# Right-of-Way Not Affected By the Size of Your Vehicle **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 17, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258 "2004-12-17T02:42:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/41 "2004-12-18T14:59:18Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t like the term _right of way_ - really. OK, yes, the road is laid out in such a way that some people are supposed to stop and let others go, but it really would be better if, in the event of a potential accident, the first thing that popped into every driver’s head was something like “Hmmmm… now what’s the _safest_ course of action here? Brake, perhaps?”, rather than “Get out of the road! Fucking idiot pulled out in front of me! Its MY RIGHT OF WAY!”. That works great if you’re driving in civilization. Unfortunately in Boston\* traffic, you either play chicken with the other cars, or you wait at an intersection forever, while the other drivers speed by because they see you as an easy mark. \*Part of Rte. 128S is also called I93N, and by the compass the road goes east. And before [the Big Dig](http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/bigdig/what.html), there was a stretch of highway (HAH!), suspended high above very hard Boston concrete, on which people did 45 MPH, and it felt only slightly wider than a Habitrail tube. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/42 "2004-12-18T19:20:26Z")
> [@gatopescado](#): > > Its not the size of the vehicle, but the size of the balls swinging from the nut behind the wheel. > \ > 😉 Do you mean [these?](http://www.nutsfortrucks.com/) **enipla** , I have plenty of confidence in my driving abilities. I’m honing them just about every time I get out in traffic, with all the emergency braking and anticipating who’s going to cut me off next. As for not having many SUVs in Calgary, oh, we do. There are quite a few times I sit in a bunch of traffic and there are not many small vehicles in it. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/43 "2004-12-18T21:02:15Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > enipla, I have plenty of confidence in my driving abilities. I don’t have ANY confidence in your driving abilities. That’s the point. I just don’t understand why some people seem to bitch so much. Especially after my recent trip to DC. And Pennsylvania. I was basically a stranger in a strange land, driving a sedan (put 400 miles on it) and I did not have any problems with SUVs, or (this is important) any other type of vehicle. That’s why I question the anti-SUV folks driving abilities. I have been driving since 1975, and have never been in any type of accident. Because I do my best to anticipate what a bad driver may do. In my opion, every other driver on the road is a bad driver. It’s called defensive driving. To end this. I was taught how to drive when I was 9 years old (that would be Chicago 1969). Then I drove tractors, pickups and motorcycles when we moved to central Illinois. One of the best things a parent can do for their child is to teach them how to drive at an early age. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/44 "2004-12-19T11:57:17Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > non-polluting little cars You think about that for a second. > [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Right, because only people with SUV’s do this. People who drive little cars are perfect. Not what I was implying. But having an SUV is not an excuse to back out without looking. But as a motorbike rider, I can say that I have only ever been backed out on by SUV owners. Yes, and according to them, \*motorbikes \* are the dangerous vehicles because it’s hard for the SUV drivers to see them! Although I know a lot of people (non-suv drivers) don’t do up their seatbelt until they’ve reversed. I think it’s a bad practice. (“Oh but the law says you don’t have to have your seatbelt on whilst reversing!” if only the law taught common sense ;)) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/45 "2004-12-19T15:01:01Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Not what I was implying. But having an SUV is not an excuse to back out without looking. But as a motorbike rider, I can say that I have only ever been backed out on by SUV owners. :dubious: Now come on. Could it maybe be that you are a bit biased and the only vehicles you remember backing out on you are SUVs? Think about THAT for a moment. If any of the other anti-SUV people are to believed, sedans should be the ones backing out on you because they can’t see around SUVs. > [@](#): > > Yes, and according to them, \*motorbikes \* are the dangerous vehicles because it’s hard for the SUV drivers to see them! So an SUV driver said that motorcycles are dangerous because they are hard to see? And because an SUV driver