I just got back from town. What I noticed especially this morning was interesting, if not a little frightening.

1. Raining pretty heavy. Lots of standing water on the roads.

2. Foggy/ misty

3. Visibility really bad. At times less than 100 yards.

4. Idiots driving without headlights, or even those daytime running lights which as I understand it come on automatically when the car starts unless turned off.

5. Speed limit 55.

6. probably 75% of vehicles exceeding that speed limit by a good bit.

7. Interval between cars as little as 10 feet. Average seemed to be about 20-30 feet.

I decided that in future, when the weather and road conditions are this bad, I will avoid going out there, if at all possible.

Don't care to be mixed up in a chain reaction pile up. Or a pile up of any kind for that matter. And I will avoid Rt. 234 when weather is this bad. Can't wait until the first snow to hit the ground and watch these idiots try to deal with that.

Yep. Especially first rains in california. the oil comes out of the roadway and i see lots of cars overturned or in an accident.

Along the same line but on the other end of the spectrum when the weather isn’t that bad: those drivers who think the weather is so bad they feel the need to hog the left lane while traveling 10-15mph under the limit, with their hazard lights turned on. Those are the ones who should have stayed home, or at least off the highways.

I've been seeing an increasing trend around here of drivers either having no headlights on (no idea how you can even begin to see without them in some places) or a larger group that have their high beams on all the time.

The former is just scary, the latter annoying.

This in all conditions, clear, rain, night, fog, etc.

4 wheel ain't 4 wheel stop.

I recall signs in NC: "burn headlights when using wipers" thought the wording strange and the Troopers would pull ya over no matter the wording.

quote:

Originally posted by recoatlift:
I recall signs in NC: "burn headlights when using wipers" thought the wording strange and the Troopers would pull ya over no matter the wording.

I know my '16 F150 would do this by default, if the headlights were set to auto.
Once the wipers were on for some pre-set amount of time, it would turn on the headlights as well, regardless of what the light sensor was seeing.
I believe my '15 Mercedes does the same.

Sounds like you're in Flagstaff however with your location showing Virginia, I suspect you're in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area.

quote:

Originally posted by recoatlift:
I recall signs in NC: "burn headlights when using wipers" thought the wording strange and the Troopers would pull ya over no matter the wording.

It's a NC State law --- if your wipers are on (not intermittent wipers), then your headlights must be on also. It's so others can more easily see you in poor/low visibility situations. Makes sense now?

We bucolic hicks in the bucolic sticks of NC have found it to be a rather intelligent piece of legislation and it hasn't killed anyone yet (so far as I know)!

quote:

Originally posted by pillboxesghost:

It's a NC State law --- if your wipers are on (not intermittent wipers), then your headlights must be on also. It's so others can more easily see you in poor/low visibility situations. Makes sense now?

Empirical evidence (my drive through NC this morning) shows that this law does not apply to law enforcement vehicles.

Merely an observation....

What’s worse than those too oblivious to turn on their lights....some driving 70+, and others driving 55 in the middle lane on the interstate. This sends the half the traffic into the left lane, and the aggressive to...well, sends them into irate idiot mode....with just a moderate amount of rain.

quote:

Originally posted by Sr_Bull:
Along the same line but on the other end of the spectrum when the weather isn’t that bad: those drivers who think the weather is so bad they feel the need to hog the left lane while traveling 10-15mph under the limit, with their hazard lights turned on. Those are the ones who should have stayed home, or at least off the highways.

Yes, also a valid point! I remember, fondly, driving in Europe. Especially Germany and France. Lights turned green everybody started to move out. Turn red, everybody stopped. And, back then, if the German police saw you hogging the left lane on the autobahn you got a ticket. There were places on the autobahn that had NO speed limit! But then, to get a driver's license for a German civilian, they had to go through a driver's school, and it was not cheap. There is a concept I could get behind for this country,

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
I've been seeing an increasing trend around here of drivers either having no headlights on (no idea how you can even begin to see without them in some places) or a larger group that have their high beams on all the time.

The former is just scary, the latter annoying.

This in all conditions, clear, rain, night, fog, etc.

Agreed!!!

A lot of the people I pull over for no headlights/taillights at night are just stupid and don’t know how to operate their vehicles. Also some cars have DRLs and they think it’s enough. No it’s not and your taillights are still off.

More cars are coming with auto headlights and people should just leave it in auto if they don’t know what they’re doing.

I know my friend’s Subaru Outback (2017?) automatically turns on the headlights when the wipers are on. My ‘15 Subaru did not. She actually pointed it out to me. She kept trying to get me to trade up. I don’t think my ‘18 BMW does. I will have to check.

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
A lot of the people I pull over for no headlights/taillights at night are just stupid and don’t know how to operate their vehicles. Also some cars have DRLs and they think it’s enough. No it’s not and your taillights are still off.

I've seen this a lot lately too; it amazes me they haven't figured it out, or have been pulled over.

SnowmaGeddon in Cincinnati today (3-5 in). If you can't drive in it, stay the fuck home!

quote:

Originally posted by Sr_Bull:
Along the same line but on the other end of the spectrum when the weather isn’t that bad: those drivers who think the weather is so bad they feel the need to hog the left lane while traveling 10-15mph under the limit, with their hazard lights turned on. Those are the ones who should have stayed home, or at least off the highways.

Man I hate this, especially on the tollway where I’m paying to drive on it. I have a sophisticated awd system and a lot of track time under my belt. My car and driving skills are tailor made for those conditions yet I get stuck behind these idiots in the fast lane king 20 mph. Just get over in another lane for fuksakes!

Even without inclement weather, no lights on at twilight, or even well after sunset, get on my nerve. (That's right, singular.) When leaving work I have to turn left onto a divided highway that is 45 mph but everybody drives 55-60, or more sometimes. Combine that with no lights on at dusk and I've had some uncomfortably close calls. I drive a mile and a half out of my way to utilize a traffic light.

And how about those gray or other dark colored cars? You know, the ones that simply seem to disappear in the twilight?

I have seen several "near" accidents when somebody starts to pass another car and suddently has to swerve back into his traffic lane because some asshole coming the other way without lights!

I tend to believe this situation has been brought on by the terrible lack of teaching our kids to actually think before they do something. Especially when that something is dangerous to them and others!

Recently, I have seen such assholes hit deep standing water on the highway. Doing upwards of 60MPH. One came VERY close to totally losing control, and as far as I could see, it was not skill, it was nothing but pure luck.

My brother is a retired state cop, and some of his stories make you want to go find a warm dry cave.

quote:

Originally posted by Sr_Bull:
Along the same line but on the other end of the spectrum when the weather isn’t that bad: those drivers who think the weather is so bad they feel the need to hog the left lane while traveling 10-15mph under the limit, with their hazard lights turned on. Those are the ones who should have stayed home, or at least off the highways.

Yup. Don't you just love the drivers that turn their emergency flashers on when its raining? It is not being safe, it is being a distraction.