How to deal with crazy drivers

[David99]

Driving a Model S has exposed me to a lot more crazy and reckless drivers. They have always been around, but they love to challenge Teslas. I can deal with that. I usually let them pass and ignore them.

What really bothers me and where I have trouble finding an appropriate response is drivers that are downright selfish and dangerous. Quick example, I drive in the HOV lane at 75 (speed limit was 65). Behind me comes a car at 100 and goes right to my rear bumper where he is now glued. Of course he was alone in his car so he had no business being in the HOV lane. It was maybe a car length of distance to me. I raise my hands trying to say 'what the heck?'. He just smiles and waves at me. This is just one example. I see someone driving like an a** almost on a daily basis. Driving like no rules apply to them, everyone else on the road is just an annoyance and they drive recklessly making it more dangerous for everyone else.

My first reaction is usually to stay away from those drivers to not get accidentally hit. But is it really the best thing to let them get away with it? Should we take our dash cam footage and report them to the police when people drive dangerously. When people weave through traffic going 100. When they use the HOV lane without a passenger.

Once we saw a drunk driver driving through town. He hit the curbs, ran red lights, could hardly keep the car on the street. There are signs here to report drunk drivers. We called the police while we carefully followed them. They were not very excited and as soon as we crossed the border to the next town they told us, now we have to call the other police department! After 20 min we gave up. After that experience I wonder if the police would even bother doing anything if I took my dashcam footage and showed them.

 

[gabeincal]

I think this is SoCal for you..... I'm in NorCal and the situation here is not much better either, but when I travel to other states, I see how much of a difference it makes in terms of driving culture... My wife is not really bothered by these people, but they get me angry most of the time and I'm on the same page as you that they should not be able to get away with such behavior. I tried aggressiveness before and it just doesn't work, so now I just try to let them go and be. It's hard..

 

[David99]

I think this is SoCal for you..... I'm in NorCal and the situation here is not much better either, but when I travel to other states, I see how much of a difference it makes in terms of driving culture... My wife is not really bothered by these people, but they get me angry most of the time and I'm on the same page as you that they should not be able to get away with such behavior. I tried aggressiveness before and it just doesn't work, so now I just try to let them go and be. It's hard..

I agree, any sort of reaction on my end makes it just worse. They get aggressive and it ends in road rage. You are right, it is far less of a problem in other states.

 

[Tiger]

If someone is approaching faster in your rear mirror it is usually polite to give way by changing lane. I seldom have that problem, but when it happens, I give way.

Furthermore, some drivers might simply be uneducated and not know you have the right to drive on a HOV line, and are protesting. Maybe a larger HOV sticker in the rear window would do, if letting them pass is not effective

 

[swaltner]

If the driving is bad/aggressive enough, call 911. If it's bad, but not what you would consider calling in as an emergency, contact your police department's non-emergency number with their license plate. The 2nd won't get a direct response, but if enough people call in on the same person, maybe so. If the police don't respond to a 911 call for wreckless/agressive/drunk driving, turn in your dashcam footage into a local news station and have them ask why the police wouldn't respond.

Regarding the dashcam footage. I called the local police station at one point and asked about turning in footage of bad drivers (running red lights, etc...). At least in Kansas, the police is unable to act on dashcam footage from a citizen, so there's no reason to do that. They said the officer needs to be the one that witnesses the act to be able to arrest or write a ticket to the driver. I came close to calling 911 on a Harley Davidson rider over the weekend after they ran multiple red lights and was weaving in and out of heavy traffic at something like 60 in a 40.

 

[Max*]

The best course is to avoid. You don't want to end up a statistic. You don't know when someone is drunk, high, or having a bad day and will take it out on you (car accident, shooting, etc.)

 

[ABC2D]

I raise my hands trying to say 'what the heck?'

Instigator

He just smiles and waves at me

That's exactly how to deal with crazy drivers - the way he deat with you.

