Driving Safety.
Mon, 2007-09-03 04:47
#1
Driving Safety.
Mon, 2007-09-03 04:47
#2
[url=http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2007/09/03/4466480-sun.html]12 killed on Ontario Roads, and the Long Weekend isn't even over yet.[/url]
All of the efforts of law enforcement and other concerned parties focus on the driver as the only cause of accidents and fatalities on Canadian roads.
And there is a lot too that. Speeding (although I insist this isn't as large a factor as law enforcement insists it is) inattentiveness and impairment are definite problems I see on a daily basis, and those are well within driver control.
But I take issue here in Ontario with the O.P.P. who shut down highways after accidents to do extensive investigations-- which does cause other accidents, and never seem to make public their findings. This could be valuable information that could help drivers.
I also take issue with the people who design our highways and municipal roads. In London, for example, poor road design demands far too many decisions from drivers. The more decisions one is forced to make, the more likely one will eventually be erroneous.
For example, the 401 has far, far too many exits and on ramps. This discourages people from moving over to the right lane and keeping out of the way of faster traffic.
And the police focus on speeding, while certainly not misplaced, comes at the expense of enforcement of those drivers driving too slowly, or otherwise impeding the flow of traffic.
Saturday, west bound on the 401, I came upon traffic that was all gummed up for no apparent reason. Break lights were coming on and going off, tractor trailers were butting into the passing lane, and people seemed to be making lane changes in a less than desirable fashion. I hung back from the pack as best I could, and when it came my turn to get passed whatever the moving obstacle was, it turned out to be a guy in a BMW with his four ways on, [i]driving less than 80kph.[/i] And he didn't get off at the nearest exit, either, but continued on the 401.
Drivers like this are more of a hazard than those going 130kph.
Enforcement too, of impaired driving should be just that. Instead of focusing only on alcohol being an impairment, it should be used as the law originally intended. We don't need a specific law against cell phone use. Using one while driving impairs one, as does other things. Including age, or lack of sleep. Or as in the case of the BMW driver I encountered, stupidity.
Mon, 2007-09-03 12:58
#3
Good subject.
The main cause of accidents is mechanical . . . a screw loose in the nut behind the wheel.
I agree with you that too much blame is placed on speeding and not enough on other causes. I suspect that it's easier to go to court with a radar printout than to prove inattentiveness. We are all familiar with the idiots talking on the phone or watching videos while driving. We have seen drivers reading, doing crosswords, putting on makeup, eating, drinking, etc. or so engaged in talking with a passenger as to be disengaged from the road. I saw a guy drive by this morning with a "For Sale" sign hanging from his rearview mirror; a sign so large that he had to lean to the left to see around it.
Where I live, seniors are a big problem. Officialdom, pushed by the insurance industry, is just beginning to notice that senior drivers are a bigger problem than previously thought. [url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070827.wlelderly27/... the wheel from seniors a tough task - G&M[/url] Many seniors took their driving test sixty or more years ago. Can you imagine getting in an airplane with a pilot who has not had further training nor testing for that long?
Mon, 2007-09-03 13:08
#4
We've got friendly drivers in Ontario. Sometimes when I drive on the highway, another Ontario driver will typically hug my ass at the speed limit real close like and leaving no room for error.
Tue, 2007-09-04 03:16
#5
Such a rebel like you, Fidel, respects the speed limit. I am shocked.
I'm generally 10 to 20k over the limit here in London on major arterial roads, unless the synchronization is actually working in my favour. No point speeding to a red light.
There is an implication that speeding is unsafe, that speed limits are determined by factors such as visibility, the nature of the road surface, etc.
But as often as not they are formulated for political reasons. More than once, roads in London have been improved only to have the speed limit [i]dropped[/i] by 10k, as a salve to residents who fear the major artery they chose to live on won't be the quiet residential street that it never was or was intended to be. Riverside drive and Adelaide north being prime examples.
