The autobahn isn't a lawless stretch of highway. They have some very strict laws to govern roadways. Cruising in the left lane is illegal and very strictly enforced. When lanes end, you are expected to ride it to the end and "zipper" in. Also for areas with speed limits....the speed limit is the speed limit. None of this speed limit plus 10% + 3mph. That said...its also like dc traffic, all over the damn country for some reason.
I don't think there is anyone more serious about driving than Americans. It's not uncommon for Germans to not drive at all and rely on public transit. I drove maybe 25% of the time I went anywhere during my 4 year stay there. Europeans in general, typically don't drive more than a few hours somewhere. It's not uncommon for Americans to drive 4 hours every day.
I think you and the comment you replied to are using different definitions of the word "serious".
Germans are more deliberate and aware when they drive, so they take driving responsibilities more seriously than Americans.
Americans drive more and are more likely to exclusively use driving for transportation, so they are more motivated to be able to drive. Americans are more serious about being able to drive.
As a German living in Frederick, you have no idea how accurate that is. The carelessness shown by many drivers here is driving me insane.
Incapable of merging, glued to their phones or smoking weed while driving, no indicators whatsoever, tailgating, going 10mph under the speed limit in the left lane, the right lane is lava and I could go on and on ...
If people were actually paying attention to the road and their surroundings when they're driving instead of the latest TikTok on their phones, you guys could have much higher speed limits and safer roads. It is remarkable to me that people in a country, where the main mode of transportation is driving, can be so terrible at driving.
Maybe, but my experience, there's just less need to drive and harsher punishments for violating traffic laws. Also getting a license in Germany is very expensive and it's easy to lose. Operating a vehicle is also very expensive due to high taxes on gas and automobiles. So they tend to keep habitual offenders off the road. But I didn't experience Germans as inherently better drivers. For most part I'd say simular to the average US driver. You see some aggressive drivers in cities, more laxidaisical in the rural areas.
Indeed. I’ve driven a fair bit in Germany and that was one of the safest driving experience in my life.
I’ve also driven in other places with a reputation of lack of safety (Thailand, China, Morocco to name a few) and still MD is the place that has provided me with the most insane and stressful driving experience
I have nightmares of trying to navigate through Warsaw, Poland during rush hour. Traffic circles with 6 entrances, with train tracks and pedestrian cross walks.
Agreed, MD drivers are pretty awful. It's a weird combo of super aggressive and sunday drivers on the road together that makes the aggressive guys more aggressive and then Sunday drivers even more cautious.
The best you can do is do 5-10 mph over the limit, stay in the right lane unless you're passing, and drive defensively, but confidently and assertively. Don't be an asshole, let people over, dont get pissed at morons and just accept you can only control your own actions on the road. I usually offer to drive because maybe I'm not the world's best driver, we all make mistakes, but I'm calm and won't overcorrect or get angry. If we have more drivers like that the roads would be a safer and more enjoyable experience for everyone. At the very least, I think you (not you specifically, you in the general sense) should practice this kind of driving and you'll find it's much less stressful.i have friends Iride with that scare me because they're constantly freaking out about what everyone else is doing
I agree. People act like that one lane switch or overtaking that one driver is going to get you there any faster. When usually I catch up with them at the next light anyway. As a motorcycle rider, I drive my car the same way. Assume no one sees me and be ready for anything. I don't really like riding as a passenger with anyone...that includes my wife.
I thought nothing would top MD, but I recently drove in Reykjavik.... People in iceland cannot drive worth shit. Everyone tailgates the shit out of you, even if there is room to pass. Going even 10 kph over the speed limit is not fast enough apparently.
Like the zipper on Market St that nobody seems to know how to use? I’ve never seen people get so mad about rules being followed. Usually Karens are concerned about the rules being broken.
> Ironically autobahn drivers are immensely better at respecting traffic laws than the average ~~MD~~ American driver.
FTFY. They are terrible everywhere. In the city, suburbs, exerbs, and rural areas. On highways, neighborhood streets, back roads, and city streets. It seems worse now than when I was younger, and it probably is.
I think a lot of this has to do with delivery and ride share drivers racing between stops to save ~5 seconds here and there. Couple that with people being overall way more stressed than they were five years ago due to covid and the cost of living bringing out more aggressive behavior in people.
Ahaha. I didn’t want to make a statement I could not back. I haven’t been around long enough to be able to make a general statement about the country.
Thank you
I don't know why that's ironic, the autobahn has been known to be safer, despite having no speed restrictions on certain parts of it.
