Sunday, May 15, 2011

Editorial: Basic driver to driver signals

Last night, after leaving my office, I came up behind a driver who was driving without lights on. I flipped my lights off and then on again, signaling that they had their lights off.

No response.

We made a left turn and got on to Rock Creek Parkway. I signaled again and still, no response.

We continue on Rock Creek Parkway and I pull around the driver without her lights on, getting in front of her and stopping at the next stop light, where I get out of my car and yell to her to turn her lights on. The result is her fumbling for her lights, turning them on, but flipping her brights on as well.

The driver looked pretty young, early 20s, and had a friend in the passenger seat. It is amazing that neither person in the vehicle noticed that their lights were not on. Even more amazing is that neither person seemed to understand the signal for "Your lights are off." Is this stuff still covered in driver education classes anymore?