Yes, Maryland Drivers Stink. But I Can Help!
A survey commissioned by General Motors Acceptance Corp. ranks Maryland motorists near the bottom when it comes to the knowledge of driving laws.
In the Atlanta-based financial giant’s fourth annual National Drivers Test, Kansas placed first at 84 percent for most knowledgeable drivers, Maryland ranks No. 42 — and New Jersey is No. 51.
We have some terrible drivers here in Maryland and I’m just talking about the arrogant, aggressive sort. We have those, but they’re not as plentiful as the dire aggressive driving commercials the police run around here would have you think. Most bad drivers are folks without bad intentions who just doodlebug along, heedless of what’s happening around them and generally ignorant of how to handle some really common driving situations.
Luckily, I am here to help. There are a couple things that really seem to tie folks in knots around here and, below the jump, I’m going to put on my Drivers’ Ed cap and explain them as simply as I can. If you’re already a good driver, just follow along anyhow. It’ll be fun.
Four-Way Stops
I think that exurban drivers get into these situations a lot more than urban and rural drivers. It seems that more road constuction means more intersections but not necessarily more traffic lights. the result is that four-way intersections crop up a lot. They can look really confusing, too with cars at every point and all of them wanting to go in all different directions, especially if it’s a busy intersection. The thing is, there are only three rules for an intersection like this. They are:
1) First come, first through.
If you get to the intersection and someone else pulls up to the other side a second later, you get to go first. If you want to be nice, you can do the headlight flashy thing to let them know they can go ahead. chances are, though, they’ll to the headlight flash back to you and you both will spend a moment or four looking like naval ships at night with arrythmia. Much better just to go ahead.
2) Straight through traffic beats turning traffic.
This one’s pretty straightforward. If the guy across from you doesn’t have a turn signal on and your left blinker is on, he wins. If your right blinker’s on instead, don’t worry much about him.
3) If you don’t know who was first, it was the driver on your right.
This rule is the most important of the three. It works even if you’ve forgotten the other two rules. If everyone at a four-way intersection deferred to the person on their right, there’d never be an accident and they’d flow a lot more smoothly than they generally do.
Turning Left
Okay, here’s the deal. When you’re about to make a left-hand turn, assume that every other car on the road, no matter what they’re doing, has the right of way over you. That’s because, generally, they do. Like, for instance, that car that’s approaching you that wants to make a right turn onto the same road as you? Yeah, that car definitely has the right of way. Don’t zip across the intersection and make him jam on his brakes to avoid hitting your rude, non-driving self. Just wait a second or two. Is your name Jack Bauer? Is there a flashing set of lights on the top of your vehicle? No?
Okay then, it won’t kill you to sit there for two or three extra seconds.
Oh, and if you aren’t entirely sure that the road ahead is clear for you to make the turn, then STAY PUT UNTIL YOU KNOW! I’m not sure why this has become an issue, but more than once recently I have had to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid some knuckehead who was making a left turn from behind a dump truck. I know darned well that driver couldn’t see around the truck. He was making a blind turn and he was taking his sweet time to do it.
Just chill.
I think we’re good here now. Remember, my fellow Maryland drivers, that no matter what, we’re still better than New Jersey.
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Category: Oh Maryland My Maryland.
