Was on the infamous 76 yet again the other morning on the way to work, think it was a Saturday. Im zooming along, everybody moving out of the left lane promptly, when I come across an obstinate looking little old man hunched determinedly over the wheel of a big Cadillac Sedan cruising about 55, with the license plate "SLO DOWN" pretty much making it clear that Id be there a long time waiting for him to get over. I squeezed around on the right, but I couldnt get annoyed or angry at the guy. All I could really do was laugh when I saw that plate. I guess I just found it amusing, and yes, maybe a bit admirable, that he made no bones about his attitude.
I've never owned a Caddie and my plates represent my alma mater. I reside in The Great Northwest and am a native of the area. I retired in the community where I made my living because I believe in dancing with the people that paid for the band. Happy Halloween!
There isn't enough money to make me live in PA, either. The pot hole State. They dig up last years pot holes to see if they filled them in right. There was 5-6 miles of traffic cones along I-70 in PA making traffic form into one lane with absolutely no road work whatsoever. I thought they were using I-70 just to store the cones in case they actually needed them else where. I was taught that if you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler. Happy Halloween.
...that's the way I usually go, when I head out West. I take 70 to 68 and then go up 79, back to 70. I try to stay off the PA roads as much as possible. The turnpike's always a mess, and they have the nerve to make you pay for the privilege!
I have a feeling that I-68 violates the old edict that 1 mile in every 5 needs to be straight, in case it needs to be used as a runway, but it's still more of a sane trip than that turnpike. At least the curves and all the mountains keep you alert!
I think that I-68 at one time was U.S 40 West . I remember when U.S 40 was the only road from DC to the PA Turnpike at Breezewood. 2 lanes up and down mountains, first trailing an 18 wheeler at 25 up a mountain then trying to keep from getting rear ended at 75 down the mountain. That was when the PA Turnpike used to go through the old rail road tunnels .I think there were 4 or 5, 5 mile or so long tunnels through the mountains. Some people used to freak out in the tunnels.
I grew up about a half mile from the junction of I-79 and 48, until it was renamed I-68. Isn't that a beautiful area? Perhaps at one time it was 40, but during my West Virginia tenure it was 48. *sniff* I think I'm homesick! :-)
The Pennsylvania Turnpike still goes through those tunnels! The first two are less than 10 miles from my parents' home. The tunnels are only about a one-two miles in length. If I recall correctly, there are four tunnels, all of which are located between the Blue Mountain interchange (near Shippensburg) and Somerset (near where Flight 93 crashed on September 11).
It's amusing to hear people complain about paying tolls on the Turnpike. Growing up in the Keystone State, I always took it for granted.
They have routed around the real long one, I believe. I once went through that long tunnel when it was rather nice winter weather. It was snowing like crazy on the other side.
this is a pretty interesting discussion you got here:) IMO the dumbest drivers out there are the ones that drive on the left lane and go slower than the rest of the traffic instead on driving in the 1st lane and let other traffic pass.
i think all the states should follow germanys example ... taht is the left lane should only be used for passing.
I'm sure this has been mentioned numerous times but this is my pet peeve. It is so easy to signal....I drive with my left hand only and can switch the turn signals with one finger of the same hand. Why don't they just make them optional equipment...nobody uses them anyway? I am convinced that if brake lights were a manual function most people wouldn't use them either. WTF?
according to respondents to the TH Grab Bag poll somewhere around 67% of drivers never use a hand-held cell phone while driving, because they either use a hands-free phone, use it only when parked, only in emergencies, or not at all.
Based on the number of drivers I see with a phone stuffed in their ear, the remaining 33% must ALL be on the phone ALL THE TIME!
Well, for whatever reason people use them, the main reason is to let other drivers know what you're doing IN CASE you don't happen to see them. Most people I see changing lanes to not turn to check their blind spot and many change lanes very abruptly assuming no one's there. I also do not use mine to 'ask permission', but on the other hand I look for, and find, 'holes' before changing lanes which precludes having to 'ask for permission', which I can't stand. It's like people with their hand out for spare change. And, considering that I look for 'holes', I also do not like it when other drivers pull in front of me, signal or not, when I only have barely a car length in front of me and lots of room behind me. Some people can't see past their noses however and do not notice that if they wait a second they could pull behind me without disrupting the flow of traffic. Another thing that irks me is when I'm waiting to turn and am being curteous enough to yield to an oncoming car which starts slowing down, and then turns without signaling. WTF do they think you're waiting there for anyway?
Are the ones who turn it on when they are 3/4 of the way into the lane change. Or the ones who turn it on immediately after slamming on the brakes and making a turn at the next intersection. Of course, there's always the ones who turn it on three intersections before they actually turn. So simple, yet so hard to grasp.
I recently had another merge experience. I was heading east and took a cloverleaf to go northbound (270 degree turn) So when I'm on the shared accel/decel lane, an older duffer in a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis wants to go westbound. I've got my signal on and am accelerating, Mr CV/GM wants to pass me to then get on the ramp. Not a single car behind me.
Let's just say Mr CV/GM had to go to the next exit and do a turn around. Of course, before doing this, he had to offer the gesture of the day.
I don't know why he was upset, the way I learned it, exiting traffic yields to entering traffic.
He was in town, late for work, headed for the expressway. He was stuck behind an old Geezer in a Crown Vic who had nothing better to do than do 15 on city streets all day and hold eveybody else up. So of course my friend figures the old man will have no problem letting him use the turning lane to pass him on the right at the next light.( No lectures please I know the stupidity of this.)
