My Wife and I think she was using her phone. She got a ticket and my Daughter and I spent years getting treatment and surgeries.

They should have pulled the cell tower records!

 

My wife is a "Reactive" driver. She pulls into the "locked-in" position behind the semi-truck that has multiple cars passing it and then starts trying to find a way out from behind it. I was a "Proactive" driver. I never let myself get stuck behind a semi-truck. I (before I had to quit driving due to neuropathy costing me the feeling below my knees) was constantly checking the mirrors and planning ahead to keep from getting trapped into a slow moving locked-in position. Not always possible but far better than idly following a slow-moving truck mindlessly unthinking and unable to see possible traffic hazards ahead and avoid them.

 

One thing that I think gets a lot of people in trouble is all the safety systems in modern cars. People don't realize just how bad the roads are at times since the ABS and traction control is hiding a lot of the danger until it's too late. Add in the blind spot detection and some people don't even look to see if there is anything there or happening... just look for the light. I learned to drive without all the bells and whistles and still to this day make sure I leave myself enough room to stop if needed, and hopefully enough to slow down at a rate that the car behind me can stop too.

Driving to work at night I've seen quite a few times people had tablets propped up on their dashes, on their steering wheels, constantly messing with their phones, and whatever else. It's pretty easy to spot the glow of the screen. Luckily there usually isn't much going on and it's easy to get away, or they finally put it down and decide to get moving again.

 

One thing that I think gets a lot of people in trouble is all the safety systems in modern cars. People don't realize just how bad the roads are at times since the ABS and traction control is hiding a lot of the danger until it's too late. Add in the blind spot detection and some people don't even look to see if there is anything there or happening... just look for the light. I learned to drive without all the bells and whistles and still to this day make sure I leave myself enough room to stop if needed, and hopefully enough to slow down at a rate that the car behind me can stop too.

Driving to work at night I've seen quite a few times people had tablets propped up on their dashes, on their steering wheels, constantly messing with their phones, and whatever else. It's pretty easy to spot the glow of the screen. Luckily there usually isn't much going on and it's easy to get away, or they finally put it down and decide to get moving again.

It's simply amazing when you think of the ability of the human brain/body system to mostly handle complex interactions even when almost totally impaired due to distractions, intoxication or medical conditions. The amount of subconscious processing power available in a human mind needed to drive in those conditions is a wonder that was gained from years of simple manual control of driving. Using high levels of automation, from the start of learning to drive, will likely eliminate good driving skills in most of the population in a generation.

 

It's simply amazing when you think of the ability of the human brain/body system to mostly handle complex interactions even when almost totally impaired due to distractions, intoxication or medical conditions. The amount of subconscious processing power available in a human mind needed to drive in those conditions is a wonder that was gained from years of simple manual control of driving. Using high levels of automation, from the start of learning to drive, will likely eliminate good driving skills in most of the population in a generation.

You can see that already in handwriting. Some of us have grown so accustomed to only using keyboards that, when the time comes to put pen on paper, we find it awkward and realize how clumsy we've become. In fact my hand gets tired and starts aching after writing just a few sentences.

 

You can see that already in handwriting. Some of us have grown so accustomed to only using keyboards that, when the time comes to put pen on paper, we find it awkward and realize how clumsy we've become. In fact my hand gets tired and starts aching after writing just a few sentences.

 

but I've been rear-ended 3-times while completely stopped at an intersection.

You mistake was stopping for a red light. Here in Worcester, people think they can go for a full five seconds after the light turns red. A couple of days ago, a light turned yellow as I approached so I slowed to a stop as the light turned red. Then the car behind me went zooming around me in the oncoming lane, entering the intersection long after the light was red. Miraculously, he didn’t hit anyone, this time. Another time I was rear-ended for stopping after a light turned yellow.

 

I agree with points 2 and 3, and to an extent point 1:

In my opinion, the majority of car crashes are caused with these three things happening:

1. driving too fast for the road conditions and traffic
2. following too closely
3. being distracted

As for highway traffic congestion, my hypothesis is that fast cars cause traffic slowdown (despite what aggressive impatient drivers would like to believe).

