To further your point, many trucking companies now put onboard computers in their trucks that monitor the driver's speed. Some even use gps to track them. The computer doesn't know if they are going up or downhill and some companies will fine or even fire drivers for excessive speed. Some trucks also have governors on them that keep them from going as fast as they'd like.
BTW, Mack makes (or at least they used to make) their own engines, transmissions, etc.
Maybe six years ago I had a trucker flash his lights because I decided not to get off at an uphill ramp and continued on to the next exit. When I passed him he blew his horn because he was aggravated I'd slowed him down.
I called the 800 number when I got home a few minutes later, talked to his safety director (Saturday evening), identified the truck from a number that had a digit missing, and the safety director in Colorado identified the truck by location by county using GPS, and was talking to the trucker on his computer! He said it cost him $100,000 for the system but it was worth it. That company's trucks almost always are traveling near the speed limit and driving safely when I come across one on the interstate.
Not only that but some rental car companies use similar systems. I remember reading a while back some guy got an added billed from a rental car company because they found out through the GPS system that the guy was going an excessive speed.
Also since many GPS systems can give altitude it shouldn't be to hard to fix it so that you could tell if it was going up or down hill. Not that anyone will do that.
Remembering the Mayberry episode where Barney was giving truckers tickets for speeding even thou Andy told them they could go faster to get them momentum to get up the hill.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
was actually the first thing that popped into my mind once we got off onto the tangent about big trucks! In fact, as a little kid, that's what taught me that big trucks need to gain momentum to go up a hill. See, sometimes television CAN teach you something! :P
While I am sorry to hear you have had to do AD's for an anger condition. Perhaps the majority of folks really do not have a real problem with that kind of behavior. This might be one reason why it is the safest on the road, as it ever has been
OK I am on the outbound Stevenson Expressway (I-55) going through the southwest side of Chicago. Three lanes in moderate traffic and I am in the middle lane with traffic on either side. I notice an F-250 pull up beside me and start to overtake me then fall back. I noticed that someone was awfully close behind him. This guy in a BMW 750 was tailgating the F-250 merged into my lane and got so close to me I couldn't see his headlights (now that is close). The F-250 kept up with me just enough to keep the BMW from merging in front of him. Of course this means that the BMW kept so close to my rear bumper that science has not discovered a way to measure it. :mad:
Well I did the only sensible thing and just slowed down until the idiot got around me. But I tell you I was so tempted to downshift and blow off the BMW when it went to pass me. Ah but I much to big of a man to be that petty :shades:
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well to be truthful it is easy to control yourself in that sort of situation when the wife, who will yell at you if you do it, is sitting in the car. But as I said it was tempting to blow past him when he went to pass.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I keep him in his cage most of the time, but it has made me think a lot harder about the consequences of my actions. I'm a much more calm driver because I have a special passenger. It really confuses me when I see mini-vans fly by me at way above the speed limit, almost dangerous speeds, and their vans have what looks to be a wife and kids on board.
I never thought my condition was that bad. I had a bad break-up with a girlfriend at the time and most of my anger was towards the drivers where I lived. I was in counseling at the time, something I volunteered to do because I found out you can't trust people. I had no one to talk to. After serving faithfully in the military for 18 1/2 years (at the time) and being a loyal friend to everyone I was associated with, a loyal husband...and ending up alone time and again and facing retirement, it's enough to make anyone go crazy. But I never had any anger problems in my life. Anyone who knows me would say I'm very calm but I'm also very serious about life which is why, ironically, I'm also very silly. I can't stand careless people and I think I live in a country full of them. Well, anyway...I haven't been on the drugs all year so you better be careful!!! I don't know what the statistics say but I feel more threatened on the roads in my car than I ever have in my life. People here just don't care about being nice on the roads. They'll ride you if you don't go as fast as they want you to and then pass you, cut you off, and they rarely signal so you never quite know what they are doing. I sat nose-to-nose with another vehicle two nights ago trying to make a left turn and this car sat there for about 20 seconds without a signal and I never knew they wanted to turn too. It looked like a bunch of college/high school kids with their ugly backward baseball caps.
Well. for sure then, we have completely different ways of looking (most likely) at a very similar experiences. I am careful whether you are on your medication or not. So for me, it is not a " call to arms" I would probably agree with the thought that just because someone feels people are out to get them, doesnt necessarily mean someone is not out there to get them.