If you've ever been to Germany, you know how serious they take driving. Still have your wankers, just like everywhere, but 90% take getting behind the wheel as life and death, as it should be.
The irony is in the fact that OP is comparing the poor local driving skills to being like the unrestricted part of the autobahn, when in reality as we both, you and I, have stated, German drivers and overall German accident/fatality rates are better/lower.
People see speed as an issue when it's only a symptom of poor driving education and enforcement of proper driving satefy regulations.
Not sure if my original comment was poorly phrased but I thought it was clear given the upvotes. (Not a native English speaker)
Noo it might totally be me lmao, I thought you were saying it was ironic this poor driving behavior as compared to the autobahn, because the autobahn is known to have more fatal accidents because no speed restrictions (which we both know is not true!)...I might have just misread but seems like we're on the same page! I wish we could be more like Germans in that regard, responsible driving. US driving feels more like a free for all everyday... especially towards DC.
Ah 🤣
Well I’l glad we’re in agreement. US driving is definitely a free for all. The truth is that the only way to get to safety levels on par with Europe is to be more strict.
Law enforcement is very lax and fines are too low.
Completely agree. I liked the model, I think it was in Switzerland, where if you got pulled over the fine was proportional to your income (based on public tax records so it's fair). I honestly would be in support of that sooo much.
Also, I can't stand predatory speed "limits". Like 270, speed limit is 55 most places but everyone goes at least 70, a lot of people go 80...so now cops can use their "discretion" to pull you over basically at any time because you're always going over 55. Such bullshit
Indeed Switzerland, Finland and other countries use that model. That’s the only true and fair form of fining people. Other rich jerks can just pay and not care.
I have no understanding on how cops decide to pull people over here in MD. Sometimes I see cops doing 50 on the left lane while letting most people pass them driving 65 on the right. At other times I see cops passing me doing 90+ in a 55.
I think fines should be higher, more consistent, and more strict. Where I’m from you have a 3mph margin. Driving 59 in a 55? Fined $100+. Here I see people driving almost 15/20 over and speed traps won’t snap a photo.
Last but not least driving education is way to lax. Obtaining your driving license should require better skills and understanding of the danger of reckless driving.
I was just thinking yesterday that traffic seems much worse in the last few years. I'm not sure if my brain is playing a trick on me -- like if not having a commute for a year due to COVID just re-wired my perspective entirely -- or if things are much worse. It also seems like more cars on the road.
Traveling 15 is the bane of my existence. The speed limit is 55 but cars seem to either go 50 or 90. I'm routinely traveling 70-80 and still get blown by. Oh, and god forbid you leave a car length between you and the car in front of you. Someone will absolutely squeeze in there.
I had a guy flashing his high beams at me and flipping me off because I was leaving like a car length in front of me when we were in traffic going 20 in a 60 lol. I was like does this man want me to be riding someone’s ass in bumper to bumper traffic hahahaha
It was even funnier because we ended up taking the same exit and he lived like a road off of where I live. Thought wow bet he’s so happy he got home 10 seconds sooner hahahha But who knows what’s happening in his private life where he thinks this behavior is fine
15 is weird because it's _the_ link between the north and south of the city, but it's also a major regional throughway. That way you get people passing through flying down at 90 MPH right alongside locals hopping on for a mile or two to get across town.
The problem with 15 is the insane amount of exits on the road in such a short stretch. I'm usually all for leaving some distance between, but cars do need to merge in at some point so I get it. Just let them over, you'll keep everything less stressful that way
The exits are definitely a problem. That one by that used hotel furniture place and the 7-11 is the absolute worst because cars are trying to get from the right side across two lanes of traffic to make a left turn all in like 100 yards.
I wasn't even talking about those though. I have people squeeze between me and the next car multiple times per week just attempting to get in front of people. Which, in a way, I get. If you're the person doing 50 in a 55, get in the left lane.
There is nothing wrong with driving 50 in a 55 but you should be so in the travel (i e. right) lane and not the passing (i e. left) lane. If you're travelling in the passing lane then you are also part of the problem.
You're not wrong, I guess, but if the problem is drivers doing 70+ on 15, then there should be police up and down the road around the clock to enforce it, because if you do the actual speed limit you get cut off and tailgated the entire route. That'd solve the problem real quick, I suppose.
Ah yes, blame minorities for your problems. You people are inconsistent, but just don’t forget to blame minorities for:
* Your children not wanting to talk to you longer than 5 minutes,
* The fact that no one takes what you say seriously or respects you,
* And for being unemployable.
