Whoa!

[Veloce300DT]

On my way home from Sacramento on I-80 west today, the benefit of leaving PLENTY of space between me and the car in front of me PAID OFF.

I was doing about 65-70MPH in the right hand lane with the flow of traffic, readying for my exit about 1/2 mile ahead. A motorcyclist was following me about 3 car lengths behind me, and I was about 5 car distannces behind a mid 90's white Toyota Camry. Up ahead on the righht shoulder of the interstate was a big rig, parked. For some reason as the Camry ahead of me passed the big rig, the driver decided to SLAM ON THE BRAKES from 70MPH!!!!!!!!!! (it stopped dead, in thhe lane but to the right, and didnt even bother minding their own safety, or anyone elses by merging onto the shooulder!) I instantly sat on the horn, and began reducing speed, applying my brakes enough to be able to manuver safely, yet keeping my speed up ennough to avoid creating a pile-up in MY trunk. As I approached the haulted Camry in my lane, I gracefully driifted into the middle lane to my left, where a Mecury Sable in the lane next to me to my left, drifted towards the FAR left lane which was empty to his left. While remaining on the horn, I swooped around the stopped Camry, and returned into my lane. WHOA!

My exit lane appeared shortly there after, and I merged into it towards my right, while the Guy driving the Sable, and the motorcylist passed and gave me some thumbs up. GOD that could have been a whole different story. WHAT THE HELL was the Camry driver doing!!!!!?!?!?!?!

If I hadnt left so much space between me and the car ahead of me, I might have been SERIOSULY hurt, if not dead,my W123 would have been WRECKED, a motorcylist probabaly would have been in my trunk, and the Camry in front of me would have been toast, along with the people in it.

DRIVE SAFELY!

The reccomended space/speed is 10', for every 10 mph of speed. Although... I have found that leaving that much space is an open invitation to every Indy driver wannabe to try and squeeze in, in front of me, creating a dangerous situation. To avoid this, I try not to tempt people, by leaving, about a car length of distance to the car in front of me. I wish I could leave more room, but there are to many wankers out there.

[MTI]

Defensive driving . . . taught at all driving schools and driver's ed, but is probably the first thing forgotten after getting a license.

[Veloce300DT]

Its definitely hard to keep a safe distance betwen cars with all of the aforementioned "indy driver wannabes" on the road.... Just lastnight a friend and I were driving from San Francisco to Sacramento, and the fog was SOOOO thick that there was about 2 car lengths of visibility ahead.... despite the danger in such conditions, drivers were passing me going 70MPH+ People can be extremely IDIOTIC when it comes to driving.

I think it is an entirely good idea, and should perhaps be mandatory, for people seeking a drivers license to attend a closed course defensive driving school in addition to the basic drivers ed, which would enable many people to become more aware of how a vehicle reacts in panic situations, how to handle a car in case there is a loss of control, etc etc etc. (Many raceeways across the nation offer courses that teach drivers about threshold breaking, skid control, high speed handling and control, and accident avoidance...)And if people dont learn from the class, it certainly wont hurt fro them to at least absorb the info proveded in some way or anothher by just being present- it would certainly be more benficial than what is now required for a license. Maybe it would be a great idea to eliminate those who dont benefit from the class from driving at all until they can pass the class with flying colors. All in all, I strongly feel there needs to be more stringent testing, courses, and in-car experience required to become a licensed driver. There are just WAY too many people on the roads knocking on deaths door, and knocking on that door for many otherwise decent drives, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. It makes me SICK

[J. R. B.]

I agree about the defensive driving classes. These wannabe Indy drivers are mostly young kids that have the attitude---I have my seat belt on, I have front wheel drive, and I'm bullet proof.

[MTI]

It may be that "young kids" aren't going to be our scapegoats for very long. Check out the latest government statistics. Of all 16 and 17 year olds in the United States, only 43 percent have a driver's license. In California the figure is even smaller, about 27 percent.

[Veloce300DT]

Out here in cali its a combo of all types... youve got the "whipper-snapper" kids my age in their sports cars, the "uber yuppies" of all ages in their 05' Audis, Merc AMGs, an M cars who seem to think that rush hour on any of the freeways is their own personal Autobahn, youve got the "soccer moms" doin their hair & drinking trippple lattes in SUV's full of kids barreling along at 85MPH, the "macho guys" in their rasied pick ups looking down on everyone like theyre in a monster truck rally tailagting and speeeding, mr. and mrs. jones riding your bumper zoned out after a 12 hour day in a cubicle, and then you have ol gramps and grams pushin 55MPH, no more, adding to the congestion!!!! Its INSANITY.

Not that any of these people are "bad people", but a stricter liscensing process would surely filter out some of the folks who seem to have an altered perception of what driving means. And hopefully the majority of the ones who do get their license will have a better understanding of what exactly is "on the plate" when it comes to getting behind the wheel- and will hopefuully gain the knowlegde of how driving responsibly can dramatically reduce the amount of accidents and near accidents on the road, in addition to knowing how to react properly when an accident is going to happen- beacause in the reality of today, accidents ARE going to happen.

[Diesel4me]

Hmm, San Francisco, Camry, stopped in the middle of the highway, must've been Chinese. Here in Houston they mostly drive Previas.






























Oh come on you were all thinking it. Someone will probably whine to a mod about that, but i don't see it as any different than the stereotypes put forth in the reply above mine. Soccer moms, yuppies, grams and gramps?

[Veloce300DT]

HAHAHA, I was actually in between Sacramento and Davis, so theres a better chance that they were Russian, and then next to that, chinese. But yeah, in SF, DEFINITELY chinese. U usually can see the doylies on the headrests from a couple miles away though. The Camry creating the little episode on the highway today didnt have em.

If I offend anyone with my stereotyping, let me just say that it is not my own personal attack on any certain race, demographic, or individual, etc.,but a rediculous and exaggerative generalization that I take full responsibility for. No harm intended!
With that said, should anybody want to complain about me, I can be reffered to as a Gino, Guido, or queer... LOL

[MTI]

If you're talking stereotypes, if it happened in TX, wouldn't the '"usual suspect" be a white, gun toting, big haired lady?

[Diesel4me]

Originally Posted by MTI

If you're talking stereotypes, if it happened in TX, wouldn't the '"usual suspect" be a white, gun toting, big haired lady?

Yes, or a Chinese person fresh off the boat.

[Botnst]

I just about got creamed today by two different people who were trying to merge while animatedly talking on their cell phones. Animate this, you reproductive organ-headed anal sphincters who can't drive and talk.

[Lebenz]

Originally Posted by Botnst

Animate this, you reproductive organ-headed anal sphincters who can't drive and talk.

The more you re-arrange the word order of that sentence the better it gets

[Diesel4me]

Originally Posted by Botnst

I just about got creamed today by two different people who were trying to merge while animatedly talking on their cell phones. Animate this, you reproductive organ-headed anal sphincters who can't drive and talk.

Same thing happened to me today, a woman driving a white Ford Explorer Sport yaking away on her phone thought she would just slide over into my lane while i was right next to her. She was crossing the white lines that seperate the ramp from the main lanes. What a dumbass *****.

[Jorn]

5 seconds between your self and the driver in front of you is a "save" distance. Most drivers allow only 2 or 3 seconds.