Question: What are OKC drivers like compared to other cities?

[Roger S]

I have seen that happen a many times (except it is usually a left turn from the right lane of a 4 lane intersection), realistically if you are either unable or unwilling to make the turn from a proper lane then either take a different route, take the load on a different vehicle or make proper accommodations for oversized loads.

This was just a normal pickup truck that was in the wrong lane and decided to just make his own left turn lane.

[Roger S]

I found out this morning that at 2:51 AM a right turn lane can be used to make a left turn..... Learn something new every day driving in Oklahoma City.

[Plutonic Panda]

Oh yeah man... I was driving down Street right, and I saw Taco Bell. I had to have a taco in my system without regards to the safety of others, so I just made the turn

[windowphobe]

...a right turn lane can be used to make a left turn..... Learn something new every day driving in Oklahoma City.

I've seen right turns from the left-turn lane -- right in front of me.

[Urbanized]

They happen in front of you even more often when you're riding a motorcycle.

[Roger S]

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Oh man this one is classic!

Driving I-35 North this morning and get cut-off by a Mustang with the license plate ACTS412. The driver then proceeds to tailgate the car in front of him all the way to the I-40 junction where he proceeds to cut off another car making a last second, and I mean extremely last second, lane change to continue north instead of taking the I-40 West exit.

Just have to love the kind acts of a good Christian driver.

[warreng88]

I drive 44/Hefner parkway from 23rd to Britton every day and the same way home, every day. I am usually the one to go five over the speed limit in the left lane, maybe seven if traffic is moving pretty briskly. About once a week, I will encounter someone wanting to go 90 (Not Plutonic Panda, by the way) and tailgating everyone in front of them. It is usually a different car but sometimes I recognize the car. It always makes me laugh when I exit on Britton and I that person is just a few cars in front of me at the light. They could have gotten in a wreck, pulled over or gotten someone else hurt doing what they were doing and here I am going five over and they are 20 feet in front of me.

[TheTravellers]

I drive 44/Hefner parkway from 23rd to Britton every day and the same way home, every day. I am usually the one to go five over the speed limit in the left lane, maybe seven if traffic is moving pretty briskly. About once a week, I will encounter someone wanting to go 90 (Not Plutonic Panda, by the way) and tailgating everyone in front of them. It is usually a different car but sometimes I recognize the car. It always makes me laugh when I exit on Britton and I that person is just a few cars in front of me at the light. They could have gotten in a wreck, pulled over or gotten someone else hurt doing what they were doing and here I am going five over and they are 20 feet in front of me.

OK, good, it's not me, I don't get off on Britton, lol... I do go fast on the Parkway, but I usually get around so many clusterf***s of cars that I end up miles and quite a few minutes in front of the original idiots I passed going 65 in the passing lane (not passing anybody) that I got around when I got on the parkway from 150th.

[OKCDrummer77]

I drive 44/Hefner parkway from 23rd to Britton every day and the same way home, every day. I am usually the one to go five over the speed limit in the left lane, maybe seven if traffic is moving pretty briskly. About once a week, I will encounter someone wanting to go 90 (Not Plutonic Panda, by the way) and tailgating everyone in front of them. It is usually a different car but sometimes I recognize the car. It always makes me laugh when I exit on Britton and I that person is just a few cars in front of me at the light. They could have gotten in a wreck, pulled over or gotten someone else hurt doing what they were doing and here I am going five over and they are 20 feet in front of me.

I, too, go from 23rd to Britton every day. Usually an uneventful drive (the mixer truck last week being a notable exception), but it's surprising how often I end up 5th or 6th in line behind a driver going 50-55 in the right lane within the last 1/2 mile before the Britton exit.

[TheTravellers]

I'm going to have to take out an ad or a billboard saying "GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE IF YOU'RE NOT PASSING!!!!!!!!"

Incredible that this morning, there were at least 3 idiots in the left lane on the Parkway going south that were going just above the speed limit, but not passing anybody (nobody in the middle lane for half a mile ahead of them) and when I flashed my lights at them coming up behind, they all gave me the finger and just sat there, just amazing that people are so f-ing stupid, ignorant, and arrogant. Hope they reconsider after I almost ran them into the nice little cable barriers.....

Seriously, though, if *anybody* on here knows *anybody* that pulls that sh*t, please tell them to just get out of the way, the left lane is *NOT* the "fast" lane, it's the "PASSING" lane, and if *anybody* sees someone coming up behind them, just freaking move over, don't be an a**hole. Thank you for your time reading this PSA...

[rezman]

I use the left lane when ever I can, mostly for passing and then I get back over. If there is someone coming up from behind, I get over and let them pass. If there's lots of traffic in the middle and right lanes that is going slower, and the line of traffic in the left lane is moving faster then I stay in the left lane and keep moving with the flow, which then makes it the fast lane. The problem here is that too many people want to fight each other instead of working together and make traffic flow. When everyone works together to make traffic flow, you can move along with few problems, and everything clicks. Instead, we have people who purposely speed up to not let the other guy in or let him pass, and then slow down when the other guy dips in behind that person, or if they do let him in then he slows down and picks his ass. How about when people come down the on ramp like they're pulling into their driveway instead of looking over as they're coming down the ramp and matching their speed to traffic?.And then of course you have the usual headuptheassery of folks watching their phones instead of the road,..... running red lights has become quite fashionable, as is flying through the stripped safety zones, and into oncoming lanes at intersections to make a left turn.... lack of courtesy like blocking intersections, and drives so as to not let folks out into traffic ... etc.

Sometimes I think there really should be some kind of mandatory driver re-education program here.

[TheTravellers]

Yes, this x1000! Thank you for being a good driver! I will say that a few drivers in the left lane noticed me coming up behind them and did move over, so it wasn't total asshattery this morning...

