to slam on his brakes because the light had turned yellow when he was only 20' from the crosswalk.
That Prius stopped on a dime and after slamming on my brakes, I slid into his rear bumper around 7-9 mph.
I pushed him a couple of feet into the intersection.
I climbed out of my car and walked up to his window and asked him if he and his grand kids were alright.
He said they were and then he asked me if there was any damage to his rear bumper.
I walked back to look and to my surprise, there wasn't a scratch. I went back to his window and told him that I couldn't see any damage and he then said "OK" and raised up his window and when the light turned green, he drove off.
I think he must have felt guilty by not cruising through the yellow light or maybe he didn't want an accident report at his age, but it could have been a completely different outcome.

 

[XoXSciFiGuy]

Aggressive driving in Washington state is pretty rampant. But they do have an Aggressive Driver law here and brother...you do NOT want the State Patrol to hand you one of those tickets. Fine is up around $2,000 dollars and the cop stamps 'AGGRESSIVE' in big red letters right on the ticket when he hands it to you. They can't catch everybody, but the ones who do get caught pay through the nose. And the judges aren't going to lower the fine for this one all that much. They don't like aggressive drivers, either.

I wrote an article once for Quora, the question-and-answer website on 'What Do Expert Drivers Know That You Don't Know.' 90K views and over 300 upvotes can't be wrong.

Aggressive drivers tend to believe everything on the public highway is one big Grand Prix. Trouble is, when you fix your mentality that way, sooner or later you are going to come in LAST. Sometimes PERMANENTLY.

 

[CLT65]

For the record, she knew exactly what she did wrong. It was simply inexperience. The only safety issue was the other driver's reaction. She was embarrassed and a little upset, but she learned something from it, and no harm was done. I think it's good to have a few embarrassing learning experiences like this during the process. All in all she's doing very well. I'm proud of her.

I find it interesting to see so many different driving customs in different areas. A friend vacationed in Europe a few years ago, and came back with horror stories about traffic in Rome. He didn't drive, but taxi rides scared him. I haven't traveled a lot but have driven cross country a few times, and have driven in a lot of different areas. I've never really had a problem anywhere, but I'm a cautious driver and just try to stay out of other people's way.

Attitudes sure seem to vary though. I spent a little time in Taiwan some years ago. Traffic was hectic, scooters, trucks, and taxis everywhere. The taxis were aggressive and honked their horns, but otherwise everyone seemed pretty mellow. I'm sure there were rules, but everyone seemed to drive wherever they wanted, weaving in and out, cutting each other off, but I don't remember seeing anyone getting angry and honking or yelling.

Funny thing, when I got home my wife picked me up at the airport, and on the way home she merged onto I5. I had just been telling her how mellow drivers were in Taiwan, compared to all the uptight, angry drivers here in the U.S.. She merged at 65+, but some jackwagon doing 75+ coming up on us had to move over into the fast lane for a few seconds as she merged. He honked and flipped us off as he passed, because of this very tiny inconvenience. It was so comical that we just laughed.

 

[Geardo]

I used to be one of those Ahole drivers. Thats why I sold the fast car and replaced it with a 4 cyl truck.

Now the only real aggresive thing I do is think at people running red lights.

 

[XoXSciFiGuy]

My friend Greg, our techie guy at our little publishing company...was a major aggressive driver, especially on the freeway. He did that for years, cussing at people, running up behind them, cutting lanes to gain some small advantage, etc etc.

You know the drill.

Yeah, he did that for years right up to the moment he ran his Toyota truck (one of the big four-door jobs) smack into a wall near where WA highway 520 meets the 405 freeway. BAM. Airbags go off. Truck totaled. He isn't really hurt except for this big black bruise covering much of his chest.

And that was the last time he ever drove like a nut. The next time I rode with him he was like Mr Polite Driver LOL.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Sounds like your Doing it right! She's not 18-19 and learning then. A lot of kids the last 15 years in that 16-18 year old age just didn't want to drive at all. Which is weird as heck to me. I've loved driving my whole life.

 

[parallax]

After she gets her license, send her here. she will learn some stuff.....

Corporate Programs

www.prodrive.net

 

[nwslopoke]

Dunno if it's a rumor that LEO aren't actively enforcing driving infractions (or not as much) since the Covid shutdown started, or what.

I think that ship has sailed. Noticing more motorcycle cops with radar at the bottom of the hill on Hwy 26 @ Murray. Also out toward North Plains. Not sure if traffic court is open. My wife got a parking ticket before the shut down and was told, wait until you get a letter from us for the next step.

 

[PBinWA]

I been going through this for the last few years with my two daughters. It's survival of the fittest out there. They need to learn the one thing that is the truth (quoting titsonritz):

People are a$$holes, the end.

 

[308]

A co-worker told me his wife intentionally camps in the fast lane and maintains at or slightly below the posted limit. Her reason? To punish speeders and law breakers. My mother in law will do the same thing, but not with malice...she is just a complete and total rule follower.

Probably best not to say what I think about that sort of mentality....

 

[Certaindeaf]

This is why I drive an F-450 with the left turn signal awlays left on when getting my Starbucks.
It don't do no good being in the right if you're flattened like a pancake. Burp.



lol, not really