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Look at the tread on the pieces you see on the road some time - they almost always have deep new tread. Heat accelerates tire failures. Worn tires dissipate heat better than new ones. Therefore, once tires wear a bit without failure they are probably going to run through their tread life without tread separation, provided they are kept properly inflated and not cut up.
Next, as you travel check out the tires of cars in front of you, and notice how many are under-inflated. I'm guessing that 25%+ of all automobile tires on the road are underinflated, at least 10% seriously so. The price paid is high: 10-20% increase in fuel consumption and 30-40% faster tread wear are cheap compared to the potential consequences of premature tire failure.
Makes sense to check out youor own now and again, eh? At least, as you walk up to your car each time LOOK IT OVER!
I check my tires each time I walk up to the car. I also have noted nails and glass in the tread usually before they get driven in deep enough to do damage. It's worth checking your car tires.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Yesterday, it happened again. I'm going 55 on a busy 55-mph road in Maryland. (Sorry, 55 is fast enough for me on a 2-lane, when oncoming traffic is separated from me by only a painted line). Good wide road with paved shoulders. Woman in Hyundai Accent comes up on my rear, just off my bumper. I slow down to nearly 45 mph, and move to right side of the lane on a good straight section with oncoming traffic a long way off. She doesn't pass! Ok, it''s a cheap little Accent! But I'm trying to let her go!
The only way I can get her to go around is to pull onto the right turn lane for an upcoming crossroad.
Now on rural 2-lanes, I really try to allow faster drivers to go around me, by slowing slightly and pulling to the right in passing zones, waving them around when safe with my arm if they don't get the message, OR even pulling off the road entirely if necessary. I don't hold people up.
I only ask, please pass or back off!
A few days ago on the highway we saw a maroon Chevrolet Optra hatchback (think Suzuki Reno) with its hazard lights on. It was veering dangerously from side to side, and it was doing about 60km/h, and we were doing double that, around 110 or 120km/h.
Turns out, when we passed it we saw the left rear tire wasn't properly attached, it wasn't in an upright position. It was twisted to a side, and that affected the car's handling greatly.
I'd don't know if the tire came loose, or the axle/wheel was messed up, but regardless no one should drive a small car like that, especially when you have vehicles around you doing 120 km/h.
Chicago did have tests for safety many, many years ago. Think that these were eliminated due to graft and bribes. But, emissions testing going on right now has been in place for maybe 20+ years and do not hear about any corruption for this function.
Would be nice to have these state-wide in all states. Sentra described would be caught and remedy/corrective action would be required to keep license - drivers and vehicle. Also, maybe pick-ups jacked up about 3 feet off ground would be caught and also be required to put truck suspension back to original factory level. Some will say this is maybe can of worms, but would be worth increased safety to general motoring public.
Had the related problem with E-Check in Ohio for emissions. People want clean air, but want others to have to bear the checks and costs. Instead the silly militants in Ohio have gotten the legislature to do away with E-Check and will not have the funny gasoline with higher costs and lower mileage and even perhaps engine damage later on from the gasoline. But the anti-pollution-check people finally got what they wanted...
Same would go for safety checking. Payoffs, complaints about having to go would be everywhere till they did away with it again.
Cincinnati city used to have a safety check requirement long, long ago. Same problems you document. But they caught brakes, lights, tires, etc., that weren't right.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Just because you can get it running doesn't mean you should have it out on the road.
The other poster mentioned that it should be statewide. I agree with that also. Otherwise people turn flipflops to register their car elsewhere. My neighbor registered his one car in next county to avoid the EPA E-Check on his new car after 2 years. Ohio didn't have E-Check in all counties like it should have been.
I also think of stopping at a gas station far east side of Atlanta back in the 70s and the "mechanic" had a rag stuffed in exhaust pipe of a car up on the rack. He explained that the stations did a safety check for the State and the rag would make any leaks in the exhaust system show up.
I wonder haow many cars got passed for a $5 or $10 in the palm that shouldn't have passed at the public type checks for safety like that. At least the emissions checking in Ohio was at facilities run by a contracted company. The last few years they had signs up that it was illegal to offer a bribe to get a car through the test. Apparently they had had offers.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The lady driving didn't seem to be aware of anything. Of course, this may be how she went throught her entire life.
My wife won't let me wave at people about problems, or roll down window to try to tell them about them. She's probably right. These days doing this might just get you shot while trying to be helpful.
