In Missouri, it is common for drivers to want to be polite to other drivers, often times leading to confusion on the road. Being “polite” when it comes to driving can be very dangerous and lead to car crashes and serious injuries. When being “polite” breaks a rule of the road, other drivers are left guessing about what they should do next and has a ripple effect on confusing other drivers causing unsafe driving conditions.
Common “polite” driving behaviors which are actually breaking the law:
Stopping in a roundabout to let someone in
In Columbia, Missouri roundabouts are popping up everywhere. Roundabouts are meant to keep traffic flowing and avoid intersection confusion. However, some drivers’ “polite” driving behaviors can make a roundabout unsafe and cause an accident. Drivers should not stop once they have entered a roundabout. When a driver stops in a roundabout to let another driver in it disrupts the flow of traffic and can cause an accident.
Waving a driver through an intersection when it’s not their turn
Sometimes it is difficult to determine who has the right of way at a four-way stop if it is not clear who arrived first. However, when it is clear which driver should proceed and that driver tries to be “polite” by waving another driver to go first it causes confusion amongst all drivers at the intersection. Often times the driver who is being waved through will wave back to the driver who has the right of way to proceed causing gridlock and chaos. This can cause other drivers to get frustrated and decide to proceed into the intersection when they do not have the right of way causing a collision. If it is clear you have the right of way, the polite thing to do is go your turn and proceed through the intersection.
Stopping when there is more than one lane of traffic to let someone turn
We have all felt sorry for a driver in a turn lane in heavy traffic who can’t seem to catch a break to make their turn and we’ve also all been in that situation. Some drivers in an attempt to be polite will stop to create a gap so the turning driver can make their turn. However, if there is more than one lane of traffic that needs to stop for the driver to clear the turn it can create a very dangerous situation. If drivers in one lane stop and the turning driver proceeds to turn but the drivers in the other oncoming lane do not stop, this can lead to devastating T-bone collisions causing serious injuries or death.
It is reasonable to expect that other drivers will follow the rules of the road. If you have been injured in a car accident as a result of someone not following the rules of the road, please reach out to The A.W. Smith Law Firm for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
© The A.W. Smith Law Firm, P.C. 2024. All rights reserved.