Of course, this same sweet little old man who hunched demurely over the wheel and seemed to have no clue he was holding everybody else up suddenly sat up a little straighter, juiced the gas, and when the light turned green he dipped further into the power reserves of that big V8 than he probably ever had before in all the years he'd owned it just to teach that young whipper snapper a lesson in patience.
The process was repeated for two more lights in a row, this old man taking off from the line like he was at the track going for a record time and my friend cursing and screaming furiously hitting almost 60 in the passing lane but not being able to out run a V8 Crown Vic in a V6 Plymouth Breeze.(No lectures please.) Finally my friend gave up and got back behind the old guy. Who prompty returned to driving at 15 mph.
A similar thing happened to me too before. I got tired of being stuck behind some old guy who looked very tiny and weak with his bald little head barely high enough to peek out from behind the wheel of this big hulking old CAdillac doing 10 mph. OF course when I tried to sneak around gramps to the right I think I woke up his competetive spirit and he made that big V8 roar trying to box me out, but I got a stickshift and I know how to use it so my lighter vehicle and better transmission kept him from running me into the curb.
But I do notice this psychological thing that drives me nuts, where people are perfectly happy going a certain speed and slowing others down but then all of a sudden when somebody tries to pass it's like they want to box people out just on principal, as if to say nobody should be going faster than them anyway. Ill even admit Ive occasionally behaved this way myself before realizing it.
What is that psychological force, that deep down sense of pride that makes some people hate being passed? My own personal theory is that if someone else perceives you to be driving in an unsafe manner while they're trying to do things by the book they don't want you to be rewarded with getting where you want to go faster while they're still stuck in traffic.
Kinley has a sense of humor. Really. I have no idea what makes people speed up when someone attempts to pass them. It happens all the time. Back in my youth, I was much less tolerant. I once got out to pass a car going at most 30 in a 45 on a two lane rural road. We were the only cars on the road. The guy speeds up as soon as I get next to him. I down shifted two gears and wound it out, banging the next gear passing him at about 70 to his now 55. As soon as I got well in front of him, I nailed the brakes. He stopped about 5 feet from my rear bumper. I ran back and asked him WTF he thought he was doing. I then reached in, turned his car off, and took his keys. I then acted as if I threw them into a field across the other side of the road. He was in his car and could only see my motion, not my hand .I put them in my pocket and drove home. I threw his keys in my trash. I had quite a few such advetures in my youth.
I work in public health, and a bent over little old man came in for a blood pressure check. He had on a t-shirt that said "Goals thru a lifetime" and below was listed the following:
Age 5 - Keep your pants dry Age 16 - Drive a car Age 26 - Have lots of sex Age 35 - Make lots of money Age 45 - Make lots of money Age 60 - Have lots of sex Age 75 - Drive a car Age 85 - Keep your pants dry
This happened to me one time driving home from a trip to the lake. My dad was in front, driving the big 15 pass Dodge van with the 21' Bayliner behind, I was behind in the Cavalier - I think I went down late because I had to work. A nasty old Jeep Commando was doing about 10 under the limit on a 2 lane road. Dad had plenty of room to pass, so he went for it - and you guessed it, the putz in the Jeep sped up to keep him from passing. Before long Dad was approaching the crest of a hill, still stuck in the oncoming traffic lane. I kept imagining a semi coming over the hill and killing my whole family right in front of my eyes. Long story short, Dad finally made it over and when it was my turn to pass, I backed way off, wound that little car out as fast as it would go (98 MPH!) and left nothing to chance. Why do people do that? Are they really willing to kill someone for passing them?
I've been missing from edmunds for about a year, or maybe even two, and I find it quite humorous to see all of the kinley references still going on. I remember lot's of the names I'm seeing, though. Some things never change!
My work has a parking ramp. Many people back their vehicles into parking spots. Unfortunately, these same people, who have a difficult time parking by pulling into spaces, are even worse backing in.
IMO, if you cannot even park a vehicle, you should not be driving.
The other day, I was going through an alley (in order to avoid traffic on another street, little did I know....), at the end of the alley was a livery Town Car partially blocking the left side of the exit end. Unfortunately, the Sedan de Ville in front of me had a less than adept driver, who was not doing a very good job going around the TC. Actually, the SDV guy was not really trying at all, he was just whining at the limo driver to move, rather than pull to the right and turning sharply to the left. Finally, after trying to be patient, I beeped my weak Honda horn, flashed my lights, etc. The Caddy finally maneuvered his way around after several attempts and nearly hitting the TC. I'm thinking to myself: if you can't maneuver a big Cadillac, don't own one in the city, dammit!!