I did tell a man parked next to me at a rest stop that one of his tires was nearly flat. That was successful (face-to-face contact).
Regarding safety inspections, we have them here statewide in Virginia. Any service station or repair shop can apply to the state to perform the inspections. Unfortunately, there are some shady operators who'll just look your car over and give you a new sticker without actually doing any real inspection. They can be reported to the state police, but I doubt many are.
Woman in a Camry messes up in a "Y" intersection and cuts across lanes to go the proper direction. Why? She's text messaging as she's driving.
At a poorly planned interchange in south Seattle, a guy in a Navigator has a hard time turning, and slowly and awkwardly drives all over a couple lanes. Why? He's combing his hair as he's driving.
Both should have their licenses revoked and their vehicles taken away.
However, last Sunday morning at the beginning of a 300-mile trip to the beach, I encountered a truly inconsiderate driver.
I made the mistake of taking a popular local shortcut between two major highways. It's a residential/semi-rural road with a posted speed limit of 40 mph. Of course, no one likes to go 40. So I'm going the speed limit and what I thought was an earlier Honda Accord or Toyota Camry comes up on my rear. No problem, par for the course, and we're coming to the stop sign at the end of the road in a mile or two.
When I get to the stop sign to turn right onto the major 55-mph 2-laner, I see a Buick LeSabre approaching from my left. I decide to wait and let it go by. At that point, Mr. Impatient behind me toots his horn. Turns out the Buick was going slower than I had expected, and I could have pulled out (not too surprising given that Buicks are the car of choice for older people).
However, before the Buick even goes by, I see Mr. I. sawing wildly at his steering wheel, and I knew he was going to try to go around me! Well, I guess male pride kicked in and I literally leapt into the intersection the instant the Buick passed and said to myself that I'm not going to let him get around me!
I accelerated my 4-cylinder Camry at full throttle, but to my amazement, Mr. I. got into the oncoming lane off my left rear and stayed there for maybe 1/8 to 1/4 mile trying to out-accelerate me in a no-passing zone!
Very quickly, I was up to 60 and closing in fast on the Buick. Mr. I. finally got in behind me. Beat him! Of course, at that point he was really on my bumper, but there was no way for him to go around without committing suicide, as we had entered a series of curves and of course, the Buick was still in front.
Now, I had no intention of holding him back forever, just didn't want him to pull that old stunt of going around me back at the stop sign.
So when the first passing zone came, I let him go. But to get his point across, he cut directly in front of me, coming very close to my left front corner. At that point, I laid on the horn. Good thing he didn't brake-check me!
It was then that I saw he was driving a previous-gen Corolla. No wonder he couldn't out-accelerate me! I was pretty steamed though.
Well, in the next passing zone, he passed the Buick and was gone.
Later my wife told me that his entire rear end was plastered with bumper stickers. She didn't remember what they said, possibly something about rock bands. I was so mad, I didn't even notice any stickers.
Now, in hindsight, I guess the best thing would have been to swallow my pride and let him go in the first place. But sometimes, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
What would you have done?
Well in my observations it seems that the IQ of the driver is inversely proportionate to the number of bumper stickers the car has. Of course everyone gets one (maybe two) freebees.
As to what I would have done, well some things are best left unsaid.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
What was the right thing to do? Probably ignore his existence.
As I've grown older I have more and more often tried to avoid such confrontations. I might have pulled to the side on the shortcut and let him zoom past to get rid of him, and with luck attract the attention of any cops nearby. The more egregious the other driver's actions, the closer I adhere to the norm, back to the precise speed limit, and to very predictable driving. I figure if they can correctly guess what I'm going to do, I'm less likely to physically tangle with his car, or contribute in any way to his tangling with someone else.
LOL!
I didn't pull off while on the shortcut, because there was no suitable location, and I figured once we got to the major road with passing zones, he'd go around me. I guess I steamed him some more on the shortcut (without realizing it) by slowing down considerably for an older, well-dressed gent who was standing on the edge of the road retrieving his Sunday paper. I routinely give wide berth to pedestrians and bicyclists on the side of the road.
Yes, it was a dangerous situation not letting him pass, although the road was straight at that point and I could see that no oncoming traffic was present. Initially, I was in total amazement/shock that he really tried to pull it off, since I jumped out of the intersection so quickly and had the advantage of a shorter pathway.
I certainly regret though that I gave in to an adrenaline rush, male pride, or whatever it may be called. It ruined the first part of a nice drive to the beach!