While I realize from an insurance point of view that driving is considered the most hazardous of daily actions, the statistics say the USA roads are the safest they have been in the whole time they have been recording these things. Oxymoronically this is even with more vehicles, more miiles, more trips, more drivers.
the statistics say the USA roads are the safest they have been in the whole time they have been recording these things. Oxymoronically this is even with more vehicles, more miiles, more trips, more drivers.
That is because of better designs in the roads, safer cars and better safety equipment. People still drive like idiots.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
if anything, I'd say that the American population is smashing their cars up more than ever before. It's just that more and more people are walking away from their accidents.
I, for one understand there are literally millions of "accidents" per year. The NHSTA uses the local figures to come up with the national ones. Again SO? Unless one drives in all 50 states, the only one's that one is practically concerned with is where one drives. There are literally a lot of states where it is far safer to drive than others. It is just as obvious there are local places safer than safe.
Let me see if I've got this right: you were tempted to blow past a BMW 750 in your 2000 Hyundai Elantra, or was it in the Hyundai Accent? I'm glad that you restrained yourself.
If that is the case, and since I haven't personally polled the entire country I will bow to the authority of the NHTSA, I must assume that if people didn't drive like idiots the roads would be even more safe. I think it's harder to get into a wreck than it used to be. I've never had one in 19 years of driving and I've driven all over the world and across the U.S. four times. I think most accidents are brought on by drivers, not unavoidable circumstances.
I would agree, however, I must admit I NOTICE a gigantic 80,000 pound truck more than I would a small car. They are intimidating to see in your rear view mirror and therefore, much more memorable and dangerous.
Somehow, statistics always find a way to have some connection to reality... but if you think you can't find any meaning on them, you're totally free to base everything on opinion.
That said, I'm always surprised by how a mass of people will act as a single entity. I guess people just feel comfortable going whatever speed someone else was going... so you get clumps of traffic with a quarter of a mile in between them. Drives me crazy.
I saw one of those clumps dissolve today. The first two lanes just had slow drivers, and the third had an LLC. After 15min or so, I saw that driver lower his arm (he had been on the phone) and zoom into the great void before him, at 90mph in some late 80s sports coupe. It was like a pressure valve opening... the traffic clump deflated as half its members escaped at 80mph. And all was well.
Let me see if I've got this right: you were tempted to blow past a BMW 750 in your 2000 Hyundai Elantra, or was it in the Hyundai Accent?
It was the Caddy that we bought this summer for "special occasions". Me and the wife bought it for the date night thing. While the Hyundais are good for the run of the mill mundane driving like commuting or getting supplies at the home improvement store we wanted something nice for when we go out. And that LS6 makes it more than a match for the 740.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The NHSTA uses the local figures to come up with the national ones. Again SO? Unless one drives in all 50 states, the only one's that one is practically concerned with is where one drives.
I've seen you make this comment probably a dozen times over the years. I've never understood it. Who knows, I might agree with it, but...what is the point you are making here?
After all, national statistics are made up of local ones, by definition. It's impossible for that to be a case for dismissal. That would be like saying Dubya ain't our Prez in NY. If only.
Well if GW drives around drunk in New York, rest assured he probably will not be getting into a fatality or accident with me while I am on the LEFT coast. Or has the logic escaped you?
You realize statistics are a compromise between useful information and a practical presentation, right? You might as well stick to your local newspaper, and get all your car information from local car forums too.
You're just less likely to see reputable statistics applied to a local level; the ones that a whole country will read will be more carefully compiled and presented. And with a greater sample population, it'll be more reliable and consistent. I mean I can see your point, but we need something to talk about on edmunds (unless you start a thread for people who live close to you!), and talking about national statistics is a whole lot more convenient.
And curiously, the 50-mile radius thing applies to other states, too.
not really magical. I think that most people drive the vast majority of their miles that close to home, so it makes sense. Plus, more likely to be drunk near home, etc. Lot's of far away miles are likely to be interstate too.
I would not disagree at all with your take. I might add however that in the quest to get statistically validated figures, state, national, etc., one does not really have to abandon common sense. I do not mean that in a pejorative sense, but in answer to LI Sailor's assertion that he has not understood my/this post over multiple times. So, on a local level there is a north bound STREET that is known for app 15-30 accidents a month, fatalities even!???? ; or at least that is what is printed in the local weekly rag. So natch, I avoid going northbound on this STREET !!??
