58 Decisions in One Mile

[jamesnj]

I read on one of the police safety driving sites that the average driver has to make 58 decisions on average when driving one mile in city traffic, unreal!

[xp190]

so that's 58 chances to make a wrong decision and end your driving career or someone elses?

I guess you can see why driving drunk makes that a lot harder to do, 58 decisions at a much slower pace then normal.... hmmm

scary thought...

xp

[peashooter]

Maybe that's why I get lost so often.

[Botnst]

Originally posted by SP0CK
Does this include drivers deciding what color make-up to put on or which channel to watch on their new dvd?

Doesn't driver inattentiveness just about toast your stones?

Since the 1970's I've driven large pickups and SUV's. Never had a wreck nor a ticket in one but I've stuck'em in snow, mud, and sand. I hate the dang things and would never own one. Lots of people like them, their choice. I just wish they'd learn to drive a large vehicle. It takes a different mindset.

Ever watch them on narrow urban streets or Wallmart parking lots? Hug the centerline through traffic then some goof will pull into a parking spot diagonally taking two. Or they're accustomed to weaving their Camry through traffic and drive the SUV like its a Camry. Or they'll drive too fast on urban streets, especially in the rain. Yacking on the cell phone, squabbling kids, dark-tinted windows, brake lights morse-coding "danger!, danger! danger!".

Spock, can I borrow a photon torpedo?

End rant!

Botnst

[Lebenz]

This time of year there are numbers beyond count of folks heading up to and down from the mountains for ski and other winter fun purposes. I cannot believe how many folks:

a) drive 2 wheel drive pickups with seemingly tread-less tires and can’t go over 20 miles per hour, and refuse to ever pull over so at least 1 or 2 of the 100 or so folks lined up behind them can drive at a reasonable speed;

b) drive Ford Excursion or Chev Suburban class SUVs or similar. These vehicles are incompetent beyond anything except a 2 wheel drive pickup with bald tires. They are menace to the snowy/icy roadway. I'm surprised they sell so well with such horrid performance;

c) have their vehicle windows of their cars so fogged up they obviously can’t see. As if carrying a towel would be beyond comprehension;

d) don’t believe in carrying chains a shovel, or a couple of bags of gravel, road flairs;

e) don’t clean the snow off their headlights or tail lights;

f) and my favorite are the folks with pickup trucks having dual rear tires. These are the fumbling vehicle of choice for the snow mobile trailer hauling culture. I have seen so many of these off the side of the road, their snow mobile trailers askew, and naturally no chains, that I find it laughable in a tragic sort of way. Why will these folks spend 10s of thousands on the truck, the trailer and the snow mobiles yet refuse to buy chains or even good winter tires. It defies belief!

I’ve helped scores of folks get back on the road or called for help on their behalf. This wouldn’t be necessary if most of these folks had half the sense that God gave the average dog. Simply amazing.

[jamesnj]

Lebenz have you or anyone else on here driven an Excursion? I rode in one with my parents when we went away. my dad had ordered the airport town car to pick us up but they sent an Excursion because they said this time of year people have loads of luggage. I thought they sent it because the roads were bad up to snowbird but, nope, luggage capacity.

[BobK]

Actually, my '93 K2500 Suburban is pretty good in snow. I live in a real hilly area and 4x4 can be a real plus in the winter. Good mud/snow tires on it help a bunch too. My favorite peeve is people who only clean off one little area on their windshield. I clean off the WHOLE truck, and believe me, that takes a bit of time! Cabin is usually nice and warm by then.

[Lebenz]

I don’t have a direct answer. I think BobK alluded to the core issue: suitable tires. By way of comparison, when the tires on my ML got to about their half life, the car started to wander in slushy conditions. Replaced them and it’s been better than ever – literally - as the replacements are winter rated tires.

Another element is probably the soccer moms and dads in these uber SUVs that aren’t used to driving on ice. And probably another element is the numb lack of feedback a lot of these trucks provide.