Does This Happen in other Places ??

[Bluerauder]

Has anyone else ever noticed the tendency of people approaching a Stop sign to first look right and then look left. :rolleyes: Seems to me that the car coming from the left is closer to you and will be the most immediate problem.

I notice this "look right first" tendency when I am travelling along a road where there are multiple cross streets. The driver's always appear to be looking away in the opposite direction even if they are only gonna make a right turn anyway.

Until I make eye contact with the cross street driver -- I assume that he hasn't seen me and will pull out in front of me any second now. :eek: :nono:

Maybe its just a Right-Left thing -- but it sure seems to be prevalent in the Virginia and DC Metro area.

[ckadiddle]

Nah, I'm so blind I can barely tell people are in the other cars. ;)

[Mebot]

Haven't really noticed it much myself however:


Maybe its just a Right-Left thing -- but it sure seems to be prevalent in the Virginia and DC Metro area.
I wouldn't doubt it at all.

[duhtroll]

Heck, that's nothing - in Iowa they could be sitting there at the 4-way when you arrive and then they wave you through. They must have nothing to do. It really kinda pisses me off because we have that "no, after you" thing going on and then everyone has to wait. That's why we have rules, people; so we don't all look like morons waving at each other across traffic.

Every now and then, if there's no one else around I give the other person (usually an older person, nothing against them but they seem to be oft the culprits) a stupid looking grin and wave them through and refuse to move, as if I am just an idiot (not too far from the truth anyway). One time I waited for almost 20 seconds before they caught on.

The driver's manual sez look left then right because that's the car that's gonna hit you first. Personally, I go left-right-left because people like to zoom in from nowhere at 60 mph around here sometimes.

[Smokie]

My own personal habit is: left-right-left. That scan includes straight ahead across the street.

[jgc61sr2002]

My own personal habit is: left-right-left. That scan includes straight ahead across the street.




What Smokie said. ^^^^^^^

[Leadfoot281]

Heck, that's nothing - in Iowa they could be sitting there at the 4-way when you arrive and then they wave you through. They must have nothing to do. It really kinda pisses me off because we have that "no, after you" thing going on and then everyone has to wait. That's why we have rules, people; so we don't all look like morons waving at each other across traffic.

Lol! You just perfectly described driving in my home town! It usually ends with me stomping the gas peddle into the firewall.

The whole thing reminds me of a Top Fuel "burndown" where the drivers refuse to stage the cars in the appropiate amount of time. The do it to intentionally disrupt/annoy the other drivers. "Polite" drivers do it for opposite reasons, but the effects are the same. :mad2:

[STLR FN]

When I'm in my F-150, I use the "whoever has the biggest tires goes first rule." And since I run 33X12.50 I win most/all of the time. :D

[DarthMarauder]

Actually you should look right first cause when I took drivers ed you learn that the person on the right of you has the right of way if you were both to get to the stop sign at the same time. So this has become my natural motion to make sure there is no one approaching at the same time.

[Hotrauder]

I haven't looked left since Jimma Carter got the interest rate up to 21% and gas lines 6 blocks long. Dennis:beer:

[SergntMac]

Actually you should look right first cause when I took drivers ed you learn that the person on the right of you has the right of way if you were both to get to the stop sign at the same time. So this has become my natural motion to make sure there is no one approaching at the same time. Ditto...I look right first too, because Illinois is a "right-of-way" state, where cars approaching you from your right, have the right of way. This establishes a pecking order at 4-way stops, and I would have the right-of-way over a driver approaching from my left, or, I should anyway...

It's not always like that around here, because Illinois residents have fu*ked up egos, and guns...Me too...LOL!

[KillJoy]

I look Right - Left - Right....

I think I got it from Driver's Ed.....

KillJoy

[Bluerauder]

This establishes a pecking order at 4-way stops, and I would have the right-of-way over a driver approaching from my left, or, I should anyway...
I am not talking about 4-way stops or traffic circles; but on a road where I have the right of way and am travelling straight through. :rolleyes: Drivers on my side of the road will approach their stop sign, look right, and keep rolling into the intersection. Sometimes I have to tap the horn slightly to say "Hey buddy I'm here". :rolleyes:

In Europe at traffic circles and at 4-way stops in the US, the car on the right has the right of way. In Germany it works well .... also in France and other european countries. In the US, it is a crap shoot. I'll offer the right-of-way to the car on my right --- but if he hesitates at all --- NEXT !!! I'm gone. :D

[Bigdogjim]

Me I just drive and let the other person worry what I am up too:)

[Bigdogjim]

When I'm in my F-150, I use the "whoever has the biggest tires goes first rule." And since I run 33X12.50 I win most/all of the time. :D

I use the who's vehicle is bigger rule:):P

[Bigdogjim]

Has anyone else ever noticed the tendency of people approaching a Stop sign to first look right and then look left. :rolleyes: Seems to me that the car coming from the left is closer to you and will be the most immediate problem. Virginia and DC Metro area.

It is your area that is the worst in my opinon....Gov. workers:help:

[Bigdogjim]

It's not always like that around here, because Illinois residents have fu*ked up egos, and guns...Me too...LOL!

