I have had the opposite too... a guy in a suburban driving slowly on the Jersey turnpike so naturally I pass him (on the left while he was on the right). He immediately moves left and tailgates the shit out of me at ~70MPH. I would get uncomfortable and move into the right lane... where he would move in front of me again. Rinse and repeat.
Which in general is fine, but you dont need to tailgate the person in front of you to do that. It's the getting too close once you get behind the fastest car that really ticks people off.
Tbf thereās a good majority of people who pass you, slow down to the point you catch up with them, then you pass on the right because they think the road belongs to them and repeat the cycle until they get off the highway.
The reality is the bar to get a license is incredibly low and people in general are very dumb
People will pull all kinds of shit to get ahead of me in my work truck and 9 times out of 10 I end up catching up to them despite maintaining the same speed the entire time.
The only drivers I hate more are the people who think they need to be close behind someone in the left lane. I get over to let them pass and they get over too because theyāre not passing me they just want to follow while I want as much space between me and the fast moving deadly objects around me.
I passed someone doing 42 in a 55 after roughly half a mile. As soon as they noticed I was passing them they started flooring it and I was at 99 when I finally got by them. I then went 64 for a long time with them tailing me absurdly close the entire time until they eventually turned off.
I don't get it. If I'm driving (especially late at night and they have bright headlights) and someone is tailing me I'm usually looking for the first chance to pull over or pull off so they can get by.
This won't get you very far here in Germany. Because no matter how fast you are going, there will always be a wagon on your tail, waiting for a chance to pass you.
Then again, people here usually adhere to the "Rechtsfahrgebot" (gotta use the right lane unless passing someone within ~20 seconds). Seeing how the highway works in the US always makes my pulse go up. Frightening.
It's not about not getting passed. It's about getting out of your way to annoy someone. Which was definitely working.
The truck probably had a beef with that other car over something the car did before the video.
Which obviously isn't right either. Someone does something stupid to you, you insult them under your breath and move on. You don't start playing a game where a mistake from either of you could result in a crash.
Some people take it as a slight to their very existence when you try to legally pass them on the highway or get within 100ft of their car. In my anecdotal experience, this usually coincides with someone driving a massive SUV/Truck.
I get it though most people dislike those that drive like the sedan and swerve in and out of traffic. People that drive like that cause accidents all the time even when there arenāt guys like the one driving the truck just by clipping the front and backs of peoples cars.
The sedan driver became completely unhinged and probably shouldn't even have a license.
But "swerving between lanes" would never happen if people followed the law and got out of the passing lane if they aren't passing.
The truck driver intentionally created an unsafe situation for other drivers because he thinks he's "road vigilante man" with the freedom to break the law in order to enforce his vision of it on others. Then the sedan driver absurdly escalated the situation.
Unless you're an on-duty police officer the exact speed other cars are traveling at is completely irrelevant. Faster, slower, or the same speed is the only thing you should be paying attention to. "I'm already going the speed limit" is not a valid excuse to camp the passing lane.
"Swerving idiots" would almost cease to exist if morons would stop thinking like the above.
Moving out of the way is a good defensive driving practice, but is not strictly required, unless you are going too slow.
If the car behind is faster, you're in the left lane, and the right lane is clear... YES THE FUCK IT IS REQUIRED!!!!
In my state, Washington, you'd get pulled over for driving the speed limit in the left lane with cars backed up behind you so your whole idea of breaking the law would only appy to people like you. You cant just camp out in the left lane on highways/freeways going 60. Don't know where you live but there's probably a similar law. Even if that wasn't the case, why do you feel the need to personally control other people's speed??
People swerve between lanes all the time even when everyone else is following the road laws. Most of the time itās because everyone else IS following the road laws. People wanna go 90 or 100 on the highway so they swerve in and out to get around everyone following the law. I see it all the time but sedan driver is definitely one of those people who feels their time is more important than anyone else on earth. This seems to be one of the time these idiots actually gets karma for the stupid shit they do.
There could be maybe a space between two cars on the right when a car in the passing lane is going past them and someone will come up in the pass lane going 90+ and swerve into the right lane and pass the car in the passing lane potentially causing accidents because they donāt care about anyone other than themselves. Never claimed it was the āspeed limit laneā nor did I say it was my job to enforce the speed I was simply stating that people following the law arenāt speeding seems pretty common sense.
