Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwm3nyc
But I think this video is a PRIME example to show people how dangerous passing a MOVING vehicle on the Right is.
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I would say it is just as dangerous to pass someone on the left. Why? Because someone is bent on driving in the most obtuse and dangerous fashion they are able to, then there is nothing that will stop them from making a left turn from the right lane either. Furthermore, we should be precise here and say that it is not passing, but merely driving next to or even slightly behind these poor drivers that will put you in their crosshairs. The only way to combat this is to never overtake anyone in front of you for any reason. Of course then you may very well open yourself to a higher probability of being rear-ended. So now what?
By extension we can also say that speeding, too - something we ALL do - is dangerous and should be avoided at any cost. Why? Again, if someone is a poor driver, they are going to switch lanes at will without signaling and without paying any mind to what is going on around them. Speeding surely increases the chance that you'll be missed by an unattentive driver and become the victim of their carelessness. And guess what? You might even get the ticket instead of them.
What the video shows me is that driving is dangerous because there are some really terrible drivers out there. Of course I knew that - we all do - but this shows first hand how ridiculously ill-equipped and unprepared to even be on the road some people are.
Everyone has their philosophy on how best to counteract these poor drivers out there that we put up with every day and how to best protect themselves. My theory has always been that the swifter I get to where I need to be, the less likely I am to be involved in any unfortunate mishap. This has worked for me this far in life. All else being equal, statistics will favor this notion, although certainly when you speed to get where you want to be, and when you pass by others on the road, everything is far from equal. So you pick your poison.
You have to be somewhat smart about it of course. Some risks are better bets than others. Driving 80mph on the expressway is probably a good tradeoff vs going the speed limit. Driving 100mph? Maybe not so much. You get the idea. Would I speed up just to pass someone on the right side in an urban setting? As a general course of action, probably not. But, sure, I can think of a number of circumstances where I would do that, and I would not apologize for it either. I am not going to sit behind a guy who is going under the limit, especially if my business will require me to do a right turn up ahead anyway. I am going to get in my lane and prepare for my right turn, and I am going to do so without worrying about whether I might overtake the cars to the left of me while doing so. Is this illegal? Maybe. I don't know. And I don't really care either. I am just trying to get to where I need to be, and you better believe that I am using my signals when I switch lanes and make turns, even if there's not another soul visible on the road.
Long post, probably excessively long. Anyone wants to debate me on it - save it. I am off my soapbox now, and I am not going to argue today.