South bound? The same downward hill northbound making it an accident magnet makes it far less likely to rear end somebody UPHILL..
Over the years, I have heard many times that most or the majority of accidents and fatalities happen within a 50 mile radius of where one lives.
Well since a majority of some ones driving is within that distance. I wonder if you took the percentage of driving within X distance of some ones home and compared it to the percentage of accidents within that same distance what your results would be. My guess is that a greater percentage of accidents then driving would happen further away from home. I make that guess on the fact that one would be more familiar with the roads and traffic near er to their home.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
always have to look at accident stats as per mile driven (or million for the big ones). Thats how come you can have more accidents or fatalities, but claim that the roads are safer, if the miles driven go up faster than the accident rate.
Well if GW drives around drunk in New York, rest assured he probably will not be getting into a fatality or accident with me while I am on the LEFT coast. Or has the logic escaped you?
Surely you can't think the purpose of NHTSA statistics is to predict who will collide with whom. Therefore you didn't answer my question. What is your point? Your point seems to be that NHTSA stats are not useful since they are based on local data. Is that your point? Even though all data is local?
I'll pre-empt a bit since I doubt I'll get a straight answer. You seem to be saying that data about millions of CA drivers simply does not apply to millions of NY drivers (for example) since they are different drivers, different cars, different roads, etc. Do you really think those variables are so different (if at all, in a relevant aggregate sense) to lessen their value? Frankly, I see not a shred of evidence or merit in that position.
In fact, this is testable, since the fatality statistics on (for example) classes of vehicles and classes of drivers would be significantly different. But they are not. SUVs roll over more everywhere. Small cars have higher fatality rates everywhere. MVs and wagons have excellent safety everywhere. Young and older drivers have more accidents and more fatalities everywhere.
Of course, you may have meant something entirely different. Clarify if you so choose.
..."Your point seems to be that NHTSA stats are not useful since they are based on local data. Is that your point? Even though all data is local? "
National data is comprised of local data. It is YOU that is saying that I am not saying this. So using your quote, there is nothing to clarify, You are painting yourself into oblivion, not me.
If what you are saying is as true as you make it out to be, then for states to have different accident and fatality rates is oxymoronic. But as you can see and do know, states do have different rates. So I will let you bliss out
It is YOU that is saying that I am not saying this.
No, I asked what you were saying.
...for states to have different accident and fatality rates is oxymoronic.
I don't think that word fits there. In any case, of course the raw numbers are different...did you imagine that this was meaningful? It's the overall trends (like the ones I cited) that are the same.
I think most accidents are brought on by drivers, not unavoidable circumstances.
Most accidents are caused by "human error in judgement" of some sort, including distractions, failing to observe, etc. as opposed to mechanical failure, falling trees, etc.....yes.
But I think you beg the question as to whether it is true "negligence" (or being inconsiderate, if you will) rather than being an "understandable lapse", an admittedly loose term.
It's actually a fact that all accidents happen within 25,000 miles of where you live. If GW drives drunk in NY, there could be a chain reaction collision that effects the 405. I would never rule that out.
The reason why this is not so is time. If 90% of the miles driven are driven within 50 miles from home, your most likely time to be involved in a collision is while you are near home. Additionally, familiarity with roads may act to your disadvantage because people tend to take things for granted as they become more familiar with an area, routine, etc.
FWIW:
For example, I have been the last driveway on my road for many years now, and there was nothing but a cul-de-sac beyond it and 0 traffic - perhaps one vehicle per week would travel down there. This summer, some developers came in and started building. There really was no change to the traffic patterns outside of the 0800 to 1700 time frame because nobody lived at these places. Then, when people began moving in, suddenly there was off-hours traffic! Now, this is what I would consider a ~10 mph road (1.5 lane, pull-off-when-somebody-else-is-coming type of an access) but "new" folks seem to think of it as a 30mph expressway. The first morning of this I nearly T-boned a newbie that was flying up the road because I just didn't expect them there, even though I did look (I have a blind driveway up until the last 15 ft or so from the roadway). I had to do a double-take, convince myself that there really was a car there, and then take evasive maneuvers in order to avoid a collision. My road entry habits have since changed, and I added a couple speed bumps to the road, so there have been no problems since. But, it made me realize that there is a difference between habitually looking for potential traffic conflicts and really being observant of (and preparing for) such possiblities.
