People have gone mad on the interstate!

[redrider]

A 5000 pound vehicle traveling at 60 mph hits with 440,000 lb.ft of energy. The .223 has about 1200 at the muzzle. Just for perspective.

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[The Bean]

A tad late commenting to this post, but THIS is exactly why I have a front and rear dash cam in my JT. Living in Florida, you run into far too many crazies. Saw a report recently that 25% of Florida drivers are uninsured! But I suggest everyone get themselves some security (and peace of mind) and pick up a dash cam. Glad to know you were ok OP, but also sorry you had to deal with a nutcase like that!

 

[Uparms]

Good reminder to get a dash cam.

How many of you notice more ambulance, fire and oloice sirens if you live near highways. We have noted a big increase, even after a new interatate pulled a lot of traffic away a year ago.

I think this Covid stuff has impacted driving. Faster roads, leas traffic, different achool and work schedules???

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Had a guy cut me off once at off ramp then he slowed down and flash a gun at me when we got to the top of the ramp because he felt like I should have let him over. He ended up getting rear ended about the time he was lifting the gun and ended up firing off a shot into his floor board when he got hit. He ended up going to jail that day. I pulled over at the truck stop and walked back up to the scene when the police arrived to give them my statement. People can be crazy, I tried to be patient with crazy drivers l. The worse ones are the ones who see a right or left lane closed sign 2 miles ahead of time and decide to ride the closing lane out until it comes to and end and then try to force their way over.

Also another reason I have dash cams in every vehicle, they can't argue with solid proof.

 

[IamAlan]

People drive like it's a video game and don't realize that when/if they crash driving like that they will not make it through unscathed.

^^^ THIS ^^^

 

[MNWillys]

I've had several near miss incidents in the past. But the one that sticks out the most was while living in Arizona and on HWY 60 heading home from work one morning. Guy in a TJ decided to pass on the median, two lanes over from me, then proceeded to jam on his brakes and caused the Civic Hatchback to lock his brakes and come in my lane. I swerved and miss the Civic, although the drivers behind me crashed into the civic and so forth, all I could see was smoke and car parts on the highway in my rear view. As for myself, I tried my best to catch the TJ- but my little 4-banger in the Sentra just could not keep up, so no license plate just a description. I tried for a few weeks to visit all the off road shops I could to track down the guy, but no luck.

 

[Gladman]

A tad late commenting to this post, but THIS is exactly why I have a front and rear dash cam in my JT. Living in Florida, you run into far too many crazies. Saw a report recently that 25% of Florida drivers are uninsured! But I suggest everyone get themselves some security (and peace of mind) and pick up a dash cam. Glad to know you were ok OP, but also sorry you had to deal with a nutcase like that!

Was this pun intended or do you routinely run into them?

 

[Blue Ridge]

I've always taken the approach of letting people pass, merge, whatever they want (within reason) and felt that getting furious behind the wheel of a vehicle is reserved for the unstable and truly stupid. My highway driving goal is simply to have some space around my truck. But the last few road trips have tested my usual patience. It feels like if I let so much as a couple of car lengths between me and the person in front of me, someone slides in and has to apply breaks. I've been tailgated in the slow lane trying to let people by. All this craziness and a half hour later the car that was weaving in and out of traffic is almost always still in view, and sometimes winds up behind me. There's no beating congested traffic no matter how hard they try, but they're still going to try. And lately like their life depended on it.

 

[IamAlan]

When I started carrying concealed, I lost my right to participate in road rage.

 

[Binfordtools]

When I started carrying concealed, I lost my right to participate in road rage.

Yep, same here. I'm 6'5" and built like a brick s**t house. Twice in my life someone tried to road rage me, caught me at a light and got out of their car heading towards my car. They were all mouthy until I stepped out of my vehicle. Both times they saw my size, said "f**k that" and quickly shut the hell up. Now I carry so I get to ignore them if they come after me with their gums flapping.

 

[BAT]

A 5000 pound vehicle traveling at 60 mph hits with 440,000 lb.ft of energy. The .223 has about 1200 at the muzzle. Just for perspective.

Yep that is why my buddy was all messed up for quite some time. Even though it was an orange it lifted him from the seat of his bike and then it was just crash after that. Man his chest was black and had to go to Emergency room. I'm still not sure how he wasn't killed

 

[KX L]

Had a guy cut me off once at off ramp then he slowed down and flash a gun at me when we got to the top of the ramp because he felt like I should have let him over. He ended up getting rear ended about the time he was lifting the gun and ended up firing off a shot into his floor board when he got hit. He ended up going to jail that day. I pulled over at the truck stop and walked back up to the scene when the police arrived to give them my statement. People can be crazy, I tried to be patient with crazy drivers l. The worse ones are the ones who see a right or left lane closed sign 2 miles ahead of time and decide to ride the closing lane out until it comes to and end and then try to force their way over.