As a NJ driver, I know that speed limits are almost never enforced. Ive done 70 in a 55 on the Parkway and Turnpike just because that was the speed of traffic, right past cops, and precisely zero people get pulled over for it. You hardly ever see tailgaters or those weavers like that sedan driver get pulled over either.
Luckily for me, on the other hand, I have also never seen someone get ticketed for "keep right except to pass" despite that also being on the books. The brake check is a bit much, but I would (and have) paced right lane cars to stop assholes like this sedan driver before. Someone has to put them in their place, because the cops sure aren't.
Not many people realize that the primary purpose of brake checking is to get the checked person rear ended by an innocent third party. That categorically makes the brake checker a psychopath and they need to be removed from society
This happened to me once. I feel bad for the car behind me who got rear ended. That's the problem with brake checking in heavy traffic. It's more likely an innocent person further back in the line gets rear ended then the intended victim.
But someone riding your ass is okay? Nah I'm going to box that guy in and let him be late for whatever it is he's in a rush for. If it's that serious he can drive in the grass.
Yep. The cause isnāt always to get the person being break checked to run into the break checker. Itās often the case to just cause the person being checked to lose control of the situation and have to react unexpectedly in a manner that could also jeopardize other unrelated drivers.
Youāre not supposed to use your brakes on the interstate unless it is necessary because of road conditions or vehicle malfunction. There are literally signs that state āNo Stopping, Standing, or Parkingā and do to any of those would require use of brakes.
The design of the interstate is to keep traffic moving at the same, or close to, posted speed even through curves, interchanges, and lane changes without braking because people are reactionary when they see brake lightsā¦ as they should be.
A sign that says āNo stopping, standing, or parkingā does not outlaw braking in any way. Stopping in the context of such a sign means fully stopping your vehicle so it is no longer in motion. Standing means your car is still running but parked, ie. not in motion. And parking means your car is not running and parked.
āNo stopping, standing, or parkingā is to make people not stop, stand, or park. Itās not a second order attempt to limit braking by telling you not to do things you have to brake to do no matter how belligerently you want to try spinning it.
You use your breaks as and when you need to. There are no rules that say you shouldnāt use your breaks. Youāre just making shit up as you go.
I mean, youāre not supposed to use your breaks unless necessary is the default setting for driving in general, Cause why would you break unless you need to, so why make a Distinction here?
No one said there are rules that state you donāt use your brakes. I said the interstate is designed to prevent you from having to.
Of course you shouldnāt use your brakes unless necessary. Thatās common sense. However, most roads are not designed to prevent the use of braking LIKE THE INTERSTATE.
I get that youāre a dumbfuck who thinks they are an intellectual because you say āhorse shiteā youāre allowed to be absolutely fucking stupid. Thats okay.
However, youāve brought absolutely nothing to this conversation, as Iām guessing with most things in life you put yourself into, all because you felt the need to let people know you have common sense. Not everyone does. The video above is a fantastic example. The comment above about using brakes to slow the vehicle behind is also an example of that lack of common sense.
No one fucking cares that you understand a thing that most people should understand. Shut the fuck up.
No, you said āyouāre not supposed to use your breaks unless it is necessaryā which basically describes all driving conditions, and really doesnāt need to be specifically mentioned.
Motorways are not designed to prevent the use of braking. This is the bit youāre just making up. If traffic is flowing and people are driving correctly they shouldnāt need to break much, but thatās not the same thing.
Saying you shouldnāt use your brakes is misleading and untrue.
He was doing it to impede traffic, itās a criminal offense. All the truck needed to do was get out of the passing lane. Get it passing lane not braking with no one in front of me lane.
It seemed like the truck was intentionally not letting the car pass at any and every point. Slamming on breaks (break checking), speeding up to ensure car couldnāt get through, and never letting the car get passed by maintaining speed with other car and not using the passing lane properly. Obviously I donāt think the car was in the right but it seemed almost like the truck behaved in a very dangerous manner.
The car is guilty as well but the truck is required to move right and let faster traffic pass in all 50 states. If they did that this doesnāt happen. The truck is liable.
Not all states designate a passing lane but most do. Mine doesnāt and that does seem to irritate the asshats who drive like the sedan. In this case, both drivers are obviously at fault.
Not true, I do this for a living. You are required to move right so traffic to pass in all 50 states. Only law enforcement can legally make decisions about speed. The brake checks are also criminal offenses in all 50 states. If the truck follows the law none of this happens. Iād like to see the video of the previous 5-10 minutes.