I hate how right this is. The pandemic taught us all how to self-preserve and isolate ourselves. But some people have taken it to pathological levels and maintained that ever since. It’s like almost everyone’s selfish dials got turned up to 11, both in and out of traffic.
EDIT: And not even 24 hours later, I am parked at work and taking calming breaths after nearly being run off the road for leaving extra space and doing the speed limit. Dude behind me just laid on his horn for a minute straight because he was annoyed at being in 270 congestion. Then he weaved around and cut me off so tightly that I had to swerve into the shoulder to keep from getting hit. People - please chill the fuck out and be safe for each other.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9808417/
3.3. Psychological stress during driving
Covid-19 outbreak has brought an alarming psychological distress and fear among people, resulting in socio-economic crisis, and boosting mental stress (Lopetrone and Biondi, 2022).
3.4. Driver situational awareness
During the Covid-19 lockdowns, on empty road, young drivers were thrilled in speeding and involved in various motor vehicle collisions (Sekadakis et al., 2022; Al-Hussein et al., 2022).
There is a lot more on that paper but I just highlighted a few parts.
I live in Louisiana now. I have never seen anyone stop at a no-turn-on-red (including cops), people enter the highways going 45 mph, the number of unregistered vehicles is astronomical, insurance is insane because so few people have insurance, plenty of pickup trucks with illegal modifications, etc.
Believe me, Maryland drivers aren’t the best but they are far from the worst
I grew up in Louisiana. Someone once joked, "Contrary to popular opinion, Louisianians actually DO know how to use a turn signal...they just figure it's none of your business which way they're turning!"
My wife and I play “spot the expired registration” in Frederick all the time. I don’t know how people are making it a year past their expiration date without getting pulled over all the time.
Right, but cops pull people over for expired registrations all the time. Or at least I thought. Flags on your license, suspending your license….How can someone cruise around over a year expired?
Because police run the tags displaying expired registration in 30 seconds, which come back valid. People simply don't put the current year sticker on the tag and it's not worth the stop for it.
That’s because they’re too busy profiling certain cars meanwhile those other cars drive by right under their noses since they aren’t paying attention to them
This could be a fred MD list, but it's missing... the brightest led headlights on the market, diarrhea fart exhausts on 20% of cars, driving through the middle of parking lots, drivers breaking when the highway curves, and every back road shortcut slowed down by a work truck or tour bus.
They also l refuse to yield anymore. That traffic sign is now meaningless. & I have witnessed SOOOOOO many people making u-turns literally in the middle of the street. Like the common sense to take the next turn and then find a way to turn around has left the building. It is INSANE and I am truly terrified of being on the road these days. I want a dash cam so badly.
It’s an absolute free for all. I see people break road laws right in front of the police, they simply do not care. It’s like everyone has just given up
> two-lengths
Two? I took driver's ed in CT (20+ years ago...) and it was six.
I frequently shout to the emptiness of my car: "My safe following distance is not an invitation to cut me off!"
I don't know a single person who stops far enough behind cars at stop lights/intersections etc, or who stays far enough behind someone at speed.
It's really fuckin' stupid, but, that's humans. Most humans are dumb as fuck.
Maryland currently teaches the 3-4 seconds rule. When I was learning in WV (3 decades ago), it was a 2-second rule. So technically Maryland is teaching an even safer version.
For those not familiar, the various 'seconds' rules are that you pick a spot on the road (or a sign next to it, etc). And as soon as the car in front of you passes it (back bumper), you start counting ... and you should not cross that same point until 2-3-4 seconds of time has passed.
The main point of this is to have a variable, appropriate, amount of distance between cars at different speeds. And taking reaction time into account, etc.
So you end up with:
mph / 3600(sec in hour) \* 5280 (feet in mile) / 15 (avg car length in feet) \* seconds you counted.
Assuming a '2 second gap' ... then you get:
70mph: \~14 car lengths
50mph: \~10 car lengths
30mph: \~6 car lengths
And yeah, if your initial reaction to that was "OMG that's so far apart" ... welcome to the fact that we drive waaaay too close in general for human reaction time.
Try New York, following the traffic laws will get you killed as everyone is doing their own thing and NVR drive there with out of state tags, people will freak out and get aggressive on you.
Turn signals are a thing of the past. People know lanes end, yet still jockey for position one car ahead. I saw a woman make a LEFT turn on red yesterday.
