Posted on 08/12/2015 4:45:02 AM PDT by rickmichaels
My solution, in rush hour, is to tailgate aggressively, but be focused like a laser on both the car in front of me and the cars in front of him. The only caveat is whether or not my view of the car in front is compromised (e.g the car blocks my view because it is large). I rear ended someone in rush hour traffic back in 1977 because I looked away for a split second to change lanes - at the exact moment they hit the brakes. We were only doing about 10 mph, so it was nothing serious, but I learned from it.
While that is true, don’t put your feet on the dashboard, the real issue here was the boyfriend following to close to the truck he ran into. Had he followed a safe distance behind, none of this would have occurred.
I don’t think the boy frantically tried to avoid hitting it in the way we infer from the article. I think he looked up from his phone, his girlfriend, the cows on the side of the road, or whatever, and say an almost stopped truck rear end approaching and he was able to panic for a split second as he slammed into it. He could have been 20 car lengths behind it and that would actually explain this damage better.
Where I live, the implied speed limit is 15mph faster than the posted limit. If you drive the speed limit you create a traffic jam.
I get this from the cops I talk to.
You’ve exposed what I see as the real story here. I am constantly telling people that their air bag approaches their face at 200 mph.
I was going to say the real clulprit in this crash was the airbag - until I saw the damage to the car.
If you can’t get one of those stopped behind a truck, you’re following way too close.
I confess that since I don’t have TV I watch a lot of those “dash cam crash” youtube videos. I’ve seen a LOT of accidents where the camera (and I) see the cars ahead slam on the brakes, but the driver of the car doesn’t. They were at a VERY safe distance, except they were not looking ahead and BAM.
When you consider how much farther a semi takes to stop compared to a car, the young man should have been able to stop. Along with following too close, he probably wasn’t paying attention.
The length of the skid marks would be very telling.
I’m not defending people who block the fast lane and I’m not criticizing people who drive fast. Some fast drivers are very good drivers. I’m just saying please don’t tail-gate, for whatever reason your momentary anxiety might convince you is a good reason.
I am guilty of “using” tail-gaters to get a slow person out of my way. Let’s say I’m going 65 in the fast lane because all the cars in the slow lane are going 55 (just an example).
Then I come upon someone who is going 60 in the fast lane and not moving over.
I move right over to the right and let one of the tail-gaters (I only have to wait about 5 seconds) get rid of the person blocking. They do it by getting right on the person’s bumper, something I could never do in a million years.
Then the lane is clear again and I can speed back up.
And yes, if an 80mph person gets behind me when I’m doing 70mph, I move right over and let him pass. It’s not my job to enforce the speeding laws.
I’m just saying please don’t tail-gate, for whatever reason your momentary anxiety might convince you is a good reason.
Now, not all of them are playing games. Some are just really unskilled drivers afraid of corners. I get that. But some are OBVIOUSLY playing games - especially when they speed up when you are trying to pass. ;-)
I see other cars not as someONE to antagonize. I see them simply as someTHING to get around. As quickly, efficiently and safely as possible. I don’t want to antagonize their operator by needlessly tailgating. There is no point. I’m quote malevolent about it. I almost had a bumper sticker made up “To me, you are a pylon”, but decided it would be a ticket magnet.
The most dangerous thing about the public roads is the disparity in driving skills and driving motives. If you think the other drivers have the same skills and temperament as you it could cost you your life.
And yes, if an 80mph person gets behind me when I’m doing 70mph, I move right over and let him pass. It’s not my job to enforce the speeding laws.
Side story: Here in KY, the way people tend to drive badly is that they don’t use turn signals. When I lived in Seattle (drove there for 37 years) the MO was to camp out in the passing lane at the speed limit or lower. The proof is in an experience I had in central Montana.
We were coming back from a wedding on I-90 a few dozen miles west of billings and we, and a couple of other cars, were averaging around 95. We’d come upon cars doing 70 in the passing lane and most of them would pull over for us, but five didn’t and we all eventually passed them on the right.
Of those five cars, four had Washington state plates. It was high comedy. :-D
Anyone who speeds up just to prevent you from passing them deserves to be shot. But that’s just my opinion and I’m not advocating it.
Wow. 95. That’s pretty fast. I’ve driven that fast in Nevada just to feel what it’s like but I’d be nervous doing it for long stretches.
More power to you!
Anyone who speeds up just to prevent you from passing them deserves to be shot. But that’s just my opinion and I’m not advocating it.
It’s not as dangerous as one thinks. The car coming the other way always slows down or starts heading for the shoulder - even when they don’t need to. I’ve had oncoming cars flash their lights at me (indicating they thought my passing was dangerous) when, in fact, it was several seconds before they passed my car.
As I said earlier, there is great variance between drivers in skill.
There is greatvarian ein skill and a great variance in courtesy and common sense. Courtesy and common sense go hand-in-hand.
Wow. 95. That’s pretty fast.
We were driving the 300m on that trip. On another trip we were coming out of North Dakota on I-94 and a couple of guy’s in Jeep Cherokees with Minnesota plates wanted to play games. They would try to cut me off as we passed trucks. They would speed past me and then, as they approached a truck would slow down. I’d pass them on the right and get past them before they got to the truck each time.
I would pass the truck and back down to 80. They would then pass me and, as we approached the next truck, they would start slowing down. One time I really had to floor it because the guy was speeding up trying really hard to cut me off. but made it.
After that, they both passed me and got side by side and dropped to 50 mph. At which point I simply passed them on the shoulder. This ticked them off. I decided they were not going to pass me any more.
Every time they approached me I ramped up my speed. Eventually I got tired of it and floored it. My speedometer only went to 120, but there was a BIG gap between that and the peg that stops the needle. It was pegged.
Now, their cars have governors at 105, so I figured a few miles would do the trick after I lost them. Nope. I backed down to 90 and it wasn’t long before they were right behind me again. I did this three times and finally just floored it for about 30 miles (it goes by fast at 142). I finally slowed down and took an off ramp to get gas and be around people. Never saw the guys again.
To be clear, that area of I-94 in Montana near North Dakota is very barren. You can see for miles up the road - most of the time.
There is greatvarian ein skill and a great variance in courtesy and common sense. Courtesy and common sense go hand-in-hand.
Yep. He probably reacted by standing on the brake.
I miss driving in the west. The west is the best.
Yep. He probably reacted by standing on the brake.
I miss driving in the west. The west is the best.
Exactly right. Low IQ idiot driver. It is HIS fault she is in the condition she is in.
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