Learn to Drive, argh!!!!!

[so1rfan]

I say make everyone go to Germany and learn to drive on the autobahn. If we adopted their laws it would alleviate a lot of road rage.

There in no "Fast Lane", it's called the "Passing Lane." No matter how fast you drive, you always stay as far to the right as possible.
It is illegal to pass on the right.
Yield to the car coming up behind you that is driving faster than you.
You only pass when it is safe enough to get back to the right lane as quickly as possible.

Even with the high speed the death rate is considerably lower, but in Germany it is a lot harder to get a license and you have to be 18.

[Just the facts]

I have thought for a long time that freeways should have lane specific speeds instead of zones that cover all lanes at once. On a three lane freeway the right lane should be 55mph, the middle lane 65mph and the left lane 75mph. Pick the speed you want to drive and get in that lane. If you do 65mph in the 55mph lane you get a ticket.

[SoonerDave]

My first pet peeve as I was learning to drive was when I witnessed an accident caused by a girl, about my age, who plowed into the back of a car stopped to turn left into a shopping area because she was putting on her makeup. I couldn't believe it.

Cell phones are, essentially, the same thing, only now guys are given equal opportunity to be perpetrators. I am absolutely amazed at the number of people I see trying to enter a highway or stopped at a busy intersection, not moving because they're yapping on their cellphone. It makes me want to get out of the car, bust in the window, grab their phone, throw it on the ground, and then stomp on it gleefully while screaming to the driver "SHUT UP AND DRIVE!!!"

People who refuse to accelerate to highway speed on an entrance ramp are probably my #2 pet peeve. 2A is probably the guy who has room to enter, and I'm even slowing slightly and flicking my lights to let him know he can come in, and then STILL insists on slowing down MORE. That either forces ME to slow down if I still want (or have the option) to let him on, or accelerate to get PAST him. And I believe that dynamic, combined with a ridiculous entrance/exit ramp proximity problem, is the reason for about 80% of the accidents on the I-35/I-240 interchange in SW OKC. That place is an accident a day eastbound during rush hour, and I refuse to drive it, and I've told my family I don't want them anywhere near it for ANY reason during that time of day.

Grumble, grumble, grumble...

[Roger S]

Glad to see all the people that think more frequent testing is a good idea.... It would be a major pain in the rear end for those of us that do know that...

....a flashing turn signal means the driver needs over and not speed up so they can't get over
... how a four way stop works
... how to merge on and off an Interstate
... a yellow signal light means slow down not break the speed limit to get through the red light

On the other hand. Considering that 1 in 4 drivers in Oklahoma are driving un-insured... How many people that failed the test would actually stop driving?

[SoonerDave]

On the other hand. Considering that 1 in 4 drivers in Oklahoma are driving un-insured...

Worst accident I ever had was when an idiot woman, having a protracted rear-view-mirror obscenity exchange with the driver in front of her, decided it would Really Show That Guy if she recklessly whipped out around him and tried to cut him off. In so doing, she ran me off I-240, where I bounced on the concrete median, across three lanes of traffic, and into the barrels at the S. Walker exit. Totalled a seven-month-old car. And she had no insurance. Fortunately, my insurance subrogated the claim, went after her, and she was a no-show, thus losing a five-figure judgment in abstentia.

Right after the cell phoners, let's go after the uninsureds. Bet the real numbers are a lot worse than 1 in 4.

[catch22]

People who float or short-stop at stop signs also bug me. The first to go is the first to come to a complete stop at the white line. Not 10 feet before or after it. People try to cut turns by stopping 10 feet short or barely tapping their brakes and assuming their turn.

[Roger S]

Right after the cell phoners, let's go after the uninsureds. Bet the real numbers are a lot worse than 1 in 4.

That was the number I heard John Doak give on the radio the other morning when they were discussing the new Uninsured Motorist coverage law that Oklahoma is considering.

[CitySlickR]

I'm amazed at how many young drives don't take drivers training. I was a farm boy who knew how to navigate anything but given that the regulations in drivers training were pounded into my head. I see so many violations of the basic rules it confirms to me most have forgot or don't care.

[SoonerDave]

I'm amazed at how many young drives don't take drivers training. I was a farm boy who knew how to navigate anything but given that the regulations in drivers training were pounded into my head. I see so many violations of the basic rules it confirms to me most have forgot or don't care.