On the other hand, on residential streets I tend to drive under the speed limit, particularly if there are obstructions like parked cars. I always imagine the kid who runs out unexpectedly is ready to do so. Because they do.
The way to handle tail gaters, btw, is to slow down until they pass you, assuming you are on a single lane road or hwy, or as far to the right as you can go on a multi lane hwy.
Being a good socialist, Fidel, I know you wouldn't be one of those selfish people who feel they have the right to travel the speed limit in the passing lane.
[img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]
Tue, 2007-09-04 05:45
#6
I don't know if it's an urban legend (I don't think it is because I seem to remember reading about it in the papers when I was a teenager) but a couple of guys who were friends who got speeding tickets on the 401 around the same time for going WITH the traffic at 120 km per hour decided they were going to protest it.
First they protested the tickets in court, saying that yes, they were going 120 km per hour, but the rest of the traffic was too, and they were just keeping pace.
That didn't work. So they decided to drive along the 401, side-by-side in their cars, at 100 km per hour until they got pulled over.
Of course, after driving for a while that way, with the traffic backed up to the next city, they were pulled over for obstructing traffic. So they made a stink about that in court, and that's when I think they got the publicity they were seeking.
Tue, 2007-09-04 05:50
#7
[url=http://www.drivers.com/article/149/]Here's your Story Michelle, it was no urban legend.[/url]
Tue, 2007-09-04 06:29
#8
quote:
The very smooth performer is the one who has mastered all the skills involved in control, tactics, communicating, making decisions, and managing the subtle interactions of traffic with the least amount of physical and social friction.
In city driving the "left lane bandits" ( who all seem to live in London, btw.) and others who, while perhaps obeying the law are very poor "social" drivers are for the most part an annoyance that supplies us with something to gripe about at lunch with your co-workers.
But at speeds of over 100 kmph, their lack of skills suddenly transform into something that could well be life threatening.
I have sometimes thought that, in order to get a license, a "video game" simulator should be used, where scores of courtesy and the unwritten laws could be quantified and judged-- over the space of hours, and over different driving conditions. Almost anyone can pull their shit together for a half hour with an examiner.
Tue, 2007-09-04 16:53
#9
What do you think about bringing back photo radar? I agree that speeders aren't always the culprits, but that's the point: photo radar made everybody drive more mannerly. There were fewer tailgators, weavers-in-and-out, people flashing their lights at you so they could pass, etc. And driving slower saves on gas.
Tue, 2007-09-04 18:55
#10
It did? I never noticed that and in fact seemed to cause more chaos when everyone would break hard whenever they saw a van at the side of the road
Wed, 2007-09-05 04:07
#11
I think photo radar is too arbitrary. I think we've all come across a bad driver that we sped up to pass just to get them behind us, for example. And, it does nothing to address speeding when going the speed limit is dangerous, such as on icy roads.
It's just a cheap way for politicians and law enforcement to give lip service to the problem of bad drivers, some of whom are speeders, but in the main are, as Ralph Nader said in a different context, "unsafe at any speed."
[url=http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/09/05/4471147-sun.html]Case in point.[/url]
[ 05 September 2007: Message edited by: Tommy_Paine ]
Wed, 2007-09-05 05:10
#12
Photo radar or no photo radar, more enforcement would help. I've done a lot of driving south of the border (American dad, lots o' American relatives), and there are state troopers everywhere. American drivers seem more likely to respect right lane slow-left lane fast, and generally, they're more orderly. Many times I've crossed back north at Windsor to notice the relative chaos on Ontario 400-series roads, especially people passing on the right, a practice you don't see as much state-side.
Wed, 2007-09-05 05:44
#13
Hey, you know what the Yanks do that really makes sense? I was so impressed with this the first time I drove down there. On highways with express and collector lanes, they make one set of lanes the ones that only cars can drive in, and the other one for trucks.
Now THAT'S a smart idea!