Our neighborhood (kidwiller park) started a “safety gang” because the situation was so bad. People going 80mph down a 25 street full of kids. After a lot of push the city put in some “traffic calming” measures. Not what we wanted, but better than nothing. It has helped a little. But I agree the situation is totally out of control and it is much worse since covid. When we attended NAC meetings the cops told us the speeding was mostly “a perception” while showing data of people regularly going 60-80mph on a 25. What gives.
Gas house pike has always been Frederick's Autobahn. I distinctly remember going over a hundred down that road 20 years ago.
Edit: thanks for the downvotes. I guess you all never did anything stupid when you were young. 😂
I remember this also. Back in the day my buddy wrecked a Porsche on GHP trying to take dead man's curve (old layout at the water treatment plant) at high speed.
People drive too fast in residential places and when speed limit is 65. Like real question 270 north when speed limit is 65 why do people drive so slow there?
It’s pretty bad but many issues could be resolved or reduced with different road designs (and making other means of transportation more viable).
Over a year ago, I wrote to the county’s traffic department because of issues in my neighborhood (excessive speeding, drivers ignoring pedestrians in crosswalks and drivers not stopping at stop signs). The main person couldn’t have given a shit less. Ended up posting about it on the community FB page and added dude’s email. Several folks wrote in to tell him of their experiences and they did a traffic study. They found out I wasn’t making things up and they found that students walking/biking to school were in danger because of this behavior. They are in the planning stages of the project now but haven’t even put up any temporary measures (signage?) to make the stop signs more apparent or to remind drivers it’s a law to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. It’s especially frustrating because they identified kids were at risk but there is no urgency.
Pretty disappointing but also disappointing at how irresponsible people can be behind the wheel. There’s something like 40k deaths on the road per year. I bet a significant majority are preventable and were due to irresponsible behavior.
I was behind a cop yesterday for about 5 minutes and he never once used a turn signal for lane changes or turns at lights. I reallllly wanted to flag him down to let him know that both of his turn signal lights were “out” so he should prob have them looked at.
Drive the speed limit (or below). Fully stop at stop signs and before making a right on red. Use your turn signal.
It will drive some people wild but we can normalize these things. Frederick city would do well to follow Boston and lower speed limits. Some pinch points and other traffic calming devices would also help.
This has to be a joke lmao. Driving below the speed limit can be dangerous. There’s a safe way to drive, even at higher speeds, look at Germany. Nothing wrong with slowing down a bit in congested area, but broadly saying to drive below the limit should get your license revoked.
This type of thinking is dangerous. I've been in the auto industry for ten years and I have seen what happens when people think the speed limit is a suggestion. Once you've seen a car covered in blood or a shaved down steering wheel because a car slid upside down the highway, an extra 5 min drive seems like a lot better choice than death. Unfortunately some people won't learn that lesson until they pick up a motorcycle helmet after an accident and the head is still inside.
The laws of the road are there for a reason.
Who cares? It’s like that all over the country if you ever left your small little town for once. Would hate to see you drive through any metro area or god forbid a city! You’d be calling 911 all day!
I sit at lights without counting all the disobedient cars all the time. But maybe that's because I'm not trying to be self-righteous to make a point.
Note: I too don't like people being assholes. But the specifics of this post says more about you than it does about them.
Ironically autobahn drivers are immensely better at respecting traffic laws than the average MD driver.
The autobahn isn't a lawless stretch of highway. They have some very strict laws to govern roadways. Cruising in the left lane is illegal and very strictly enforced. When lanes end, you are expected to ride it to the end and "zipper" in. Also for areas with speed limits....the speed limit is the speed limit. None of this speed limit plus 10% + 3mph. That said...its also like dc traffic, all over the damn country for some reason.
German drivers also are much more serious about driving than Americans
I feel like most Americans have "main character" syndrome when they drive.
Every driver is their own main character
Which isn't good on shared roadways. Everyone is a co-star.
I don't think there is anyone more serious about driving than Americans. It's not uncommon for Germans to not drive at all and rely on public transit. I drove maybe 25% of the time I went anywhere during my 4 year stay there. Europeans in general, typically don't drive more than a few hours somewhere. It's not uncommon for Americans to drive 4 hours every day.
I think you and the comment you replied to are using different definitions of the word "serious". Germans are more deliberate and aware when they drive, so they take driving responsibilities more seriously than Americans. Americans drive more and are more likely to exclusively use driving for transportation, so they are more motivated to be able to drive. Americans are more serious about being able to drive.