said that it is obviously the SUV’s fault, and has nothing to do with the fact that a motorcycle has about 1/10 of the surface area of a car. > [@](#): > > Although I know a lot of people (non-suv drivers) don’t do up their seatbelt until they’ve reversed. I think it’s a bad practice. (“Oh but the law says you don’t have to have your seatbelt on whilst reversing!” if only the law taught common sense ;)) That’s just… odd. I always put on the seat belt right before I start up. Why would someone wait until they have backed out of a parking space… Maybe it’s easier for them to kinda ‘spin’ in there seat and look behind them? **featherlou** - I think I got a bit off track on my reply. It’s just that I live in an area where almost all of us have a 4x4. I don’t see the problems that you are referring to. And, when I drive in an area that isn’t mostly 4x4s, I still don’t see the problems you are talking about. I don’t doubt that there are bad drivers in large vehicles. Just like there are bad drivers in small vehicles. But… I think that when someone makes a boneheaded move in an SUV, the anti-SUV folks file it away to be used as a case against large vehicles. The same boneheaded move in a sedan is quickly forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/46 "2004-12-19T19:52:45Z")
My rant here was precipitated by occurences happening in my life, in my commutes and driving with my husband, that happen quite frequently, and seem to be happening more frequently as the percentage of large vehicles increases here. It could indeed be just my perception, but it seems to me that people driving large vehicles drive with a different attitude than people driving small vehicles, and that attitude impacts me in a negative way. As for my comment about my “small, non-polluting car” that was not accurate. I realized after I posted I should have said “less-polluting”, because, of course, all cars pollute. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/47 "2004-12-20T11:14:53Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > :dubious: Now come on. Could it maybe be that you are a bit biased and the only vehicles you remember backing out on you are SUVs? Nope. > [@](#): > > Think about THAT for a moment. If any of the other anti-SUV people are to believed, sedans should be the ones backing out on you because they can’t see around SUVs. That has half a truth to it. This only tends to happen in carparks, where you have to drive slower because things like that can happen, it’s easier to avoid an accident if it does happen. Out in suburbia though, you’re not all that focused on the sides of the road, and everything is going quicker as well. > [@](#): > > So an SUV driver said that motorcycles are dangerous because they are hard to see? And because an SUV driver said that it is obviously the SUV’s fault, and has nothing to do with the fact that a motorcycle has about 1/10 of the surface area of a car. When a person uses the argument that their car prevented them from seeing you, then yes, they are blaming the SUV, so why shouldn’t you? Pedestrians have even less surface area than a car, maybe we should not be outside unless in a motorvehicle hey? All street signs are a lot smaller than a motorbike, maybe we should increase their size ten-fold! Motorbikes are clearly visible. I always drove in the left hand-side or the right-hand side of the lane so that I can clearly be seen by the vehicle in front. Because if I cannot see their rear-view mirrors, they cannot see me. > [@](#): > > That’s just… odd. I always put on the seat belt right before I start up. Why would someone wait until they have backed out of a parking space… Maybe it’s easier for them to kinda ‘spin’ in there seat and look behind them? I don’t know why they do it. But I have heard the above reason. It seems a dangerous practice to me. > [@](#): > > I don’t doubt that there are bad drivers in large vehicles. Just like there are bad drivers in small vehicles. But… I think that when someone makes a boneheaded move in an SUV, the anti-SUV folks file it away to be used as a case against large vehicles. The same boneheaded move in a sedan is quickly forgotten. That may also have some truth. But SUV’s are a lot harder to control. And if something is harder to control, you make more mistakes. It also comes down to the fact that when you make a mistake in an SUV, there can be a lot more dire consequences, most of which fall onto the other party. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/48 "2004-12-20T11:50:18Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Once [these](http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020831/bz1.jpg) and [these](http://www.eccentrifuge.com/rabies/kleine/web.crops/black.smart.car.jpg) make it to the States, you can just drive underneath the fuckers… I saw the one of the latter on the street yesterday. Sooooo cute! I guess it was a custom import or something. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/49 "2004-12-20T12:44:52Z")
