How safe are those on your roads?

[HeyYou]

Inattention. Caused by overindulging in alcohol, or those consarned phones. :) (and a selection of other distractions as well.)

 

 

When I didn't care about points on my license, I would speed all the time. (and I mean SPEED) I think my best ticket was 108 in a 55. (I didn't notice the AIRPLANES......) The only accidents I have ever been in, weren't my fault.

 

 

Back when I rode motorcycles a lot, I learned there are two things that can kill you. Your stupidity, which you can do something about, and someone elses stupidity, which you have to watch out for. That applies equally to cars.

[billyro]

It cost me around $450 to fully get my license (I'm currently on my red P-plates, the next one up after the Learners) and they failed me 2 times before they gave it to me, so I treasure my license extra now. I think they fail pretty much everyone the first time so that young drivers has more awareness of their driving skills (and the testers are corrupt scum who fail people for more money), but at least it seems to work. The drivers around here are pretty good as a whole, and I've yet to see a car crash.

 

We are fairly rural though, so perhaps that contributes to the apparent safety on the roads around this place. Also, a lot of the roads don't even get phone range, so a lot of people just don't use their mobile phones at all.

[Lisnpuppy]

Inattention. Honestly also when I worked in medical claims 99% of the fatalities I handled were because the person also was not wearing a seat belt. If they had been the accident obviously would have been the same but the person may have lived.

 

Seriously...wear your seat belt.

[HeyYou]

I have seen far too many accidents where all the folks that were wearing seatbelts, walked away with bruises. Those that were not wearing theirs, were carried off in a bag. (same accidents.) Some of the accidents weren't that major either. The vehicles were repaired, for not much cost. (of course, they were then sold, as the owners didn't care for the memories that went with them.)

 

Today, we have traction control, anti-lock brakes, air bags, lane-drift warning systems, and a host of other electronic doo-dads that reduce the skill required by the driver to stay where they want to be. Trouble is, none of those things will actually help you if you go beyond their design parameters.... That usually gets you dead.

[Tidus44]

Don’t know about any where else, but here collision numbers are up and rising, most categorized as due to “inattention”, but fatalities are down with injuries on the rise. Lots of speculation that the peltzman and rebound effects are at play to some degree, and while not openly stated it is hinted that plain old human stupidity is also a major factor. After all, it is all about ME! and all those other cars are just holding me up as I race to get to the next red light.

Here, distracted driving has overtaken drunken driving as the leading cause of deaths in vehicle collisions.

 

Allstate Insurance sponsored a study called “Blow the Whistle” where rush hour traffic in a number of cities was observed for one hour. On average, 1400 “distracted” drivers were identified in an hour, with cell phone use reported as 15 percent. Eating, drinking was reported the highest at 25 percent. Talking, smoking, putting on make up (a few “men shaving” were reported), adjusting the radio, using an onboard device (GPS or “computer”) were also observed.

Drivers who are ticketed or involved in a collision classed as “distracted” or “inattention” are almost exclusively drivers born between 1965-1980 using an electronic device. Drivers born 1946-1964 are the next highest group, but they are engaged in eating/drinking (not alcohol), adjusting the radio, putting on make-up and talking. The smallest group is those born 1981-1996, again using an electronic device.

 

Not that I mind going to a really good collision – it’s a nice challenge in what might be an otherwise monotonous day. The thing is that it used to be the driver (passengers too) were nice and quiet and you could avoid looking at them as you almost leisurely cut the vehicle away. Now, most are screaming and crying and spraying body fluids around and removing the vehicle has to be done carefully. Of course the “safer” vehicles are not exactly safer with undeployed air bags, high pressure SRS and ROPSystems, pretensioners, compressed and pneumatic struts, pyrotechnic devices, G-Force limiters, etc. ready to go off and take a finger or a hand or impale you; Oh, and don’t worry about the glass and carbon fibre particulate being breathed in or the toxins and carcinogens you are being exposed to. Then there is the hardened or boron steel placed right where it used to be easiest/best to cut to get the person out quickly and depending on kinetic force from the collision, if the steel is under tension and suddenly released it too can take a finger, a hand or a head. And of course the 30 to 330 volt electrical systems because everyone needs to run computers, DVDs and high end stereo as well as other devices in the car and that 650 volt AC system to run the electric motor.

 

Sort of a “rebound effect” as sure the car is likely “safer” for those inside it, not so much for the emergency responders.

[Beriallord]

I got little patience for stupidity on the road way. Like sometimes when people are stopping when they got plenty of room to merge into traffic while moving, and etc. That is why they put horns on cars. And I make good use of the horn when people are acting stupid. Driving is not something I particularly enjoy, so when I'm on the road, its to get from point A to B, and if stupid people are impeding my ability to get from point A to B efficiently, I quickly lose patience with them. When you're on the road, you aren't there as a human, but as an obstacle, or a barrier to other drivers.

