The economy has picked up somewhat since the recession and this means more traffic on the road. With more traffic and people going to work it’s become obvious that I’m experiencing more congestion and aggressive driving in the process.
I have experienced radical driving maneuvers from cars and construction pick- up trucks more than ever. Years ago, I used to race stock cars as a hobby and produced these driving maneuvers on the race track on Saturday nights. However, the practice of using these driving tactics is not appropriate for our nation’s highways. Lately, I’ve had numerous motorists pass my truck on the right side as they look to be attempting to go onto the exit ramp and then they’ll make a sudden turn to the left and get in front of me. When in drivers education did we ever learn this? Another dangerous move which seems to be on the rise is motorists coming from the far left lane and heading straight across the right lanes to get onto an off ramp… keep in mind there aren’t any turn signals involved in this risky move.
This week, I happened to be eating at a travel center and sat at a window seat. While enjoying my meal, I had a clear view of a convenience store across the street. The store was located on the corner and is a busy location for traffic and pedestrians. I observed numerous motorists dive through the parking lot in order to not have to sit through the traffic light. One construction truck that happened to be pulling a low-boy trailer cut off the light and went through this parking area at a fairly rapid pace. With the amount of people walking in, out and around this convenience store, I felt this was an accident waiting to happen. I thought to myself… how big of a hurry are these people in? How much time are they really saving before reaching their destination?
I’m wondering if this is just me lately or if anyone else is experiencing this much aggressive driving lately? Am I just getting older and learning to pace myself or is this type of driving getting worse on our highways? What I do know is that we as professional truck drivers need to be extra vigilant in our driving practices as to not be part of an incident when one of these insane maneuvers goes wrong.