> > > > > > > >A message from rural Midwest: > > > > > > > > > > > >Because of misunderstandings that frequently develop when > Easterners > > > and > > > > > >Californians cross states such as Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, > Minnesota, > > > > > >Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North & South Dakota, and Wisconsin, > > the > > > > > >Midwest Tourism Councils have adopted a new policy. In an effort to > > > help > > > > > >outsiders understand the rural Midwesterner's mind. The following > > list > > > > will > > > > > >be handed to each person as they enter each Midwestern State. > > > > > > > > > > > >1. That slope-shouldered farm boy did more work before breakfast > than > > > you > > > > do > > > > > >all week at the gym. > > > > > > > > > > > >2. It's called a 'gravel road'. No matter how slow you drive, > you're > > > > going > > > > > >to get dust on your Navigator. I have a four wheel drive because I > > need > > > > it. > > > > > >Drive it or get it out of my way. > > > > > > > > > > > >3. We all started hunting and fishing when we were five years old. > > > Yeah, > > > > we > > > > > >saw Bambi. We got over it. > > > > > > > > > > > >4. Any references to 'corn fed' when talking about our women will > get > > > you > > > > > >whipped . . . by our women. > > > > > > > > > > > >5. Go ahead and bring your $600 Orvis Fly Rod. Don't cry to us if a > > > > flathead > > > > > >breaks it off at the handle. We have a name for those little > 13-inch > > > > trout > > > > > >you fish for...bait. > > > > > > > > > > > >6. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot. > > > > > > > > > > > >7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of mallards are making > > their > > > > final > > > > > >approach, we will shoot it. You might hope you don't have it up to > > your > > > > ear > > > > > >at that time. > > > > > > > > > > > >8. That's right. Whiskey is only two bucks. We can buy a fifth for > > what > > > > you > > > > > >paid for one drink at the airport. > > > > > > > > > > > >9. No, there's no "vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak. > > Order > > > it > > > > > >rare. Or, you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the two > pounds > > of > > > > ham > > > > > >and turkey. > > > > > > > > > > > >10. Yeah, we have sweet tea. It comes in a glass with two packets > of > > > > sugar > > > > > >and a long spoon. > > > > > > > > > > > >11. You bring Coke into my house, it better be brown, wet and > served > > > over > > > > > >ice! > > > > > > > > > > > >12. So you have a sixty-thousand dollar car. We're real impressed. > We > > > > have > > > > > >quarter of a million dollar combine that we only use two weeks a > > year. > > > > > > > > > > > >13. Let's get this straight. We have one stoplight in town. We stop > > > when > > > > > >it's red. We may even stop when it's yellow. > > > > > > > > > > > >14. Our women hunt, fish, and drive trucks because they want to. > So, > > > > you're > > > > > >a feminist. Isn't that cute. > > > > > > > > > > > >15. Yeah, we eat catfish, carp, and turtle, too. You really want > > sushi > > > > and > > > > > >caviar? It's available at the bait shop. > > > > > > > > > > > >16. They're pigs. That's what they smell like. Get used it. Don't > > like > > > > it? > > > > > >Interstate 70, 80, 90, and 94 goes two ways and Interstate 29, and > 35 > > > > goes > > > > > >the other two ways. Take your pick. > > > > > > > > > > > >17. The 'opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's a > > > religious > > > > > >holiday. You can get breakfast at the church. > > > > > > > > > > > >18. So every person in every pickup waves. It's called being > > friendly. > > > > > >Understand the concept. > > > > > > > > > > > >19. Yeah, we have golf courses. Don't hit in the water hazards. It > > > spooks > > > > > >the fish. > > > > > > > > > > > >20. That Highway Patrol Officer that just pulled you over for > driving > > > > like > > > > > >an idiot...his name is 'Sir'...no matter how old he is. > > > > > >
But we bet you don't know some things. Like, what's a three decka? A packie? How about a rotary? Ever banged a U-ey? Worn dungarees or ordered a frappe? Even a Rhodes scholar would have a tough time deciphering the language Boston calls its own. "New Englanders have had a long and strong tradition of eccentric ways of expressing themselves, especially in Boston," said Boston University Linguistics professor Michael Feldman. "It's very distinctive." Indeed ~ and we'd have a pissah time tryin' to stump ya, then make fun of ya behind ya back .. but that's wicked mean.
Instead, here's a little primer to take with you on the T,while you're on the Common or in the Gahden, maybe catchin' a Pats game or sipping a regulah coffee at Dunkies.
American Chop Suey ~ Found in school cafeterias, this delightful dish doesn't resemble anything American or Chinese. It's macaroni with meat and tomato sauce.
Bangin' a U-ey ~ This is what you do while driving after you miss a turn and you have to turn around.
Book it ~ To high tail someplace, as in, "I better book it to Stah Mahket before it closes."
Bubblah ~ Spelled bubbler, it's a water fountain.
Der ~ An interjection indicating disdain for someone else's stupidity, as in, "The old Gahden was way betta than the Fleet! Der!"
Down Cella ~ The basement. As in; "run down cella and get me a dishtowel outta the drya." Derived from upstairs.
Dungarees ~ Jeans. Hardly heard anymore, unless you're at some sort of senior citizens event.
Frappe ~ What the rest of the nation calls a milkshake. But in Boston, a milkshake is just flavored milk; no ice cream allowed.
Fried and Bizaah ~ Weird. "That dude is wicked fried." "Yah, he's totally bizaah."
Fudge-icle ~ To the rest of the world, a frozen chocolate pop is a Fudgesicle, but in Boston, the 's' is silent.
Hermits and black and whites ~ Cookies. A hermit is a molasses and raisin bar. Black and whites, known anywhere else as half moons or half and halfs, are round, cakelike cookies with chocolate frosting on one half, vanilla on the other.
Jimmies ~ Sprinkles you put on ice cream.
Packie ~ Liquor Store. You'll have to make a packie run if you want a kegga (keg party.)
Pissah ~ Good.
Rotary ~ traffic circle. And in Massachusetts, those in the rotary have the right of way.
Scrod ~ a generic name for white fish. We think it's cod, but no one's sure. Usually breaded and laden with butter.