Good luck - hope the rest of the day at the beach made up for the stressful beginning.
>"...surprising given that Buicks are the car of choice for older people."
I had driven Buicks for 25 years. Am I an inconsiderate driver now? Or am I inconsiderate 25 years ago? Or do I just recognize quality in a car and dealership?
P.S. I don't have any bumper stickers on either LeSabre. I did get a bumper sticker for my son's school, "Honor Student at NorthXXXX School" but I didn't put it on...
Now on a serious note: the steroid-rage type driver behind you needs the police called on him. I try to be aware of police numbers where I drive, State, Sheriff, local police, on a regular basis. But that's impossible.
What I would have done is fumed, slowed slightly in speed, then pulled off to make the dope pass.
And a "cellular dime" dropped on these drivers may save a life somewhere else later.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Buicks have a rep, deal with it. If all those Centurys didn't sell to 80-somethings, it wouldn't be so bad.
Yesterday I saw an early 90s Deville driven by a VERY old couple in a center lane of I5 in Seattle going about 45 mph as surrounding traffic in all lanes was going about 60. Reputations come from somewhere...
I've personally never called the cops on a bad driver, although I would if I thought it was a drunk. But otherwise...I don't know if it would make a difference. They can't do anything on hearsay.
Seriously more of the "elderly," careful drivers around here have Kias, Hyundae, CTSs, and larger BMWs. The Kia and Hyundae brands seem to have replaced the American brands for many elderly. What's interesting is that they aren't gravitating to Camry and Accord on reputation.
Their slow careful driving is good. I can't tell if it's poor eyesight or fear of driving that makes a few people go so slow. But they are inconsiderate because they will hold up traffic by driving dangerously below the limit. Right hand lane on multiple lane roads and going slowly I can handle. You said the Caddy was in the middle of the freeway!!!
A good friend in Tennessee won't hop on the interstate to drive to edge of Nashville or south to Murfreesboro for shopping. She doesn't like to drive in the speed atmosphere so she uses the local highways. They live 1/4 mile from I-26... She's being considerate. Others should do the same.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I can't call driving that doesn't keep up with the flow "good". Especially with bad lane discipline. It's no less dangerous than having a wide speed differential the other way. If there is one thing that needs to be preached in drivers ed, it's that It is not encouraged enough. Like that Caddy...I bet the driver had no clue of what he was doing.
It's funny...around here, I often avoid the highways for local errands simply because there are so many idiots out there. Strangely enough, I see less stupidity on city and suburban roads. It's a much more relaxing journey.
And a funny inconsiderate driver rant from Craigslist
Any driving action that increases the chance of filling out a form afterwards is a no no. It just isn't worth it.
Onramp to the three lane freeway - the guy behind accelerates to pass you before the white line ends moving to his left. That's when it is tempting for me to do the same, but then I remember it's not worth filling out a form.
As I said, I probably could have safely pulled in front of the Buick, but chose not to. Even if I had gone, Mr. Impatient behind me would NOT have had time to make a full stop and pull in front of the Buick without forcing its driver to slow down or even brake, a clear violation of the yielding the right of way.
I just made a general comment that Buicks are often driven by older people, and older peope in general tend to drive more slowly.
Thank you, I feel better.
I've had all kinds of cars driven by elderly people, BMWs, Caddys, Chevrolets, Accords, lots of Camrys, pull out in front of me at intersections where they had a stop sign. They either don't see the oncoming car (it has DRL) or they don't perceive speed of approach or they just figure I'll have to not hit them!
Occasionally happens. Women, men... Scary.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
First, let me congratulate you on your writing skills. The surroundings and the emotions involved come across quite clearly and precisely from your description.
I have been in some of those situations where sometimes I have even played the role of Mr I when at one time, it seemed that the driver in front of me would not budge from the stop sign without a written invitation. Anyway, I completely understand what you did but at the same time urge you to keep your cool next time. A crash risk is never worth the small amount of satisfaction you got.
Yeah, I sometimes toot my horn at people to get moving -- a notable example is the traffic light closest to my home where the left turn arrow is short, which normally allows only 3-4 cars to get through. If there's nobody in the next lane intending to go straight, then the all-green light never comes on, and you're stuck waiting for an entire cycle. So I do toot if the person in front doesn't move.
I agree with you totally about keeping my cool, and I almost always do so nowadays, in my older, mellower years.
