driving in rush hour, am a bit 'frazzled' now !

hannahsmamma

I have always been able to avoid the rush hour until today when I thought I had plenty of time to get to my destination by setting off early, turns out was not early enough and traffic was mad. As a fairly inexperienced driver I was quite scared and relieved to get home safe and sound. I can understand why the powers that be want to put rush hour driving in the driving test. The next time I need to make this particular journey I will set off even earlier, it will mean arriving earlier but having time for a cuppa when I get there, I nearly needed a brandy to calm my nerves today! Any tips from all you experienced drivers ?

Strider590

hannahsmamma wrote: »

Any tips from all you experienced drivers ?

Nope and it doesn't get any better....... I dread getting into the car most mornings and extremely rare to arrive without incident of some description!

If I do arrive at work without incident, I sit here munching my breakfast and reading/answering my emails in disbelief, wondering what will happen on the way home.

The roads aren't really overly busy for me, I don't sit in many queues of traffic, but the stressful part is the local dual carriageway which has many sections where the road merges down to one lane and then opens up again. The road isn't busy, but you get an incredible number of people who get aggressive toward those making good progress and using both lanes.... Resulting in pointless (because the road opens up again within 100 yrds) little mini races for the merge points.

On a more general note, there's this increasing number of "passive-aggressive" drivers who deliberately drive in such a way as to wind up and annoy anyone else around them.

The best one is those who drive at 25mph in a 30, until they see you turn off behind them to take a short cut (actually an alternative same length route), then they race off so that you don't get out ahead of them! Seeing them race past at near 40mph as you approach the junction is very annoying, but for them then to continue driving along at 25 afterwards, that just makes you want to rip their heads off :mad:

Hintza

I bought an automatic car to try and help me stay chilled in rush hour traffic.

I'm in Scotland and probably in the way of things have it fairly easy. There is one journey that is really slow and that is getting from the west of Glasgow to Edinburgh a journey that should take around an hour but in rush hour can take 2.5 hours.

My tips; figure out when it gets quieter for me that means not leaving until 8:45am or before about 7am. If possible change your meeting times or the hours you work.

Try the train (if feasible) might not be any cheaper but might keep you a bit calmer.

Oh and by the way I have found the older I get the less tolerant I am with traffic. So that is one of the reasons I tend to work from home now

Gloomendoom

hannahsmamma wrote: »

As a fairly inexperienced driver I was quite scared and relieved to get home safe and sound. I can understand why the powers that be want to put rush hour driving in the driving test.

My driving test was in the rush hour.

Somebody I used to know was being treated for very high blood pressure and had regular visits to the doctor until on one visit the problem had completely vanished. The only change from her usual routine was that she had taken the bus into town on that day because her husband needed the car.

Lum

Biggest danger in rush hour traffic, assuming you use fast roads, is tailgating, both you tailgating someone else and someone tailgating you. Everybody drives too close to the car in front these days. Try to keep track of the brake lights of cars two or three cars ahead for advance warning of sudden braking.

If you find someone is tailgating you, leave extra space in front, then if everyone in front slams on, brake hard but not as hard as everyone else, ease off before the idiot behind hits you and then bring the car to a controlled stop a reasonable distance behind the car in front.

If it comes to a choice between hitting the guy in front, or being hit from behind, choose to be hit from behind as this will then be their fault and save you money on and repair costs future insurance premiums. Of course, if you can avoid it completely by changing lanes (including the hard shoulder) this is the best option. Cars can be replaced when damaged, spines cannot.

ElkyElky

I had the majority of my driving lessons in rush hour traffic so I was thrown into the deep end but I don't consider rush hour any more different than if I were driving at 4am on Sunday morning.

I completely agree with that Lum said in regards to the tailgating issue, that's something to look out for and make an attempt to rectify. I've often found that slowing down considerably while someone tailgates is a good method.

Take it slow and easy is all I can say.

Lum

Be wary of slowing down as that can often just wind them up further. If there's two or more lanes it may encourage them to overtake, getting rid of them, of if you're in the outside lane then move over and let them past.

On single carriageways, some people will tailgate constantly but never overtake even when safe to do so. If you have one of these and just keep slowing down all you will do is P them off and risk something stupid happening. Instead, just drive normally and follow the advice I gave about leaving extra space (at least nobody will fill it for you!) so you can do their braking for them in an emergency situation.

Strider590

Lum wrote: »

On single carriageways, some people will tailgate constantly but never overtake even when safe to do so. If you have one of these and just keep slowing down all you will do is P them off and risk something stupid happening.

Damn this is so true, I had a woman in a Picasso come flying up behind me this morning, she sat 3 inches from my rear bumper and when we got to dual carriageway she stayed there until I got bored of her and left her to tailgate somebody else!!
At one point I actually didn't do a precautionary brake when passing a parked car (that was trying to move into the road), just because I thought she'd rear end me.

wba31

all i would say is just dont let it get to you, dont try to rush and just let the nutters go.

If i try and rush and it's busy i get all worked up and daft. When i just think "sod it, ill get there whenever" i just sit back in my chair, relax, take it easy, and i can be ok...

mchale

Strider590 wrote: »

Nope and it doesn't get any better....... I dread getting into the car most mornings and extremely rare to arrive without incident of some description!

:eek: :eek:

Maybe you should look at your own driving style then, if you have this many incidents

mchale

Lum wrote: »

Of course, if you can avoid it completely by changing lanes (including the hard shoulder) this is the best option. Cars can be replaced when damaged, spines cannot.

!!!!!!, are you seriously suggesting to drive on the hard shoulder to stop someone tailgating you????