So Don't I / So Aren't I ~ So do I, So am I. "I have tickets to Aerosmith tonight." "Oh my Gawd, so don't I!" "No Suh!" "Yah huh." "Wicked Pissa!"
Three Decker ~ Pronounced three decka, it's a three story house in which each story is a separate apartment.
A time ~ A party. "We're going to a time for Sully at McGuire's."
Tonic ~ Soda.
Wicked ~ Extremely. "Nomaaah's a wicked good baseball playa."
Yah huh and no suh ~ Yes and no. Usually heard during an intense conversation. "I saw Mickey at Castle Island and he was with another girl." "No SUH!" "Yah huh."
Other tips: Don't say COPEly Square, it's COPley.
Worcester isn't WOOster, it's Wisstah.
Say Commonwealth Avenue, MassachusettsAvenue or Dorchester Avenue and you'll get pinched. It's Comm. Ave, Mass. Ave and Dot. Ave.
> > At a nursing home in Florida, a group of senior citizens were sitting > >around > >talking about their aches and pains. > > > > "My arms are so weak I can hardly lift this cup of coffee," said one. > > > > "I know what you mean. My cataracts are so bad I can't even see my > >coffee," > > > >replied another. > > > > "I can't turn my head because of the arthritis in my neck," said a third, > >to > >which several nodded weakly in agreement. > > > > "My blood pressure pills make me dizzy," another contributed. > > > > "I guess that's the price we pay for getting old," winced an old man as > >he > >slowly shook his head. > > > > Then there was a short moment of silence. > > > > "Well, it's not that bad," said one woman cheerfully. "Thank God we can > >all > > > >still drive." > > > > >> > >
This may be more urban legend than truth, but my Dad told me the story of an old farmer he used to know. This farmer would be driving his tractor on a narrow two lane road and be rolling along at a very leisurely pace. He would occasionally get impatient city folks behind him, which he would block the path of if they tried to pass.
After a while, the old farmer would finally wave the person around. They would be full of steam by now, and gun their engine to get around the old smelly tractor. Of course, the 90 degree corner was just on the other side, and they would run off the road into a ditch.
In a related thread, my wife has a job that keeps her on the road a good part of the day.
She told me how she was starting to go crazy, waving the birdy to people who cut her off or not let her in, screaming at people who were going faster or slower than her (i.e. George Carlin who said anybody slower than you is an moron, anybody faster is a idiot), etc.
I told her that for her sanity, and more importantly, her safety, she needed to adjust her attitude. If someone is in a hurry, no big deal, move over and let them pass. Why create a dangerous situation? And if someone is going too slow, a minute of waiting for a safe time to pass is not going to ruin your schedule.
In other words, relax. Yes, the other people are morons and idiots, but if you bring yourself to their level, the chance of an accident is going to increase. One of you needs to be smart and drive defensively.
She took my advice and her anxiety and anger dropped off significantly. She had to understand that the person trying to pass was not making a personal statement on her ability to drive, only that they wanted to drive faster than her. If the American people could get this concept through their stubborn noggins, we would have much safer roads, and maybe even an American Autobahn system (yeah, right).
Oregon highways, partly due to false confidence in heavier vehicles and improved technology such as antilock brakes, according to a new state study.
Only 1 in 4 people surveyed by the Oregon Department of Transportation said they believed that speeding is a serious problem yet annual figures show it is a factor in nearly half the fatal accidents around the state.
The study also indicated that speeding along a country road is far more dangerous than urban highways and freeways, with the chances of an accident four times higher in rural areas.
In 2000, the latest year with complete statistics, more than 204,000 Oregonians were convicted of speeding, according to ODOT records. Excessive speed was listed as a factor in 46 percent of all fatal crashes statewide, well above the national average of 30 percent.
In collisions between trucks and cars, the occupants of the car are killed in four out of five crashes in Oregon, according to ODOT figures.
In addition, too many drivers mistakenly believe that a vehicle equipped with antilock brakes will stop faster, officials say.
"Antilock brakes don't stop you any quicker, they just enable you to control the vehicle while you're stopping," Hurd said.
Four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles are more commonplace, too, but also breed a false sense of security, officials say.
"It's the same for everybody -- you've got four little patches of tire scraping along the pavement and if you're going too fast, it takes you that much longer to stop," he said.
The other main factors in highway deaths are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and failure to use safety belts, but officials note that every 1 mph increase in speed raises the risk of injury or death by 10 percent.
"Right now in Oregon, people who choose to drive over the speed limit kill more innocent Oregonians than drunk drivers do," Vitolo said.
National Center for Statistics & Analysis figures indicate that 39 percent of drunken drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to only 14 percent of drivers.
The economic cost also is high, officials said.
The total cost of speeding-related crashes in Oregon in 2000 was estimated at $267 million, according to the statistics center.
Nationally, figures recently released for 2001 estimate the cost at $40.4 billion, or $76,865 per minute.
Yet little time is saved by speeding, officials say.
Driving 10 mph to 15 mph over the speed limit on a typical trip of 10 miles on a 45 mph street saves only up to 3.5 minutes, according to ODOT figures.
Oregon and Idaho are the only two states I have never been to. Why is the Oregon average for speed related accidents at 46 % so high above the 30% national average. I would have guessed that less populated more rural states would lower the national average. Do Oregonians really exceed the posted limits by more than 5-10 MPH ? When they speed do they really fly ?
on I-5. This interstate is packed full of Canada to S.California cowboy truckers who cruise around 80 in all three states. Commercial triples at 70 plus on I-5 is common. The private passenger vehicle drives accordingly to deal with the spray emitted by these behemoths. The most common speeding vehicle in WA has OR plates. Now for the East side of the Cascades. Over there all of the roads excepting I-84 are two laners in remote locations which encourage higher speeds due to the lack of traffic. On both sides of the Cascades it seems the smaller the car, the faster the car. One of my favorite freeways in the West is I-15 which has a lot less 18 wheelers.
