Drivers Ed Cont'd

Here’s the continuation of the things you need to know before driving around the Campbellsville and adjacent rural areas.

Driving Hints, Tips and Pet Peeves.

Red means…..

Another dangerous area when driving on our roads is any where you may find a stop sign. Be it a four way intersection or side road, you need to pay attention to approaching traffic.

            Stop signs are barely even considered suggestions. It is common practice for drivers approaching a two or four way stop, to determine which vehicle will reach the stop sign first. If the opposing vehicle feels that they will reach the intersection first, they will (maybe) tap their breaks and then blow on through the intersection. After all, why waste that 7 seconds to slow and then stop at the stop sign, when you can just cut right through all those driving laws by realizing you’re going to reach the intersection first and thus, would be the first to drive through the intersection anyway?

            Related to stop signs: whether it is from a side road where there is a stop sign, or even their own personal driveway, you WILL find yourself in the situation where another vehicle either rolls through a stop sign, or pulls out in front of you.

            Most county roads are marked at 55mph, yet drivers will pull out in front of you and then proceed to drive at 20-35mph for 500 yards-1.5miles while talking on the phone, adjusting their radio, or frankly, it takes them that long before realizing that they ARE in a vehicle driving. If you see a vehicle stopped at a side street waiting to pull out, NO MATTER how small the space between you and they, expect them to pull out in front of you. Doubly so if there is no vehicles within sight behind you.

            Real Life Example: I was approaching my neighborhood heading west on US-68. Coming east on 68 was one of the many log mill trucks loaded down with a full load. Not only was this truck doing approximately 55mph, but it was also on a downhill slope in the rain. 120 yards in front of this semi truck a little ol’ man in a buick decided to pull out and begin his journey to the grocery store, or perhaps the post office. What followed was a classic scene of truck tires smoking under brakes, a look of disbelief on the truck drivers face—and calm serenity and blissful ignorance on the part of the buick driver.

Driving Tip:

            It is illegal for vehicles to pass other vehicles in the emergency lane. Which means it happens all the time. So be mindful when turning left where there is no turn lane, you may lose your right side view mirror, and some paint.

 Not as frequent, but it happens enough that you need to be mindful: before turning left, check your side view mirror to ensure that no one is barreling down attempting to pass not only you, but the three cars slowing behind you—which is why they probably didn’t see your turn signal.

           

Pet Peeve:

            Only one state, Nevada, specifically allows the lead or escort vehicle in a funeral procession to go through a red light. Five states, Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, and North Dakota, grant funeral processions the right-of-way at intersections without regard to any traffic control signal. In these states, the escort vehicle driver can direct the procession to proceed through an intersection or make any necessary movements despite any traffic control signals. These laws imply that the lead funeral escort vehicle can disregard a red traffic signal.

            Other vehicles cannot drive between, interfere with, or pass the procession unless directed by a police officer (Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 189. 378).

            For anyone driving in Taylor County, what you may notice is there is no mention of the requirement to slow and stop, only partially pulling off to the side of the road (county or city road) for an oncoming funeral procession.

            SO QUIT STOPPING YOUR VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD whenever a funeral is in the opposing lane. You are blocking traffic unnecessarily and ILLEGALLY. So, if you wish to “respect the dead” as so many of you have mentioned, that is perfectly within your prerogative. Just do the rest of us a favor and pull completely off into the emergency lane or join the procession, so that those of us still amongst the living can go on with our lives.

            Besides, did you ever stop to think that maybe the person you’re showing “respect” to was a mean ol’ son of a bitch? I mean, what if he cheated on his taxes, or foreclosed on a sweet little grandmother Christmas Eve because she was a little overdue on the mortgage? 

again, feel free to add your comments, or share your own driving story. I hope to put up a post with a half dozen of the best reader submitted stories!

A Public Service Announcement

Public Service Announcement: Driving Tips, Hints and Pet Peeves.

Location: Campbellsville, KY

This will be a helpful resource for anyone thinking of visiting the city of Campbellsville (and many of this tips will apply to other rural Kentucky counties) and even for residents beginning their driving careers, and lord knows this should be a must read for every man and woman who possesses a drivers license issued from the Taylor County clerk’s office.

