Traffic - Courteous Driving
Crashes have many causes but there are a few repeat offenders such as speed too fast, following too close and failing to yield. Many crashes could be avoided by simply being more courteous. Many of our traffic laws have been enacted because of a lack of courtesy.
Merging is one situation that calls for courtesy in such places as merging onto the freeway or coming from Sunset onto Bluff Street where two lanes end. Going north onto Bluff from Sunset two where two lanes come to an end is another such place. In these situations courtesy could play a part. Absent of courtesy, state law states that any vehicle in a lane coming to an end must yield the right of way to the vehicles that are in the adjacent lane that continues. If people were courteous, there would be fewer crashes and fewer citations given in these places. Courtesy plays a part for both drivers.
The application of the law is demonstrated by the following example: When the driver comes up the ramp to enter the freeway or from a road in a lane that is about to end, the driver should be near the speed of traffic and then tap the brake to fit into the right sized gap between cars already on the freeway or roadway being entered. If there is no gap, they must brake and yield until there is a gap in the traffic. Speeding up to get ahead of another car thereby violating the speed limit is the common method but is not the safest way to do this. Doing so could result in a citation and a hefty fine.
This is where the courtesy comes in. The drivers faced with a vehicle entering the roadway, although not required to by law, could then slide over a lane to allow the merging vehicle room to enter the roadway. If they can’t change lanes safely, they could tap their brakes slightly to allow the merging vehicle space in front of them. This is not required as they have the right of way. Likewise, if the merging vehicle is not up to speed, the drivers that have the right of way are now being forced to hit their brakes abruptly to avoid a car that is going so slowly. Hitting brakes like this often results in a rear-end collision from the car behind that is following too close or not paying attention while talking on a cell phone. The driver of the merging vehicle should be courteous enough that his or her vehicle is up to the speed of the through traffic so that they can tap their brakes to allow them in. Many drivers would show this courtesy if the merging vehicles were up to speed.
If there were a crash on Bluff Street between two vehicles, one of which was merging, the merging vehicle could get the ticket for failing to yield right of way to through traffic.
A word of warning: Courtesy plays a part in our driving but in some cases can prove to be hazardous. When traffic is backed up and the first lane of traffic brakes to allow someone to cross, a crash often results from the second line of cars being hidden from view of the driver turning left, such as at Tabernacle and Bluff where south bound drivers want to turn left onto Tabernacle. When such a courtesy is extended by a driver stopping to allow you to cross in front of them, look around to see if the other cars are going to stop as well. Don’t take it for granted that everyone is allowing you to cross. The crash that results will also result in a citation for failing to yield being issued to the driver that turned left in front of other traffic. Make sure that it is safe to do what you want to do when someone is courteous and then thank them for it.
Sgt. Craig Harding
St. George PD Motor Squad
craig.harding@sgcity.org
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