Let's create "National Let 'Em Move Over" day -- but how?

[profdant139]

We've all had this experience: you are towing your trailer. You turn on your turn signal. The folks in the lane next to you actually speed up to make sure that you can't move over. You slow down, hoping for an opening. Eventually, you make your move, but it is not a pleasant experience.

As a very senior Southern California driver (exactly 50 years on the road!), I have always made it a habit to ease off the gas when there is someone in the lane next to me who wants to move over. I wave them in, with big hand gestures. At night, I flash my high beams to alert them to the slight gap that I have created for them.

Very often, I get a thumb's up from the other driver. (At least, it looks like a thumb. I don't think it is any other finger.) Truckers give me an off-on of their flashers. And I sort of hope that I have set an example and that these folks will "pay it forward."

So here is my idea -- if enough of us practice conspicuous courtesy, maybe the custom will take hold and become part of the culture. I can tell you from personal experience that cultures do differ on this. I have been in countries where the drivers are ruder and more aggressive than in California. I have been in places in the US (Idaho and Utah) and in Western Canada where the drivers were more polite than in Calif.

I am not sure how we would publicize this event, or even which day to choose. But I would bet that if we could get noticed, and if lots of folks chose to participate in a one-day experiment, the traffic on that day would flow a lot smoother than usual, and the media would cover that result.

Is this idealistic and unrealistic? Yes. But what will it cost us, and what have we got to lose?

Your thoughts and suggestions will be welcomed -- how do we get this rolling??

[IdaD]

I've found in larger cities I need to just signal and then start moving over. My Idaho plates and prominent sewer pipe seem to help make lane changes easier in Southern Cal.

[GrandpaKip]

It’s funny, here in the good ole US of A, we have better roads and highways than just about anywhere else, but have all kinds of problems driving.
We went to Scotland last year where a lot of the roads are twisty, full of humps and are 1 lane 2 way traffic with a 60 mph speed limit. And you sit on the wrong side of the car. With buses and large trucks. Not one accident or rude driver. However, the Scots are some of the nicest and most hospitable people you will ever meet.

[LVJJJ]

Don't need turn signals in Las Vegas, you have to force your way over, got run off the road when the guy in the next lane got his bumper a foot ahead of mine and just starting moving over, at first I wasn't going to give, but then realized he wasn't going to stop, so headed for the shoulder. Can't see the turn signals when your beside him.

Merge?? Ha Ha

When getting on the freeway as soon as the on-ramp entrance lane hits the highway lanes, head directly onto it or you'll be stuck in the on-ramp for days.
Towing thru there is dangerous cause your vehicle really needs to be able to go 80 or you are run over. If it rains, have fun on the oily skating rink.

[Mortimer_Brewst]

legolas wrote:

Mortimer Brewster wrote:
Some of us need to remember to move over.

Hard to do when there is a gurad rail on the righ, an 18 wheeler on the left ...no the responsibility is on the fool in the car which is way more maneuverable than my 30' TT hooked to my 20' silverado

Agreed. I was thinking more about the inconsiderate guy driving an RV who refuses to use pullouts and lets traffic back way up behind him. I’ve seen it many times.

[rbpru]

As Jerseyjim said some time back, all these annoyances are part of the RV experience. They are not likely to change.

You drive, merge and operate knowing you have about 50 ft. of rig behind you. I give plenty of warning before I move over and I have had a few tight spots while merging.

Merging is in my opinion the worst because you have no choice, the driver you are cutting off simply has to figure that out.

[TurnThePage]

Aside from the distracted, or self indulgent, I think the issue is more pronounced where there's more cars simply because there's correspondingly less time in the driver's day to perform their duties. They (I being one of them) can be pretty impatient, especially with large cumbersome vehicles.

To be clear, if a large vehicle is trying to move to the right lane (or exit lane), it's ludicrous for all involved to prevent that from happening. On the other hand, if it's wanting to move into the passing lane, I may or may not be patient, depending on if this is the first or last in a series of potential traffic interruptions on a given day.

