Bugged By Bad Drivers

Judging from emails I receive from News 12 Connecticut viewers, the only downside to living in southwestern Connecticut is dealing with traffic and bad drivers.

Again last week I featured the habit of bad drivers in my "What's Bugging You" report. That resulted in more emails from people complaining about life behind the wheel.

Deb wrote in:  "Drivers seem to have forgotten what the double yellow line means. I am forced toward the curb at least twice a week, so a driver coming toward me can go around what is obstructing them.  Really, check it out, almost no one waits for oncoming traffic to pass before going around an obstruction in thier lane of travel."

Even my co-anchor Eric Greene blogged about how he reacts to bad driving. "I'm yelling my head off because, well, just because this was just nuts. Not that anyone heard me."

He told me his screaming and yelling behind the wheel to him is a release. I agree. Looking like a maniac is much better than acting like one in taking that aggravation out on other drivers. Yet don't expect moving to another state to help in the problem.

Crowded Interstates, continously popping up pot holes and inconsiderate or aggressive drivers describes much of the United States. I know from living in both Houston and Dallas, where all eight lanes of a highway there can be stopped for hours.

Here, a fellow blogger describes aggression he experiences in traffic in Cincinnati. "What bothers me is the way people handle the situation. Drivers will accelerate and brake excessively to tailgate in an attempt to block people from changing lanes. That makes folks who want to change lanes even more aggressive. They often don't use signals (that's just a sign of weakness) and will simply ease over and muscle their way in or make a dangerous, sudden move just to get a few feet ahead! When that happens, I can't help but think people driving like that were the people who cut in lines at school or didn't play well with others in the sandbox. The rough commute would go much smoother if everyone would take their turn when merging, drive steady to stay the course, and accept a couple minute delay."

Who knows. Maybe accepting, even expecting delays could saves lives. The very day I spent reporting on bad drivers, I saw two dead bodies on the street a few blocks from each other, both struck near crosswalks. First, a New York City bus hit a walker at 73rd and Broadway, then a few hours later a woman was hit by a truck on Amterdam at 74th. I don't know whether the pedestrians were rushing trying to cross, or if the vehicles were determined not to have to stop for yet another light.  Witnesses were crying, and for a few days it seemed people actually were aware of the walk lights and cars seemed to yield. But that was a week ago and the life lesson is forgotten.