The way I understood it when my son got his permit/license last year was that you can't GET a learner's permit WITHOUT proof of having taken an accredited driver's ed class. Thing that gets me is that driver's ed was provided at the junior high level when I was in school. We had a big simulator truck, went out on drives, but was apparently abolished long ago...

I have mixed emotions about the laws in some states that prevent getting a license until 18. On the one hand, I understand the presumptive better level of maturity at that age, but on the other, I'd like to have an 18-year-old with at least 2.5 years of driving experience on the road. And you have a lot more folks at 18 who have to be on the road by then for jobs, school, etc...

[ChaseDweller]

Signalling has become optional in this state. That really makes me mad. It's not hard or inconvenient and it's just a matter of being considerate. I tell my kids that driving is all about communicating. Letting other people know what you plan to do and watching what they plan to do, whether they tell you or not.

However, there is a special place in hell for someone sitting in the left most lane at a busy intersection that doesn't signal until the light turns green.

Grrrrrr.

[Roger S]

Signalling has become optional in this state.
Grrrrrr.

People probably quit signalling because if you let the other drivers know your plans they are going to do their best to thwart them.

If I had the legal right to shoot someone for everytime they sped up and got beside me when they see me signal a lane change. The gene pool would be dang near pristine by now.

[Dubya61]

Also, I don't see how they can't make cars into a small Faraday Cages which would cancel out any cell phone signal and remove the temptation altogether. It is absolutely insane how bad drivers are in this city.

First off, there's an app that you can download on cell phones that tracks how fast you're going and will only allow bluetooth operation if all requirements (speed) are met. Personally it shouldn't be an app but an actual requirement of the cell phone production.

If all cars were only for a driver and no passengers, that would make sense, but there's no point in limiting the cell phone use of a passenger ... of a train, either, for that matter.

[RadicalModerate]

Okay . . . How about a warning light on any vehicle in which any type of cell phone is in use? If there is only one person in the vehicle it would make it easier for police to pull them over and ticket them for reckless driving--excuse me: reckless steering. In addition to the first offense fine of $500, their cellphone/other device could be seized. Since the person would have to buy another one, even the "Mobile Communications Lobby" could probably get behind this suggestion . . .

[ShiroiHikari]

I think a major problem today is this "me first" mentality. It is like we are all in a race to get home, and I have to beat that guy in the red car for some reason. People swerve in and out of traffic to get "ahead" in a pointless race. Also, driving isn't enjoyable for a lot of people and this results in increased road rage which adds to tailgating among other things. If people just followed the speed limit and gave themselves plenty of room, a lot of these problems would likely subside to a degree.

This. Husband and I were coming back from OKC yesterday at around 5:20 (bad idea, I know). While it wasn't as bad as other rush hours I've been through, there was one hot shot A-hole in a Pontiac Firebird who was swerving in and out of traffic like a madman because he just HAD to get ahead. It really doesn't save you any time at all, especially when everyone in front of you suddenly comes to a dead stop. I always laugh when someone gets pissed and goes around me, only to have me blow by them five minutes later because the traffic in their lane slowed to a halt.

In slow traffic, I always leave a couple of car lengths between me and the vehicle in front of me, for a few reasons. Number one being that my vehicle does not like it when I slam on the brakes. Number two being that I don't like wasting a bunch of gas to speed up and close the gap when I'm just gonna have to slow down again in like two seconds. This makes people behind me SO ANGRY but I don't care. I do it anyway.

By the way, I'm a woman and I have never once put on makeup while driving! What the hell is wrong with my fellow women? Get up 15 minutes earlier and do that !@#$ at home! Besides, how do you know you're doing a good job putting it on if you can't give it your full attention...? :P

The most I'll do while driving is change the radio station or change tracks on my MP3 player. I probably shouldn't even do that, but it's a lot less distracting than using a cell phone, to be sure.

Also, if there is a hell, there should be a special place reserved for people who try to merge doing 30 MPH.

And I hate how people get all offended when you need to get on the highway, and they're like "YOU'RE NOT GETTIN' IN FRONT OF ME!" and then put the pedal to the metal. It's like, seriously? Assert yourself someplace else. The road is no place for that.