> [@coffeecat](#): > > \*Part of Rte. 128S is also called I93N, and by the compass the road goes east. And before [the Big Dig](http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/bigdig/what.html), there was a stretch of highway (HAH!), suspended high above very hard Boston concrete, on which people did 45 MPH, and it felt only slightly wider than a Habitrail tube. I notice you didn’t even attempt to describe the now-demolished, infamous merge on the Expressway near North Station. :: shudder :: Some things mankind was not meant to know. ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/50 "2004-12-20T13:55:53Z")
Wait a minute. I **don’t** have a lot of confidence in my driving and frankly, I’d rather you didn’t have a lot of confidence in yours. I’m operating a huge machine capable of killing other people and myself and I’d just as soon not forget that. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/51 "2004-12-20T15:15:54Z")
> [@Alma](#): > > Wait a minute. I **don’t** have a lot of confidence in my driving and frankly, I’d rather you didn’t have a lot of confidence in yours. I’m operating a huge machine capable of killing other people and myself and I’d just as soon not forget that. Well, hmm. I don’t think I stated that ‘I have a lot of confidence in my driving’ exactly. I did say that I have never been in an accident. What I was trying to express is that when I drive, I assume everyone else is basically asleep behind the wheel. I know that’s not the case of course, but I also don’t know who can drive and who cannot. It safer to assume no one is a good driver. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/52 "2004-12-20T16:25:05Z")
> [@gatopescado](#): > > Its not the size of the vehicle, but the size of the balls swinging from the nut behind the wheel. > > I always seem to get “right-of-way” even when driving my Fiat Spider… > > 😉 Well, of course. No one wants to run over the parts falling off the Fiat. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/53 "2004-12-20T16:42:12Z")
> [@Originally Posted by enipla](#): > > Now come on. Could it maybe be that you are a bit biased and the only vehicles you remember backing out on you are SUVs? > > > [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > > > Nope. > > When a person uses the argument that their car prevented them from seeing you, then yes, they are blaming the SUV, so why shouldn’t you? You didn’t state that they used their own car as an excuse. Knowing SUVs and the good visibility out of them, and how people generally feel about their cars, I think you may have mis-interpreted them. Just like you believe that the only vehicles that ever pull out in front of you are SUVs. I rarely call someone on their own personal experience but I really have to question that. There is a lot of random shit that happens on the streets. How long have you been riding? Sure, there are some legitimate gripes, but I don’t believe they happen with anywhere near the frequency that people claim. For instance — “I can’t get out of my car because your vehicle is to big and takes up too much room in the parking space”. umm. Like I said, I live in an area where SUV’s and trucks out number cars by quite a bit. And as a person that drives an SUV, you would think that I would be more likely to have this problem than someone in a small car. Since I would be likely to be parked next to a large vehicle, and I myself drive a (in some peoples minds) large vehicle. I don’t see it, It just isn’t happening to me. > [@Go Your Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Pedestrians have even less surface area than a car, maybe we should not be outside unless in a motorvehicle hey? All street signs are a lot smaller than a motorbike, maybe we should increase their size ten-fold! Poofffff, ----- and there goes the strawman. > [@](#): > > Motorbikes are clearly visible. I’m a rider, and got to tell you that ‘clearly visible’ is subjective. You are not as visible as another car. Period. > [@](#): > > I always drove in the left hand-side or the right-hand side of the lane so that I can clearly be seen by the vehicle in front. Because if I cannot see their rear-view mirrors, they cannot see me. Good idea, obvious really. But if they can also see you in their center mirror. I’ve found that many motorists use there center mirror than the side ones. Or, at least, it’s easier to detect motion in the center mirror with out having to do a mirror check (peripheral vision). You do run with your lights on, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/54 "2004-12-20T18:22:51Z")
