Further Proof Going Too Slow Causes More Wrecks (best, buying, lights)
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That's a mature approach. I guess you are admitting that driver inattention is the number 1 cause of accidents, right. It is, just in case you haven't figured that out yet.
And, the mind numbed sheeple that poke along in traffic with you in the line of ducks, worrying about their radio stations, talking on their cell phones, eating, and enjoying the landscape are the problem.
Waiting for your stats... Also waiting for any evidence that fast drivers are more attentive then anybody else...
Has anyone noticed this? When driving on a 50 mph road and coming up on a car doing 50-53, you pass them when a passing lane comes up. Then miles down the road the speed limit drops to 35 then 25 while going through a town. I would then lower my speed down to about 5 over in each zone. Almost always the car that I passed will end up right on my bumper. It seems that they only like going a couple miles over the limit in a 50 mph zone, but have no problem at all going 10-20 mph over in a 25 and 35 zone. Is this just me?
I think the op's idea about lane speeds has some merit and I can see it working in select places around the country. Just as there are diamond, pay and express lanes all over, why not speed lanes. I think we drivers may all need a labotomy first.
My idea about drivers licenses is that you must first learn how to drive on two wheels before you get behind the wheels of a multi-ton automobile. Then you can see what it's like to be invisible in traffic.
As a licensed High Performance driving instructor with NASA I am always amused with the responses in these accident avoidance threads. The so called high speed highway driving "experts" will always complain about the drivers who just drive at the limit. The high speed highway jockeys probably cause more crashes than the slow pokes.
The funny thing is that most of these jockeys are the absolute worst high speed drivers when you get them on the racetrack, (of course that is another story because most of them "don't need no instruction " according to them.)
Most will agree that NASCAR drivers are about the best their is at car control but when somebody stops in front of them their is a collision because they are tailgating which is just part of the game in auto racing.
It should not be part of everyday highway driving.
As a licensed High Performance driving instructor with NASA I am always amused with the responses in these accident avoidance threads.
Hahahaha. you're kidding right? The "licensed High Performance, blah, blah, blah who says the number 1 accident cause is "tailgating"?
I've got news for you, it isn't even in the top 3. I'd think that you would know that.
BTW, why would you conclude that a driver who prefers fast to slow would tailgate? The only tailgaters I notice are the line of ducks drivers who get in a line and stay behind some moron creeping along. For my part, I go around them and do not need to tailgate. In fact, I never tailgate. I do speed however.
Here's a further question - if speed limits are about safety, how come in the flat plains of Virginia or Texas, it's unsafe to go more than 65, but it's perfectly safe to go 75 in the mountains of Colorado?
I've only been driving for 37 years but one observation I have made is that it's not really the speed but the operators that just have to hover in any lane but the right lane. They are almost always the inatentive one's because they are oblivious to the fact that (on the highway) we are supposed to keep right except to pass. Just my .02 . Because that law cannot effectively be enforced, that dangerous situation will always exist. I am not posting this observation in defense of speeders but as a concern as to why there is a lot of slicing and dicing - ziging and zaging that ups the possibility of highway accidents.
This observation is independant of the whole cell phone fiasco. If only there was a mechanism that shielded cell signals while the vehicle was in any gear but park or neutral. Until then, I can only give those of you who use the phone while driving one mean as look. Hang up and drive.
Repped you I totally agree. There's a reason places like Germany have less accidents: they follow the keep right except to pass law. Let the idiots who need to fly....fly. Chances are if we let them go and stay out of the way, they will hurt nobody. Now I know somebody might chime in and say what if they lose control of their vehicle with no fault of a closer vehicle? You've got me there. But I suspect the greater chance for accidents is when cars are in close proximity/blocking each other.
I don't agree the speeders are right. However, people who speed to excess and are reckless will not see reason at our civilian levels. We cannot police them. We can only hope the police catch them. That's why I let them pass; I figure if I'm blocking them I'm putting myself at more risk and it's less likely that the joker will be caught speeding stuck behind me. Let him go catch the cop!
I also however repped you too 20yrsinbranson, because you made a good point too.
There are plenty of speeders around here who are also major weavers. It's downright terrifying at times. They're doing 85-90 across 3-4 lanes of heavy traffic to pass someone doing 70 in the fast lane, when the limit is 55. Those are the speeders that genuinely concern me. If they're just doing 75 down the fast lane bothering nobody I don't care.
So, it's not the speeders but the people going too slow and getting in everyone's way that causes accidents. Good to know.
There's always been a monetary interest in keeping speed limits artificially low. The trend now is for speed limits to go up, and we're seeing data that shows people drive safer at higher speeds. Why? They aren't bored to the point of being distracted anymore. The nominal speed of people is 70-76 mph - even without speed limits, people don't drive much faster than 80. The only thing we lose by dropping lower speed limits is ticket revenue.
Hahahaha. you're kidding right? The "licensed High Performance, blah, blah, blah who says the number 1 accident cause is "tailgating"?
I've got news for you, it isn't even in the top 3. I'd think that you would know that.
BTW, why would you conclude that a driver who prefers fast to slow would tailgate? The only tailgaters I notice are the line of ducks drivers who get in a line and stay behind some moron creeping along. For my part, I go around them and do not need to tailgate. In fact, I never tailgate. I do speed however.
Your probably one of those drivers who when I introduce them to a high speed lap on the track they start screaming like a schoolgirl because I took them around a corner at 100 mph.
Highway speeders are the absolute hardest drivers to teach and also the dumbest.
Your not one of them are you?
Your probably one of those drivers who when I introduce them to a high speed lap on the track they start screaming like a schoolgirl because I took them around a corner at 100 mph.
Highway speeders are the absolute hardest drivers to teach and also the dumbest.
Your not one of them are you?
First, sorry, but I have to call BS on you being an instructor of anything involving vehicle speed or safety since you stated above that tailgating is the number 1 cause of accidents. One would have to know that, wouldn't one? When I first read your post above I thought to myself that it is funny that some people are so afraid of tailgating and get all worked up over it despite the fact that lot os people do it and there are almost no rear end accidents on open sections of limited access highways. People who tailgate are like people who honk their horn and flash their lights. Expressing frustration over another driver's control of them in traffic. Just silly.
Second, you must really have a poor imagination to say that many of your so called instructees "scream like school girls" and are "the dumbest." Do you expect serious people to believe that a racing instructor sees his instructees as "dumb" and "screaming like school girls?" With that attitude, you wouldn't last a week in the community of vehicle enthusiasts with which I am familiar much less serious racing enthusiasts.
So please take your fantasy career and spin it to someone who is wowed by your tales of race track experience. I'm not buying it.
Last edited by Wilson513; 10-26-2010 at 12:40 AM..
Reason: Be nicer - always my goal in life.
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I totally agree. There's a reason places like Germany have less accidents: they follow the keep right except to pass law. Let the idiots who need to fly....fly. Chances are if we let them go and stay out of the way, they will hurt nobody. Now I know somebody might chime in and say what if they lose control of their vehicle with no fault of a closer vehicle? You've got me there. But I suspect the greater chance for accidents is when cars are in close proximity/blocking each other.