Also another reason I have dash cams in every vehicle, they can't argue with solid proof.

@Jeeperjamie I'm responding to the bolded and italicized comment in your post. Absolutely not trying to be disrespectful or start a fight. Please read and consider my comments and respond to what I present.

Sorry bro but guys like you, who think you understand how things are supposed to work on the highway, are the ones who drive me crazy and have me shaking my head in wonderment when they go batshit crazy because I use the open lane when they [unwisely in my mind] are queuing up 2 miles earlier because of a lane closed ahead sign. These signs don't say line up now--they're clearly telling you in two miles be prepared to allow traffic to merge in from the lane being closed.

The highway department has to deal with higher speeds and is trying to keep the speed up---which is why they put the signs miles back---they give multiple notices [because so many drivers don't pay any attention to anything] that there are going to be reduced lane options ahead. The reduction itself is a bit away from the actual work. So when very well meaning and courteous drivers such as yourself falsely line up miles earlier than when you need to, the traffic especially on a highway, gets backed up and slowed down miles before it should----with a totally open lane right beside them.

I'm not "forcing my way over", I'm just merging where the highway department asks me to. While I understand the frustration of guys like you--who have now [voluntarily whether you believe it or not] wasted 10 or more minutes in line---your anger is definitely misplaced.

 

[Blue Ridge]

Some states have requested that people do this. It's called zipper merging and supposedly is better for congestion and speeds highways up. However I don't do it because people in my area aren't on board and most won't let you in. If this is what the highway department wants us to do, it sure would be helpful if they'd just put up sings saying so.

 

[IamAlan]

@Jeeperjamie I'm responding to the bolded and italicized comment in your post. Absolutely not trying to be disrespectful or start a fight. Please read and consider my comments and respond to what I present.

Sorry bro but guys like you, who think you understand how things are supposed to work on the highway, are the ones who drive me crazy and have me shaking my head in wonderment when they go batshit crazy because I use the open lane when they [unwisely in my mind] are queuing up 2 miles earlier because of a lane closed ahead sign. These signs don't say line up now--they're clearly telling you in two miles be prepared to allow traffic to merge in from the lane being closed.

The highway department has to deal with higher speeds and is trying to keep the speed up---which is why they put the signs miles back---they give multiple notices [because so many drivers don't pay any attention to anything] that there are going to be reduced lane options ahead. The reduction itself is a bit away from the actual work. So when very well meaning and courteous drivers such as yourself falsely line up miles earlier than when you need to, the traffic especially on a highway, gets backed up and slowed down miles before it should----with a totally open lane right beside them.

I'm not "forcing my way over", I'm just merging where the highway department asks me to. While I understand the frustration of guys like you--who have now [voluntarily whether you believe it or not] wasted 10 or more minutes in line---your anger is definitely misplaced.

We can all see traffic backing up in that right lane at least a mile before the actual merge. Instead of merging when we could all maintain our present speed, and I have conveniently allowed you two car lengths to do so, you wait, and wait, and wait, causing me to wonder if I'm about to eat a fender, then try to merge when the traffic is slowed to a crawl and you're bumper-t- bumper. No sir, it is you who are incorrect. In my opinion. Peace.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

We can all see traffic backing up in that right lane at least a mile before the actual merge. Instead of merging when we could all maintain our present speed, and I have conveniently allowed you two car lengths to do so, you wait, and wait, and wait, causing me to wonder if I'm about to eat a fender, then try to merge when the traffic is slowed to a crawl and you're bumper-t- bumper. No sir, it is you who are incorrect. In my opinion. Peace.

Exactly, this is what I'm talking about. The reason why traffic gets backed up is because of the fools riding out that closed lane and then probably someone wouldn't allow them to merge and then another person has to stop and then guess what you end up with a cluster of cars trying to merge and traffic in both lanes stopping or coming to a crawl. Just get over and keep going when you see the sign saying lane closure ahead and all will be good. Don't see a real point in riding out a closing lane.

Drivers who do this are no different than the drivers who decide to stay in the lane with the wreck in it, knowing from at least a good mile away there is a wreck in the lane but making the choice to ride that lane out until they can't and then expecting someone to let them over. Yeah, not happening.

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