Wed, 2007-09-05 07:32
#14
The head of one of the Trucker's Associations, the same one who is pushing for a 105kmph governor on trucks, is also adamant that trucks must maintain what he calls "lane discipline". I don't mind trucks passing each other on a three lane stretch of hwy, but in that little stretch of 401 between Kitchener and Woodstock that is still only two lanes, it's a real impediment when these guys slowly pass each other. And I've seen trucks passing three abreast on other parts of the 401. That's not good.
quote:
Photo radar or no photo radar, more enforcement would help.
I think you are right. In London, rightly or not because there isn't really any hard data, there is the perception that red light running is a big problem. I tend to agree, but it's all anecdotal.
But I have seen people run red lights in front of cops, and the cops don't react.
For something like that, what's needed is a base line study at intersections to collect data on just how often people run red lights. Then a municipality has to decide if it wants to devote the number of officers to do daily, continuous enforcement at various intersections in the city until another survey indicates that the driving [i]culture[/i] has changed.
I think that could be done, but it can't be done with one week blitzes the cops are fond of.
quote:
Many times I've crossed back north at Windsor to notice the relative chaos on Ontario 400-series roads, especially people passing on the right, a practice you don't see as much state-side.
My perception is that the 401 is quiet orderly, and drivers well aware of keeping to the right except to pass, but that could well be coloured by the fact that in London, there is no such courtesy on major arterial roads. In fact, the right line more often than not moves better than the passing lane. I just returned from dropping one of my daughters off in south London. Highbury ave is a major artery that turns into an expressway in the south, with a posted limit of 100kph. I, and many others passed a guy on the right because he was hogging the left lane, although he was driving over the speed limit in the section that wasn't expressway. But then, convention dictates that the posted 50kph speed limit is far below what it should be, given the lines of sight, road design, and the set back of residential properties.
Then, on the expressway, I had the usual stressful experience of trying to keep pace and track of people who wanted to get up to 120kph, and people who wanted to doddle along at 80kph.
When I first started driving in London, while the city was smaller in size and population, it was technically more demanding of the driver. Main arteries capriciously switched from one lane in each direction to two lanes and back, there were hump backed wooden bridges, no light synchronization and few left turn lanes marked at major intersections.
But I don't recall nearly as many inconsiderate drivers in those days.
While the city roads have not kept up to growth, thanks to developers running city hall, the roads are less demanding in most areas, but my fellow drivers are more aggravating, and make far more mistakes.
It's a cultural thing. London has a bully culture where it's "screw you asshole, I'm the center of the universe" and that is reflected on the roads.
London never used to be like that.
[ 05 September 2007: Message edited by: Tommy_Paine ]
Wed, 2007-09-05 08:27
#15
quote:
Originally posted by Tommy_Paine:
[b]I have sometimes thought that, in order to get a license, a "video game" simulator should be used, where scores of courtesy and the unwritten laws could be quantified and judged-- over the space of hours, and over different driving conditions. Almost anyone can pull their shit together for a half hour with an examiner.[/b]
Absolutely! Have you ever talked to a pilot or railroader who has been trained on a simulator? (Do they have simulators for big trucks?) These things can be very real. The most important feature is that simulators can be programmed for different scenarios, including critical emergencies. How many people get driver testing, or even training, at night? Getting on and off freeways? Driving in a storm? Skids? Little kid running out in the road? Simulators can force a novice driver to deal with these and other situations in a safe setting.
I think that out license testing and our traffic laws are much too lax. This is deliberate. The auto industry wants everybody to have a car. Tough traffic laws would mean fewer car sales. Moreover, most people think it's their God-given right to drive.
City dwellers tend to drive more aggressively than rural drivers. Areas where they meet can have a lot of accidents.
Wed, 2007-09-05 08:55
#16
quote:
City dwellers tend to drive more aggressively than rural drivers. Areas where they meet can have a lot of accidents.
That is totally true; I'm a Toronto driver, and when I'm in rural areas, I feel like all the drivers are on Valium and I have to make a conscious effort to take it easy and be courteous.
Though it's out of necessity. If you don't drive aggressively in the cities, you won't get anywhere, instead, for instance, getting stuck in the right lane behind parked cars because you don't have the nerve to nudge your way into heavy traffic.