Last year I pulled my trailer through the Seattle and Portland metro areas. I was pleasantly surprised how accommodating the other drivers were as I fumbled from lane to lane trying to stay on route.

[colliehauler]

profdant139 wrote:
But what is interesting to me is that there are regional differences in behavior -- it was very obvious to us that in parts of Idaho and Utah, the drivers were simply more courteous and thoughtful than in urban California. So there is a "cultural" component. And compare Italy, for example, where driving is virtually a free for all.

Is there any way to move the needle on the overall driving culture? Maybe not.

Small towns and remote areas people are more courteous, driving is not a competition. People in large metropolitan areas deal with lots of traffic day after day and frustration compounds and people become less tolerant.

You drive in rural areas of KS in a pickup and people still wave, just more laid back.

[Winnebago_Bob]

Courtesy doesn't work.

[myredracer]

Sad to say but I think there's better luck to be had with trying to solve world hunger. I think gov't licencing authorities are a big part of it for inadequate driver training in the first place and lack of any instruction about RVs. I think driver's should be retested say every 10 years. There's way too many idiot drivers in general on the roads all over. Just another internet opinion..

Some of the drivers entering interstate on-ramps scare me when you can't just can't move to the left lane, you can't suddenly speed up and you can't slam the brakes on. All you can do is hope and pray it's not your last day on earth. I haven't died yet. I installed a freeway blaster horn and a few times I've leaned on it - it sure alerts other drivers I'm comin' thru... 🙂

Towing an RV on the roads can be pretty frustrating sometimes and even scary once in a while but for the most part it's great fun. Time to cue up "45 miles" by Todd Snider. 😄

[profdant139]

But what is interesting to me is that there are regional differences in behavior -- it was very obvious to us that in parts of Idaho and Utah, the drivers were simply more courteous and thoughtful than in urban California. So there is a "cultural" component. And compare Italy, for example, where driving is virtually a free for all.

Is there any way to move the needle on the overall driving culture? Maybe not.

[3oaks]

profdant139 wrote:
I'm not sensing a groundswell of support here . . . .

Why would you?

It appears some of the very same drivers people are complaining about are also commenting on this thread.

"Me first" attitude. Get out of my way or I'll push you off the road. :S

[legolas]

Mortimer Brewster wrote:
Some of us need to remember to move over.

Hard to do when there is a gurad rail on the righ, an 18 wheeler on the left ...no the responsibility is on the fool in the car which is way more maneuverable than my 30' TT hooked to my 20' silverado

[legolas]

valhalla360 wrote:
The problem is correct procedure when traveling in the right lane when there is a merging ramp is to hold a steady speed.

Moving over left a lane is an option but purely a courtesy and only if you can safely do so.

Accelerating or decelerating violates expectancy for merging traffic. Merging traffic is expected to speed up or slow down to find a gap. So when you slow down a merging driver expecting to slide in behind you is suddenly blocked.

Follow the rules is the best option, not making it up as you go along.

Am in partial agreement w/ your driver test comment...but I would go one step further....there should be certain questions which if not answered correctly are an automatic fail...merging- school bus stopping-railroad crossin g etc.

[legolas]

old guy wrote:
I was in Portland Oregon one day and turned on my blinkers and wanted to get into right lane so I could exit the freeway. I left that town thinking everyone in that town was an idiot.

guess what.....you were right

[legolas]

Walaby wrote:
While you're suggesting this, how bout adding National learn how to merge day.

Can count the number of times Im in right lane, can't move left, and individuals merging on entrance ramp match my 64 MPH speed and just sit there in the entrance, expecting me to move. Tons of space ahead butthead, just accelerate 3MPH more and you can easily merge.

Mike

X2, and it happens all the time even when I am not towing the TT. I have even had the occasional moron blow their horn at me I assume so that I will slow down and let them in......hello why do this idoits think the lanes are called "ACCELERATION" and "DECELERATION". I am convinced that most of these idiots never took drivers ed.