Sad to said my friend it's all over:rolleyes:

Driving is not "fun" like it was years ago. The average driver is much too aggressive.

[texascorvette]

Heck, that's nothing - in Iowa they could be sitting there at the 4-way when you arrive and then they wave you through. They must have nothing to do. It really kinda pisses me off because we have that "no, after you" thing going on and then everyone has to wait. That's why we have rules, people; so we don't all look like morons waving at each other across traffic.

Every now and then, if there's no one else around I give the other person (usually an older person, nothing against them but they seem to be oft the culprits) a stupid looking grin and wave them through and refuse to move, as if I am just an idiot (not too far from the truth anyway). One time I waited for almost 20 seconds before they caught on.

The driver's manual sez look left then right because that's the car that's gonna hit you first. Personally, I go left-right-left because people like to zoom in from nowhere at 60 mph around here sometimes.You must be from Appanoose County!

[Haggis]

I just close my eyes hit the horn and hope for the best.

[DefyantExWife]

Well Haggis, out in Frederick are there very many stop signs anyway ? Isnt that one of those "1-stop-light towns" ?

[duhtroll]

Uh, no?


You must be from Appanoose County!

[Haggis]

Well Haggis, out in Frederick are there very many stop signs anyway ? Isnt that one of those "1-stop-light towns" ?
Ahhhhhhh.....no. FYI, Frederick is the second largest 'city' in Maryland. Yes I said second largest and it continues to grow every day. I also believe Frederick has the largest Latino population in Maryland. The major stores have all the signs in English and Spanish.

Frederick use to be known as 'Fredneck' or 'Fredrock', not any more. Know I believe it is called El Fredericko.

[DefyantExWife]

oh. Joy. .

[Mebot]

I think roundabouts or turnabouts are a great solution. They're all over the place in Europe. You just yield to the people already in the circle and venture out when the coast is clear.

[Bluerauder]

You just yield to the people already in the circle and venture out when the coast is clear.
This ^^^^ is incorrect. At a traffic circle in Europe, the traffic on the "right" and entering the circle have the right of way. That system works very well; but intuitively it seems like the circle would get full.

I believe there are some cars that have been circling at the Champs Elysees in Paris for about 20 years waiting to catch a break in the traffic. :rofl: When I visited there many years ago, I stood for 20 minutes and just watched the traffic in amazement -- Organized Chaos at Work. ;)

[Mebot]

Kind of like National Lampoon's European Vacation... "Kids, there's Big Ben!"

[Haggis]

oh. Joy. .
Tell me about it. :(

[SID210SA]

I would think people tend to look to the right first because you can see further down the road on the right....but then againsome people just want to see whats happening now instead of what could happen. Maybe because your supposed to look down the road a way to be able to avoid anything in the road with out having to make any sudden turns that could cause you to lose control of your car or hit another next to you....maybe thats why people look the the right first.

[texascorvette]

Uh, no?Appanoose County takes in the City of Centerville, home of the world's worst drivers. Those farmers think those octagonal red signs are there to decorate the intersections.

[Bluerauder]

...maybe thats why people look the the right first.
Maybe it is habit ... or maybe they don't know; but looking right first puts you at greater risk from approaching traffic travelling in the lane closest to your position. \/\/\/\/\/\/\/ is the right answer.

The driver's manual sez look left then right because that's the car that's gonna hit you first.

[duhtroll]

But in the latest national survey, Iowa placed 9th as far as good driving.

I of course was shocked, but it doesn't make sense that we would also have the worst city. Too many of our drivers are simply too old to go fast enough to do lots of damage when they hit things. :lol:


Appanoose County takes in the City of Centerville, home of the world's worst drivers. Those farmers think those octagonal red signs are there to decorate the intersections.

[texascorvette]

But in the latest national survey, Iowa placed 9th as far as good driving.

I of course was shocked, but it doesn't make sense that we would also have the worst city. Too many of our drivers are simply too old to go fast enough to do lots of damage when they hit things. :lol:Wonder who did that survey and how they arrived at their conclusions. When I lived in Iowa the drivers in the larger cities were okay. The problem was the folks in the rural areas were so used to there being very little traffic--so they paid very little attention to their driving.

[GreekGod]

I think the "rule" for motorcyclists is R-L-R. Many 'cycle accidents include reports of eye contact from the auto driver before he pulls out in front of you.

It happenned to me with my first motorcycle. On the way to the beach with my girlfriend, he looked right at me and pulled out in front of me and stopped in the middle of the intersection when he realized his mistake. My girlfriend ended up in Holland hospital for a week with a broken hip.

[Bluerauder]

It happenned to me with my first motorcycle. On the way to the beach with my girlfriend, he looked right at me and pulled out in front of me and stopped in the middle of the intersection when he realized his mistake.
I think the "always on" headlight interlock on motorcycles has gone a long way in improving the visibility of motorcycles. :up:

Could be that most people are "attuned" to looking for a 7 foot wide vehicle approaching and their brains just don't register the smaller objects. I hate to admit it; but I have had some close calls in the past on such pull outs and wonder how in heck did I not see a motorcycle approaching. As I said -- I think the headlights have improved the visibility --- but have likely not eliminated the problem all together.