When people are too courteous in the city, it can cause gridlock.
Wed, 2007-09-05 09:19
#17
It's true about big cities and rural areas; however, I've found that medium-sized cities are the worst for nasty drivers, Kingston, Ontario in particular.
In Toronto, people drive fast and you have to be assertive in order to, as Sineed says, nudge your way into traffic, or turn on a yellow (or even the edge of the beginning of the red), etc. You can't be afraid to change lanes, or hold up the people behind you for a minute to parallel park.
But what I've noticed about Toronto is that, more often than not, people WILL let you into traffic. Everyone knows in Toronto that people have to nudge in or they won't get anywhere, and because everyone does it, most people let others in when they do it. Torontonians tend not to take it like a big personal affront if you nose your way in front of them, although sure, you get the occasional idiot.
But Jesus, go to Kingston, Ontario sometime. That's where I learned to drive. The most egotistical, selfish, rude drivers live in Kingston. I think it's the wide suburban streets, the tons of right and left turn lanes with state-of-the-art street lights with every kind of special turn and walk and spin around in a circle signal available.
In Kingston, you don't want to try to nudge your way into the other lane. The guy behind you will, more likely than not, get really hostile, gun the engine, go out of their way not to let you in, etc. It's like, fuck you, mister, you're not going anywhere. Think you can get ahead of me, do you? Think again. I'm gettin' to the Rio Can Centre Big Box Hell before you do, bitch. I'm a suburban shit-disturber, don't you know. Get out of the way of my big, bad SUV.
Kingston drivers'll ride your ass, roar past you, desperately try to beat you to the red light, etc. Having learned to drive there, and getting accustomed to such driving, I picked up some of those habits, but when I moved to Toronto, I found that my habits completely changed. The Kingston aggressiveness training helped me not to be scared or timid in Toronto traffic, so that was good, but I also found myself being much more charitable once I moved here, letting people into my lane, being patient with parkers, etc.
What Toronto drivers hate is ineptitude. We hate it when people hesitate at the green light or the left-turn signal (because the turn signal lasts all of about 5 seconds here, unlike cities like Kingston where the left turn signal lasts until the sensor under the pavement can tell there are no more cars left in the lane), we don't like it when we hesitate to give someone a chance to nudge in and then they are all, oh gosh, do you think that means me, oh, should I go, maybe I should wait, I don't know, I guess I'll...
Toronto's not a place for timid drivers, but I wouldn't say it's a nasty driving place either.
[ 05 September 2007: Message edited by: Michelle ]
Wed, 2007-09-05 09:47
#18
A good anecdote about my morning.
I was driving up the DVP to work in the left lane, virtually stopped. Someone had just 'nudged' their way in front of me, and I accepted their lane change without hassle, because as Michelle mentions, it happens, and if you take the initiative people let you.
In my rear view mirror, with just enough warning I see some BMW screaming up behind us all.. on the shoulder.
I really can't tell you how angry this sort of thing makes me, people who cut into on ramps and run up 8 cars...people who jump inbetween parked cars to get one car further in traffic. It drives me nuts, and frankly, these moves slow ME down and everyone else behind simply because they think they're far more important than the rest of us.
So, I cut her off. Pulled right in front of her on the shoulder, but maintained my speed relative to the spot I should have been in. So the lady goes ballistic, honking, throwing me 'the bird' (Sorry, had to use that term, hadn't heard it in a while) and was generally unpleasant with the words I think I could read from her lips.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending, you see, there's a bridge over the highway and the shoulder disappears. The person behind me kindly left me the room to squeeze back in at that point, but did not let her in, nor did any of the other people she'd gone screaming past.
I never saw her again, because I think everyone else got the message and no one let her back in.
Anyway, just a little reminder that a little bit of aggression in the city is definitely a manditory to get around, but one rule I try to keep in my head (and fail at constantly, but it's good to think about) is whether you would do the same thing to some one walking next to you. People tend to look at their cars as self contained units and not think about how absolutely rude they are in traffic, but they would never walk around a line in a grocery store and cut off the 4 people in front of them.