This could be my brothers ‘mantra’. He drives a semi. I had to change it just a bit - small for large. From the OP, bold text is edited by me. * * * The legal right-of-way while driving is not, contrary to popular belief, affected by the size of your vehicle. My **semi is large**. It is **larger** than A LOT of vehicles on the road (and more every day). That does not mean that you have the legal right to cut me off, to pull out in front of me, to change lanes right into me, or drive in front of me when I’m going straight through a green light. Don’t waste your mental energy trying to intimidate me into driving faster by tailgating either. It’s not working. You hit the back of my **truck** , we both know who’s at fault. * * * featherlou, and others. Driving is serious business. Inconsiderate drivers are in all types of vehicles. My experiance has been that people in semis/trucks/SUVs are generaly better drivers than small cars. I think this is because many new drivers are in small inexpensive (but pretty fast) cars. That is a mater of economy, and what a younger driver can afford. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/55 "2004-12-20T21:26:34Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > I notice you didn’t even attempt to describe the now-demolished, infamous merge on the Expressway near North Station. > > :: shudder :: > > Some things mankind was not meant to know. What about that section of Rt.2 in Concord, between where it turns off to avoid Concord center, and 128/I-95? Four lanes, 45 MPH speed limit, no shoulder. And nothing separating the west going traffic from the east going traffic. And everyone’s doing at **least** 65 MPH. With only inches between the opposing lanes… It makes the rotary in front of MDC Concord look simply annoying. By the way: I’m not really going to get into the discussion of SUV or non-SUV cars and drivers, however, the right of way for vessels in waterways is affected by who is the larger vessel. Maybe these offending drivers are actually pilots or some other nautical types? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/56 "2004-12-21T08:17:24Z")
Does this mean that if I put a sail on top of my car that I can sail right through red lights? 😉 Overheard on Ch. 16 on the Ker Mckellen Arkansas river navagation Chanel. Up Stream Boat: “This is the USB, upstream at mile xxx.y taking the whole corner.” Down Stream Boat ( has the right away in this case ) : This is the DSB, and \*\*I’ll \*\* be taking the corner at mile xxx.y in one minute." USB: “DSB, I got 15 acres of loaded steel in front of me and I’m in the turn, what are your intentions now?” DSB: “USB, I’m waiting on you on the left side of the channel, have a nice day.” A little common sense goes a long ways with any traffic. Been ridding cycles a while and the number of people who deliberately try to hurt you is amazing. Same for bicycles. ---
**Author:** ![infamousmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d6d6ee/32.png) [@infamousmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infamousmom)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/57 "2004-12-21T08:26:56Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > It also doesn’t mean that you’re allowed two parking spaces. No kidding. When it says “Compact” on the parking space, it doesn’t mean the size of the owner’s brain. Or dick, for that matter. Park that losermobile somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![infamousmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d6d6ee/32.png) [@infamousmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infamousmom)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/58 "2004-12-21T08:30:36Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > I saw the most disgusting thing, though, yesterday. Matching Hummers. Only good thing about a Hummer is that it clearly identifies the driver, from any distance, as a clueless asshole. Only better thing would be to make 'em all wear neon signs that say “Great big vehicle. Little bitty dick.” ---
**Author:** ![johan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@johan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/59 "2004-12-21T12:40:51Z")
I HATES SUV’s. Idiots blocking my view of the road so they can feel “oh-so-tres-cool” ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258/60 "2004-12-21T13:33:00Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > You do run with your lights on, don’t you? Uhhh… you can’t turn motorbike lights off? Or at least, not down here, not without mods. As for everything else, my strawman was sarcastic, I’ve only been riding 2 years, and yes, I have never been backed out on by anything other than an SUV. And I can say that with certainty, I’ve only been backed out on 3 times. All of which I remember clearly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-of-way-not-affected-by-the-size-of-your-vehicle/280258.md?page=4)