By Katie Beasley, Good Day Atlanta transportation reporter - bio | email
ATLANTA -
There are laws on the roadways to keep everyone safe, but what about driver etiquette? Are drivers considerate of other drivers? Most people would probably say no.
There's no manual for driver etiquette, but it's pretty simple -- just respect others when you're behind the wheel. Many drivers say Atlanta could work on spreading that southern hospitality to the roadways.
Sarah Levy says people are nice on the roads. She says some drivers will actually let her skip over if she needs to exit.
Another motorist told FOX 5 that area drivers have no etiquette on the roads.
"I almost got hit back there on 75 because some woman started coming over into my lane, wasn't paying attention at all. I blared on my horn, slammed on my brakes. And she just completely ignored it and kept going," said the driver.
Sometimes just driving into work can be a work out.
"Sometimes when I drive here in the morning -- by the time I park my car, I almost sit there and just say ‘Ah I've arrived safely another day' and it shouldn't be that way. We could be a kinder, gentler public," said Harris Blackwood, Director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
Blackwood says just a little patience and courtesy can go a long way.
"Just letting someone get over for a moment is not going to slow your trip up. Everybody's so fixed. I've got to get to work, I've got to get to work, get where I'm going. I'm in a hurry. And you want to say, ‘Hey, take a breath, slow down, be careful," said Blackwood.
Driver Lan Trimh says he follows "the Golden Rule. You treat the people the way you would like to be treated. And I'm from New York.
And what about honking your horn aggressively? Or screaming at an un-polite driver?
"You wish you had a button on your car that would say something ugly but I'm not going to do that. I'm a public official and I'm not going to do that," said Blackwood.
With a little wave of the hand, or the flash of a headlight, you can help put the brakes on road rage.
"Maybe one person will see this today and will say, ‘Maybe I do need to be a little nicer,''' said Blackwood.
Driver Daniel Steverson says motorists should be "more aware of people around them and be considerate."
Atlanta is the seventh most congested city in the country, and Americans spent 5.5 billion hours sitting in traffic in 2011. So, deep breaths, patience, and a little courtesy can help make those morning and afternoon commutes a little less stressful.
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