I agree with a different style of training for the roads. More often. People are far too obnoxious and rude, and I've never seen an accident that was entirely due to speed.
Thu, 2007-09-06 06:02
#19
quote:
When people are too courteous in the city, it can cause gridlock.
Or death.
There's a Tim Horton's near me on Highbury ave north. It's two lanes in each direction, with a very wide cement divider meant for people to use to make left turns on, but many don't for some reason.
There's something odd about the traffic pattern in this stretch, in that the south bound traffic is always a steady stream as it comes from Huron street, providing few gaps during peak hours.
This makes getting in and out of Tim Horton's a bit of a challenge.
A few years ago, a young woman from a small town north of London stopped in for a coffee and attempted to make a left, northbound, from Timmy's. She must have been there a while, because someone in the near lane on Highbury stopped for her, [i]then waved her on[/i] just in time for a fully loaded gravel truck she couldn't see coming up beside the [i]courteous[/i] driver to T bone her. She was killed instantly.
People try to "help" me with my left turns all the time. I wish they would just stop trying to kill me and leave me to fend for myself. I have made left turns before.
quote:
I really can't tell you how angry this sort of thing makes me, people who cut into on ramps and run up 8 cars...people who jump inbetween parked cars to get one car further in traffic. It drives me nuts, and frankly, these moves slow ME down and everyone else behind simply because they think they're far more important than the rest of us.
It was just this situation that was the instigation for the first "road rage" murder in Los Angeles years ago. I saw the convicted murderer interviewed a few weeks ago. He's out on parole.
Mild mannered guy.
Thu, 2007-09-06 06:42
#20
quote:
Originally posted by Tommy_Paine:
[b]It was just this situation that was the instigation for the first "road rage" murder in Los Angeles years ago. I saw the convicted murderer interviewed a few weeks ago. He's out on parole.
Mild mannered guy.[/b]
Thanks, that makes me feel better about myself!
In your story would if be me, or the other person in jail for murder?
Thu, 2007-09-06 07:17
#21
I talk about all this driving stuff, as other people do, and it might seem that I am oblivious to the mistakes I make, and the bad habits I have accumulated.
I'm not. I make mistakes. I get irritated.
It helps to sit back and keep perspective. London driving is frustrating in a way Toronto driving isn't. In Toronto, it's just volume and you're stuck. In London, it isn't volume, but a cheap city council and a stupid engineering department that more often than not slows you down or creates bad situations.
But, people who make mistakes aren't making a personal attack against you, even if you feel they are at the time. Relax and don't interpret these mistakes as a personal attack. It's just a mistake.
When you make a mistake, try to acknowledge it someway to the driver you offended.
On my most hated road, Wharncliffe here in London, I generally cruise down the right hand lane that must exit at Horton, and whiz past traffic beside me in the left lane, lined up for blocks trying to thread it's way under the CN trestle. Sometimes there are Queue jumpers who use the right lane and then try to squeeze in, thus blocking my easy whiz down this part of Wharncliffe.
Yeah, I can easily get pissed off at these self centered asswhipes, but I choose instead, to reflect on the asswhipes at city hall who have deliberately allowed this traffic planning and road design atrocity to exist for decades.
I don't know the right and wrong of that, but it tends to make my driving safer.
Thu, 2007-09-06 15:59
#22
quote:
That is totally true; I'm a Toronto driver, and when I'm in rural areas, I feel like all the drivers are on Valium and I have to make a conscious effort to take it easy and be courteous.
I grew up in Southern Ontario and the first time I drove to the west coast a friend told me that I had an unfair advantage over the drivers I'd have to deal with on the way. I'd been "trained dirty" - and it's still true. After all the years I've been gone I find it takes me about a day to get back into the groove and then it's off to the races. But my goal in life is still to never drive in Manhattan.
