Dear Dr. R.V. Shrink:
My husband and I share the driving time while traveling in our motorhome. We also pull a toad. We have different driving methods and mine seems to annoy my husband. When he's driving, I don't say a word. When I'm driving I am always getting his unwanted advice. He drives fast, I drive slow. It makes him nuts when I pull over and let other vehicles pass. We usually drive the blue highways that are commonly two lane. I don't like to hold people up while I sight see. I do the speed limit and he says I shouldn't worry about those behind me anxious to break the law by wanting to pass. Do you think I am encouraging people to live dangerously? I feel much more relaxed driving when I don't have a parade of vehicles following me, antsy to get around.
--Pace car driver in Davenport
Dear Pace:
You are not a traffic cop. You cannot control how the rest of the world around you will drive. If it makes you feel better to pull off in a safe spot and ease congestion behind you, I would consider that a polite gesture. Don't accept your husband's guilt trip for driving defensibly. Letting faster traffic build up behind you will only encourage some to take a chance to rocket by. This will involve you in their gamble to make a successful passage. What you do not want to do is feel pressured to pull off on some poor road surface that could cause you to loose control, damage tires or force you to make a full stop. Slowing while in the occasional passing lane often helps. Pulling over in small towns, historical markers and rest areas, also can help if you find a large following behind you waiting for the green flag. Tell your husband if he can't sit up front, relax and let you drive, he'll have to go to his room.
--Keep Smilin', Dr. R.V. Shrink
##RVT839
5 comments:
After several conversations with retired CHP officers, we keep our speed at 55, or less where posted. These big rigs don't stop on a dime! Our gas mileage has improved as well.
In some states, if you have 5 or more vehicles stacked up behind you, you are obliged to pull over at the earliest practical spot to let them by. I always do this and constantly get waves & honks of appreciation.
Oregon's driver's manual in a section on Recreational Vehicles entitled Driving Courtesy states: "...you should often check your speed and the traffic behind you. If traffic is stacking up behind you, it is safer for everyone if you pull off at the first safe turnout to let other traffic pass."
Idaho's law says, "If you have more than three vehicles lined up behind, you must pull over to let them pass."
My son received a ticket, in his car, because he had four cars behind him.
The problem, he had just passed a motorhome that had pulled over to let the string of cars pass.
I guess, if you are the second car and there are more than three behind, you have to pull over too.
We call that "Leap Frogging" and it could go on forever..
For goodness sakes people, what is it some folks do not understand about the posted speed limit?? If you exceed it you are breaking the law, period. No RV, towed or self-propelled, should drive over 55 mph. I am continually amazed to see the # of RV's fly by me going 65+ mph. Geez, folks, if you see a line of cars in your rear view mirror...pull over as soon as it is safe! It's not a contest of wills. We full-timed it for 10 years and tried to be thoughtful to those behind us. Sometimes there just isn't any place to pull over...so we got over as far to the right as safely possible until one arrived. Your own stress level will drop and you just might save someone else's life.
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