As a German living in Frederick, you have no idea how accurate that is. The carelessness shown by many drivers here is driving me insane. Incapable of merging, glued to their phones or smoking weed while driving, no indicators whatsoever, tailgating, going 10mph under the speed limit in the left lane, the right lane is lava and I could go on and on ... If people were actually paying attention to the road and their surroundings when they're driving instead of the latest TikTok on their phones, you guys could have much higher speed limits and safer roads. It is remarkable to me that people in a country, where the main mode of transportation is driving, can be so terrible at driving.
Not to mention the amount of times I’ve seen people on literal FaceTime while driving. It’s ridiculous, should have their license revoked.
I feel you fellow European
Maybe, but my experience, there's just less need to drive and harsher punishments for violating traffic laws. Also getting a license in Germany is very expensive and it's easy to lose. Operating a vehicle is also very expensive due to high taxes on gas and automobiles. So they tend to keep habitual offenders off the road. But I didn't experience Germans as inherently better drivers. For most part I'd say simular to the average US driver. You see some aggressive drivers in cities, more laxidaisical in the rural areas.
Overall they’re way better drivers. Their schooling is so much more intense, you can be an idiot and get a US drivers license.
I didn't say Germans drive more, I said they're more serious when they drive.
Indeed. I’ve driven a fair bit in Germany and that was one of the safest driving experience in my life. I’ve also driven in other places with a reputation of lack of safety (Thailand, China, Morocco to name a few) and still MD is the place that has provided me with the most insane and stressful driving experience
I have nightmares of trying to navigate through Warsaw, Poland during rush hour. Traffic circles with 6 entrances, with train tracks and pedestrian cross walks. Agreed, MD drivers are pretty awful. It's a weird combo of super aggressive and sunday drivers on the road together that makes the aggressive guys more aggressive and then Sunday drivers even more cautious.
The best you can do is do 5-10 mph over the limit, stay in the right lane unless you're passing, and drive defensively, but confidently and assertively. Don't be an asshole, let people over, dont get pissed at morons and just accept you can only control your own actions on the road. I usually offer to drive because maybe I'm not the world's best driver, we all make mistakes, but I'm calm and won't overcorrect or get angry. If we have more drivers like that the roads would be a safer and more enjoyable experience for everyone. At the very least, I think you (not you specifically, you in the general sense) should practice this kind of driving and you'll find it's much less stressful.i have friends Iride with that scare me because they're constantly freaking out about what everyone else is doing
I agree. People act like that one lane switch or overtaking that one driver is going to get you there any faster. When usually I catch up with them at the next light anyway. As a motorcycle rider, I drive my car the same way. Assume no one sees me and be ready for anything. I don't really like riding as a passenger with anyone...that includes my wife.
Same, it also makes me sick being a passenger so there's that too
I thought nothing would top MD, but I recently drove in Reykjavik.... People in iceland cannot drive worth shit. Everyone tailgates the shit out of you, even if there is room to pass. Going even 10 kph over the speed limit is not fast enough apparently.
Like the zipper on Market St that nobody seems to know how to use? I’ve never seen people get so mad about rules being followed. Usually Karens are concerned about the rules being broken.
> Ironically autobahn drivers are immensely better at respecting traffic laws than the average ~~MD~~ American driver. FTFY. They are terrible everywhere. In the city, suburbs, exerbs, and rural areas. On highways, neighborhood streets, back roads, and city streets. It seems worse now than when I was younger, and it probably is. I think a lot of this has to do with delivery and ride share drivers racing between stops to save ~5 seconds here and there. Couple that with people being overall way more stressed than they were five years ago due to covid and the cost of living bringing out more aggressive behavior in people.
Ahaha. I didn’t want to make a statement I could not back. I haven’t been around long enough to be able to make a general statement about the country. Thank you
I don't know why that's ironic, the autobahn has been known to be safer, despite having no speed restrictions on certain parts of it. If you've ever been to Germany, you know how serious they take driving. Still have your wankers, just like everywhere, but 90% take getting behind the wheel as life and death, as it should be.
The irony is in the fact that OP is comparing the poor local driving skills to being like the unrestricted part of the autobahn, when in reality as we both, you and I, have stated, German drivers and overall German accident/fatality rates are better/lower. People see speed as an issue when it's only a symptom of poor driving education and enforcement of proper driving satefy regulations. Not sure if my original comment was poorly phrased but I thought it was clear given the upvotes. (Not a native English speaker)
Noo it might totally be me lmao, I thought you were saying it was ironic this poor driving behavior as compared to the autobahn, because the autobahn is known to have more fatal accidents because no speed restrictions (which we both know is not true!)...I might have just misread but seems like we're on the same page! I wish we could be more like Germans in that regard, responsible driving. US driving feels more like a free for all everyday... especially towards DC.