Sun, 2007-09-09 03:31
#23
Now THAT'S one thing I've never done - driven in New York City. Never felt the need to do so - the times I've been there, I've mostly been either passing through to another destination or hanging out for a day or so, in which case I get a transit day pass. And I've always gotten there by Greyhound, not driving, since I don't have a car.
The thing about NYC is that I don't know the city the way I do Toronto. I have no problem with driving in Toronto, and I doubt I'd have a problem driving in NYC as long as I knew my way around the city. But I don't know New York, so I wouldn't want to try and figure out where I'm going AND deal with the traffic.
Sun, 2007-09-09 04:25
#24
I've never driven in NYC, either. But I did drive in Washington, D.C. years ago and found it rather easy. Of course, it seems to be designed for both heavy commuter traffic, and made easy to consider high tourist traffic. They utilize roundabouts there, and they do not deserve their scary reputation. I found they were good at moving traffic in a smooth way. I wish they were utilized here more often.
When I'm unfamiliar with an exit in Toronto from the 401, I memorize the names and or numbers of the two exits before it, even though the signage is pretty good. It helps to keep your lane changes smooth.
Rebecca West was driving in St. Louis earlier this year, and she told me that signage there is terrible. There are too many signs, and they are situated on top of where you have to make your turn, instead of giving advance information.
Oh, and I really hate being navigated by a passenger.
[ 09 September 2007: Message edited by: Tommy_Paine ]
Thu, 2007-09-13 12:17
#25
quote:
Originally posted by Tommy_Paine:
[b]Oh, and I really hate being navigated by a passenger.
[/b]
Give me a map and a destination, and I'm fine. Try to direct me from the passenger seat as we go, and I get flustered and crabby. I like to know well in advance where to turn. Letting me know at the same time whether I should turn left or right is also helpful. I've tried guessing - it doesn't work very well.
And trust me, if I don't ask, I probably know what I'm doing. Unlike some, I have no issues with asking for directions ;)
Thu, 2007-09-13 12:45
#26
If you ever want a lesson in survival driving, rent a car in Athens, then try to navigate the city with your 6 month old child in it. I still have flashbacks.
Fri, 2007-09-14 04:48
#27
Scariest drive I ever did was from Missouri to Ontario in February. There was a snow squall on the interstate through Illinois that made most of the highway extremely treacherous.
Either side of the highway was littered with cars, transport trucks and SUV's that had gone off the road. I witnessed several sliding off the road as we crept along the ice. Vehicles were also in the snow-clogged left lane, smashed against the guardrail. Interestingly, the majority of vehicles to slide off the road were 4 wheel drive SUVs - overconfident is my guess.
90 per cent of the traffic stayed in the far right lane, driving about 5-10kpm (and even at that speed it was nearly impossible to stay on the road, never mind in one lane).
The scariest part was the massive transport trucks that kept whizzing by to my left, going far too fast for the conditions. I figured it was only a matter of time before one took out a car or two as it slid off the highway.
Most hair-raising 4 hours of my life.
Fri, 2007-09-14 13:00
#28
quote:
And trust me, if I don't ask, I probably know what I'm doing. Unlike some, I have no issues with asking for directions [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]
Was that an implication of some sort?
quote:
Either side of the highway was littered with cars, transport trucks and SUV's that had gone off the road. I witnessed several sliding off the road as we crept along the ice. Vehicles were also in the snow-clogged left lane, smashed against the guardrail. Interestingly, the majority of vehicles to slide off the road were 4 wheel drive SUVs - overconfident is my guess.
Wow, and you were a fairly new driver, too. Whoever taught you how to drive must have been good.
Damn good.
Fri, 2007-09-14 13:05
#29
quote:
Originally posted by Rebecca West:
[b]Interestingly, the majority of vehicles to slide off the road were 4 wheel drive SUVs - overconfident is my guess.[/b]
That and a fundamental misunderstanding of the uses and purpose of 4x4 vehicles. They do not actually make you stick on the road better - all they really do is help you keep moving or get unstuck when two of your wheels are not getting any traction. That's it.
