A few months ago, the Where What When published an informative
article by Howard Shiman, an avid local bicyclist, with some “rules of the
road.” A subsequent issue included a letter to the editor about driving, citing
violations of Maryland law as well as basic driving etiquette. I’d like to
expand on that writer’s letter, as I, too, am frequently amazed and stunned by
some of the illegal as well as dangerous driving habits in our neighborhood.
There are too
many near accidents in Northwest Baltimore. For example, I was stopped at the
red light at Park Heights and Fords Lane. The driver idling next to me in the
left lane made a right turn onto Fords Lane, right in front of me. Lucky for
me, the light was still red, and I was not moving.
It’s the Law!
Some “rules of
the road” are more than mere etiquette. They are the law. Here are some
examples:
Stop signs: Stop signs require the
driver to stop completely. Slowing down and rolling through a stop sign is
against the law. I have witnessed numerous violations of drivers not stopping
at stop signs, particularly on the corners of Sanzo and Marnat, Fallstaff and
Clarks, Northbrook and Marnat, Marnat and Labyrinth, and Wallis and Olympia.
(There are many other examples; these are just streets I frequently traverse.)
Remember: Just because you don’t see anyone driving down a cross street does
not give you the right to go through the stop sign!
Four-way stops: Few drivers seem to
remember the law concerning four-way stops. Maryland law states that when two
or more cars approach a stop sign at the same time, the car on the right has
the right of way.
Headlights: If you need your windshield
wipers, your lights need to be on. Many cars on the road are gray, black, or
white, and thus are difficult
to see in bad weather. Please remember that your lights must be on when it’s
raining, snowing, or foggy.
Turn signals: We recently purchased a
newer car that has all kinds of safety features, such as a back-up camera and
blind-spot monitoring. However, all cars come with a turning signal lever!
(Pardon the sarcasm.) In case anyone has forgotten, the lever is attached to the
left-hand side of the steering wheel. A flick of the finger activates it.
Please remember, dear driver, that you need to “inform” the drivers behind you
and approaching you where you intend to go. In other words, if you are turning
or changing lanes, use your turn signal. It’s the law.
Pedestrians: Pedestrians have the right
of way in Maryland and probably in most states. Drivers must stop and let them
cross. Please don’t honk at me if I’m waiting for someone to cross the street.
Texting while driving: This is illegal
and dangerous. Put the phone away while driving. If the text is that important,
safely pull over into a legitimate parking space or into a parking lot to
answer the text.
Etiquette
Curb your impatience! Slow down. What’s
the hurry? I chuckle to myself when an inpatient driver zooms past me, thinking
I’m going too slow (usually at the posted speed limit) only to catch up to that
car at the next stop light.
Blocking the road: Northwest Baltimore
overflows with minivans, due to our large families, b”H. But please don’t block the street with your minivan (or huge
SUV). Baltimore’s side streets are narrow, especially in the City, and many
cars are bigger and wider than they were years ago. Most streets near me have
parking on both sides, making it impossible to pass the driver who stops in the
middle or “kind of” pulls over (still many inches from the curb). And please
remember, unlike Great Britain, we drive on the right side of the road! I
thought it was only me, but recently a friend also commented that she observes more
and more drivers driving on the left! This happens even on streets with a
double yellow line down the middle.
Obstacles: Along with driving on the
correct side of the road is the etiquette (and probably law) of who has the
right-of-way when an obstacle is in your lane. Let’s say you are driving down
Clarks Lane, and a garbage truck is blocking traffic. Yes, drivers can swerve
left and drive around the truck but only if there is no oncoming traffic. The
drivers behind the stopped vehicle do not have the right of way. They must wait
for oncoming vehicles to pass and for the road to be clear.
Adverse weather conditions: I remember
learning at a defensive driving course that posted speed limits apply to ideal
weather conditions. Drivers are required to drive below the speed limit in
inclement weather and at night – or at any time visibility is compromised.
Again, don’t honk, flash your lights, or zoom by drivers who slow down under
these conditions.
Honking: Speaking of honking, just
because you can make a right-on-red at certain intersections doesn’t mean the
driver in front of you wants to turn on red. Please don’t honk at them (or
me!). You can’t see what we can see, usually oncoming traffic, a blocked view,
or a pedestrian crossing the street. Patience, please.
To sum up,
driving laws and driving etiquette obviously overlap. Use common sense. I
sincerely doubt that those who break the law or disregard basic etiquette need
to get to their appointments faster than any other driver! Please slow down,
take your time, pay attention to the road and, most of all, familiarize
yourself with our driving laws. The 56-page Maryland Driver’s Manual is online
at mva.maryland.gov/Documents/DL-002.pdf. You will benefit, and your auto insurance
company will be pleased, as well.