Visiting Drivers:

            Whether you’re going to be just passing along one of the main arteries through town, or coming to stay for any length of time to visit friends, family or the local attractions, here are my points of emphasis for you.

This post will deal with intersections with traffic lights.

Tip:

Red Lights:

I would wager that most of us have at one time or another have watched a traffic light in front of us turn to yellow and pressed on the gas to ensure we didn’t get caught at the light.  Human nature, and everyone has done it.

In Campbellsville, if you find yourself first at an intersection waiting for your light to turn to green, when you’re light does turn green, DO NOT immediately pull into the intersection to proceed on your way. You need to count to a minimum of THREE seconds after your light has changed to green before beginning to proceed.

I’m sure you’re thinking that by the time the three seconds are up, the big bearded fellow wearing the wife beater driving the rusted pick-up truck will be getting out of his truck to help you along your way. While in NYC or LA this would be true, not so in Campbellsville.  Most people may think of us as hill-billies, but we are rather polite, even overly so (check back periodically to see my post on “Respect for the Dead” dealing with funeral processions)

Most traffic lights have a 1-1.5 second delay between a red light clicking on and the opposing green light coming on. Campbellsville drivers take full advantage of that sliver of delay, and often fudge it a little on their own.  Three seconds is the minimum you should delay before proceeding.

Be advised, that like all rules of thumb, it’s not exact. I recently sat at an intersection of Old Lebanon Road and US-68/E. Broadway. As my light turned green, I counted to three, and watched a dark blue sports car blow through the red light. Chuckling to myself about my “rule of three”, I had to mash on my breaks as a dark red pick-up blew through the intersection a full 5 seconds past the red light.

ALWAYS COUNT TO THREE!!

Hint:

Don’t pull your vehicle too close to the white line of the intersection. You’ll risk someone taking off your front bumper. When Campbellsville drivers turn, they more often than not cut the corner, and will often enter fully halfway into your lane.

Pet Peeve:

The Mystery of what “Left Turn Yield on Green” Means

      This is a pet peeve of mine, as anyone who has spent more than three minutes with me will tell you. Haha

            On a solid green traffic signal, you ARE allowed to turn left as long as the road you are turning on to is not blocked with traffic etc. However, you MUST yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians who may be crossing the intersection. Most people do understand this concept.

            Where the vast majority of drivers fall short is in realizing that you are allowed to enter the intersection under a green light and if no opportunity arises to turn left due to oncoming traffic or pedestrians—YOU ARE NOT BLOCKING THE INTERSECTION! If your light turns red, you have the right of way to complete your left turn.

            What that translates to in the real life driving world—you are approaching an intersection with a solid green light and you want to turn left. Oncoming traffic is stretched as far as the eye can see. You stop at the white line waiting for a break in oncoming traffic so that you can turn left. I am stuck behind you, and praying that someone takes pity on your poor ignorant soul and allows you to turn, so that I can get on with my life that your ignorance has put on hold. No break occurs, and the light turns red. And there you are, still sitting at the white line of the intersection. With me and every other poor unlucky drivers stuck behind you.

            As the light turns green, the process only repeats itself through another cycle. In NYC, L.A. or most definitely in Chicago, you would be a bullet riddled corpse by now.

Pretty sure a 5 year old did this, so you too can grasp how simple it is!

            What you SHOULD do is move into the intersection, yes <gasp!> past the white line. Now you are guaranteed to turn left, if no break in oncoming traffic occurs, when the light turns red, YOU will be able to complete your turn. And when the light again turns green, the rest of us will be able to get on with our lives.

            To those from out of town, please, refrain from resorting to cursing and violence, though a slight “love tap” may be in order if you have been stuck through multiple light cycles. (for those who may not know, a “love tap” is where you gently nudge your vehicles bumper against the vehicle in front of you. Try not to set off the air bags. Unless you have great insurance and feel that you either need to set off their airbags or you will resort to other form of road rage)

My next post will deal with the ever exciting life and death judgments Campbellsvillian’s make when approaching stop signs.

Feel free to leave a comment of one of your own experiences. Though I rarely drive more than 20 miles (round trip) from my residence to place of employment, I could write another blog (and may) titled “I survived today—barely” a commentary of the everyday stupidity that almost cost me or another their life.