The Falcon's View

If for no other reason than to give me a way to vent stress and frustration after commuting, I've decided to start a new series of posts that look at traffic conditions that really irk me. No, I'm not talking about rants on the guy who tried to whip around me at the Yield sign this morning, or the guy who pulled out of the line of merged traffic into the lane ending so as to advance himself 3-4 positions further ahead. Don't get me wrong, those things really tick me off (people are arrogant, short-sighted, and rude when they drive - my view is that most people don't look more than 2" in front of their faces when they get behind the wheel). Instead, I'd like to focus on traffic patterns and flows that could/should be addressed by civil engineers.

Today's target of opportunity is the intersection of the Dulles Toll Road (267) with Reston Parkway.

Perhaps my biggest pet peeve with driving is when people act aggressively to put themselves first, even if only by a car length. As if commuting is a NASCAR event. Guess what, it's not.

Today's example is the ever-popular right turn on red. The legal basis for allowing a right turn on red is found, not in traffic laws, but in energy conservation legislation (see 42 USC 6322(c)(5)). It's purported to save on combustible feel consumption in vehicles because they won't have to sit idle as long. There are, however, a couple caveats.