...really doesn't say anything. First, it's unclear whether the article is referring to city streets, country roads or interstate highways. There is this quote: "The study also indicated that speeding along a country road is far more dangerous than urban highways and freeways, with the chances of an accident four times higher in rural areas." That takes care of the two-lane "country roads," but what about rural multi-lane, limited access interstate highways, which are a considerably different beast? Exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph on a country road is a lot different than exceeding it by 20 mph on an interstate highway. Just because it's dangerous on a country road doesn't mean it's dangerous on an interstate highway.
"Only 1 in 4 people surveyed by the Oregon Department of Transportation said they believed that speeding is a serious problem yet annual figures show it is a factor in nearly half the fatal accidents around the state."
But being a "factor" in an accident is considerably different from being "the cause" of the accident. Just because someone was exceeding the speed limit doesn't mean it caused the accident or even made it worse. And since virtually everyone speeds, I'd say that if those figures are accurate, they show how little impact speeding really has on highway safety.
And any true definition of "speeding" means "driving too fast for conditions," not "exceeding the posted limit." Driving too fast for conditions can mean taking a 25 mph corner on a back road at 50 mph. It can mean driving 55 mph on an interstate in ice or thick fog (even if the speed limit is normally 65 mph). Considerably different from traveling at 80 mph on a dry interstate highway.
Since I've started posting on Edmunds.com, I've paid special attention to fatal accidents reported in the local paper. The bottom line is that around central Pennsylvania - where I-81, I-83 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike all converge - fatal accidents on rural and urban interstate highways are rare. (Fatal accidents are also rare on city and suburban streets.) And those that do occur on interstate highways aren't caused by speeding. Most fatal accidents are on two-lane country roads. Speeding does cause a fair share of the accidents on country roads, but so do drunk driving and good old-fashioned inattentiveness.
"National Center for Statistics & Analysis figures indicate that 39 percent of drunken drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to only 14 percent of drivers."
So, if we get the drunks to slow down, we've solved a large part of the "speeding" problem...
"'Right now in Oregon, people who choose to drive over the speed limit kill more innocent Oregonians than drunk drivers do,' Vitolo said."
Again, no distinction is made between different types of roads - urban thoroughfares, country roads and interstate highways. Mr. Vitolo also must be unaware of a study conducted in the mid-1980s by the federal government that showed the safest drivers on interstate highways were those who exceeded the flow of traffic (not the speed limit, mind you, but the FLOW OF TRAFFIC) by 10-15 mph. The least safe drivers were those who stayed at the speed limit or slower.
"'It's the same for everybody -- you've got four little patches of tire scraping along the pavement and if you're going too fast, it takes you that much longer to stop,' he said."
Apparently all of the improvements in brakes, suspensions, steering and tires have gone completely unnoticed by him. Somebody get this man a subscription to Car & Driver...
Anyone who wants to reduce traffic fatalities has to stop treating different types of roads in the same way. It's dangerous to exceed the speed limit by 15 mph in residential area. It's dangerous to take sharp curves on two-lane country roads at 20 mph over the speed limit. It's not dangerous to drive 80 mph on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (which has a 65 mph speed limit).
Second, as someone who used to drive 30,000 miles per year on interstate highways, I can say that people who drive the speed limit or slower on the interstates are the WORST drivers. They can't merge properly (FLOOR the accelerator - the engine won't explode!), they rudely block the passing lane (it shouldn't take four miles to pass one car!) and in general show a lack of attentiveness and skill that is annoying and dangerous (just because you're driving slow doesn't mean it's okay to yak on the cell phone.)
According to your analysis, there really is not many differences between the cause of accidents in France and USA... The situation is close to exactly the same here.
I do agree with you when you tell apart "exceeding the speed limit" from "excessive speed when related to the conditions". It's a mistake made all to often here by the successive governments. As a result, still no noticeable drop of the number of road victims. In fact there were more in 2001 than in 2000, despite a growing number of radar controls.
Comments
It's not hilarious (aka: funny-funny), but it's a good one though.
Tell us more Kinley!
Dinu
I was taught that if you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler. Happy Halloween.
TB
Drives safely, but speedily.
I have a feeling that I-68 violates the old edict that 1 mile in every 5 needs to be straight, in case it needs to be used as a runway, but it's still more of a sane trip than that turnpike. At least the curves and all the mountains keep you alert!
That was when the PA Turnpike used to go through the old rail road tunnels .I think there were 4 or 5, 5 mile or so long tunnels through the mountains. Some people used to freak out in the tunnels.
I have been around a while.
It's amusing to hear people complain about paying tolls on the Turnpike. Growing up in the Keystone State, I always took it for granted.
IMO the dumbest drivers out there are the ones that drive on the left lane and go slower than the rest of the traffic instead on driving in the 1st lane and let other traffic pass.
i think all the states should follow germanys example ... taht is the left lane should only be used for passing.
Start driving the limit, but use the MPH portion of the speedo.
Alles Klar?
TB
Based on the number of drivers I see with a phone stuffed in their ear, the remaining 33% must ALL be on the phone ALL THE TIME!
