Constant race challenges?

[MrE]

Happens all the time. Seems without fail, I'll get some guy with a fart can Honda playing lane hockey in order to overtake me while in commute traffic.

Or the other day I had another winner with his lifted F350 acting all bad ass on the Freeway. He got up beside me trying to look all tough. All I did was point to his truck with a question mark expression, then I began to chuckle. He got bent but his passenger started laughing which looked to have had a calming affect on the driver. He proceeded to slow down and act/drive normal.

[HDDAN]

I am not sure of the concept of "racing on the freeway". What are the rules? I understand drag racing from a red light, but the freeway racing leaves me cold. How do you determine who the winner is? What do you get for winning? Someone mentoned the Left Lane Hogs, those are the idiots that inspire the Right Lane Commandos. The right lane commandos are the A-holes that pass everyone while being in the merge lane and then cut someone off when they encounter a car in front of them. I think that what the idiots that look like they are challenging you want to see is if they can make you do something dumb so they can have a good laugh, kind of like the idiots that yell "do a wheelie" to the guy on a motorcycle.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Steve Dallas

Essentially, if someone is able to pull into the right lane (or middle lane) and pass you on the right then pull back into the left lane, then you have failed in your DUTY to keep right except to pass...because there was room to pull over.

You don't understand that just enough room to get over is not a safe distance to pull back in front of someone, that is essentially "Cutting them off" and can cause road rage. not to mention if a cop sees you do it then you will get a agressive driving ticket.. Do you like it when someone cuts back in just beyond your front bumper? I was taught in driving school not to get back over until you can see both of the car's headlights that you have just passed in you inside rear view mirror, that is the SAFE distance to be when passing. Unfortunately most people ,(Including you) have forgotten this basic rule.

From the driving manual

Location: Divided Highways
Length of Lesson: 30-45 minutes

You should definitely practice passing on a divided highway before you even think about attempting <passing on a two-lane road>. In fact, passing on a two lane road is so dangerous, we don’t really recommend doing it unless there’s a serious reason to do so (beyond the person in front of you not driving as fast as you’d like). Anyway, that’s a different subject. Back to the divided highway.

Pass quickly, but don’t drive like a lunatic
When overtaking another car, you have to be careful about driving in their blindspot. Although you’re using the <BGE mirror settings>, most other drivers aren’t. The BGE setting was only invented in the 1990’s, so many older drivers have never heard of this superior mirror technique. When passing another car on the highway, you should drive approximately 10 mph faster than that car. If this would cause you to drive more than 5 mph over the speed limit, don’t make the pass. When you finish the pass, return to your previous speed.

Perform a visual scan before activating your turn signal
Before your teen turns on their signal, they should perform a complete visual scan of the area around their car. Not only should they check the areas immediately surrounding their car, they should also look at the lane they’re going to move into as well as one lane over from that lane.

The reason for this is to ensure that another car isn’t about to move into the same lane. If this is the case, the right of way goes to the car in the left-most lane. Let me repeat that: If two cars are attempting to move into the same lane on the highway, the car to the left has the right of way. In most other driving scenarios (such as a four-way stop or a t-intersection), the car to the right has the right way. Not so on the highway.

Once you can see their headlights, it’s safe to move back into the original lane
When passing, instruct your teen not to move back over into their original lane until they can see the headlights of the car they’ve passed in their rearview mirror. This indicates that they have adequate room to pull in front of the car.

Be careful of cars speeding up as you attempt to pass them
Remember, there are a lot of jerks out on the road. There are many people who feel slighted when you pass them on the highway. They seem to take it as a personal affront to their driving skills and try to prevent you from making the pass by speeding up.

If your teen encounters this, instruct them to let off the gas and pull back safely behind the car and increase their following distance. There’s absolutely no point in trying to “gun it” past this car. It’s also not safe to stay near this driver, so we highly advise that you back off and wait for this car to exit the highway.

Passing on the right
Normally, faster cars should be in the leftmost lanes of the highway and slower cars, the rightmost. However, there are times when a slowpoke driver is occupying a middle or left lane on the highway. It may be necessary to pass this car on the right. The same rules and procedures apply for passing on the right as on the left.

You should be aware, however, that most cars aren’t accustomed to being passed on their right. So, you need to be on the lookout for this car to suddenly move one lane over to the right. Since they’re not used to being passed, they may not be as diligent about checking their right-side blind spot and cause a collision as you attempt to pass them.

Therefore, we discourage passing on the right unless you have no other alternative. This does not mean that you should tailgate a slowpoke driver in order to get them to move over. Simply maintain your following distance and if possible, move over two lanes to the right. If you must pass on the right, try to keep a one lane buffer between you and the car you’re passing.

[Tysen]

If Back to the Future Part 3 taught us anything, it's that street racing can ruin lives. He would have hit that Rolls Royce!

[Steve Dallas]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

You don't understand that just enough room to get over is not a safe distance to pull back in front of someone, that is ecentially "Cutting them off" and can cause road rage. not to mention if a cop sees you do it then you will get a agressive driving ticket.. Do you like it when someone cuts back in just beyond your front bumper? I was taught in driving school not to get back over until you can see both of the car's headlights that you have just passed in you inside rear view mirror, that is the SAFE distance to be when passing. Unfortunately most people ,(Including you) have forgotten this basic rule.

