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Scorpion
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
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 Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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I was going to start a thread today about how no motorists bother to indicate before turning. But the topic of this thread is in the same ball park. It's all about dangerous and discourteous driving. The 'I couldn't be bothered indicating' thing drives me nuts. You are driving a weapon for Christ's sakes. Millions of people around the world have died from being hit by cars. Pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers need to know which way you are going. Are you turning left? Then indicate so that people can make safe choices based on the message received from you. To not do so (and 'not doing so' is the norm here) shows a reckless disregard for the welfare of others.
I know I'm not in your little social bubble of people whose life or death mean anything to you, but is hitting the indicator switch too much to ask?  |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by fustiancorduroy on Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Savant wrote: |
| jvalmer wrote: |
You guys need to take breath and realize a lot of what baffles you is just cultural differences.
It's the driving culture. Drivers are expected to turn off their headlights when stopped at an intersection, so as not to blind the driver on the other-side. It's considered 'manner' to do so. However many forget to turn their lights back on when the light turns green. |
I've experienced differently the time I drove on Jeju. Taking the coastal roads at night I sometimes used the lights at full beam because the roads were unlit but immediately turned them off when a car was approaching on the other side or I got to the car in front. Of course, a lot of Korean drivers just kept them on when they approached me on the other side and just blinded me.
I had to keep flashing my lights at them to try and get them to realize that they were acting in a dangerous manner.
Sadly, common courtesy is missing in driving here. |
Ah, I said they do it when stopped at intersections. While driving is a whole different game. But I've seen those blinders put up in the medians on some highways. |
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| byrddogs wrote: |
| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| As for not noticing the lights turned on in your dashboard, well, I think there is too much going on in the road to spend much time looking at your dashboard. |
Hahaha...that is totally bizarre if you are driving and don't notice your dash lights aren't on. At least if your dash lights are on you have a semi-excuse for not realizing your headlights aren't with "The streets in Seoul are so well lit that you don't really notice" and all. |
The few times I've caught myself driving around without my headlights on I've always had my parking lights on, meaning that my dashboard was still lit up. But I could see less confident or experienced drivers, such as my wife, concentrating so intently on the road, specifically all the cars darting around it, that they not notice their dashboard lights not being turned on. That's not such a ridiculous conclusion to draw, is it? |
No, I don't find being forgetful to do it once in a long while ridiculous, but I do find this to be:
| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| As for not noticing the lights turned on in your dashboard, well, I think there is too much going on in the road to spend much time looking at your dashboard. |
Driving isn't rocket science. Simply turn on your lights when you get in your car before starting the engine if driving at night. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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| byrddogs wrote: |
No, I don't find being forgetful to do it once in a long while ridiculous, but I do find this to be:
| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| As for not noticing the lights turned on in your dashboard, well, I think there is too much going on in the road to spend much time looking at your dashboard. |
Driving isn't rocket science. Simply turn on your lights when you get in your car before starting the engine if driving at night. |
I think the problem has to do with the fact that many cars now have automatic headlights. If you're used to having the switch always set to automatic and it accidentally gets switched to the off position, say by bumping your knee against the switch or flicking it while driving, you forget to even look at the switch to make sure it's on. That's why I've driven without my lights on before.
I agree that driving isn't rocket science, but it does take a lot of concentration to drive in Korea, especially if you're a new driver in Seoul. Again citing my wife, she can't even talk to me and doesn't want to listen to music when she's driving because she needs to focus all of her attention on the road. And I'm sure she doesn't look at her dashboard much, even though I tell her to. Sometimes I ask her what her current speed is and she rarely knows because she only looks at the road. It's not a good way to drive, but I'm sure there are at least a few other drivers out there who are like my wife. |
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| byrddogs wrote: |
No, I don't find being forgetful to do it once in a long while ridiculous, but I do find this to be:
| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| As for not noticing the lights turned on in your dashboard, well, I think there is too much going on in the road to spend much time looking at your dashboard. |
Driving isn't rocket science. Simply turn on your lights when you get in your car before starting the engine if driving at night. |
I think the problem has to do with the fact that many cars now have automatic headlights. If you're used to having the switch always set to automatic and it accidentally gets switched to the off position, say by bumping your knee against the switch or flicking it while driving, you forget to even look at the switch to make sure it's on. That's why I've driven without my lights on before.
