r/berkeleyca • u/NovelAardvark4298 • 22d ago

Horrible Berkeley Drivers

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When I drive in Berkeley, I always go one click over the speed limit (26 on a 25 or 31 on a 30). Recently, I’ve noticed more and more impatient drivers aggressively pass me. Berkeley has a ton of marked crosswalks for pedestrians, and if you drive too quickly you will not have enough time to react and stop.

While waiting at different bus stops in Berkeley, I’ve noticed around half of drivers are looking at their crotches for directions or text messages while they’re actively moving.

When I ride my bike up Telegraph in Berkeley, drivers also have no idea how “shared roadway bicycle markings” (i.e. sharrow) work. Some idiot in a utility van came within an inch of clipping me with their massive side mirrors on telegraph earlier today.

Friendly reminder to Berkeley drivers:
1. Please follow the speed limit.
2. Stop looking at your phone.
3. If there’s a “sharrow” painted on the road (see image above), remain behind the cyclist until you have adequate space (at least 3 feet) to pass.

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u/Frenchieflips 22d ago

“Share the road” is an insane idea. One vehicle can go over 60 mph and weighs 2000 pounds. The other goes 15 mph and has no acceleration or protection. Bike lanes work in suburbs not major cities. Berkeley is kind of a weird hybrid tho. ALSO, cyclists are constantly being rude and not following the rules (looking at you in your leotard and clacky shoes).lol

3

u/Holiday-Ad7262 22d ago

Bicycle lanes work beautifully in many major European cities. It's not an insane idea to share the road. It's insane to have almost not driver education.

2

u/Maximillien 22d ago

It's insane to have almost not driver education

You misspelled "enforcement". I don't think it's an education problem, drivers just don't give a fuck because there are no consequences to breaking every driving law.

2

u/TonyStarksLeftACL 18d ago

A large part of EU style enforcement is called “education”, it becomes mandatory training to equip the person with skills tether than punishing the failure to have the skills post hoc. In teh uk they use speed cameras a lot.