[C_M_25]

Let's all just take a big deep breath before we head home today because the roads are going to SUCK with the snow we have been getting. Good luck to everyone.

[Just the facts]

You guys have lots of great solutions, except for the only one that works everytime it is tried - just opt out. If you are waiting for traffic to improve - it is never going to happen. Once you realize you are fighting a losing battle the obvious solution becomes much easier to accept.

[ShiroiHikari]

Opting out isn't an option for most people.

[kevinpate]

There was a span of years when recurring road trips were every bit as much contests as simple journeys ... did I dawdle for some reason or did I, yet again, beat my prior best for the trip. Not totally immune to such silliness, but I certainly can't call myself a serious competitor anymore.

[Just the facts]

Opting out isn't an option for most people.

Clearly a number of people on this thread are frustrated with driving so what are they going to do about it, because this problem is not going away unless they make it go away for themselves. That might mean having to move.

[kevinpate]

Clearly a number of people on this thread are frustrated with driving so what are they going to do about it, because this problem is not going away unless they make it go away for themselves. That might mean having to move.

Excluding a recent dinner trip, the other several times I've come into OKC from Norman recently have involved riding the Sooner Express to&from.
Short drive on my end, park, hop bus, leave the dodge bumper fun to someone else while I read papers or email (very dependable wifi), short stroll on the OKC end, conduct my business, grab a soda, short walk to the transit center, review papers or read email on ride back to Norman, drive to post office, do my thang, pop in on a nearby friend for a brief chat, go on about my day.

Not sure when I'll see the inside of a parking garage in OKC again. It may be a while though. Tough to beat the bus fare. When compared to fuel for my old tank and the price of a hole to hide it in, bus fare, soda and lunch are usually well below in price. And, I tend to be in a better mood. Besides, as I age, my eyes seem to become slightly worse, so reading and driving ... not really a good game plan. If I ever go back to doing continuing ed at 18th and Lincoln, I'll probably bus in for those as well. Shoot, I'd bus in for dinner or other DT activities at night if only there was an available route.

[NoOkie]

Okay . . . How about a warning light on any vehicle in which any type of cell phone is in use? If there is only one person in the vehicle it would make it easier for police to pull them over and ticket them for reckless driving--excuse me: reckless steering. In addition to the first offense fine of $500, their cellphone/other device could be seized. Since the person would have to buy another one, even the "Mobile Communications Lobby" could probably get behind this suggestion . . .

This basically wouldn't work. A cellular device is in constant communication with the surrounding towers, even if you're not on it. It's "active" when receiving calls and text messages, even if you ignore it. Additionally, smart phones are opening and closing data connections in the background.

Personally, my phone is both an audio source(Podcasts and music) and my GPS navigation. I'm not inclined to give up such useful functionality because some people can't stand to get off the phone or stop texting. I'll just keep a weather eye on the road and be ready to dodge.

[OKCisOK4me]

If all cars were only for a driver and no passengers, that would make sense, but there's no point in limiting the cell phone use of a passenger ... of a train, either, for that matter.

Tis true...but I'd like to think that if someone is on a train, that they're going to pull out their laptop and work/play on that.

The way technology is...maybe there could be some sort of signal that the passenger train emits that allows your phone, if in bluetooth mode, to have certain apps available.

[OKCisOK4me]

Let's all just take a big deep breath before we head home today because the roads are going to SUCK with the snow we have been getting. Good luck to everyone.

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, it's just wet out there. People are driving normal speeds.

[C_M_25]

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, it's just wet out there. People are driving normal speeds.

Are you new around these parts? It doesn't matter if it is raining, snowing, sleeting, icing, or just foggy. People around here cannot drive in any type of weather. Adding the word snow just freaks some people out which causes added issues.

[Just the facts]

Excluding a recent dinner trip, the other several times I've come into OKC from Norman recently have involved riding the Sooner Express to&from.
Short drive on my end, park, hop bus, leave the dodge bumper fun to someone else while I read papers or email (very dependable wifi), short stroll on the OKC end, conduct my business, grab a soda, short walk to the transit center, review papers or read email on ride back to Norman, drive to post office, do my thang, pop in on a nearby friend for a brief chat, go on about my day.

That works also.