In Floyd County, bad driving is a way of life
Pop Quiz:
Scenario One: You’re driving south on U.S. 221 into Floyd. A car ahead of you signals a left turn into the X-Press Mart on Main Street but has to stop because of oncoming traffic. Is it legal for you to pass the car on the right and proceed on your way?
Scenario Two: A car is waiting to turn left at the stop light at Main and Locust Streets in downtown Floyd. Can you legally pass that car on the right to make a right turn or proceed straight?
The answer to both questions is "no." Passing on the right in a single lane of traffic is reckless driving under Virginia law. Yet drivers in Floyd County do it all the time. On Tuesday morning, in the rain, I stopped behind a car that was turning left into X-Press Mart. Seven cars passed both of us on the right. Seven. All guilty of reckless driving.
This kind of reckless disregard for traffic laws is all too typical of drivers in this county. A State Police officer calls passing on the right "epidemic." A local insurance agent tells me he feels more safe driving on the urban streets of Roanoke than the rural roads of Floyd County.
"There are too many bad drivers in Floyd County," he says. "I know. My company pays the claims when they have accidents."
On any given day on any road in Floyd County, I can count multiple drivers who pass on the right, drive well over the speed limit, fail to signal turns, cross over the yellow line when traffic is approaching or turn in front of oncoming traffic.
Driving into Floyd in thick fog Tuesday morning, I counted 17 cars running without any lights. I see too many cars running without lights in dim early morning or early evening light. I see too many idiots talking on cell phones or even texting while trying to drive. While that activity is not yet illegal in Virginia (except for those under 18), it is both stupid and dangerous.
I’m not sure how some of these people got — or keep — licenses to drive but they are dangers on the road. Sadly, too many people feel that talking about bad drivers is a waste of time and consider breaking traffic laws to be funny. Those who feel that way need to spend a night riding with the county rescue squad to see what happens when people drive recklessly or Thursdays in General District Court listening to the incredibly stupid — and dangerous — things that people do while behind the wheel of a car or truck.
A vehicle — when operated by a bad driver — is a far more dangerous weapon than a gun. It kills more people every year than guns and wars combined.
Doug,
You’ve hit a lot of the high notes. The reckless passers on 221 and Route 8 are probably the most dangerous. But a close second in my mind are the aggressive tailgaters, especially at night. There are too many of them in Floyd.
When I have my wife and kid in the car and someone is a few feet off my bumper going 55 – 60 mph I see it as endangering my family in a very real way.
If another car is that close to you and you have to brake unexpectedly (deer) it could turn ugly in the blink of an eye.
In my younger days I would usually wait until they were taking a sip from a drink and hit the brakes. Satisfying but stupid.
In my older age I find that I usually just pull off on a side road and let them pass. Ironically, they often get behind someone else within a few miles and I end up catching back up with them anyway.
They usually beat me to town by about 50 feet.
Too many drivers don’t wear seat belts in Floyd County either. You would be surprised how many people I see jump into their cars at Slaughters and drive off without putting on their seat belt.
>>Passing on the right in a single lane of traffic is reckless driving under Virginia law. Yet drivers in Floyd County do it all the time.<<
I’ll admit that I’m wicked enough to edge to the right as I’m stopping behind a left-turning vehicle so that cars can’t pass that way.
(At least no one’s tried to in Floyd or Franklin. When I lived in Northern Virginia that usually didn’t stop anyone.)
Doug,
thank you for your piece above on bad driving. When visiting friends in Floyd 2 years ago I guess I probably broke the law about passing on the nearside when someone is turning. Here in the UK if there is room to safely pass then you would be expected to do so and I believe drivers would be criticised for not doing so if there was room and the manouvre can be carried out safely.
As I said, different strokes for different countries.
You’ve brought up a good point, but how about passing on the left, over a single or double yellow line? Seems a lot of drivers of all ages, especially those on motorcycles think no passing zones and double and single yellow lines are only meant for those not brave enough to slam that pedal to the floor and pass 3-4 vehicles if the opposite lane seems clear and no cops around. Blind curve coming up? No problem. Continue to pass or butt into traffic until you get another glimps of what’s ahead, then do it all again. Phone calls to Patrick or Floyd authorities do no good,as :there’s nothing they can do about it”. Imagine the innocent driver coming the other way who will be the defendant of a lawsuit when someone is injured or killed doing this.
State Troopers, Sheriff’s deputies and Park Rangers tell me that passing in a no passing zone is a serious problem in our area. I’ve had people pass me on the solid yellow line going down Bent Mountain on U.S. 221.
I think this and debate we see elsewhere on this web site shows that an alarming number of people believe that laws need not be obeyed or enforced.
That scares the hell out of me.