 

Things that particularly piss me off on the road:

 

Driving under the speed limit on a one lane road - speed limits are there for a reason, use them.

People who think yield means stop.

People who think a flashing yellow light means stop.

People who stop instead of merge on a highway entrance ramp.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Beriallord

[Lisnpuppy]

Sounds like you got a bit of road rage there Berial, lol.

 

Actually-since I did work with the glorious Nationwide Insurance. I will tell you what I learned on those things...at least as for how they played out in liability decisions.

 

Some folks do drive UNDER but I'd rather that than the opposite. Also it is a speed LIMIT...that means if conditions are perfect then you go as fast as that. If conditions are not then traffic all should slow and drivers should maintain a safe speed with the rest of the group (and that usually is below the speed limit.)

 

I am not sure what you mean by yield meaning stop as it could be many things. However yield is actually more powerful than stop...as stop (especially 2-way/4-way) implies that drivers take turns to stop and go or to go when there is no traffic or traffic is far enough away to safely proceed. A yield typically is only for one driver in a situation while the other drivers (to who the first is yielding) have a right of way with no stopping. The yielded driver can only proceed when there is no longer oncoming traffic as they must yield to all oncoming traffic.

 

A flashing yellow can mean a stop. It depends on the activity of the other light. If all are flashing yellow then it works similar to a four way stop. If one is green and one flashing yellow then the yellow should stop to safely look then proceed.

 

 

I think along with inattention, patience-or lack thereof-is a major issue. When you think about it if all those people didn't do that stuff that pisses you off...would it really be all this time saved? Probably not. What is an extra few moments (unless you really have to go potty ha ha) I love to drive. Just put on some great music and your patience hat and ease on down the road. :)

[Beriallord]

When I'm talking about people stopping when there is a "yield" sign up, this means they should have been able to merge into traffic instead of coming to a complete stop. There are situations where you don't have a choice but to stop when there is a yield sign, like when traffic is backed up and its bumper to bumper, but under normal circumstances yield simply means you don't have the right of way, and must yield if necessary to traffic in the other lane. The problem is people coming to a complete stop when its not necessary. If they do that, I'll lay on my horn to give them some courage.

 

Another thing that irks me, and this is a collective stupidity on the part of several moronic brains working in unison for a combined cluster :pinch:, is people not making use of multiple turning lanes. There is a mall I go to sometimes, and traffic is always backed up because people refuse to spread the traffic out in both turning lanes, but instead just back up one of them to the point where it cuts off access to the other turning lane. The civil engineers put 2 lanes turning left for a reason..... Like? So traffic can spread out and not back up as easily? Instead, these idiots want to herd up like cattle. People just don't like to seem to use multiple turning lanes. I've been known to pass 20 cars lined up in one turning lane, to get to the one that doesn't have a single car sitting in it. I don't know if people just don't like using their brain when they're driving, or that they like waiting an extra cycle or 2 at the stop light before they can turn *sarcasm*.

 

Also, anyone who is scared driving behind the wheel doesn't need to be driving at all. Fearlessness should be a requirement for driving on the road. If I have to wait because someone is scared, then *lays on horn*

 

If I was to base my faith in humanity around my observations about people's driving skills on the road, it would essentially be zero.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Beriallord

[Lisnpuppy]

My think we should be able to hit someone's car with a paintball when they do something stupid. This way we can know them by their colors.

 

ha ha haa

[rizon72]

When I'm talking about people stopping when there is a "yield" sign up, this means they should have been able to merge into traffic instead of coming to a complete stop. There are situations where you don't have a choice but to stop when there is a yield sign, like when traffic is backed up and its bumper to bumper, but under normal circumstances yield simply means you don't have the right of way, and must yield if necessary to traffic in the other lane. The problem is people coming to a complete stop when its not necessary. If they do that, I'll lay on my horn to give them some courage.

 

 

There are a few yield signs near where I live that you have to stop, because the oncoming traffic is coming at 50-65 mph (they finally gave one its own lane to merge onto the road, and now there is no traffic backup). I will say, if you were behind me and honked, I would actually take even longer to move. I've had people honk the second the light turned green. The second time they did it, I accelerated slower, then sped up when they changed lanes, slowed back down when they got back in behind me and repeated it to the next light.

 

I have a countdown rule I use before honking when a light turns green. If the light turns green and the car in front doesn't go, I start my countdown. 3...2...1...honk. Of course it does depend on the light. There is one light that you get a 1 second count because the green light lasts maybe 3 seconds if you lucky.

 

I also never understood people getting onto a freeway, two types annoy me. People getting on will speed way up, cut in front of you and slow down forcing you to slow down or pass them, especially annoying when there is NO one behind you. The second one is they get on real slow, usually 15-20 mph slower than freeway speed, then once on and you've had to slow down for them, they quickly accelerate weaving in and out of traffic.