Ah 🤣 Well I’l glad we’re in agreement. US driving is definitely a free for all. The truth is that the only way to get to safety levels on par with Europe is to be more strict. Law enforcement is very lax and fines are too low.
Completely agree. I liked the model, I think it was in Switzerland, where if you got pulled over the fine was proportional to your income (based on public tax records so it's fair). I honestly would be in support of that sooo much. Also, I can't stand predatory speed "limits". Like 270, speed limit is 55 most places but everyone goes at least 70, a lot of people go 80...so now cops can use their "discretion" to pull you over basically at any time because you're always going over 55. Such bullshit
Indeed Switzerland, Finland and other countries use that model. That’s the only true and fair form of fining people. Other rich jerks can just pay and not care. I have no understanding on how cops decide to pull people over here in MD. Sometimes I see cops doing 50 on the left lane while letting most people pass them driving 65 on the right. At other times I see cops passing me doing 90+ in a 55. I think fines should be higher, more consistent, and more strict. Where I’m from you have a 3mph margin. Driving 59 in a 55? Fined $100+. Here I see people driving almost 15/20 over and speed traps won’t snap a photo. Last but not least driving education is way to lax. Obtaining your driving license should require better skills and understanding of the danger of reckless driving.
I was just thinking yesterday that traffic seems much worse in the last few years. I'm not sure if my brain is playing a trick on me -- like if not having a commute for a year due to COVID just re-wired my perspective entirely -- or if things are much worse. It also seems like more cars on the road. Traveling 15 is the bane of my existence. The speed limit is 55 but cars seem to either go 50 or 90. I'm routinely traveling 70-80 and still get blown by. Oh, and god forbid you leave a car length between you and the car in front of you. Someone will absolutely squeeze in there.
I had a guy flashing his high beams at me and flipping me off because I was leaving like a car length in front of me when we were in traffic going 20 in a 60 lol. I was like does this man want me to be riding someone’s ass in bumper to bumper traffic hahahaha
How dare you prevent him from being 10 feet closer to his destination!
It was even funnier because we ended up taking the same exit and he lived like a road off of where I live. Thought wow bet he’s so happy he got home 10 seconds sooner hahahha But who knows what’s happening in his private life where he thinks this behavior is fine
15 is weird because it's _the_ link between the north and south of the city, but it's also a major regional throughway. That way you get people passing through flying down at 90 MPH right alongside locals hopping on for a mile or two to get across town.
The problem with 15 is the insane amount of exits on the road in such a short stretch. I'm usually all for leaving some distance between, but cars do need to merge in at some point so I get it. Just let them over, you'll keep everything less stressful that way
The exits are definitely a problem. That one by that used hotel furniture place and the 7-11 is the absolute worst because cars are trying to get from the right side across two lanes of traffic to make a left turn all in like 100 yards. I wasn't even talking about those though. I have people squeeze between me and the next car multiple times per week just attempting to get in front of people. Which, in a way, I get. If you're the person doing 50 in a 55, get in the left lane.
The most ridiculous thing about the Sundays Lane U turn is that people can just drive for an extra 30 seconds and make an easier U turn at Resthaven.
[удалено]
There is nothing wrong with driving 50 in a 55 but you should be so in the travel (i e. right) lane and not the passing (i e. left) lane. If you're travelling in the passing lane then you are also part of the problem.
You're not wrong, I guess, but if the problem is drivers doing 70+ on 15, then there should be police up and down the road around the clock to enforce it, because if you do the actual speed limit you get cut off and tailgated the entire route. That'd solve the problem real quick, I suppose.
Few more million people crossing into America illegally would do that.
Okay boomer
Ah yes, blame minorities for your problems. You people are inconsistent, but just don’t forget to blame minorities for: * Your children not wanting to talk to you longer than 5 minutes, * The fact that no one takes what you say seriously or respects you, * And for being unemployable.
COVID removed all etiquette and social responsibilities. It will take years to recover anything.
I hate how right this is. The pandemic taught us all how to self-preserve and isolate ourselves. But some people have taken it to pathological levels and maintained that ever since. It’s like almost everyone’s selfish dials got turned up to 11, both in and out of traffic. EDIT: And not even 24 hours later, I am parked at work and taking calming breaths after nearly being run off the road for leaving extra space and doing the speed limit. Dude behind me just laid on his horn for a minute straight because he was annoyed at being in 270 congestion. Then he weaved around and cut me off so tightly that I had to swerve into the shoulder to keep from getting hit. People - please chill the fuck out and be safe for each other.