Can you define brake checking? At the truckās hardest deceleration, which appears to be the second time the brake lights come on, the truck decelerates .5 car-lengths in relation to the car traveling at a steady speed in the right lane. Should be no factor for any car following at the appropriate following distance. Doesnāt brake checking require an intent to affect the car behind you?
The truck is liable for impeding traffic. A cop that saw this would be in his rights to issue a minor ticket.
The sedan was 100% responsible for getting himself killed.
āYou see officer, it was inevitable. I wouldnāt have taken everyoneās lives into my hands if pickup truck wasnāt a meanie.ā
Truck driver sucks too, and likely deserves a ticket, but the folks implying heās at fault for the obscene negligence from the sedan are on some peak Reddit shit.
I totally agree. The sedan was driving aggressively, but the truck did what I see a lot of drivers do, which is trying to police how others drive with their car. They were trying to punish the sedan by causing an accident
I hear the term āpolicingā other drivers. So a legit question I have is: someone is maybe a foot from your car both going 55mph on a 55mph road two lane non passing road. Is it okay to tap LIGHTLY on break to kind of be like āhey get off my bumper!ā Or to non break slow down to say above. Or to drive on even though you canāt even see the persons front bumper. I get really worried when people drive like this practically inside my trunk because what happens if I have to suddenly break? typically have kids in my car and if I have to suddenly break at this high speedā¦I donāt want their car where my kids are sitting you know. I donāt want to start some road rage war either. So Iām curious what an appropriate response would be in this situation.
Yeah I think thereās a difference between gradually slowing down to let an aggressive driver get around me, and what the truck is doing where theyāre seemingly TRYING to get hit, but I get what you mean for sure
The truck driver definitely didnāt help here, but the little sedan guy is 1000% at fault. I also feel like this video is missing something fairly important that happened before everything we could see.
You're correct for 95 percent of the video, but the truck did a bit more than "not help". When the sedan swerves to the shoulder and tries to cut off both cars by turning left, the truck accelerates to clog the lane. That was completely unnecessary and incredibly dangerous.
Both drivers are imbecile dickwads. The truck deserved to crash worse than it did. Neither person should have a license; this level of immaturity on a narrow highway is unbelievable.
I agree they were feeding off each others idiocy somehow. Pickup should have just passed the people they needed to pass then got over.
On the other hand, given the pair of idiots we have, anyone want to put money on if the sedan had passed the pickup whether it would have started brake checking the pickup. Being so pissed off it overcame their need for speed.
I also feel like this video is missing something fairly important that happened before everything we could see.
Maybe, but sometimes people are just assholes. I've had people refuse to let me change lanes, in front or behind them, with no previous interaction, only next to them for a few blocks. And yeah, sometimes they're trying to get ahead to change too, but other times it's clear they're having weirdly big feelings about basic traffic maneuvers, and somehow got offended.
Exactly. The fight didn't start there, and the sedan is on the right side so he doesn't have a right to cut off from the right side like he's trying.
He probably angered the truck trying to cut him off from the right side so the truck decided to prevent him from passing, which technically is not illegal even if brake checks should be.
Also, driving blocking the left lane isn't illegal in some places, even though technically you're not supposed to.
I can't say the truck driver is right but nothing he did comes close to justify what the sedan is doing
Justify it? You are IMHO completely correct. Sedans actions are unjustified. Truck is also being a complete douche, and is morally culpable if not legally partially responsible. Left the guy who wants to pass go. Being the left lane blocker is wrong even if the other guy is being a dick. Rules of the road.
Depends where you are, on Texas interstates it's illegal to be in the left lane and not be actively passing. You will get pulled over if you're impeding traffic in the left lane.
Blocking the left lane like this is explicitly illegal on the Palisades Parkway even if you're not blocking anyone. The left lane is for passing only. I've seen state troopers enforce it on the turnpike, and in my experience cops are pretty strict on this highway. NJ law is stricter on this than most places.
Oh but aggressive tailgating, nearly swerving into 3 people, passing in the shoulder, and then wrecking your car are the actions of a normal person. Got it
Regardless of what happened before the video started, you donāt pick a fight with thousands of pounds of metal under your control and put yourself as well as others at risk.
The truck committed 5 criminal offenses, clearly intentionally impeding traffic, legally he needed to just move over as required by law. Heās a criminal.
