Page 28 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – November/December 2019

SAFETY ZONE
Was that Lane Change Really Necessary?
What do you think causes the majority of multivehicle crashes? Generally, these fender- benders are caused by a combination of speed, tailgating and driver distraction. The most common traffic ticket issued at crash scenes is for following too closely (tailgating). Traffic law is very
Photo: IStockphoto, monkeybusinessimages
with fewer pockets of stop and go. I hope I’m wrong, but we may need to wait for more logic-based self- driving cars to see this work.
Our inability to share the roadway is even more dangerous on secondary roadways with multiple
black and white. We always need to leave enough time and space, so we can stop before hitting someone.
If we can resist weaving, we encourage smoother flowing traffic, with fewer pockets of stop and go.
intersections. Think about the chain of events that begins when a driver weaves through traffic on roads like Central Avenue, Hoosick Street and many others. Traffic needs to enter and exit from all directions. Unlike highways, we also have to share these roadways with pedestrians, bicycles and school buses. Every additional lane change adds risk and complexity. It’s not a coincidence that these are the places that keep having pedestrians struck and killed. They also are the same major secondary
Tailgaters want to go faster than the other
vehicles around them. On roadways that
only have one lane in each direction, the
tailgater hopes to encourage or intimidate
the other driver to go faster. On multilane
roadways, the tailgater will generally weave
through traffic. In our rush to get from A to
B, we often forget that we share the road
with cars, trucks, pedestrians, bicycles and more. One group doesn’t have a greater right than another.
roads that you see so much red-light running.
I guess we all forget that we are not the only person
who is in a hurry. So start asking yourself, was that lane change really necessary? Ironically, passing a few more cars doesn’t even get us places faster. Does the way you drive help keep traffic flowing smoothly, or does your competitive need to be first win out?
Michael Sweeney is a AAA Hudson Valley Traffic Safety Educator.
On highways, we all need to work together to support flowing traffic. We need drivers who are not passing to stay to the right. This encourages people
to pass left but then move back to the right. This approach will lower the total number of lane changes and help traffic move smoothly and efficiently. If we can resist weaving, we encourage smoother flowing traffic,
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