It's interesting to speculate (after the fact of course) what would have happened if Mr. I. had crashed head-on into an oncoming car. Though not likely, because the road was straight at that point, and I would have pulled off to the right to minimize the chances of that happening, what would Mr. I have said to the police officer (if he survived)? "Uh, officer, I was trying to pass this car in a no-passing zone, and he wouldn't let me."
I could feign complete ignorance, saying that I simply accelerated fast out of the intersection and didn't even realize Mr. I was in the wrong lane. After all, I don't believe his front bumper ever caught up with my rear door handle.
And the oncoming driver probably would have focused only on the car headed straight for him, not on me.
Using the horn to get the wife or kid's attention, or saying goodbye when leaving doesn't count:)
How much of a horn blower are you?
A) a leaner - at least once a day, usually to make a point
C) a tooter - using your horn as a non-emergency communication device:)
- If someone is waiting to turn out of a side street on my right into my path, and is (a)not looking at me, and (b) is rolling, they will get a short "Look At Me" toot every time.
- If someone is asleep at the wheel at a light that turns green, after 3-4 seconds the car behind owes a short toot to wake them up.
Interestingly, honking is also definitely a regional phenomenon. I never get honked at where I live and drive (Richmond-DC). However, I am always in shock whenever I go to Jersey City/NYC. Over there people honk even if you stop at a stop sign!!!
I too tire of the high beams people...do they not have a blue night on their dash? Even my fintail has this I also tire of tall trucks and SUVs with lights aimed too high.
I was driving my father's old '79 F150, pulling a car dolley with a '74 pinto wagon loaded on it. I had driven to Roseburg, OR from Helix (Pendleton), OR to pick up the wagon after my brother had driven it to college and it threw a rod 10 miles from school. The trailer was in the midst of an overhaul and did not have tail lights on it. Sure enough, at about 1830 after the sun had gone down, I was pulled over on I84 about 20 miles from Pendleton. I am sure I was quite the sight with a menagerie of old vehicles putting along at 50 in a 65. The OSP officer was probably so befuddled that someone with an Alaska license, driving an Oregon truck, would bother to drive 250 miles away to nab a '74 Pinto and take it all the way back to Pendleton that he let me off with a warning.
I knew I was going to get pulled over at some point, too. I was just amazed that I made it to within 35 miles of home before it happened. Unfortunately, there was no time to fix the trailer properly before heading out. I was scheduled to fly back to Alaska early the next day and if I did not get it then, my brother would have had it taken to a scrap yard. Ah well, the fun little memoires...
Hahah! Amen to that, euphonium.
In my '96 Subaru, I have driven about 105K miles in the last 5 years, 99% of which were accumulated in Alaska. I have 18 chips in the windshield (mosquito-sized or smaller), but have yet to need it replaced. Most folks are lucky to last more than a year or two without a crack that requires replacement.
Maybe road hazards are fairly common everywhere, but I am amazed at some of the things I see scattered about the roadways up here..... water tanks, pallets, sheets of styrofoam, tires, RIMS, garbage cans, water cans, random building materials, you name it. :sick:
Cheers!
Paul
Well said. I had a similar (somewhat) situation to the one that 210delray recounted. Earlier this summer (late April, I think), I was headed to a friend's house at about 2100 on a Saturday evening. The sun was still up and bright in the sky, and I was on a two lane, 55 mph road, just about to turn right (with my own turn lane) onto a two lane, 50 mph road with nasty frost heaves and a curve not far beyond the intersection. As I was slowing for the right turn, I see this little blue Corolla (odd, isn't it??!) barrelling down on me pretty fast, but still 10-12 car-lengths back. I make the turn and begin accellerating to 55 (yes, I'm bad.... I usually drive 5 over if conditions are good). I glance in my rear view to assess the location of the Corolla.... assuming that he made the turn since he was in the turn lane.... and there was no car there. Puzzled, I figure that he must have made an "oopsy" and continued straight.
As I glanced in my two side views out of habit, I caught the Corolla out of the corner of my eye..... in the other lane, trying wildly to pass me! I briefly thought it was a little funny that I was not even trying to make speed quickly, and by the expression on his face, he was really determined to pass. I immediately thought of how idiodic his maneuver was, considering that I was bound to accellerate out of the turn and because a blind corner was just up ahead. Sure enough, at that moment, a car appears ahead of us. I had reached 55 at this point, and the Corolla had pulled even with me, but still needed to get another 20 feet or so ahead of me to pull in (without literally cutting me off). I briefly thought to brake and let him in, but then wondered what would happen if he did the same thing? I decided to do nothing out of the ordinary. After all, he had put himself in that situation, so he could do the evasive manuevers. He braked, whipped in behind me, then immediately passed again after the car was past us. Again, on a blind curve with a second blind curve just up ahead.