When I turn on the signal, I'm coming over. So the car that speeds up to block me can also slow down, LOL.
TB
I also do not use mine to 'ask permission', but on the other hand I look for, and find, 'holes' before changing lanes which precludes having to 'ask for permission', which I can't stand. It's like people with their hand out for spare change. And, considering that I look for 'holes', I also do not like it when other drivers pull in front of me, signal or not, when I only have barely a car length in front of me and lots of room behind me. Some people can't see past their noses however and do not notice that if they wait a second they could pull behind me without disrupting the flow of traffic.
Another thing that irks me is when I'm waiting to turn and am being curteous enough to yield to an oncoming car which starts slowing down, and then turns without signaling. WTF do they think you're waiting there for anyway?
hahaha ... i like that
Let's just say Mr CV/GM had to go to the next exit and do a turn around. Of course, before doing this, he had to offer the gesture of the day.
I don't know why he was upset, the way I learned it, exiting traffic yields to entering traffic.
Anyone learn it any differently?
TB
Of course, this same sweet little old man who hunched demurely over the wheel and seemed to have no clue he was holding everybody else up suddenly sat up a little straighter, juiced the gas, and when the light turned green he dipped further into the power reserves of that big V8 than he probably ever had before in all the years he'd owned it just to teach that young whipper snapper a lesson in patience.
The process was repeated for two more lights in a row, this old man taking off from the line like he was at the track going for a record time and my friend cursing and screaming furiously hitting almost 60 in the passing lane but not being able to out run a V8 Crown Vic in a V6 Plymouth Breeze.(No lectures please.) Finally my friend gave up and got back behind the old guy. Who prompty returned to driving at 15 mph.
A similar thing happened to me too before. I got tired of being stuck behind some old guy who looked very tiny and weak with his bald little head barely high enough to peek out from behind the wheel of this big hulking old CAdillac doing 10 mph. OF course when I tried to sneak around gramps to the right I think I woke up his competetive spirit and he made that big V8 roar trying to box me out, but I got a stickshift and I know how to use it so my lighter vehicle and better transmission kept him from running me into the curb.
But I do notice this psychological thing that drives me nuts, where people are perfectly happy going a certain speed and slowing others down but then all of a sudden when somebody tries to pass it's like they want to box people out just on principal, as if to say nobody should be going faster than them anyway. Ill even admit Ive occasionally behaved this way myself before realizing it.
What is that psychological force, that deep down
sense of pride that makes some people hate being passed? My own personal theory is that if someone else perceives you to be driving in an unsafe manner while they're trying to do things by the book they don't want you to be rewarded with getting where you want to go faster while they're still stuck in traffic.
;^)
I have no idea what makes people speed up when someone attempts to pass them. It happens all the time.
Back in my youth, I was much less tolerant. I once got out to pass a car going at most 30 in a 45 on a two lane rural road. We were the only cars on the road. The guy speeds up as soon as I get next to him. I down shifted two gears and wound it out, banging the next gear passing him at about 70 to his now 55. As soon as I got well in front of him, I nailed the brakes. He stopped about 5 feet from my rear bumper. I ran back and asked him WTF he thought he was doing. I then reached in, turned his car off, and took his keys. I then acted as if I threw them into a field across the other side of the road. He was in his car and could only see my motion, not my hand .I put them in my pocket and drove home. I threw his keys in my trash.
I had quite a few such advetures in my youth.
I work in public health, and a bent over little old man came in for a blood pressure check. He had on a t-shirt that said "Goals thru a lifetime" and below was listed the following:
Age 5 - Keep your pants dry
Age 16 - Drive a car
Age 26 - Have lots of sex
Age 35 - Make lots of money
Age 45 - Make lots of money
Age 60 - Have lots of sex
Age 75 - Drive a car
Age 85 - Keep your pants dry
-Jason
IMO, if you cannot even park a vehicle, you should not be driving.
> > > > > > >A message from rural Midwest:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Because of misunderstandings that frequently develop when
> Easterners
> > > and
> > > > > >Californians cross states such as Illinois, Iowa, Kansas,
> Minnesota,
> > > > > >Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North & South Dakota, and Wisconsin,
> > the
> > > > > >Midwest Tourism Councils have adopted a new policy. In an effort to
> > > help
> > > > > >outsiders understand the rural Midwesterner's mind. The following
> > list
> > > > will
> > > > > >be handed to each person as they enter each Midwestern State.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >1. That slope-shouldered farm boy did more work before breakfast
> than
> > > you
> > > > do
> > > > > >all week at the gym.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >2. It's called a 'gravel road'. No matter how slow you drive,
> you're
> > > > going
> > > > > >to get dust on your Navigator. I have a four wheel drive because I
> > need
> > > > it.
> > > > > >Drive it or get it out of my way.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >3. We all started hunting and fishing when we were five years old.
> > > Yeah,
> > > > we
> > > > > >saw Bambi. We got over it.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >4. Any references to 'corn fed' when talking about our women will
> get
> > > you
> > > > > >whipped . . . by our women.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >5. Go ahead and bring your $600 Orvis Fly Rod. Don't cry to us if a
> > > > flathead
> > > > > >breaks it off at the handle. We have a name for those little
> 13-inch
> > > > trout
> > > > > >you fish for...bait.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >6. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of mallards are making
> > their
> > > > final
> > > > > >approach, we will shoot it. You might hope you don't have it up to
> > your
> > > > ear
> > > > > >at that time.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >8. That's right. Whiskey is only two bucks. We can buy a fifth for
> > what
> > > > you
> > > > > >paid for one drink at the airport.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >9. No, there's no "vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak.
