Driver Sees a Decline in Motor Manners

Dear Street Smart:

I have noticed that lately (perhaps in the last six months to a year) there seems to be less regard for many traffic laws that have always been observed in the past: things like actually making a full stop when turning right on a red light, signaling when changing lanes, not throwing trash out of the window and moving to the right on the freeway when faster traffic is behind you. The list could seemingly go on forever.

I realize that many of these things have gone on and will continue to go on, but it just seems like many drivers lack common courtesy on the road. This is a very broad subject, but I’m wondering if there are any studies or statistics that support or disprove my notion.

Brent Lowe

Orange

Your notion is not supported by California Highway Patrol citation statistics, which have remained fairly constant over the last three years. In 1995, the CHP issued 2.4 million citations for traffic violations, according to spokeswoman Anne Richards. That number dropped to 2.2 million the next year and came back up to 2.3 million in 1997.

The CHP doesn’t keep statistics on general discourteous driving, she said, although it does track freeway violence, which seems to fluctuate.

Richards thinks discourtesy on the road is not generally increasing, although the public’s awareness of it probably is. “We hear a lot more about it,” she said.

Her advice: “There are people who do discourteous things, and the only way to handle it is not to react. Stay calm; don’t make an obscene gesture; don’t retaliate. Just sit back and maybe put on some relaxing music. The main thing is not to respond in kind; that will only raise your blood pressure and perhaps get you into an accident.”

Dear Street Smart:

The intersection of Camino Las Ramblas and Via California, in San Juan Capistrano, has been flooded (an exaggeration, but a better description is lacking) for at least two months. I first thought it was due to runoff from all the rain, but that clearly is not the problem. I have called the city, the Capistrano Valley Water District and the Sheriff’s Department, but the problem remains.

The water appears to be coming down Via California and then “floods” the entire width (four lanes) of Camino Las Ramblas. For several thousand residents, this is the only way in and out of their developments. This has created a hazard with cars slowing unexpectedly at this intersection. It is also annoying and makes washing your car a rather futile exercise. I would appreciate it if you could look into this situation.

Patrick Mickle

San Juan Capistrano

The city is aware of the problem but hasn’t yet figured out what’s causing it. “That intersection is very unusual,” said Amy Amirani, director of public works. “It borders three cities--Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano--which makes the coordination of efforts difficult.”

In fact, she said, representatives of the three cities will be meeting tomorrow to compare notes on what they’ve found.

Investigators already have determined that the runoff is not the result of excessive ground water from the recent rains, Amirani said. This was ruled out after tests revealed the presence of chlorine in the water. Possible culprits still under investigation include irrigation lines in the other two cities and a residential swimming pool in San Clemente atop the hill overlooking the intersection.

“We are going step by step to figure out what’s causing it,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s taken more than a month to resolve this, but . . . some problems are complicated because there are so many variables.”

Amirani said she hopes to have the problem solved within two weeks.

Dear Street Smart:

Help! I took driver’s education about eight years ago. The carpool lanes were fairly new, and I don’t recall ever learning the laws pertaining to them. But I have one major question that has got me and a lot of other people stumped. Most times there are two sets of double yellow lines and a solid white line on the left side of the lines marking the carpool lane.

My question is this: I know you can’t cross over them to go into the lane, but I was told that you can exit the lane at any time, not just when it’s broken. Is this true or false?

Cheryl A. Nakamura

Santa Ana

False. California law allows the users of a carpool lane to enter or exit the lane only in designated areas, or where there is a single broken line.