Driving rant: PLEASE stop this!!

[BCClone]

That sucks.

Also, who wears socks with sandals?!?!?!?

Dude, all the HS kids do now.

 

[BCClone]

Not a personal attack but I'm 100% for drivers licenses having a 1 year expiration at a certain age. Whether that's 65, 70, 75, I don't know, it's admittedly an arbitrary thought. My late great grandma drove until she was 94 (only around Boone) and was still sharp but shouldn't have been driving. At 95 she declined and lived out the last 4 years not really knowing anything. The driving aspect could have been bad if there wasn't family to convince her to stop driving.

You think 2 years is not often enough?

 

[MeanDean]

Not a personal attack but I'm 100% for drivers licenses having a 1 year expiration at a certain age. Whether that's 65, 70, 75, I don't know, it's admittedly an arbitrary thought. My late great grandma drove until she was 94 (only around Boone) and was still sharp but shouldn't have been driving. At 95 she declined and lived out the last 4 years not really knowing anything. The driving aspect could have been bad if there wasn't family to convince her to stop driving.

I agree

Iowa shortens the normal 8 year cycle to line up an expiration with your 80th birthday. At that point every 2 years.

Florida shortens it to 6 years instead of 8 beginning with age 80.

Both require in person eye testing for renewals.

 

[deadeyededric]

What's with everyone's hatred for roundabouts? They beat the hell out of having a stoplight at every intersection.

 

[TitanClone]

You think 2 years is not often enough?

Yes, it happens fast

 

[CyValley2]

When you are in a left turn lane, and you want to make a u-turn, you cannot "swing wide" into the adjacent traffic lane on your right to make your u-turn, especially on busy road!

I gotta ask, was there a sign on the left hand side of the island that state no u-turn allowed?

What is Iowa law, are drivers allowed to make a u-turn if a sign permission is not given?

I don't know the answers to these questions. I'm curious.

 

[CGclone]

Same in designated (more rural) parts of Florida and/or Georgia where there are 3 lanes.

They do keep adding 3rd lanes near IC on 80. Need it all the way between Davenport and Des Moines.

This is planned. They are working on widening bridge

I agree with you, both in your understanding of the technicalities and your wisdom in knowing how to navigate Iowa traffic culture.

P.S. A 4-way stop in Iowa may be more dangerous than an expressway in Chicago. At least in Chicago, you know that everyone around you will be aggressive. In Iowa, you never know who is going to do what. It is a mixture of Iowa nice and utter indecisiveness. I've seen situations in which everyone just stares at each other, then 2 or 3 lurch forward at the same time, only to slam on the brakes and go through another round of staring. Usually, I try to hurry up or slow down so that it is very clear who gets there first, but even then, if either of us is turning, they will wait and sometimes waive me through. Just follow the rules of the road people!

And ladies, you don't have to wait for drivers coming from any of the other three directions to stop before you enter the intersection. You could have been through the intersection before I arrived but now I have to wait for you to get out of my way before I can go.

 

[BryceC]

I’ve seen this way too often. As vehicles get bigger in the US, drivers need to realize that not all SUVs and trucks have the turn radius to complete a U-turn. If you need to reverse the car to make a 3 point turn, that’s not a U-turn and you should find an alternate route.

This sort of stuff does make me appreciate roundabouts more. Gives drivers opportunities to make “U-turns” as streets are getting center barriers more than center turn lanes these days.

U turns are really dangerous anyway. Just turn left and go around the block.

 

[Texbudman]

A personal annoyance of mine about Iowa drivers. When you are merging onto a highway, please be driving at least the speed limit as you are merging. Far too often, drivers getting on highway 30 are going 45 mph as they hit the highway. Drives me insane.

That’s not just an Iowa drivers thing. Unfortunately that’s an everywhere thing

 

[AdRock4Cy]

TLDR, but people that are too lazy to use BLINKERS are the worst humans.

 

[Clonehomer]

U turns are really dangerous anyway. Just turn left and go around the block.

If the roads and lights are setup correctly, they can be done without being dangerous. In Cedar Falls we have signs that say U-turn on green arrow only. And those are only on 4 lane roads to give plenty of space for most vehicles. You still have the extended trucks that can’t make the turn, but I’d expect they’d know that already.

I’d just prefer they get rid of the divided streets and put center turn lanes in so you don’t need to do U-turns to get to where you need to go.

 

[BryceC]

If the roads and lights are setup correctly, they can be done without being dangerous. In Cedar Falls we have signs that say U-turn on green arrow only. And those are only on 4 lane roads to give plenty of space for most vehicles. You still have the extended trucks that can’t make the turn, but I’d expect they’d know that already.

I’d just prefer they get rid of the divided streets and put center turn lanes in so you don’t need to do U-turns to get to where you need to go.

They can be fine. There is a level of complexity to them that’s unnecessary.

 

[2020cy]

I was just going to say, it’s not that much work to use a turn signal.

 

[madguy30]

I gotta ask, was there a sign on the left hand side of the island that state no u-turn allowed?

What is Iowa law, are drivers allowed to make a u-turn if a sign permission is not given?

I don't know the answers to these questions. I'm curious.

I think in most places if there's no sign you can make a U-Turn at the intersection but you can't move into an adjacent lane/do anything that interferes with the movement of any other traffic.

If done in a controlled manner most vehicles don't need that wide of a gap.

 

[BACyclone]

What's with everyone's hatred for roundabouts? They beat the hell out of having a stoplight at every intersection.

In most situations they are great.

My only hesitation is how many people are utterly clueless in how to use them safely.

 

[somecyguy]

In most situations they are great.

My only hesitation is how many people are utterly clueless in how to use them safely.

I honestly think that a large portion of the population simply does not have the mental acuity and reaction ability to navigate them. Similar to the inability to properly merge, so many people cannot assess the situation without stopping first.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

In Dallas they have U turn lanes at most traffic lights. It can be kind of confusing as the far left lane is for U turns, and then the 2nd lane to the left is for turning left.

 

[Cyrealist]

I agree with you, both in your understanding of the technicalities and your wisdom in knowing how to navigate Iowa traffic culture.

P.S. A 4-way stop in Iowa may be more dangerous than an expressway in Chicago. At least in Chicago, you know that everyone around you will be aggressive. In Iowa, you never know who is going to do what. It is a mixture of Iowa nice and utter indecisiveness. I've seen situations in which everyone just stares at each other, then 2 or 3 lurch forward at the same time, only to slam on the brakes and go through another round of staring. Usually, I try to hurry up or slow down so that it is very clear who gets there first, but even then, if either of us is turning, they will wait and sometimes waive me through. Just follow the rules of the road people!

 

[AlCyJim]

TLDR, but people that are too lazy to use BLINKERS are the worst humans.

I didn't think the new cars had blinkers on them. I have often thought that a blinker repair shop would be a gold mine.

 

[ackatch]

In Dallas they have U turn lanes at most traffic lights. It can be kind of confusing as the far left lane is for U turns, and then the 2nd lane to the left is for turning left.

I absolutely detest driving in Dallas. I would rather have a porcupine shoved up my ass than drive down there.