And I have no idea why people try to be cops and block me from passing, just let the speed freaks go and don't be a dick, don't let your manhood be threatened by a crappy little Honda, just let it go.... These folks actually make it more dangerous, because I'm not just going to slow down and play games, I'm going to get around your stupid ass as soon as I can so I can just drive, that's all I want to do, is just drive and get to point b without playing games.

[jompster]

I'm going to have to take out an ad or a billboard saying "GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE IF YOU'RE NOT PASSING!!!!!!!!"

Incredible that this morning, there were at least 3 idiots in the left lane on the Parkway going south that were going just above the speed limit, but not passing anybody (nobody in the middle lane for half a mile ahead of them) and when I flashed my lights at them coming up behind, they all gave me the finger and just sat there, just amazing that people are so f-ing stupid, ignorant, and arrogant. Hope they reconsider after I almost ran them into the nice little cable barriers.....

Seriously, though, if *anybody* on here knows *anybody* that pulls that sh*t, please tell them to just get out of the way, the left lane is *NOT* the "fast" lane, it's the "PASSING" lane, and if *anybody* sees someone coming up behind them, just freaking move over, don't be an a**hole. Thank you for your time reading this PSA...

This happened to me, too, on I-240 east of 35. Evidently, nobody knows what "flash to pass" means. I wasn't being mean to them, I just gave them a flash to get over since nobody was in the right lane. I ultimately just passed them on the right, but jeez...

[ljbab728]

This exact issue has been discussed numerous times here. I almost always stay in the far right lane unless I'm going to be exiting to the left. However, I'm not going to speed when I'm in the left lane to exit just to make someone else's need to speed come true. You can just go around me and have a nice day.

[mugofbeer]

Its funny that driver's in different cities have different personalities. I moved to Dallas early on and the driver's there drive far faster than they do in OKC in general. Far more aggressive driver's, frequent lane changers, no signals and - I speculate - a lot more high speed accidents. I spent time in Salt Lake City and found they also drive slower but have a weird tendency to drive splitting lanes. I can't pinpoint it but many driver's do this. Denver falls between Dallas and OKC on speed but are much faster to use the horn, especially in parking lots. There is a stretch of I-25 in south Denver through the Tech Center where the speed limit is 65. Of course, traffic in rush hours can be horrible but even when traffic is thinner, its hard to find anyone who will actually GO the speed limit through that area.

[CaptDave]

This happened to me, too, on I-240 east of 35. Evidently, nobody knows what "flash to pass" means. I wasn't being mean to them, I just gave them a flash to get over since nobody was in the right lane. I ultimately just passed them on the right, but jeez...

I've never figured out why so many Americans take offence at flash to pass. They would have a difficult time earning a license in Europe or other places where it is not a birthright to operate a motor vehicle.

[Just the facts]

Its funny that driver's in different cities have different personalities. I moved to Dallas early on and the driver's there drive far faster than they do in OKC in general. Far more aggressive driver's, frequent lane changers, no signals and - I speculate - a lot more high speed accidents.

I recently finished the book Traffic and according to studies quoted in the book, new drivers in a metro area adopt the driving habits of their new home within 3 years. There was an entire chapter of regional driving habits around the globe. Everyone should read that book to get a drivers license.

[Roger S]

I've never figured out why so many Americans take offence at flash to pass.

I take offense to it when I can't make the lane change. I know how to drive and I know what the left lane is for. I don't need some rule breaker flashing their lights at me when I'm already aware they are behind me due to the fact I can no longer see their front bumper in the rear view mirror I know how to use also.

[ChrisHayes]

Running red lights, driving in two lanes, driving slow in the passing lane. Sums it up.

[Plutonic Panda]

Running red lights, driving in two lanes, driving slow in the passing lane. Sums it up.

You forgot turning right while in the left lane and swerving across the entire highway to change lanes without signaling.

[LocoAko]

I recently finished the book Traffic and according to studies quoted in the book, new drivers in a metro area adopt the driving habits of their new home within 3 years. There was an entire chapter of regional driving habits around the globe. Everyone should read that book to get a drivers license.

One of my favorite books! I agree with it being required reading.

Looks like I'm going to start completely stopping at yield signs, driving slowly in the left lane and never using my turn signal soon.

[Just the facts]

One of my favorite books! I agree with it being required reading.

Looks like I'm going to start completely stopping at yield signs, driving slowly in the left lane and never using my turn signal soon.

It is your destiny.

While on the subject of the book - I am now a late merger.

[jompster]

I take offense to it when I can't make the lane change. I know how to drive and I know what the left lane is for. I don't need some rule breaker flashing their lights at me when I'm already aware they are behind me due to the fact I can no longer see their front bumper in the rear view mirror I know how to use also.

I should have added that this person was going 5 under the speed limit and there was nobody in the right lane. Not everyone who flashes to pass is a rule breaker. If that happened to you, then that sucks and you're right to take offense to that person.

[Roger S]

Not everyone who flashes to pass is a rule breaker. If that happened to you, then that sucks and you're right to take offense to that person.

It has happened to me multiple times and it takes a lot of restraint for me to keep from brake checking them but that would just lower me to their level.... maybe lower.

I would wager that the majority of people flashing their lights to pass are in fact breaking the speed limit. So no, not all, but most.

[rezman]

I should have added that this person was going 5 under the speed limit and there was nobody in the right lane. Not everyone who flashes to pass is a rule breaker. If that happened to you, then that sucks and you're right to take offense to that person.

This is just one example of people just being hard headed instead of helping to work as it should. They're in the left lane, they see you coming up behind them, but they will ..... ... not.... ... budge. That's their lane and by gosh they're not moving. They may slow down some more, or even brake check you when all they have to do is get over.