Aggressive driving tips

[dc_publius]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Going around the world definitely teaches you that US drivers are cowards and have no skills. Everyone else seems to whizz around in crazy conditions.

[/ QUOTE ]


Yeah. I knew ahead of time I was going to be getting this lesson first-hand.
But it was still an eye-opener and I kept thinking, "I'm the most conservative driver in the universe. And so are the rest of my fellow Americans."

[/ QUOTE ]

First of all, that google video is sped up so things look alot more sketchy than they really are. Second of all, most of those countries have a car fatality/injury rate that is many times greater than US rate.

That said, Euro drivers are better drivers, but I hate their licensing and training system. It's a pain in the ass and it's expensive whereas in the US anyone can get a driver's license pretty easily and buy a car. I would rather keep driving among crappy US drivers than have their socialist restaining system.

[d10]

[ QUOTE ]

OP, your focus is in the wrong place. You need to think about your vehicle choice. Just get a sportbike like me and be done with it. There is no such thing as traffic for sportbikes and parking is a piece of cake too.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is a 100% chance I would kill myself on a bike.

[holyfield5]

I wish speed limits were based on driving skill, there is no way i should be limited to 45 mph

flash other effecient drivers if you have just passed a cop, especially at night.

streets with 2 right turn lanes, use the outside lane if nitty drivers are lined up in the inside one.

make sure you know how the lights are connected at places you drive regularly, no need to speed if it makes you run into a red light everytime, also no need to drive slow if it will cause you to just miss the next light at green.

when at a light, look at the light for the street crossing yours and when it turns red you can let the brake go and start rolling so you can accelerate quickly on green.

when coming to 4 way stop sign intersections, most drivers are timid and will look to you if its close as to who goes next.......always take the initiative and save everyone time instead of beckoning back and forth just go.

when needing to merge into a decently busy road where people are stopping in front of your outlet because of a red light stare at people and look helpless so they let you in.

dont ride dirty with more than you can eat

[Stagger_Lee]

Volvo drivers always give way...unless you ride, then they can't see you.

[SNOWBALL]

Yeah dude, you're in my death pool

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
make sure you know how the lights are connected at places you drive regularly, no need to speed if it makes you run into a red light everytime, also no need to drive slow if it will cause you to just miss the next light at green.

[/ QUOTE ]
In a thread loaded with dangerous and/or illegal "advice", this is by far the best thing in it (actually, your entire post is solid).

The biggest mistake drivers make on surface streets is not being aware of their surroundings and calibrating their actions accordingly. In Phoenix, a grid city with a very expensive and elaborate signal timing system, I am amazed at the too fast and too slow drivers. The too fast because they basically race from red light to red light, inefficient and annoying. The too slow because for whatever reason they are too dumb or distracted to pay attention to what's going on in front of them, something that drives me batshit crazy like nothing else if I'm trapped behind them.

A good driver is aware of the signal status in front of him ~1/2 mile before he gets to it and reacts accordingly. For example, most of the signals around here are set to about 42 MPH during off-peak hours. There is no point driving much faster than this and driving slower is even dumber. It's not just better for fuel economy and vehicle wear-and-tear, but it results being a more courteous motorist.

[Duke]

I think the only thing I do is pretend that I don't see a car. If I'm trying to merge right, and someone's trying to box me out, I just look straight ahead and keep going slowly, but deliberately, into their lane. They'll brake. Sometimes they'll hit the horn, and I'll give them a wave of thanks.

This is only when you need to exit, or something, and traffic across all the lanes is terrible.

[Nonononono]

In the metropolitan area here, the signals are timed at about 30 mph below the speed limit. Although this tends to produce endless driving misery, sometimes if you're first in line it's possible to defeat the system by racing to the next light at maximum speed and getting through on the yellow. The slightest misjudgment means having to slam on the brakes, but the reward for success is several consecutive green lights and the ability to drive at a normal pace.

There's lots of good advice in this thread, but honestly I believe the landscape changed when cell phones became extremely widespread. Previously the main hazard was ordinary slow drivers, who were very predictable. Now the streets are filled with drivers capable of any behavior at any time. These folks don't even pretend to pay attention to the road.

I have my own strategy for dealing with the situation ... I never leave the house.

[cbloom]

[ QUOTE ]
In the metropolitan area here, the signals are timed at about 30 mph below the speed limit. Although this tends to produce endless driving misery, sometimes if you're first in line it's possible to defeat the system by racing to the next light at maximum speed and getting through on the yellow. The slightest misjudgment means having to slam on the brakes, but the reward for success is several consecutive green lights and the ability to drive at a normal pace.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, lots of SF is like that, the limit is like 35 but the lights are timed for 55. WTF

[ QUOTE ]

There's lots of good advice in this thread, but honestly I believe the landscape changed when cell phones became extremely widespread. Previously the main hazard was ordinary slow drivers, who were very predictable. Now the streets are filled with drivers capable of any behavior at any time. These folks don't even pretend to pay attention to the road.


[/ QUOTE ]

I just saw the MythBusters where they compare driving drunk to driving while talking on a cell phone. Now, MythBusters is pretty unscientific, but this test was sort of okay. Anyhoo, they found that their driving was actually more impaired by the cell phone than by being drunk.

[DWarrior]

You need to make a right turn, but there's a red light. There are cars in front of you, so you can't just turn.

Usually around here there are gas-stations and such at every corner, so just pretend you're turning into it, then continue and exit out the other corner. Make sure there are no cops around.

This is especially great if you anticipate the red light. You can just pull into the parking lot and keep going straight. You get to pass all the cars that are just accelerating and you never have to break.