> > Order
> > > it
> > > > > >rare. Or, you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the two
> pounds
> > of
> > > > ham
> > > > > >and turkey.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >10. Yeah, we have sweet tea. It comes in a glass with two packets
> of
> > > > sugar
> > > > > >and a long spoon.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >11. You bring Coke into my house, it better be brown, wet and
> served
> > > over
> > > > > >ice!
> > > > > >
> > > > > >12. So you have a sixty-thousand dollar car. We're real impressed.
> We
> > > > have
> > > > > >quarter of a million dollar combine that we only use two weeks a
> > year.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >13. Let's get this straight. We have one stoplight in town. We stop
> > > when
> > > > > >it's red. We may even stop when it's yellow.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >14. Our women hunt, fish, and drive trucks because they want to.
> So,
> > > > you're
> > > > > >a feminist. Isn't that cute.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >15. Yeah, we eat catfish, carp, and turtle, too. You really want
> > sushi
> > > > and
> > > > > >caviar? It's available at the bait shop.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >16. They're pigs. That's what they smell like. Get used it. Don't
> > like
> > > > it?
> > > > > >Interstate 70, 80, 90, and 94 goes two ways and Interstate 29, and
> 35
> > > > goes
> > > > > >the other two ways. Take your pick.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >17. The 'opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's a
> > > religious
> > > > > >holiday. You can get breakfast at the church.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >18. So every person in every pickup waves. It's called being
> > friendly.
> > > > > >Understand the concept.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >19. Yeah, we have golf courses. Don't hit in the water hazards. It
> > > spooks
> > > > > >the fish.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >20. That Highway Patrol Officer that just pulled you over for
> driving
> > > > like
> > > > > >an idiot...his name is 'Sir'...no matter how old he is.
> > > > > >
But we bet you don't know some things. Like, what's a three decka? A packie? How about a rotary? Ever banged a U-ey? Worn dungarees or ordered a frappe? Even a Rhodes scholar would have a tough time deciphering the language Boston calls its own. "New Englanders have had a long and strong tradition of eccentric ways of expressing themselves, especially in Boston," said Boston University Linguistics professor Michael Feldman. "It's very distinctive." Indeed ~ and we'd have a pissah time tryin' to stump ya, then make fun of ya behind ya back .. but that's wicked mean.
Instead, here's a little primer to take with you on the T,while you're on the Common or in the Gahden, maybe catchin' a Pats game or sipping a regulah coffee at Dunkies.
American Chop Suey ~ Found in school cafeterias, this delightful dish doesn't resemble anything American or Chinese. It's macaroni with meat and tomato sauce.
Bangin' a U-ey ~ This is what you do while driving after you miss a turn and you have to turn around.
Book it ~ To high tail someplace, as in, "I better book it to Stah Mahket before it closes."
Bubblah ~ Spelled bubbler, it's a water fountain.
Der ~ An interjection indicating disdain for someone else's stupidity, as in, "The old Gahden was way betta than the Fleet! Der!"
Down Cella ~ The basement. As in; "run down cella and get me a dishtowel outta the drya." Derived from upstairs.
Dungarees ~ Jeans. Hardly heard anymore, unless you're at some sort of senior citizens event.
Frappe ~ What the rest of the nation calls a milkshake. But in Boston, a milkshake is just flavored milk; no ice cream allowed.
Fried and Bizaah ~ Weird. "That dude is wicked fried." "Yah, he's totally bizaah."
Fudge-icle ~ To the rest of the world, a frozen chocolate pop is a Fudgesicle, but in Boston, the 's' is silent.
Hermits and black and whites ~ Cookies. A hermit is a molasses and raisin bar. Black and whites, known anywhere else as half moons or half and halfs, are round, cakelike cookies with chocolate frosting on one half, vanilla on the other.
Jimmies ~ Sprinkles you put on ice cream.
Packie ~ Liquor Store. You'll have to make a packie run if you want a kegga (keg party.)
Pissah ~ Good.
Rotary ~ traffic circle. And in Massachusetts, those in the rotary have the right of way.
Scrod ~ a generic name for white fish. We think it's cod, but no one's sure. Usually breaded and laden with butter.
So Don't I / So Aren't I ~ So do I, So am I. "I have tickets to Aerosmith tonight." "Oh my Gawd, so don't I!" "No Suh!" "Yah huh." "Wicked Pissa!"
Three Decker ~ Pronounced three decka, it's a three story house in which each story is a separate apartment.
A time ~ A party. "We're going to a time for Sully at McGuire's."
Tonic ~ Soda.
Wicked ~ Extremely. "Nomaaah's a wicked good baseball playa."
Yah huh and no suh ~ Yes and no. Usually heard during an intense conversation. "I saw Mickey at Castle Island and he was with another girl." "No SUH!" "Yah huh."
Other tips: Don't say COPEly Square, it's COPley.
Worcester isn't WOOster, it's Wisstah.
Say Commonwealth Avenue, MassachusettsAvenue or Dorchester Avenue and you'll get pinched. It's Comm. Ave, Mass. Ave and Dot. Ave.
> >around
> >talking about their aches and pains.
> >
> > "My arms are so weak I can hardly lift this cup of coffee," said one.
> >
> > "I know what you mean. My cataracts are so bad I can't even see my
> >coffee,"
> >
> >replied another.