He made it, and I am glad for it because if something would have gone awry there... there were steep banks and no shoulders to allow for decent manuevering should it be necessary.
I wasn't upset about it because he had done nothing to really affect me, but I had never seen someone try to pass right on an intersection like that. It seems like an unwise move and while I did not make an effort to stop him, I wasn't going to make an effort to accommodate him either. I just behaved as though he was not there while preparing in case something unexpected happened because he was there. :surprise:
If the item falls off the truck and hits your windshield, it's theirs; if it is an item on the road and the wheel picks it up and throws it, it's not the truck's responsibility.
Trucks around here have signs trying to imply they're not responsible for items that fall off their truck, but the wording is actually that they're not responsible for items the tire kicks up.
Either way a good practice is not to be behind trucks with dual wheels that kick up a lot more of the road trash...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
People driving with their bright lights on drive me crazy! Isn't it funny, that it seems to always be a General Motors car with the brights on! I'm not trying to be prejudice, but the person driving seems to be a little on the "older" side.
The cars that I drive, the high beam control works by pushing the turning signal indicator lever out..... GM has a problem because the turning signal is like a switch, you click it inward to turn on the high beams and click in inward again to turn them off. Apparently, it must be easy to turn it on without realizing it because I see so many driving with the high beam on.
Mark
Are you talking daytime or night for the high beams? Can you describe better when you see this problem with cars... especially GM.
I've not found any problem with pulling the turn signal switch toward me to operate the low/bright switch. It's been that way since my 77? or 80? Cutlasses.
GM cars in some cases used the high beam lights with reduced voltage for the Daytime Running Lights. Some of those are a little bright--but people do not have their brights on.
The Only other extreme I can come up with is that automatic rain-sensing wiper systems on GM cars are set so they turn on the headlights to comply with some states' laws that you must have headlights on when you need the wipers. The cars have the headlights on even though the wipers are not sensing water on the windshield. People don't realize the regular headlights are on and they may have the headlights in bright position. It's daytime and people expect the DRLs to be working, not the headlights. I discovered it about 6 months after we had the car.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
GM uses a toggle requiring the same 2-step motion (pull stalk, release) to raise hi-beams as to lower them. By contrast, the hi-beam switch in many other cars, like my VW, is a 2-position stalk, toward the front for hi-beams, toward the rear for lo-beams. It is simpler to operate, with only a single step (flick it forward for hi, pull it back for lo.)
Actually, in my personal experience I have found the reverse to be true, with the 2-position switch more prone to inadvertant hi-beam operation. While I always found the GM-style toggle annoying to operate, it requires a more positive action, and is less prone to inadvertant operation.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
As for DRL's, I don't know if this is the case any longer, but when they first came out, they operated the high beam at 60% of its normal power, which, while not as bright as 100%, is still much brighter than your normal low-beam. It was common for people to run around with their DRLs at dawn and dusk, when they should have been using their normal running lights. So they'd end up blinding oncoming traffic and drivers in front of them, yet their taillights would be off so people behind them wouldn't see them until it was often too late.
I think the DRLs are designed a little more intelligently nowadays, but back when they were still fairly new I wouldn't be surprised if they caused as many accidents as they prevented!
I assume this is in jest, but...I work in Manhattan and although I agree that horns are used there more frequently than anywhere else I've been, it's almost entirely of the useless impatient prodding variety. Also illegal, and I often observe traffic cops admonishing offenders that it is meant for emergency only.
I believe that if drivers couldn't use their horns, traffic would grind to a halt.
I disagree, it would have little effect on traffic but it would certainly be less annoying if it was curtailed.
Again, this is illegal. It is required that one dim their brights for oncoming traffic. I was once pulled over when I (may have) forgotten to dim them...this was near the end of a late nite 200 mile drive where the last hour is on a 2 laner where I had been flipping them on and off frequently. I got no ticket, my SO convinced him he was mistaken or my lights malfunctioned (she's very convincing
I find almost all offenders dim them when you flick your brights to remind them. to those that don't, I keep them on when reciprocation is not forthcoming.