From the driving manual

I didn't say to cut off someone to pass on the right.

All too often, I'll have lots of room to pull into the right lane and safely pass on the right....without the guy ever trying to pull over.

This is what I was referring to. I don't cut people off like that when I pull into the middle/right lane. The person who stays in the left lane? Not so much

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Steve Dallas

I didn't say to cut off someone to pass on the right.

All too often, I'll have lots of room to pull into the right lane and safely pass on the right....without the guy ever trying to pull over.

This is what I was referring to. I don't cut people off like that when I pull into the middle/right lane. The person who stays in the left lane? Not so much

Well from what you said

Originally Posted by Steve Dallas
Essentially, if someone is able to pull into the right lane (or middle lane) and pass you on the right then pull back into the left lane, then you have failed in your DUTY to keep right except to pass...because there was room to pull over.

You implied I did not get over in time.. which as I said I always wait until it is safe to get back over in front of the person I just passed.

So what distance in front of the car do you consider safe for pulling back into their lane without someone trying to cut between you?

Any more if you leave more than a car length between you and the car in front of you some A hole will cut in front of you.

[Steve Dallas]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Well from what you said

You implied I did not get over in time.. which as I said I always wait until it is safe to get back over in front of the person I just passed.

So what distance in front of the car do you consider safe for pulling back into their lane without someone trying to cut between you?

Any more if you leave more than a car length between you and the car in front or behind you some A hole will cut in front of you.

I didn't imply that you need to cut people off to do it. I will wait for the headlight (ok, not both headlights) to appear in the rear view mirror. At least, for the car in the middle/right lane. They deserve that respect.

As far as the idiot in the left lane....I may cut them off. road rage for road rage, I guess. Sometimes this gets their attention, and they pull to the right after I've passed. A lot of times, I just pass people on the right without ever needing to pull back into the left lane (why get in the left lane when you don't need to). As I said, if you are able to pass someone on the right, they fail as a driver.

[CPanther95]

Even worse is when you have cruise on and you get to the right to allow someone gaining on you to pass - then when they get to your rear bumper they slow to the point they are pacing you. Then you end up running into (not literally) the slower traffic in the right lane. You either jam the brakes and fall in behind, or gun it and cut him off.

Either way, I set my cruise back on and if I end up back in front of that guy, I won't pull right to allow him to pass. He can pass on the right from that point on if he wants to get in front of me.

That's my only exception to driving right, passing left.

[Angrybird 12]

This thread reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw years ago

"Drive like HELL!... You'll get there sooner"

People just need to learn some basic rules of the road, or at least follow the ones they learned to get their license, there would be much less road rage if we would all just slow down and use them...

Sorry for letting this thread get off topic. now back to the race challenge talk.

[2001ragtop]

Originally Posted by Dire Wolf

Why does me driving a little over the speed limit on a one or two lane local road where the speed limit is 35 or 40 piss you off?

Go around me or just wait until you can. I just don't see the need to flip me off or cut back in front of me two inches from my front bumper like you're all pissed off. Believe me when I want to drive fast I do but I always try and drive with respect for my fellow drivers.

If you're pissed off it's not my fault - you need to look at yourself for the reason.

I could not have said this better. If you going over the speed limit and the person beyond you still has an issue with it, let them go around you. Let them be first to drive into the potholes/hit debris, damage their car, buy new brakes every 3 months and cause multi-car accidents. All this to save on average 10 seconds. No one just has a pleasant drive anymore. It's always life and death.

[2010 Bumblebee]

I have 300 miles on mine.. every mustang that ever drove by me, or drove by me while I was parked did something.. may it be pull up and challenge me or drive by and spin the tires..

My racing days are over.. I have nothing to prove... I know my car is faster than most... and the tires cost $300 each..

It actually feels better to just cruise by and laugh at them...

Isn't 400+hp enought?? Of course we as men will always want more power, but I have plenty..

[Tysen]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

This thread reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw years ago

"Drive like HELL!... You'll get there sooner"

People just need to learn some basic rules of the road, or at least follow the ones they learned to get their license, there would be much less road rage if we would all just slow down and use them...

Sorry for letting this thread get off topic. now back to the race challenge talk.

There would be much less road rage from me if people would use their damn blinkers! I don't even care if someone cuts me off, as long as they use a blinker. I don't know what's wrong with people nowadays. I've even seen cops do it. Unbelievable.

[2SS10RS]

I had a Dodge Challenger RT before I sold it and bought my Camaro,
when I had the Chally, it seemed like everyone's right foot turned to lead when I was out driving it. Now that I have my Camaro I have seen GT500's, 370Z's, Mustang GT's etc. will not even pull up next to me. Kind of disappointing

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Tysen

There would be much less road rage from me if people would use their damn blinkers! I don't even care if someone cuts me off, as long as they use a blinker. I don't know what's wrong with people nowadays. I've even seen cops do it. Unbelievable.

Many times if they use their blinkers it will be only after they are already halfway in the next lane......but then again you have these A holes that will speed up as soon as you signal to get over.