1.A male driver – with what looked like his wife and kids in the car – nearly hit me head on as he tried to enter an “exit only” drive as I was exiting. The drive is clearly marked as an exit only and the roadway from where he turned is marked “no turn” to prevent drivers from even attempting to go in the exit. To avoid hitting me, he had to run his car up on a cement median.
2.While I was driving through a 4 lane intersection (on a green light), a man in the car in front of me slammed on his brakes in the middle of the intersection - in the lane heading straight - so he could make a left turn. (The actual left turn lane was stopped by a red left turn light.)
3.A woman attempted to make a left turn in front of me thinking that she could make it, but rather than continue the turn, she stopped mid-turn and I was forced to slam on my brakes to avoid t-boning her car. Then she tried to reverse back into her lane, almost hitting the vehicle behind her.
4.A car made a right turn from the left turn lane, almost causing me, and another car, to hit them.
It’s bad enough having to worry about people driving drunk/under the influence or distracted from phones and/or texting, it seems there is a new thing to worry about: people driving while stupid (DWS). Who knows, driving while stupid could be part distracted driving and drunk driving and any combination thereof. I suspect that there are enough drivers out there who are sober and have both hands on the wheel who are just making stupid mistakes that they deserve their own special category of bad driver.
How can you avoid someone who is driving while stupid? You can’t. People will continue to make stupid driving mistakes. The best solution: drive defensively. Keep your own eyes on the road, keep your distance from other cars, and watch your speed limit. By all means, pay close attention when approaching intersections, even when you have a green light or the right of way. You know what YOU'RE going to do, but there’s always the chance that someone who is driving while stupid will make a move into your space. If you’re fortunate, you’ll have enough time to react and avoid an accident.
Don’t be the one to get caught drive while stupid. Mind the rules of the road, keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, and be mindful of other drivers around you or your space. If you’re not on your toes, it could cost you injury - or your life!
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