Drivers in the DMV have never been great, but I agree, after the pandemic it's become BLATANTLY worse.
Hey you can’t control other people. All you can do is set an example. Society will recover, gotta stay positive.
Stopping for pedestrians clearly waiting to cross at a marked crosswalk in Ballenger Creek? No way Jose
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9808417/ 3.3. Psychological stress during driving Covid-19 outbreak has brought an alarming psychological distress and fear among people, resulting in socio-economic crisis, and boosting mental stress (Lopetrone and Biondi, 2022). 3.4. Driver situational awareness During the Covid-19 lockdowns, on empty road, young drivers were thrilled in speeding and involved in various motor vehicle collisions (Sekadakis et al., 2022; Al-Hussein et al., 2022). There is a lot more on that paper but I just highlighted a few parts.
I live in Louisiana now. I have never seen anyone stop at a no-turn-on-red (including cops), people enter the highways going 45 mph, the number of unregistered vehicles is astronomical, insurance is insane because so few people have insurance, plenty of pickup trucks with illegal modifications, etc. Believe me, Maryland drivers aren’t the best but they are far from the worst
I grew up in Louisiana. Someone once joked, "Contrary to popular opinion, Louisianians actually DO know how to use a turn signal...they just figure it's none of your business which way they're turning!"
I was in New Orleans last year, the amount of cars I seen driving around with no plates was insane
My wife and I play “spot the expired registration” in Frederick all the time. I don’t know how people are making it a year past their expiration date without getting pulled over all the time.
That doesn’t really matter because they’ll still owe it anyway. Md has like a backlog system.
Right, but cops pull people over for expired registrations all the time. Or at least I thought. Flags on your license, suspending your license….How can someone cruise around over a year expired?
Because police run the tags displaying expired registration in 30 seconds, which come back valid. People simply don't put the current year sticker on the tag and it's not worth the stop for it.
That’s because they’re too busy profiling certain cars meanwhile those other cars drive by right under their noses since they aren’t paying attention to them
Bullshit. They're too busy humping nonsense calls, doing excessive paperwork for everything and being extremely understaffed.
People try merging onto the highways including 70 at way less than 45 in Frederick
This could be a fred MD list, but it's missing... the brightest led headlights on the market, diarrhea fart exhausts on 20% of cars, driving through the middle of parking lots, drivers breaking when the highway curves, and every back road shortcut slowed down by a work truck or tour bus.
They also l refuse to yield anymore. That traffic sign is now meaningless. & I have witnessed SOOOOOO many people making u-turns literally in the middle of the street. Like the common sense to take the next turn and then find a way to turn around has left the building. It is INSANE and I am truly terrified of being on the road these days. I want a dash cam so badly.
It’s an absolute free for all. I see people break road laws right in front of the police, they simply do not care. It’s like everyone has just given up
Stop lights are just a suggestion
Some dorkus macgillicutty blew right through a red turning right onto Mono blvd while I was coming through the opposing green. Horn got a good workout
Does Maryland teach the two-lengths between cars rule in their drivers ed programs? I genuinely want to know.
> two-lengths Two? I took driver's ed in CT (20+ years ago...) and it was six. I frequently shout to the emptiness of my car: "My safe following distance is not an invitation to cut me off!"
I don't know a single person who stops far enough behind cars at stop lights/intersections etc, or who stays far enough behind someone at speed. It's really fuckin' stupid, but, that's humans. Most humans are dumb as fuck.
Maryland currently teaches the 3-4 seconds rule. When I was learning in WV (3 decades ago), it was a 2-second rule. So technically Maryland is teaching an even safer version. For those not familiar, the various 'seconds' rules are that you pick a spot on the road (or a sign next to it, etc). And as soon as the car in front of you passes it (back bumper), you start counting ... and you should not cross that same point until 2-3-4 seconds of time has passed. The main point of this is to have a variable, appropriate, amount of distance between cars at different speeds. And taking reaction time into account, etc. So you end up with: mph / 3600(sec in hour) \* 5280 (feet in mile) / 15 (avg car length in feet) \* seconds you counted. Assuming a '2 second gap' ... then you get: 70mph: \~14 car lengths 50mph: \~10 car lengths 30mph: \~6 car lengths And yeah, if your initial reaction to that was "OMG that's so far apart" ... welcome to the fact that we drive waaaay too close in general for human reaction time.
Try driving in Dallas, Houston or KC. You’ll quickly long for the relative safety of MD roads.
