More dangerous driving by NJ drivers that didn’t need to happen

Let's start off with a quick note to all New Jersey drivers - chill out, and be aware.

Yes, we sometimes do need to get somewhere fast. And yes, we sometimes encounter slower vehicles along the way. It happens, that's how it works in New Jersey.

Plus, there's traffic, red lights, construction, accidents, and on and on it goes. The point is, if you drive in New Jersey, you're going to hit delays. It's just the reality of driving in the most densely populated state.

Which is why someone needs to tell this particular driver to keep their cool and not become a danger to others.

How it unfolded

This aggressive driver was behind me for part of my morning commute. But before I get into how she drove before making her illegal maneuver, let me first give her some justification.

Not justification for driving like she did, but justification for what might've triggered her frustration. If it were the same thing I was feeling, then I could at least relate to that level.

The vehicle that was in front of me was driving under the speed limit. Not only that, but they also seemed a bit lost based on how many times they hit the brakes.

Stuck in the middle of two

So here I am, stuck between two New Jersey drivers who are on opposite ends of the driving spectrum.

The one in front of me was definitely taking their sweet time and seemed kind of lost. Then the other driver behind me didn't have the patience or the time to deal with this much slower car.

Then there's me in the middle, stuck in a single lane with no passing zones. And I can bet that many others out there have found themselves in a similar situation.

Speed limit vs actual speed

This is where I probably felt a share of the frustrations with the car behind me. The speed limit was 40 in this particular area, but the vehicle in front of me was averaging between 30 and 35.

On occasion, they hit 40, but they also hit the brakes quite a bit. But with hills, lots of curves, no shoulders or passing zones, there wasn't much one could legally do to get around this car.

So yes, there was a reason to be frustrated. However, the driver behind me seemed to think I was the problem and was taking their anger out on me.

Horn, tailgating, and illegal passing

The driver behind me came right up to my bumper, laying on the horn. And they stayed on my bumper for probably a good mile driving like that.

Again, you can clearly see the slow car right in front of me, and I wasn't about to go onto their bumper since that's not a smart move in the first place. Should they suddenly need to stop, I don't need all three of us to collide into one another.

Eventually, this aggressive driver decided to swerve across the double yellow lines, with a bend in the road while approaching a bridge, to get around both of us. Fortunately, there were no cars coming around the blind bend.

Right afterward, this car took off at lightning speed. If I had to guess, I'd say they had to have exceeded 50 if not more. And on a road like this, that's not a very smart thing to do.

Yes, I'll admit it. I was also frustrated that the car in front of me was moving on the slower side. But there's no reason for the car behind me to lay on the horn constantly and tailgate the driver not responsible for going under the speed limit.

Risky driving for nothing

Perhaps the driver who was behind me needed to get to work and was running late. Or maybe they had an emergency and weren't thinking straight. Both of those things are definite possibilities.

And yes, the car in front of us perhaps should've at least tried to pull over to the side (again, minimal to no shoulder) wherever they had the opportunity to do so. It's what happens when the oblivious meets the obnoxious.

Hopefully, the obnoxious driver didn't cause an accident, and the oblivious driver finally found their way. It's yet another example of why New Jersey drivers need to both chill out while also being aware of how their own actions may cause others to act aggressively.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.