4 way stops

[cannon_fodder]

One more time...

Left turners YIELD to those going straight.

Argh!  Eternal frustration.  The worst part is I have to sit at the non-light for 15 minutes and watch so many idiots.  

I too have taken it upon myself to tell others when they are doing wrong.  I would love a way to tell them nicely and explain the rules to them, but my only real option is to honk and give them the "what are you doing" look.  

My Zen like driving nature is wearing thin (okay, I'm impatient and hostile).

[grahambino]

I love it!
Car waiting at the intersection, presumably to see if i'm going to stop at the intersection.  i of course stop...remained stopped for 15-20 secs...waiting on the car that was ALREADY STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION to go...continues to sit there...apparently waiting on me to go first...they must have been waiting for the power to come on...i dont know.  

the best part is the jerk in the SUV that comes barreling up to the stop sign, practically slamming on their brakes...then sitting there...when its their turn.

so...are you aggressive or not?  

I've given up trying to figure this out.

[TheTed]

If everybody sits there for two seconds, it automatically becomes my turn.

The 4-way stop procedure is not that difficult to figure out.

The longer I live in this state the more I wonder what exactly Okies are taught in driver's ed.

[RecycleMichael]

I think driver's ed should be mandatory every ten years.

There is a private driver's education guy here in town who always calls in and gets his driving school listed as closed for inclement weather as part of the school closings.

I swear he has no advertising budget, just hopes for bad weather so the stations will run his company name across the screen.

[TURobY]

quote:Originally posted by T-Town Now

Honestly, I don't know what it is with Tulsa drivers. Are they really that stupid, or are they just @ssholes?

It's not just Tulsa drivers, @sshat. Pretty much every city I've been in has the same issues when traffic lights go down.

[azbadpuppy]

quote:Originally posted by TURobY

quote:Originally posted by T-Town Now

Honestly, I don't know what it is with Tulsa drivers. Are they really that stupid, or are they just @ssholes?

It's not just Tulsa drivers, @sshat. Pretty much every city I've been in has the same issues when traffic lights go down.

Completely true. Clueless drivers are everywhere. Try driving in Phoenix sometime. Given the situation in Tulsa recently I think everyone should chill out and not get so worked up about it. Does it really matter who gets to go first??

Honestly after living in Tulsa and now several other 'major' metropolitan areas, I would take Tulsa drivers anyday. It always amazes me how polite Tulsa drivers are, overall.

[TURobY]

quote:Originally posted by azbadpuppy
Try driving in Phoenix sometime.

No kidding! I had people whizzing by me in construction areas on arterial roads literally going about 50 or 60 MPH. I was positive that I was going to be involved in a wreck! LOL

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

One more time...

Left turners YIELD to those going straight.

Argh!  Eternal frustration.  The worst part is I have to sit at the non-light for 15 minutes and watch so many idiots.  

I too have taken it upon myself to tell others when they are doing wrong.  I would love a way to tell them nicely and explain the rules to them, but my only real option is to honk and give them the "what are you doing" look.  

My Zen like driving nature is wearing thin (okay, I'm impatient and hostile).

One interesting thing is that in New Zealand the cars crossing the lane of opposing traffic, which would be the left turners in the USA, have priority over oncoming cars (this is in unsignalised junctions). Which as a traffic engineer I think is genius, as long as people let the turners go. It is often the cars making the opposing turn across oncoming traffic that can really snarl up the traffic in a junction and by not letting them build up you can raise the junctions capacity.

I've seen lots of studies about pulling out all the signals, road markings and even pavements. There seems to be a very strong move to homezones. http://www.homezones.org/index.html
I've also seen deliberately confusing junctions put in to slow drivers down and ensure that speeds decrease and concentration increases.

[cannon_fodder]

1.  LEFT TURNERS YIELD!

Need to keep saying that as people just don't get it.  The reason the left turner yields is because his actions disrupt regular traffic flow (read the 2 lanes going straight must wait for the 1 turner) AND because he is the slowest actor (turning is inherently slower than going straight).  Thus, the minority party who is also the slowest must not disrupt the faster majority.

From a traffic flow perspective, it makes perfect sense.  Not too mention, its the law.

2. "Does it really matter who goes first?"

YES!  Dear god yes!  Not because I need to be 2 seconds earlier where ever I am going - but because when you back traffic up 20 cars the dolts who do not understand the rules hesitate, start stop, waive people on and otherwise delay the entire process.  If people knew how to drive they could approach the intersection, stop, proceed... next.  There would be minimal delay over a traffic light - as it stands there is extreme delay.

Whats more, it is the law.  Thus, if someone decides to turn in front of me and I decide to take my right of way - they get to buy me a new car.  Even if they were too ignorant to understand the law the accident is still their fault.

What's more, does it really matter if someone cuts you in line?  Does it really matter if the cashier shorts you 25 cents in change?  There are a 100 things that don't *really* matter but as a whole they help society function better and my life be just a little closer to tolerable.

3. I read the report on uncontrolled intersections also.  It made some strong arguments and in most instances made sense.  But it neglected to discuss the problem of jackasses.  That is to say the people who would just usurp the right of way by being brazen enough to go ahead - causing the rest of the law abiding citizens to yield or get smashed.

And many of the same problems would exist.  Even in an uncontrolled intersection the left turner must yield.  What's more, - if two straight cars approach at the same time you must yield to the right.  What percent of drivers actually know that?  10%?  Stupid people scare the hell out of me, and they are all around.

[PonderInc]

I have finally perfected the 4-way stop at major arterial intersections.  It goes like this:

1. Three blocks before the intersection, turn left/right into a neighborhood.  

1a. (Cross your fingers and hope that enough tree trimming has taken place to allow safe passage.)

2. Drive a few blocks and make a random left/right turn.

3. Either cross major arterial street (easy, since traffic has been thinned by congestion at intersections), or turn onto major street as needed.

4. If necessary, continue to thread your way through neighborhood until your rejoin your desired arterial street.

5. Look in rearview mirror and gloat at how much faster that was than waiting for everyone to figure out how to navigate 4-way stop.

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc
2. Drive a few blocks and make a random left/right turn.

I think part of your problem is that you keep making random left/right turns. That is the wrong way to get anywhere.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.

[PonderInc]

As a person who lacks a sense of direction, I actually DO make a lot of random left/right turns.  On the other hand, I've discovered many amazing places whilst lost.  Trouble is, I can't find them a second time when I want to show my friends....

[BriefRighter]

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

There was some town in Britain that removed all their traffic control signs and painted lines.  Surprisingly, the motorists slowed down and crashes decreased.  I'll try to find the study.

Maybe a little chaos is good for you.

We've (unofficially) done the same thing here in Dallas.  If the lights at the intersection are all flashing red, nobody is required to stop.  Once the paramedics arrive to the inevitable multi-car collision, nature corrects itself and people will start taking turns.

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by BriefRighter

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

There was some town in Britain that removed all their traffic control signs and painted lines.  Surprisingly, the motorists slowed down and crashes decreased.  I'll try to find the study.

Maybe a little chaos is good for you.

We've (unofficially) done the same thing here in Dallas.  If the lights at the intersection are all flashing red, nobody is required to stop.  Once the paramedics arrive to the inevitable multi-car collision, nature corrects itself and people will start taking turns.

I found a version of a study you can view that shows the removal of road markings and other perceptual measures can help reduce speed and accidents.

Study

[dggriffi]

Can we add to the list of the stupid:


those who do not give way from the left lane on the expressway.

Those who do not let people in on the expressway.

Those who speed up when you pass them.

Those who cannot make a left hand turn into their own lane.