Marketing is a big part of it. That and a lot of very stupid people who don't actually think about what having two extra wheels turning will and won't do for a vehicle. A 4x4 on a highway is no safer than a front wheel drive in icy or muddy conditions. It just has a slightly higher chance of being able to get back out of the ditch once it loses control.
Sat, 2007-09-15 04:56
#30
And what drives me nuts about these 4x4 drivers is how slow they drive over rail road tracks and speed bumps. You'd figure they'd speed up for them just for fun.
This week in London, a mother and daughter were killed on the 401, by the Colonel Talbot road on ramp. A truck hit them from behind, and left the scene. Drivers alerted OPP about a car in the ditch with it's lights on. When they investigated, they found the occupants dead.
The truck was found at the next truck stop, and the driver was charged with a number of things, including resisting arrest, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
During the investigation, a truck driver was killed when he plowed into stopped traffic. His cab was obliterated when the trailer of the truck in front of him went through it.
This triggered the O.P.P. to do a one day blitz in this area, targeting [i]speeders[/i]. And of course they found some. One they nabbed going 155kph. He was not ticketed, instead he was to appear in court the next day.
But the problem isn't speeding. It's truck drivers who have too many economic pressures on them, and break the rules. These guys are, if not asleep, in a kind of trance, and obviously are not responding to situations that happen in front of them.
The belligerence of the driver in the first case makes me wonder if amphetamines of some type were being used or abused. They keep you awake, but they seriously impair one's decision making abilities.
So, this focus on speeding will go a long way to ensure that these accidents will continue.
If you are on the 400 series highways and come upon stopped traffic do your best to stop well ahead of the next vehicle, and keep your eyes on what the drivers behind you are doing or not doing.
Be ready to get out of line and into the shoulder.
Sat, 2007-09-15 12:32
#31
quote:
Originally posted by Tommy_Paine:
[b]And what drives me nuts about these 4x4 drivers is how slow they drive over rail road tracks and speed bumps.[/b]
That's a hoot, isn't it? They buy a rough tough truck based vehicle, a rig that lets them believe that they could bushwack over the Andes and they are afraid to go over the speed bump in the supermarket parking lot.
The other funny thing is that these vehicles have so much carrying capacity, but since the owners don't want to muss up the interiors, they then go out and buy a roof rack container to carry all their stuff. Similarly, those guys with the fancy pickups get a utility trailer to haul yard waste.
A clean shiny truck or SUV is a dead giveaway. If it's clean and shiny, it's simply an ego thing.
Sat, 2007-09-15 23:36
#32
quote:
Originally posted by Tommy_Paine:
[b]Being a good socialist, Fidel, I know you wouldn't be one of those selfish people who feel they have the right to travel the speed limit in the passing lane. [/b]
Oh I've done my share of crazy driving when a younger man. Did some real hairy driving in cars and a Honda V-4 750 Interceptor. Scared hell out of myself a number of times. I've seen some scrape ups on the highway. The cops say a lot of it is stupid stuff, like high speed rear ends. I don't take chances anymore.
Sun, 2007-09-16 06:18
#33
Well, my more idiotic moments happened behind the wheel of a Cutless Supreme. Not quite a classic muscle car, but it had the 350 engine with a four barrel carb. More than enough to bury the speedometer, and more than enough to get you killed.
I am here today because of fly shit luck. And I guess the ability to recognize it. I'm careful these days too.
[ 16 September 2007: Message edited by: Tommy_Paine ]
Sun, 2007-09-16 07:24
#34
Sven
quote:
Originally posted by Sineed:
[b]What do you think about bringing back photo radar? I agree that speeders aren't always the culprits, but that's the point: photo radar made everybody drive more mannerly. There were fewer tailgators, weavers-in-and-out, people flashing their lights at you so they could pass, etc. And driving slower saves on gas.[/b]
Photo radar is great...when I'm wearing my full-faced helmet on my motorcycle! [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]