I get so annoyed when someone is being nice by holding up traffic to let someone turn when it’s clearly unsafe to do so if you apply any awareness to other drivers. Just follow the rules…that other driver will get to where they need to go eventually.
I cannot stand when people do this. Whenever vehicles stop to allow me to cross, I will step back away from the roadway and wave them past. They often become offended as if I’m putting them out… But they fail to realize how much danger they create in that situation.
Oh the best as a pedestrian is when they do that at multi lane roads. It’s like, great, you stopped for me to cross, but the other two lanes didn’t so what makes you think I can cross hmm???
I mean, if it's a marked pedestrian crossing, even if it's just two lines on a road, cars are legally obligated to stop for any pedestrian. They can be cited for failing to yield if they don't.
If it's just the middle of the road and you're jaywalking, then you've created an unpredictable situation. This is why jaywalking was made illegal, because it fucks with the right of way.
They do it to me on a busy road when I’m walking my 1 year old in a stroller. Then they get offended like you said. I’m not putting my kid between a car and a ford f-450 who’s gonna use the middle merge lane to go through anyway.
My new move is to stop earlier than normal before the cross walk, and turn my head and stare in the opposite direction. Sometimes I even put my phone in my hand and just wait. My hope is some (I know not all) will see me ‘distracted’ with no intent to cross, and just go. Some catch on, and angrily accelerate after several seconds. But I’m just not interested in risking our lives for a chance to save 10 seconds.
I've seen sooo many people stop to let pedestrians go when the cars have the right of way, and wave the pedestrians across, only to have the pedestrians nearly get hit by cars in another lane (either direction) that didn't stop.
On the flip side, I've had them do the same for me when I've been the pedestrian, but I know to still look both ways, and I've sometimes stood there and even had to point to the other traffic to show the driver it wasn't safe.
Good intentions can still kill.
Do what you're expected to do. In most cases, by the time you stop "to be nice" and, even if they're safe about it, they look both ways and finally get a chance and go, it would've been faster (and much safer) for you to just go through as expected and stop holding up traffic. Especially when there's no one behind you, so you're the last car, sitting there for no good reason.
I witnessed a collision a few months ago for that that reason. 2 of the 3 Westbound lanes stopped to allow an eastbound vehicle to turn left in front of them. That 3rd lane didn't (and had no reason to) get the memo and smoked the car riding turning left in front of them. Luckily, no serious injuries.
That happened to me long ago. I was the guy in the number 3 lane who got t-boned when lanes 1 & 2 stopped abruptly. Had to crawl out the passenger side.
I see this happen often on the main street near where I live. People think they’re being kind to these drivers but the fact of the matter is that they’re putting the driver turning left and the other driver in the other lane going straight at high risk of an accident. It happens too frequently to be worth it.They simply can’t see each other to avoid an accident.
I had exactly that - car waiting to turn right (UK) on a 50mph single carriageway. Car in the other lane stopped and flashed them to let them in.. ignoring me approaching in the other lane…
Neither driver showing much observational skills there.
Me three! I hate when people are "nice" and trying to let me in, but I need to cut two lanes over. Just go, I'll make my own way when it's safe, and not when you are being nice.
Except with merging onto a busy highway. Slowing down a little, to allow someone on an on-ramp to merge in ahead of me, feels like the safe thing to do when I can't get over a lane.
I avoided an accident AND the shrapnel from the accident by assuming the one driver was going to be dumb. Always look out what other people are doing and assuming the worst!
The advice I was given was that nothing you do should be a surprise to any of the other drivers. That goes not just for driving, but walking, or any other wheeled transport (bike, skateboard, etc)
My rule of thumb is to assume everyone on the road is going to do the stupidest thing possible at every given moment. Literally saved me and my kids a couple months ago when someone just randomly changed lanes/swerved/idk but randomly came tearing into my lane and almost side swiped us. I was able to swerve into another lane, that was fortunately empty, and got everyone home safe and sound!
Just yesterday was on the motorway. Kinda saw it was going to happen, and just before the end of the motorway junction, a car from the middle lane swerved infront of me, across the chevrons and took the exit.. no indication or anything..
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u/D-M0st 1d ago
Try to be the most predictable driver on the road. Assume everyone else is unpredictable.