In all the many away-from-home miles I have traveled, I have never even been in a situation where I would consider it a very close call because I just unconsciously tend to be more wary and truely aware of the traffic patterns around me.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Okay, my peeve is the same as yours. But I have another one... someone comes up to a point where they have to stop, you want to make a RT hand turn, but they somehow feel that they need to hog the lane so you can't scoot to the RT around them... GEEZ that's freaking amazing. :mad:
Well I cam on a similar situation just the other day. Its an exit from a commercial area with the entrance divided from the exit by a raised medium and both ways were more than wide enough for two lanes even though it wasn't marked as such. Well there was this line of maybe three cars right in the middle of this exit waiting to make a left turn. It would seem obvious to me (and I hope most people) that in cases like that if your making a left turn you don't go right down the center.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
One line in one lane is what we understand you encountered. Had there been two lanes with a painted stripe in the middle of the one lane, I would tend to appreciate your opinion, but lacking the stripe you drove into a very wide ONE lane. Thus, those ahead of your were not inconsiderate but safe.
There being no lane markings doesn't mean that there is only one lane. Many times lanes are no marked for various reasons. The last few days lanes haven't been marked on a short section of a road nearby does that mean I should drive right down the center and ignore the obvious.
No they were inconsiderate for being right in the middle of a two lane exit.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Comments
BTW, Mack makes (or at least they used to make) their own engines, transmissions, etc.
I called the 800 number when I got home a few minutes later, talked to his safety director (Saturday evening), identified the truck from a number that had a digit missing, and the safety director in Colorado identified the truck by location by county using GPS, and was talking to the trucker on his computer! He said it cost him $100,000 for the system but it was worth it. That company's trucks almost always are traveling near the speed limit and driving safely when I come across one on the interstate.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Also since many GPS systems can give altitude it shouldn't be to hard to fix it so that you could tell if it was going up or down hill. Not that anyone will do that.
Remembering the Mayberry episode where Barney was giving truckers tickets for speeding even thou Andy told them they could go faster to get them momentum to get up the hill.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Well I did the only sensible thing and just slowed down until the idiot got around me. But I tell you I was so tempted to downshift and blow off the BMW when it went to pass me. Ah but I much to big of a man to be that petty :shades:
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
It really confuses me when I see mini-vans fly by me at way above the speed limit, almost dangerous speeds, and their vans have what looks to be a wife and kids on board.
Well, anyway...I haven't been on the drugs all year so you better be careful!!! I don't know what the statistics say but I feel more threatened on the roads in my car than I ever have in my life. People here just don't care about being nice on the roads. They'll ride you if you don't go as fast as they want you to and then pass you, cut you off, and they rarely signal so you never quite know what they are doing. I sat nose-to-nose with another vehicle two nights ago trying to make a left turn and this car sat there for about 20 seconds without a signal and I never knew they wanted to turn too.
It looked like a bunch of college/high school kids with their ugly backward baseball caps.
While I realize from an insurance point of view that driving is considered the most hazardous of daily actions, the statistics say the USA roads are the safest they have been in the whole time they have been recording these things. Oxymoronically this is even with more vehicles, more miiles, more trips, more drivers.
That is because of better designs in the roads, safer cars and better safety equipment. People still drive like idiots.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
james
I think it's harder to get into a wreck than it used to be. I've never had one in 19 years of driving and I've driven all over the world and across the U.S. four times. I think most accidents are brought on by drivers, not unavoidable circumstances.
That said, I'm always surprised by how a mass of people will act as a single entity. I guess people just feel comfortable going whatever speed someone else was going... so you get clumps of traffic with a quarter of a mile in between them. Drives me crazy.
I saw one of those clumps dissolve today. The first two lanes just had slow drivers, and the third had an LLC. After 15min or so, I saw that driver lower his arm (he had been on the phone) and zoom into the great void before him, at 90mph in some late 80s sports coupe. It was like a pressure valve opening... the traffic clump deflated as half its members escaped at 80mph. And all was well.
It was the Caddy that we bought this summer for "special occasions". Me and the wife bought it for the date night thing. While the Hyundais are good for the run of the mill mundane driving like commuting or getting supplies at the home improvement store we wanted something nice for when we go out. And that LS6 makes it more than a match for the 740.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Kyle
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I've seen you make this comment probably a dozen times over the years. I've never understood it. Who knows, I might agree with it, but...what is the point you are making here?