I agree that driving isn't rocket science, but it does take a lot of concentration to drive in Korea, especially if you're a new driver in Seoul. Again citing my wife, she can't even talk to me and doesn't want to listen to music when she's driving because she needs to focus all of her attention on the road. And I'm sure she doesn't look at her dashboard much, even though I tell her to. Sometimes I ask her what her current speed is and she rarely knows because she only looks at the road. It's not a good way to drive, but I'm sure there are at least a few other drivers out there who are like my wife. |
Yeah, I get you. I drove in Seoul for years. My Chinese wife is currently taking driving lessons here in Shanghai to get her license. I can imagine that she will be the same way for awhile as yours, hence I will get my license here as well, just in case  |
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Savant
Joined: 25 May 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| Savant wrote: |
| jvalmer wrote: |
You guys need to take breath and realize a lot of what baffles you is just cultural differences.
It's the driving culture. Drivers are expected to turn off their headlights when stopped at an intersection, so as not to blind the driver on the other-side. It's considered 'manner' to do so. However many forget to turn their lights back on when the light turns green. |
I've experienced differently the time I drove on Jeju. Taking the coastal roads at night I sometimes used the lights at full beam because the roads were unlit but immediately turned them off when a car was approaching on the other side or I got to the car in front. Of course, a lot of Korean drivers just kept them on when they approached me on the other side and just blinded me.
I had to keep flashing my lights at them to try and get them to realize that they were acting in a dangerous manner.
Sadly, common courtesy is missing in driving here. |
Ah, I said they do it when stopped at intersections. While driving is a whole different game. But I've seen those blinders put up in the medians on some highways. |
Think I was just trying to define that Korean drivers are just not wise when using lights in different situations. And are you making a distinction between using normal headlights to full beam lights? Normal headlights shouldn't really blind but are you just saying that it's Korean reasoning to switch off all lights off at an intersection? |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Savant wrote: |
| Normal headlights shouldn't really blind but are you just saying that it's Korean reasoning to switch off all lights off at an intersection? |
Yup, that's the reason. And yes, it's normal lights I'm talking about. They think it's polite. Notice few cars sold in Korea have daytime running lights or automatic lights that come on at night. A lot of younger drivers probably have no idea why and just do it because they've been told by their parents, and it's just ingrained in the driving culture.
Also, some old people lay on their horns non-stop when going around a hilly curve so oncoming drivers know they are coming. It was very common in the 90's before all those new freeways were built. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 12:14 am Post subject: |
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How about Koreans putting on high beam when they don't need to?
Koreans get a rude awakening when they drive (or try to) in the U.S. I remember seeing one cop nabbing this one ajumma in Maryland for not having her lights on. I was ready to kill this other Korean student for darting out from a gas station and I had to slam on my brakes. I gave her the evil look. |
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newb
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 3:01 am Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
How about Koreans putting on high beam when they don't need to?
Koreans get a rude awakening when they drive (or try to) in the U.S. I remember seeing one cop nabbing this one ajumma in Maryland for not having her lights on. I was ready to kill this other Korean student for darting out from a gas station and I had to slam on my brakes. I gave her the evil look. |
How did you know they were Koreans? Did you detect the smell of kimchi? |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:16 am Post subject: |
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My aunt used to work for an auto-insurance/license agent here in Canada.
She was shocked by the number of accidents involving Korean tourists.
I'm not sure about other nationalities like Chinese, she only spoke about
Koreans because I was returning to work there.
Korean driving tests are a complete joke, ask anyone who's taken one.
Why Canada allows this is beyond me.
I suppose it is a reciprocal agreement or something.  |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| Yup, that's the reason. And yes, it's normal lights I'm talking about. They think it's polite. |
Yeah, that's it. They're trying to be polite and considerate of others. |
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andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Also, some old people lay on their horns non-stop when going around a hilly curve so oncoming drivers know they are coming. It was very common in the 90's before all those new freeways were built. |
If you like riding on goat-tracks (such as I), you'd better keeping doing that. I've counted 3 near head-on collisions so far with cars cutting, blind-corners no less and across un-broken yellow lines. Koreans are catching up to the West in so far as frustrated Michael Schumacher-wannabes. |
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GoldMember
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Strange how so many drivers forget to turn on their lights, forget to turn on the indicators, BUT remember to turn on the TV on the dashboard. |
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seoulsucker
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Location: The Land of the Hesitant Cutoff
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| Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 4:08 am Post subject: |
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The TV turns itself on.
And what I find interesting/strange is the number of late model cars here, like less than 2-3 years old with faulty tail lights. It's all LEDs so they're not "out" so I guess it's shoddy wiring? |
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