 

[cpa]

If the driving is bad/aggressive enough, call 911. If it's bad, but not what you would consider calling in as an emergency, contact your police department's non-emergency number with their license plate. The 2nd won't get a direct response, but if enough people call in on the same person, maybe so. If the police don't respond to a 911 call for wreckless/agressive/drunk driving, turn in your dashcam footage into a local news station and have them ask why the police wouldn't respond.

Regarding the dashcam footage. I called the local police station at one point and asked about turning in footage of bad drivers (running red lights, etc...). At least in Kansas, the police is unable to act on dashcam footage from a citizen, so there's no reason to do that. They said the officer needs to be the one that witnesses the act to be able to arrest or write a ticket to the driver. I came close to calling 911 on a Harley Davidson rider over the weekend after they ran multiple red lights and was weaving in and out of heavy traffic at something like 60 in a 40.

That is generally true. (IANAL) In California, most driving crimes are considered infractions, and infractions must be witnessed by a peace officer in order for a citation to be issued--more accurately, a "promise to appear."

I suspect each state has its own evidence and criminal procedure rules.

Misdemeanors and felonies can be witnessed by ordinary citizens (hence the old "citizen's arrest"), but must have a peace officer present when said citizen is exercising his right to make an arrest. Other than that, peace officers must either witness the crime or like in the cop shows, gather enough evidence to be able to make the arrest upon apprehension or to obtain an arrest warrant from a judge.

 

[Shock-On-T]

In the flip side, it is kind of annoying when someone’s in the fast lane and won’t get out if the way. I’m not condoning their behaviour, but I can understand the motivation.

 

[David99]

Instigator

That's exactly how to deal with crazy drivers - the way he deat with you.

I'm not sure you understand. Someone illegally uses the HOV lane, races up to you at 100 mph, tailgates you at only one car length distance and then I'm the instigator for saying 'what's up with that'? And he dealt me *ME* the right way?

 

[David99]

In the flip side, it is kind of annoying when someone’s in the fast lane and won’t get out if the way. I’m not condoning their behaviour, but I can understand the motivation.

I'm with you 100%. If you have no intentions to go faster than the rest of the traffic, don't use the HOV lane and hold up traffic there. But if you are using the HOV lane illegally, you have no right, morally nor legally, to do anything even remotely to that.

 

[Max*]

In the flip side, it is kind of annoying when someone’s in the fast lane and won’t get out if the way. I’m not condoning their behaviour, but I can understand the motivation.

I agree, I don't know about the HOV lanes where the OP is, but here they're only 1 lane and set entrance/exit points. So if the OP isn't keeping up, he can't really get out early.

I'm not sure you understand. Someone illegally uses the HOV lane, races up to you at 100 mph, tailgates you at only one car length distance and then I'm the instigator for saying 'what's up with that'? And he dealt me *ME* the right way?

His speed is irrelevant -- the law is keep right except to pass. In Cali, it's "notwithstanding the prima facie speed limits". A 1-lane HOV might be different though.

If you could have moved over, you should have. If you couldn't have move over, I don't see how you did anything wrong.

 

[Kipernicus]

Sadly, David, even though you were entirely in the right, when dealing with someone who brazenly flouts the law and common courtesy they may just be unstable enough to think that any reaction from you is an "instigation" and will make it an excuse to be even more aggressive.

Right and wrong are twisted in their minds. You already know that based on how they drive.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Sadly, David, even though you were entirely in the right, when dealing with someone who brazenly flouts the law and common courtesy they may just be unstable enough to think that any reaction from you is an "instigation" and will make it an excuse to be even more aggressive.

Right and wrong are twisted in their minds. You already know that based on how they drive.

Or they might have a kid in hospital, just lost a wife, just heard they have cancer, just got divorced, just found their wife in bed with the postman, just lost their life savings, or just had a long day at work and are stuck behind someone who could do them the courtesy of getting the hell out of the goddam way

 

[dmode]

I am wondering if such aggressive driving occurs in CA (and rest of the US) because how traffic / speeding laws are enforced here. We have 65mph speed limited highways, where the traffic flow could be anywhere between 55-90mph and most instances people will get away with it as it requires a highway patrol officer to measure your speed with a speed gun.

