Southwest USA & The West Coast (California, Arizona etc) - General Thread

elpulposd90

Amazing thought !

blindman

elpulposd90 wrote: »

Amazing thought !

You've just had one ?

googler

Just read the page linked to from one page back with advice on driving, and it reads thus

"A very common sign indicates "Right of Way". It is a red and white triangle but very sensibly it says "YIELD". You MUST give priority to the traffic on the road you are joining when you see this sign. "

The Yield sign is surely the equivalent of our 'Give Way' sign, so not a Right of Way to the driver at all, but an order that traffic on the other highway has priority, and you should yield to them......

jackieblack

googler wrote: »

Just read the page linked to from one page back with advice on driving, and it reads thus

"A very common sign indicates "Right of Way". It is a red and white triangle but very sensibly it says "YIELD". You MUST give priority to the traffic on the road you are joining when you see this sign. "

The Yield sign is surely the equivalent of our 'Give Way' sign, so not a Right of Way to the driver at all, but an order that traffic on the other highway has priority, and you should yield to them......

Yes, it indicates that traffic on the highway you are joining has 'Right of Way'

elantan

Hi all,

Sorry i didnt get back, i just saw this thread again

We loved the Grand canyon, Death valley, Sonora pass and Yosemite park, trully wonderful places to visit, we walked around as much as we could but not as much as we would've liked due to the intense heat

We really didnt like Vegas or San Fran , but enjoyed the rest

I wouldnt rush back again as i want to see so much of the world but maybe in years to come i will get back and experience the good bits again

BritAbroad

jackieblack wrote: »

Yes, it indicates that traffic on the highway you are joining has 'Right of Way'

Some of the info on that page is just plain wrong. For a kick off, driving speeds are not slower. In many states, the top driving speed is 75 mph, and I believe Texas is just about to increase it to 85mph. Signage is very poor compared to the UK. On the up side, right turn on red is a great rule

In my experience, the standard of driving in many parts of the US is shocking - far, far worse than in the UK. I'm convinced it's because of several factors:

1. The driving test is an absolute joke. It's so easy it is almost impossible to fail.
2. Most cars are automatics. This means people consider it safe to drive whilst on their phone, drinking coffee, with their dog on their lap etc, as they're not as engaged in what they have to do to drive. I have seen people do all three at the same time!
3. They let kids drive far too young - in some states they can drive at 15.
4. There is, sadly, not the same stigma about drink-driving as there is in the UK.

For anyone travelling to the US who is planning to drive, I'd recommend searching out the website of the DMV for whichever state(s) you're visiting and downloading the driver's manual/handbook. It'll give you the basics and make things a little easier when you arrive.

Finally, seriously think about the size of car you're hiring. When you're trundling down the interstate with some vast behemoth of a juggernaut bearing down on you (they're not speed limited the way they are in the UK), it will feel a lot safer in a decent SUV than in a mini.

Random final tip: if you're travelling anywhere near railway lines and level crossings, don't be too alarmed when you cross and find a goods train worryingly close! These things move so slowly that the crossing barriers don't come down until it is very, very close! Still nearly gave me a heart attack though when I had to cross a 'blind' level crossing just a few days after moving to the US though!

jackieblack

BritAbroad wrote: »

Some of the info on that page is just plain wrong.

Which page?
I've had a (quick) look but can't see which page you're referring to.

BritAbroad wrote: »

In my experience, the standard of driving in many parts of the US is shocking - far, far worse than in the UK.

Plainly you've not driven in the area I live in lately!
Yes, we've seen bad driving in the USA, but I've seen far, far more dangerous driving here :eek:

BritAbroad

It was the link to Virgin's 'driving in the US' page, someone posted the link a couple of pages back, though I can't find it myself now either!

I agree there is bad driving everywhere. I've lived in the US for the past 3 years and have been truly stunned at some of the driving I've seen. I've seen more (a lot more!) really dangerous driving and more accidents in the past 3 years than I did in about 14 years of driving in the UK. On the up side, I think it's made me a better driver as I'm super vigilant and always try to 'read' the road much further ahead than I did before.

Don't want to scare anyone thinking driving in the US! A road trip over here can be a huge amount of fun and when you get out into the wilderness there are some spectacular sights. Just plan ahead, think about what to hire and get a basic understanding of driving rules where you're going, and have a great holiday!

googler

jackieblack wrote: »

Yes, it indicates that traffic on the highway you are joining has 'Right of Way'

Which isn't visible to, or intended for them.....

jackieblack

googler wrote: »

Which isn't visible to, or intended for them.....

That's right, it's alerting you to the fact that they have ROW:)