Road-rage car pile-up claims a second life

Star Tribune ^ | Jul 13, 2002 | Terry Collins

[Colombia59]

A second person died Friday from injuries sustained in a five-car wreck early Wednesday in Eagan that the State Patrol said resulted from road rage.

Heather Potvin, 18, of New Richmond, Wis., was pronounced dead Friday afternoon at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. She had been unconscious and on life support since her arrival at the hospital, a nursing supervisor said. The extent of her injuries was not released.

[Colombia59]

A growing societal problem.

[gcruse]

 
A growing societal problem.

Not as bad as it used to be.  I remember
being cautious when pulling alongside other
cars in Los Angeles during the freeway
shootings.  I'm thankful those went away.
Other than that, nitwits in cars have been
with us for ages.

[No more Demofascists]

What an absolute waste. Young people dying because they don't have the sense to avoid taunting and road rage? We have raised a generation of idiots, bereft of ethics, morals or common sense! Allthough in this case sounds like the pickup may have braked in front of them...I can't imagine anyone thinking that ramming a pickup in a VW Jetta is a good idea?

[jimkress]

A prime Darwin Award nominee.

Must have been graduates of government schools to think a Volkswagen Jetta could out muscle an F350 heavy duty truck!

[Iris7]

People are increasingly driving on impulse, impulsively deciding to change lanes, time merges, and make turns. Drivers have become amazingly bad. They refuse to think before acting.

[Lion Den Dan]

I believe that there is a case of death wish among the American population. I drive between central KY and Western North Dakota a couple times each year. I just returned from my most recent 3000 mile jaunt. For the first time, I experienced most of the stupid stunts drivers can pull. Several times, drivers of the Jugo class vehicles made repeated challenging lane changes that required me to brake hard and evade a collision. The driver of the offending car was gleeful. In one instance all 4 people in the car acted delighted with the driver's stupidity. I am driving a 1 Ton, 3500 Dodge but the "attacks" were upon me.

[JudyB1938]

Okay, now put yourself in a 18 Wheeler. I went on two cross-country trips with my son when he was driving. I was scared to death the whole time. I began calling them, KILLER CARS. There were several times that we would have been in a bad wreck or dead if my son hadn't been such a good driver.

It is AMAZING how people in cars treat Big Trucks. And like you said, some LAUGH when they do it. But most of them are just oblivious. THEY make the error and blame it on the trucker!

I saw it with my own eyes time after time after time EVERY DAY and in EVERY STATE across the nation!

[rabidralph]

Then again, some people are deliberately stupid. Yesterday I was driving home from work (DC area rush hour traffic on 495) in my Ranger. I was in the second lane from the left doing 60. An Expedition was in the fast lane and this woman decided to change into my lane even though my cab was even with her front bumper! How could she have not seen me? I layed on the horn and kept driving until she swerved back into her lane. I honestly feel that she was trying to intimidate me into letting her in. I didn't look at her after that because you never know who's a nut.

[toddst]

An Expedition was in the fast lane and this woman decided to change into my lane even though my cab was even with her front bumper! How could she have not seen me? I layed on the horn and kept driving until she swerved back into her lane. I honestly feel that she was trying to intimidate me into letting her in. I didn't look at her after that because you never know who's a nut.

I would say you are correct - she was trying to push her way in. I see people do this all the time & not just those driving big vehicles.

Per the "road rage" accident posted, the specific problem I see very frequently is the "no stopping distance allowed" syndrome. Young women drivers are among the worst in taking away whatever room you have allowed between your vehicle and the one in front of you. They dart into the "open space" and do so way too close to you. I believe they have no understanding of the physics governing stopping distance at road speed.

[wku man]

Well, the Jetta probably had those big tailpipes that make them sound like really beefy Gold Wings, and probably one of those plastic wings in the back. Dolled up like that, well, doesn't that make any little POS 4 or 6 cylinder car capable of running a truck off the road? The little Generation.com kiddies here in the Tampa area sure think so.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Nataku X]

I absolutely hate cars that have a Diplomat license plate. You see them everywhere in DC. You'll have to look hard to find worse and more reckless drivers.

Why? Hint: Police can't give them tickets because of diplomatic immunity.

[csvset]

I believe they (all too many drivers) have no understanding of the physics governing stopping distance at road speed.

Amen to that.

[Uncle Sausage]

I've often wondered if women have less depth perception than men. That might explain some of their driving habits.

[rabidralph]

I've often wondered if women have less depth perception than men.

that's an interesting thought. Personally, I do have a limited depth of perception, but it doesn't prevent me from looking in my rearview and side mirrors and out the windows before I change lanes. I think some people are just lazy and impatient and don't realize that they have a blindspot on both sides of them. I can't tell you how many times people look shocked and surprised to see my truck next to them after they only look in their side mirrors before attempting to change lanes.

[toddst]

I've often wondered if women have less depth perception than men. That might explain some of their driving habits.

In a word, no. We have women commercial and military pilots who do a fine job. IMHO and with all due respect, women don't devote their full-time attention to driving. They have no respect for the forces involved in managing the vehicle under their command partly due to POWER STEERING AND BRAKES.

Why, no effort is required to stop, based on their experience! This, combined with not having been taught what's involved in distance and time requirements for braking - plus driving skills in general - sets up a very hazardous situation. Ask any over-the-road trucker. As a group, women drivers are inherently dangerous.

[gawatchman]

I am afraid your assesstment is absolutely correct. I suffered a permanent back injury when my stopped vehicle was struck from behind by a woman driver who was, apparently, oblivious to the road. I had stopped to allow another vehicle (also driven by a woman) to merge into my leftmost lane because her lane ended in construction after she sped past my right side doing about 55 MPH in a 35 MPH zone. To avoid a potential accident from her possibly swerving into my lane, I stopped. It was then when, another woman struck my car from behind doing at least 40 MPH. She was riding with her 17 yr old daughter. They must have been having an argument or a conversation that was too important to be concerned with trivial matters such as watching the road in front of her. This is most often simple negligence, I believe. Never stop, unless you absolutely have to.

[SarahW]

It's called a blind spot, Ralph
And you should have let her in. Your "pride" should not be a factor in safe driving decisions. Even if she was a deliberate screw up who was trying to "intimidate" her way in.

When you start playing games to keep someone from getting something over on you, you are "raging" yourself.
I don't participate in that kind of crap. I would have layed on the horn to WARN and slowed enough to let her in, if she wanted to change lanes.

[Smittie]

You're lucky, the same thing happened to me yesterday except the idiot never went back into her lane, luckily there was an open patch of concrete I was able to swerve onto. The idiot never looked back or to the side even though my horn was blaring.

[SarahW]

That's a pretty blanket indictment. I have tremendous respect for my car's momentum, and pay particulat attention to having enough braking distance. I never get into power struggles with other drivers.

I've never learned stick and have always had cars with power brakes and steering. That's not the source of the problem. Stupidity and lack of proper training is.

[SarahW]

RE: the blind spot - a lot of folks get lazy and rely on their mirrors, and don't do headchecks. Looking in the Mirror alone is never enough.