I'm sure that anything other than strict agreement will see me labeled as an aggressive, impatient driver (or at least that's how it has been preemptively advertised), but I think that "fast" is relative and only tells half the story. In my words, point #1 above would be:

• driving at an inappropriate speed for the road conditions and traffic

If the speed limit is 65 and traffic is flowing 75, driving 65 is not safer than driving 75. If you're going slower than the flow of traffic, you're making yourself an obstacle. If you're going 95, then you're making everyone else an obstacle. If the flow of traffic is 75 then the safest speed to go IMO is 75. That assumes good weather. If it's snowing, raining, or extremely foggy, and the flow of traffic is still 75, you should probably get off the highway; there's about to be a bad wreck and you might be involved in it. If the weather is clear and the flow of traffic is 75 but you only feel comfortable going 50, you should probably get off the highway; you're about to cause a bad wreck and might not even be involved in it. The pileup of people behind you will all know who caused it, even if you manage to drive on oblivious to the fact it ever happened.

 

All valid points.

If you are doing 75 and approaching a car doing 65 you need to change lanes long before you come up behind them.
In other words, if you are driving faster that the car ahead of you, you are in the wrong lane.

 

I agree with points 2 and 3, and to an extent point 1:


I'm sure that anything other than strict agreement will see me labeled as an aggressive, impatient driver (or at least that's how it has been preemptively advertised), but I think that "fast" is relative and only tells half the story. In my words, point #1 above would be:

• driving at an inappropriate speed for the road conditions and traffic

If the speed limit is 65 and traffic is flowing 75, driving 65 is not safer than driving 75. If you're going slower than the flow of traffic, you're making yourself an obstacle. If you're going 95, then you're making everyone else an obstacle. If the flow of traffic is 75 then the safest speed to go IMO is 75. That assumes good weather. If it's snowing, raining, or extremely foggy, and the flow of traffic is still 75, you should probably get off the highway; there's about to be a bad wreck and you might be involved in it. If the weather is clear and the flow of traffic is 75 but you only feel comfortable going 50, you should probably get off the highway; you're about to cause a bad wreck and might not even be involved in it. The pileup of people behind you will all know who caused it, even if you manage to drive on oblivious to the fact it ever happened.

+1 driving too slow can get you a ticket here.

Slow Drivers
If you drive slower than the normal speed of traffic, you must use the right lane or drive as closely as possible to the right curb or edge of the road, unless you are preparing to make a left turn.

Watch for congestion behind you if you drive slower than the designated speed. Pull off the road at the first safe area and let the traffic behind you pass.

https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/Pages/Online_Manual/Study-Section_2.aspx

 

I agree with points 2 and 3, and to an extent point 1:


I'm sure that anything other than strict agreement will see me labeled as an aggressive, impatient driver (or at least that's how it has been preemptively advertised), but I think that "fast" is relative and only tells half the story. In my words, point #1 above would be:

• driving at an inappropriate speed for the road conditions and traffic

If the speed limit is 65 and traffic is flowing 75, driving 65 is not safer than driving 75. If you're going slower than the flow of traffic, you're making yourself an obstacle. If you're going 95, then you're making everyone else an obstacle. If the flow of traffic is 75 then the safest speed to go IMO is 75. That assumes good weather. If it's snowing, raining, or extremely foggy, and the flow of traffic is still 75, you should probably get off the highway; there's about to be a bad wreck and you might be involved in it. If the weather is clear and the flow of traffic is 75 but you only feel comfortable going 50, you should probably get off the highway; you're about to cause a bad wreck and might not even be involved in it. The pileup of people behind you will all know who caused it, even if you manage to drive on oblivious to the fact it ever happened.

It used to be that in New Hampshire that driving at an appropriate speed was a valid defense for a speeding ticket.

As far as following too closely, my recent automobile has dynamic cruise control with four settings for the distance at which my car follows. I follow at the third furthest setting.

 

Driving slower than the surrounding Traffic, actually means that you're driving in REVERSE,
WITHOUT LOOKING WHERE YOU'RE GOING !!!
.
.
.