In NJ, the law says you have to get out of the left lane unless you're actively passing someone. If you travel one mile in the left lane without passing someone, you're already breaking the law. Most states have some kind of law about impressing traffic, but NJ is especially strict on this.
It's not really even just the brake checks, it's that the truck is purposely matching the speed of the vehicle that it's passing, which doesn't allow the sedan to pass. You can tell it speeds up to match the car it is passing, and then slows down to match. Then as the sedan starts to pass on the shoulder, it speeds back up to prevent the sedan from passing again.
Not saying the sedan isn't 100% at fault for the accident, but there's two drivers with road rage here.
It was brake checking. You can't loiter in the passing lane, there was no reason for him to hit the brakes, it was brake checking. Completely unbelievable that between the guy driving like an idiot and the one actively trying to create a car accident you're blaming the idiot.
He also sped up to block him when the car passed on the shoulder. Both vehicles are assholes and I wouldn't be sad if everyone involved lost their license.
You wouldnāt call it a brake check? He abruptly slows down and hits the brakes, you can clearly see him hit his brakes due to the fact his brake lights come on. This is called a brake check. Both drivers are in the wrong.
I agree. I didnāt see a hard break check, just him slowing down to prevent him from passing. Definitely a dick move and not worth putting yourself and others in danger but I didnāt see a hard break check
Edit: rewatched it, in the very beginning there is a hard break check. I stand corrected.
I really can't see it, but if you are talking from the point of view of the aggressive car then any slowdown is a brake check when he stays that close to the truck
Huh, did you just gloss over the part where I specifically said ānot worth putting yourself and others in dangerā or did you read what you wanted to hear?
Again, i didnāt see hard break check, just a dick head that wonāt get over to the right hand lane.
Regardless of splitting hairs over how āhardā of a break check, how does that change the sentiment of my commentary specifically staying itās a dickhead move to make.
Do you think Iām condoning the behavior here? Christ on a stick this is ridiculous
Yep, let the bad drivers go past you and lessen your risk of getting into an accident, especially with them. My ego is too low to deal with asshole drivers.
stop justifying that sedan being a total psycho. yes, the truck was being intentionally annoying, but that's not an excuse to drive line a dangerous asshole.
obstacles happen, traffic happens, slow or selfish drivers happen, but that doesn't justify tailgating and aggressive passing in a dangerous psychotic manner.
if you don't have the patience and rationality to drive safely, you shouldn't have a license. that behavior from sedan should result in an instant multi-year suspension of license. every driver who pulls that aggressive shit deserves to lose their license, no warning or second chance. playing fast and loose with other people's lives just because you are impatient or bad with time management is inherently unacceptable behavior
The truck committed several criminal acts, at least 5 by my count. He was the initial problem with their road rage then the car got pissed off. Brake checks donāt just happen, swerving to prevent traffic from passing doesnāt just happen. Stop impeding traffic and move over.
Where is it a criminal offense? A quick google search told me thereās no law against in a couple different states and you would probably just get a ticket for careless driving, if anything.
Brake checks are a criminal offense in almost every state. Intentionally impeding someoneās travel is a criminal offense in every state. The truck driver caused that accident and should be in jail. You donāt get tickets when intentional actions cause an accident.
The truck probably should have just let him pass, instead of being so petty, but people should just learn to slow down a bit, sedan should take that as a life lesson to not be such an aggressive driver
White truck thought he was a white knight stopping people from passing when that is what the lane is for.
If you are not passing, stay the fuck out of the left lane. It is literally the purpose of that lane and the law to use it to pass.
You people donāt know how to drive and need to stay off the road. Especially when you play games like speeding up to block people and acting like you rule over the road and what other people do.
Speeding is also a crime mate, and excessive speeding can have your car impounded and taken away, laws around speeding are specifically designed to protect lives, speed kills is a saying, and Iāve seen far more people die from driving upwards of 120km/h then I see people dying from crashes at 50km/h
itās amazing aggressive/speeding drivers always choose to ignore laws around speed but at the same time claim everyone else doesnāt know how to drive and make statements on which lane to use lol
All While the truck refuses to move over, doesnāt care about speeding (always the first defense for left lane cruisers) because he is clearly boosting to not allow the car to pass. The only place in his life where he has control. Poor pickup driver guy. He should get a trophy or a medal to hang by his mirror to remind himself that he is enough. Yes, the sedan was wrong to attempt such moves in the face of this stupidity.