After all, national statistics are made up of local ones, by definition. It's impossible for that to be a case for dismissal. That would be like saying Dubya ain't our Prez in NY. If only.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/STSI/index.cfm?Year=2003&Accessible=0
Over the years, I have heard many times that most or the majority of accidents and fatalities happen within a 50 mile radius of where one lives.
And curiously, the 50-mile radius thing applies to other states, too.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
South bound? The same downward hill northbound making it an accident magnet makes it far less likely to rear end somebody UPHILL..
Well since a majority of some ones driving is within that distance. I wonder if you took the percentage of driving within X distance of some ones home and compared it to the percentage of accidents within that same distance what your results would be. My guess is that a greater percentage of accidents then driving would happen further away from home. I make that guess on the fact that one would be more familiar with the roads and traffic near er to their home.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Most driving mileage-wise is within 15 miles from home. Your experience may vary.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Surely you can't think the purpose of NHTSA statistics is to predict who will collide with whom. Therefore you didn't answer my question. What is your point? Your point seems to be that NHTSA stats are not useful since they are based on local data. Is that your point? Even though all data is local?
I'll pre-empt a bit since I doubt I'll get a straight answer. You seem to be saying that data about millions of CA drivers simply does not apply to millions of NY drivers (for example) since they are different drivers, different cars, different roads, etc. Do you really think those variables are so different (if at all, in a relevant aggregate sense) to lessen their value? Frankly, I see not a shred of evidence or merit in that position.
In fact, this is testable, since the fatality statistics on (for example) classes of vehicles and classes of drivers would be significantly different. But they are not. SUVs roll over more everywhere. Small cars have higher fatality rates everywhere. MVs and wagons have excellent safety everywhere. Young and older drivers have more accidents and more fatalities everywhere.
Of course, you may have meant something entirely different. Clarify if you so choose.
National data is comprised of local data. It is YOU that is saying that I am not saying this. So using your quote, there is nothing to clarify, You are painting yourself into oblivion, not me.
If what you are saying is as true as you make it out to be, then for states to have different accident and fatality rates is oxymoronic. But as you can see and do know, states do have different rates. So I will let you bliss out
No, I asked what you were saying.
...for states to have different accident and fatality rates is oxymoronic.
I don't think that word fits there. In any case, of course the raw numbers are different...did you imagine that this was meaningful? It's the overall trends (like the ones I cited) that are the same.
I will let you bliss out
I think you overestimate your abilities :=)
There is nothing to clarify...
That's exactly what I thought
We can move on.
Most accidents are caused by "human error in judgement" of some sort, including distractions, failing to observe, etc. as opposed to mechanical failure, falling trees, etc.....yes.
But I think you beg the question as to whether it is true "negligence" (or being inconsiderate, if you will) rather than being an "understandable lapse", an admittedly loose term.
Well, there are fewer accidents per registered vehicle, for sure. And overall, fewer accidents in raw numbers. So, no.
US crashes:
1988...7,481,000
2002...7,173,000
FWIW:
For example, I have been the last driveway on my road for many years now, and there was nothing but a cul-de-sac beyond it and 0 traffic - perhaps one vehicle per week would travel down there. This summer, some developers came in and started building. There really was no change to the traffic patterns outside of the 0800 to 1700 time frame because nobody lived at these places. Then, when people began moving in, suddenly there was off-hours traffic! Now, this is what I would consider a ~10 mph road (1.5 lane, pull-off-when-somebody-else-is-coming type of an access) but "new" folks seem to think of it as a 30mph expressway. The first morning of this I nearly T-boned a newbie that was flying up the road because I just didn't expect them there, even though I did look (I have a blind driveway up until the last 15 ft or so from the roadway). I had to do a double-take, convince myself that there really was a car there, and then take evasive maneuvers in order to avoid a collision. My road entry habits have since changed, and I added a couple speed bumps to the road, so there have been no problems since. But, it made me realize that there is a difference between habitually looking for potential traffic conflicts and really being observant of (and preparing for) such possiblities.
In all the many away-from-home miles I have traveled, I have never even been in a situation where I would consider it a very close call because I just unconsciously tend to be more wary and truely aware of the traffic patterns around me.
Sounds like inconsiderate driving to me.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
No they were inconsiderate for being right in the middle of a two lane exit.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D