This tolerance for speed limit also means people are unclear on what the acceptable driving speed should be on the left lane. Some drivers may think 75 mph is enough for the left lane, while others believe 85mph is what it should be and anyone slower should just pull over.

Contrast this with driving in Europe, where 140 kph means 140kph. And there are no cops hiding behind bushes with speed guns, rather cameras capture your infraction and mail a ticket. I learned my lesson in France where I was mailed a ticket while driving at 135 kph in a 130kph.

 

[kev1n]

how to battle crazy? be crazier than them!

 

[Don TLR]

In the flip side, it is kind of annoying when someone’s in the fast lane and won’t get out if the way. I’m not condoning their behaviour, but I can understand the motivation.

Exactly, no matter how fast I'm going, if someone catches up at a higher rate of speed I try and get over as they're in more of a hurry than I am..

 

[kev1n]

I am wondering if such aggressive driving occurs in CA (and rest of the US) because how traffic / speeding laws are enforced here. We have 65mph speed limited highways, where the traffic flow could be anywhere between 55-90mph and most instances people will get away with it as it requires a highway patrol officer to measure your speed with a speed gun.

This tolerance for speed limit also means people are unclear on what the acceptable driving speed should be on the left lane. Some drivers may think 75 mph is enough for the left lane, while others believe 85mph is what it should be and anyone slower should just pull over.

Contrast this with driving in Europe, where 140 kph means 140kph. And there are no cops hiding behind bushes with speed guns, rather cameras capture your infraction and mail a ticket. I learned my lesson in France where I was mailed a ticket while driving at 135 kph in a 130kph.

Exactly, no matter how fast I'm going, if someone catches up at a higher rate of speed I try and get over as they're in more of a hurry than I am..

i dont know about other states but in CA, the most left lane is suppose to be a passing lane which 99% of drivers dont even know.. so honestly if youre not passing someone or someone is riding your ass, pretty simple, move over.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

My approach to the road is to try to be as non-emotional as possible.

It usually means doing the exact opposite of what I want to do. Usually what I want to is retaliatory in nature, but then I constantly read about people who do get into trouble in their reaction to some idiot driver.

So I day dream about what I'd want to do while I go about avoiding conflict.

As an example what I'd want to do on a single lane HOV is to slow down gradually just to annoy the person riding my bumper or force him to pass on the right. But, what I would actually end up doing is getting out (if possible), and then back in.

Now I do believe that the HOV lane (that's on left) should be treated as a passing lane if traffic isn't an issue. It hardly ever is treated this way, and instead it's some weird mixture of insane speeders (>10mph over) or people who purposely pick the lane to not be bothered to move over (minivan soccer moms/dads). So I try to avoid using it unless traffic is bad or if it's a multi-lane HOV like 405 in the Bellevue, WA region.

 

[Olle]

What really bothers me and where I have trouble finding an appropriate response is drivers that are downright selfish and dangerous.

Totally with on this.

I talked to a police officer about my dash cam video of a reckless driver, passing me at 60 mph on a 25 mph street where children play. He told me the police can't do anything unless they witness it themselves.
Also called 911 on a driver that I filmed running a red light right in front of me, forced me to slam the brakes just barely avoiding crash, I followed him for a while as I filmed license plate and all with the 911 responder on the phone, trying to direct them to his location, but they were unable (unwilling?) to pursue.

How about creating a youtube channel with reckless drivers, with license clearly plates visible. If reckless enough and millions of viewers, perhaps the authorities feel they finally need to do something after all?

Edit: One more thing, we have a lot of speed traps on the highways (70 mph limit) here in Orlando, but since everyone is driving 85 - 90 it just takes 1 second of measuring to catch one (literraly the second they turn on the laser) then takes a while to write ticket meanwhile 10000 cars are passing. So it seems you have a chance in 1/10000 risk of getting caught. Speed cameras would be better and the city would make millions of $ every hour of the day