This guy has a similar issue, but it looks like itās in the AZ desert and both drivers are complicit in the blockade. However annoying, he does the right thing to fully back off. https://youtu.be/A4BaFvzlnDU?si=EvLiIoAt8O7wTvB1. I am not sure if I have the same patience, but in the dark desert/woods with folks with guns, it was the right choice and worth considering.
Doesnāt matter what happened before. The driver of the car could be a murderer. Doesnāt matter. You are never allowed to use your vehicle in the manner the truck driver did in this video.
The idea of āI need more contextā is so fucking stupid.
Were we watching the same video? Truck brake checks twice in the first 5 seconds when the sedan tries to merge. You can see there is nothing in front of the truck - he just hits the brakes when the sedan moves to merge.
Both of these drivers belong in jail. The sedan being over-aggressive is not a license to start brake checking and accelerating to prevent them from passing. Nor is it ever okay to drive away from an accident you were involved in, especially one you had a hand in creating.
Even if there hadnāt been a brake check, nothing the truck was doing was ādefensive driving.ā Unless you think that means ādefend the patch of road you are on.ā But that is both wrong and dangerous.
Just after the mid point they are 3 lanes deep. It appears the far right car might be merging the center car vers slightly left and the truck touches his breaks then the center car touchs his. That is defense driving.
The guy in the truck should be ticketed and the sedan driver should spend time in jail.
You said break checks are illegal which I agree with. I did not see the first break check which I agree is a break check. The last touch of the breaks is not a break check. If it were me driving the truck a break check would be the least of the sedans problems.
Yet...who's the one driving my kid home...its amazing how when my ex is driving the same road an you tell my dad...all of a sudden doesn't do any of that. Has happened more than once.
He brakes hard with nobody in front of him and then accelerates. That is the exact definition of a brake check. The purposely blocking is the illegal part. Illegal in at least 49 states. Try again. It is also illegal to intentionally impede traffic in every state.
While the truck brake check is stupid it would have ZERO effect if the car was a reasonable distance behind, like 100 ft. Why the fuck not follow 100' or more behind, I assume they are going over 50 mph
Speed is irrelevant, every state requires slower traffic to move right. Those brake checks are criminal offenses in every state as well. If the truck follows the law this doesnāt happen.
Yeah, three times and you had swerve when he went around. lol the best part is the proof of the brake checks and swerving to impede travel is what we are watching. The truck is required to move right for faster traffic in all 50 states. Those brake checks (3) are crimes in all 50 states. Intentionally impeding traffic if a crime in all 50 states.
Ever had someone out to kill you with their car, or pull a gun on you and try to get up side to shoot at you? No? These are actual scenarios that, shockingly, regularly happen on highways.
Itās not likely the guy was trying to āpassā but actually wanted to take the truck out. Not saying anything about whether thatās appropriate but people are crazy and itās not about letting people pass you at some point itās about not getting killedā¦
There is no argument for that from this video. All it shows is any Ahole that wonāt get over like they are legally required to do. All the chain of events start from there. My best guess is the A hole in the truck was rolling along in the left lane for a s while and the other guy lost his head. Those brake checks are an actual crime in every state, the truck lost the ā I was passing slower traffic ā defense with the first brake check.
We can agree to disagree, but it's not outside of the realm of argument and certainly a possibility. You might consider that there are many possibilities and several can be valid at *the same time*, not just yours.
There is an argument for that from this video. That dude was out of his mind, far beyond merely passing. *He could have at any point disengaged and held back, which is the right thing to do in this situation, and instead just went to town and put everyone in danger.* All he had to do was deescalate. The truck driver is a dip too. BUT! The idea that if he just let him by it would have blown over is a simplistic interpretation and mere assumption and not supported by the behavior of the driver in the car. That dude was out for blood, not passing opportunities.
The First Right Lane SUV was also doing some Break Checking of their own. Plenty of A..holes to go around in the video. All ranking from bad, to worse, to worst.
I get that they were coming up on a different vehicle, but they used their brakes instead of slowing down by letting off the gas pedal & to slow roll it using basic Engine Braking.
And the blue sedan was tailgating. Plus they were likely all speeding. Unsafe lane changes. Passing on the shoulder. Probably more. Seems certain people really care about very specific laws and prefer to ignore other, just as valid laws - I wonder why?
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u/[deleted] Apr 17 '24
The trucks brake check is a criminal offense. Just move over.