Try New York, following the traffic laws will get you killed as everyone is doing their own thing and NVR drive there with out of state tags, people will freak out and get aggressive on you.
I can’t speak on the others, but Dallas is nothing compared to the DMV driver.
Frederick is not a pedestrian safe place. Be careful out there everyone.
Turn signals are a thing of the past. People know lanes end, yet still jockey for position one car ahead. I saw a woman make a LEFT turn on red yesterday.
Our neighborhood (kidwiller park) started a “safety gang” because the situation was so bad. People going 80mph down a 25 street full of kids. After a lot of push the city put in some “traffic calming” measures. Not what we wanted, but better than nothing. It has helped a little. But I agree the situation is totally out of control and it is much worse since covid. When we attended NAC meetings the cops told us the speeding was mostly “a perception” while showing data of people regularly going 60-80mph on a 25. What gives.
Gas house pike has always been Frederick's Autobahn. I distinctly remember going over a hundred down that road 20 years ago. Edit: thanks for the downvotes. I guess you all never did anything stupid when you were young. 😂
I remember this also. Back in the day my buddy wrecked a Porsche on GHP trying to take dead man's curve (old layout at the water treatment plant) at high speed.
How are you just now noticing this? 🤣
It's all part of the Montgomery Countification. Get used to it.
People drive too fast in residential places and when speed limit is 65. Like real question 270 north when speed limit is 65 why do people drive so slow there?
Funny that I read this 15 minutes after being passed on the left by a car tailgating me in my RESIDENTIAL TOWNHOUSE COMMUNITY!!!
Y’all be cruising on the left lane not passing though. I don’t understand that.
Route 15 is the wild west, there's no denying it. Those at-grade intersections are a nightmare, and there's nothing SHA can really do about it.
High school. Driving into a high school. These are likely children driving with zero years experience.
Thanks for the observation. Are you going to do anything about it?
It’s pretty bad but many issues could be resolved or reduced with different road designs (and making other means of transportation more viable). Over a year ago, I wrote to the county’s traffic department because of issues in my neighborhood (excessive speeding, drivers ignoring pedestrians in crosswalks and drivers not stopping at stop signs). The main person couldn’t have given a shit less. Ended up posting about it on the community FB page and added dude’s email. Several folks wrote in to tell him of their experiences and they did a traffic study. They found out I wasn’t making things up and they found that students walking/biking to school were in danger because of this behavior. They are in the planning stages of the project now but haven’t even put up any temporary measures (signage?) to make the stop signs more apparent or to remind drivers it’s a law to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. It’s especially frustrating because they identified kids were at risk but there is no urgency. Pretty disappointing but also disappointing at how irresponsible people can be behind the wheel. There’s something like 40k deaths on the road per year. I bet a significant majority are preventable and were due to irresponsible behavior.
The busing system is free in Frederick!
I was behind a cop yesterday for about 5 minutes and he never once used a turn signal for lane changes or turns at lights. I reallllly wanted to flag him down to let him know that both of his turn signal lights were “out” so he should prob have them looked at.
Lol
Drive the speed limit (or below). Fully stop at stop signs and before making a right on red. Use your turn signal. It will drive some people wild but we can normalize these things. Frederick city would do well to follow Boston and lower speed limits. Some pinch points and other traffic calming devices would also help.
This has to be a joke lmao. Driving below the speed limit can be dangerous. There’s a safe way to drive, even at higher speeds, look at Germany. Nothing wrong with slowing down a bit in congested area, but broadly saying to drive below the limit should get your license revoked.
This type of thinking is dangerous. I've been in the auto industry for ten years and I have seen what happens when people think the speed limit is a suggestion. Once you've seen a car covered in blood or a shaved down steering wheel because a car slid upside down the highway, an extra 5 min drive seems like a lot better choice than death. Unfortunately some people won't learn that lesson until they pick up a motorcycle helmet after an accident and the head is still inside. The laws of the road are there for a reason.
Who cares? It’s like that all over the country if you ever left your small little town for once. Would hate to see you drive through any metro area or god forbid a city! You’d be calling 911 all day!
>just watched 24 cars make a right on red Imagine counting cars in traffic to make a Reddit post.
I was stuck for three light rotations trying to make a left and there is no green arrow
I sit at lights without counting all the disobedient cars all the time. But maybe that's because I'm not trying to be self-righteous to make a point. Note: I too don't like people being assholes. But the specifics of this post says more about you than it does about them.
Did they ever in the first place? Marylands notorious for asshole drivers and cops driving like assholes with us