When driving, don't be sucked in by 'courteous' waving drivers
 

There is a very good article in the Daily Sun in the Wheels section, page E-17 on the bottom of page. Article is written by Rhonda Wheeler. I think it hits the nail right on the head. Everyone should check it out.

I agree. Should be reprinted on the front page of the paper.. I have seen so many near hits because of "courteous" drivers. Like the article says, it is against the law for a person to "direct traffic". This also pertains to golf carts here in the villages.

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:agree: TOO!

Amen! Our first year in TV, I waved a golf cart through a stop sign when I, in a car, had no stop sign. Rather than being appreciative, the golf cart driver really read me the riot act. I didn't understand then why he was so angry when (I thought) I was just being nice.

it only took a short time for me to understand what was wrong with being nice. In short, my actions indicated that I thought I had the power to override a stop sign!

Where do "nice" drivers get this authority?

Traffic controls, like stop signs, are there for a reason. If someone has a stop sign, let them wait. Sure beats causing an accident or teaching folks that stop signs shouldn't be taken seriously.

This is one of the worst safety issues in TV. No one is expecting a car or cart to stop in a road and wave to another vehicle to ignore a stop sign. Very unsafe as well as illegal. A few tickets might change this behavior.

Singing my song!!! I haven't read the article yet, but will. I have always maintained that a driver needs to "take" their right of way. Someone posted a while back on a similar thread that one does not have the ability to take a right of way, only give it. I wholehearted disagree with that. Just follow the rules and nobody gets hurt.

There are a few intersections around town where a lot of people think it is a 4-way stop, for some reason. Point in case, the intersection near Fresh Market at Wedgewood and the road that leads to Beall's. Drivers hesitating when they don't know what to do. Other drivers who zip right through, thinking the other drivers know it's their right of way. It's just a really dangerous spot. I think it should just be made a 4-way stop to avoid the confusion. I've actually never seen an accident there, but still scares me.

I also agree.When I'm in my cart I try not to look at the car,I can't see in the car because of tinted windows.They are stopped but I have no idea what they are doing.

The other side of the story…..especially during the prime time season, you can hardly get across a cart crossing at most of the Village gates unless a courteous driver stops to let carts cross.

It would be much easier to cross if the cars would allow the gates to completely close before proceeding. They were engineered in such a way that carts would then have time to cross. However, way too many drivers cheat by trying to draft the car in front or they nose forward stopping the gate arm in mid-air. Neither of those actions are proper. But hey, that's people today! Rules are for everybody else.

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I agree with that article. Everyone should read it.

My cousin has traumatic brain injury because someone waved a car out of a parking lot onto a US highway. The car crossed two lanes into the third where Mike and his daughter were riding his motorcycle.

I totaled our car back in the 70s because a nice driver waved me thru. I could not see the the speeding car in the other lane who broadsided me. I will NEVER do that again.

I have to agree I can't understand why people think they can change the traffic rules. Another one is when you are driving a golf cart along a street and you have a solid white line why do they think they should cross it. Also Morse Blvd coming up to the 466 gate carts just pull out in front of cars heading south,it's crazy why golf cart drivers think they automatically have the right of way when they don't. Some times I think carts and cars are to close to each other.

That was a good article but I was already aware of that practice. On the corner of Belvedere and Par Drive I see it happening all the time. Cars stop and wave to golf carts to cross. It happens everywhere. They think they are being helpful but it's foolish.

They can stop if they want to and leave room for someone to cross, but they need to stop the waving.

If there is one thing I can't stand, it's a courteous driver.

I got read the riot act the other day for telling a golf cart to go. Yes, I know the car usually has the right of way but not when there's a stop sign for both vehicles and the golf cart was there first (was at the gate into Hemmingway, which was broken and did in fact have a stop sign). She had the right of way, not me, but I went first anyway (seemed the safest thing to do sigh).

Trying to explain to other drivers that stop means stop in TV is near impossible. It seems to mean go ahead if you feel like it and you think the road is clear. There really are a few times when golf carts have the right of way and drivers of both types of vehicles should be aware of those times. Of course, as I tell newbies in TV, don't assume it is safe to go just because you have the right of way, the car is bigger than you and will always win.

In my opinion, the most dangerous "wave-throughs", are when cars drive in through gates, and then stop inside the gates and wave golf carts across. Most "incoming gates" have two lanes...so one car stops, and the other one doesn't. Then a golf cart gets hit.

My son was waiting to make a left hand turn on a busy street. A car coming in the opposite direction stopped and waved him on. The car behind that car went around hum and hit my son almost head on. My son was citied for making an illegal turn. He wasn't injured and was found not guilty due to extenuating circumstances in court but his car was totaled. It was a complete pain in the butt.

Cars and golf carts have equal right of way. People just need to understand the rules at intersections where there are no stop signs or four stop signs. Whichever vehicle gets there first has the right of way. When two vehicles arrive at the intersection at the same time the vehicle on the right has the right of way. It's pretty simple but I'm amazed at how many people don't seem to understand this simple procedure.
I can't tell you how many times I get to an intersection and the other car has the right of way. They sit there at the stop sign doing nothing. After I realize they are not going to go, I begin to procede. As soon as I start moving, they start moving. I stop, they stop and this stupid little game goes on until one of us goes through the intersection. Sometimes they'll stop and look at me so I wave because they have the right of way. Eventually, most get the idea.

If people would just go when its their turn we wouldn't have so many problems.

I don't know how others feel, but as a pedestrian waiting to cross a street with no signals, it's my duty to wait until it's clear in both directions before I start to cross. Just because I'm waiting on the sidewalk is no reason for cars to stop! (Of course if I'm already in the crosswalk, oncoming cars must yield, but that's not what I'm talking about.)

Same thing in a shopping center parking lot. I as the pedestrian am usually not in a designated crosswalk -- I'm just angling across the lot to get to whichever store I want. It's my job to yield to vehicular traffic, not yours to stop for me.