 

Driving slower than the surrounding Traffic, actually means that you're driving in REVERSE,
WITHOUT LOOKING WHERE YOU'RE GOING !!!
.
.
.

Exactly. It's usually not a reasonable absolute speed that's a problem, it's the Delta-V between cars.
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conferences/2011/RSS/1/Shelby,S.pdf
DELTA-V AS A MEASURE OF TRAFFIC CONFLICT SEVERITY

 

The "Acceptable" speed limit on the bypass loop around Atlanta is 85. Anything less than that is grounds for an Impeding Traffic ticket.

 

All valid points.

If you are doing 75 and approaching a car doing 65 you need to change lanes long before you come up behind them.
In other words, if you are driving faster that the car ahead of you, you are in the wrong lane.

Agreed. And if you're being passed on the right, you're in the wrong lane.

If you're going faster than the car in front of you while being passed on the right, you might be Houston.

 

In Birmingham AL, yellow light meant Hit The Gas! Green light meant Look Left and Right Before Proceeding With Caution (and hope the street racing bozos weren't using the green light to flag the start of the race if you had hit the gas on yellow)!

 

Exactly. It's usually not a reasonable absolute speed that's a problem, it's the Delta-V between cars.
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conferences/2011/RSS/1/Shelby,S.pdf
DELTA-V AS A MEASURE OF TRAFFIC CONFLICT SEVERITY

The Delta-V argument is one I've been saying for years, and did not realize there were scholarly studies on it.

I've driven several places in the world (30+ states, several Canadian provinces, Manila and other parts of Luzon, Crete, France, Korea, Singapore, Mexico) and I subscribe to the idea on a tier above just Delta-V. It's more like Delta-driving-habits in my book (to an extent, and with caveats). Basically, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," with respect to the official rules of the road of course, but also with respect to the de facto rules of the road.

For instance, driving in Manila requires one to abandon all they thought they knew about safety and drive in a manner that would be considered balls-out reckless in other parts of the world. Run red lights, drive on the wrong side of the road, enter a 7-way bastardized starfish intersection with total disregard for all traffic signals (if they exist), etc. If you try to drive like you were taught in the west, you might as well be an angelfish trying to school with piranhas. You have to be a piranha to get anywhere period, much less get there in one piece.

The difference between driving in different states or even different cities within the same state, is noticeable. When I lived in Virginia, hazard lights were a thing. When coming up on traffic, everyone puts on their hazard lights. In Texas, we don't, and when you do, people get confused and respond unpredictably. In Dallas the rush hour crowd moves with all the urgency of a farmer who forgot why he was headed to town. In Houston we drive everywhere like we're late for a life-saving surgery.

Interestingly I see more accidents in a day driving in Dallas than I do in 1-2 weeks driving in Houston. I think because Dallas drivers are so beaten down by the grind of stop & go, they get lulled into complacency, thinking the stakes are low since they never get above 20mph, so they tune out and play on their phones or whatever it is the DFW hive mind prescribes to drones for behind-the-wheel activities in this situation.

And that is where I circle back around to the "caveats" and bring this back on the original topic of paying attention. If the Romans are driving with their faces buried in phones, don't do like the Romans. There are things you can do to improve your own safety while still swimming with the school around you. For example I was the only "idiot" wearing a seat belt in Manila. Whenever we would leave the city and get on a highway where we would actually be going "fast," then locals would put on seatbelts. It was the funniest thing to me; they spent every moment in the death trap of Manila with no protection, and the moment we escape to the relative safety of driving in a straight line with no psychopaths driving toward us at perpendicular angles, that's when they feel unsafe.

 

I've driven several places in the world (30+ states, several Canadian provinces, Manila and other parts of Luzon, Crete, France, Korea, Singapore, Mexico)

Where in Mexico?

 

Where in Mexico?

Just border towns; brief day trips. Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros. I have not been in many years. Last time was probably 2006.

 

Just border towns; brief day trips. Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros. I have not been in many years. Last time was probably 2006.

Good Lord ... what a terrible impression you must've had. Border towns are the worst places to drive or visit in Mexico.

Next time try driving down to Monterrey. The change in scenery and quality of life is exponentially better... plus I'll buy you dinner and a few beers.