> >
> > "I can't turn my head because of the arthritis in my neck," said a
third,
> >to
> >which several nodded weakly in agreement.
> >
> > "My blood pressure pills make me dizzy," another contributed.
> >
> > "I guess that's the price we pay for getting old," winced an old man as
> >he
> >slowly shook his head.
> >
> > Then there was a short moment of silence.
> >
> > "Well, it's not that bad," said one woman cheerfully. "Thank God we can
> >all
> >
> >still drive."
> >
> > >>
> >
After a while, the old farmer would finally wave the person around. They would be full of steam by now, and gun their engine to get around the old smelly tractor. Of course, the 90 degree corner was just on the other side, and they would run off the road into a ditch.
She told me how she was starting to go crazy, waving the birdy to people who cut her off or not let her in, screaming at people who were going faster or slower than her (i.e. George Carlin who said anybody slower than you is an moron, anybody faster is a idiot), etc.
I told her that for her sanity, and more importantly, her safety, she needed to adjust her attitude. If someone is in a hurry, no big deal, move over and let them pass. Why create a dangerous situation? And if someone is going too slow, a minute of waiting for a safe time to pass is not going to ruin your schedule.
In other words, relax. Yes, the other people are morons and idiots, but if you bring yourself to their level, the chance of an accident is going to increase. One of you needs to be smart and drive defensively.
She took my advice and her anxiety and anger dropped off significantly. She had to understand that the person trying to pass was not making a personal statement on her ability to drive, only that they wanted to drive faster than her. If the American people could get this concept through their stubborn noggins, we would have much safer roads, and maybe even an American Autobahn system (yeah, right).
Only 1 in 4 people surveyed by the Oregon Department of Transportation said they believed that speeding is a serious problem yet annual figures show it is a factor in nearly half the fatal accidents around the state.
The study also indicated that speeding along a country road is far more dangerous than urban highways and freeways, with the chances of an accident four times higher in rural areas.
In 2000, the latest year with complete statistics, more than 204,000 Oregonians were convicted of speeding, according to ODOT records. Excessive speed was listed as a factor in 46 percent of all fatal crashes statewide, well above the national average of 30 percent.
In collisions between trucks and cars, the occupants of the car are killed in four out of five crashes in Oregon, according to ODOT figures.
In addition, too many drivers mistakenly believe that a vehicle equipped with antilock brakes will stop faster, officials say.
"Antilock brakes don't stop you any quicker, they just enable you to control the vehicle while you're stopping," Hurd said.
Four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles are more commonplace, too, but also breed a false sense of security, officials say.
"It's the same for everybody -- you've got four little patches of tire scraping along the pavement and if you're going too fast, it takes you that much longer to stop," he said.
The other main factors in highway deaths are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and failure to use safety belts, but officials note that every 1 mph increase in speed raises the risk of injury or death by 10 percent.
"Right now in Oregon, people who choose to drive over the speed limit kill more innocent Oregonians than drunk drivers do," Vitolo said.
National Center for Statistics & Analysis figures indicate that 39 percent of drunken drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to only 14 percent of drivers.
The economic cost also is high, officials said.
The total cost of speeding-related crashes in Oregon in 2000 was estimated at $267 million, according to the statistics center.
Nationally, figures recently released for 2001 estimate the cost at $40.4 billion, or $76,865 per minute.
Yet little time is saved by speeding, officials say.
Driving 10 mph to 15 mph over the speed limit on a typical trip of 10 miles on a 45 mph street saves only up to 3.5 minutes, according to ODOT figures.
Slow down and live to have a Merry Christmas.
"Only 1 in 4 people surveyed by the Oregon Department of Transportation said they believed that speeding is a serious problem yet annual figures show it is a factor in nearly half the fatal accidents around the state."
But being a "factor" in an accident is considerably different from being "the cause" of the accident. Just because someone was exceeding the speed limit doesn't mean it caused the accident or even made it worse. And since virtually everyone speeds, I'd say that if those figures are accurate, they show how little impact speeding really has on highway safety.
And any true definition of "speeding" means "driving too fast for conditions," not "exceeding the posted limit." Driving too fast for conditions can mean taking a 25 mph corner on a back road at 50 mph. It can mean driving 55 mph on an interstate in ice or thick fog (even if the speed limit is normally 65 mph). Considerably different from traveling at 80 mph on a dry interstate highway.
Since I've started posting on Edmunds.com, I've paid special attention to fatal accidents reported in the local paper. The bottom line is that around central Pennsylvania - where I-81, I-83 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike all converge - fatal accidents on rural and urban interstate highways are rare. (Fatal accidents are also rare on city and suburban streets.) And those that do occur on interstate highways aren't caused by speeding. Most fatal accidents are on two-lane country roads. Speeding does cause a fair share of the accidents on country roads, but so do drunk driving and good old-fashioned inattentiveness.
"National Center for Statistics & Analysis figures indicate that 39 percent of drunken drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to only 14 percent of drivers."
So, if we get the drunks to slow down, we've solved a large part of the "speeding" problem...
"'Right now in Oregon, people who choose to drive over the speed limit kill more innocent Oregonians than drunk drivers do,' Vitolo said."
Again, no distinction is made between different types of roads - urban thoroughfares, country roads and interstate highways. Mr. Vitolo also must be unaware of a study conducted in the mid-1980s by the federal government that showed the safest drivers on interstate highways were those who exceeded the flow of traffic (not the speed limit, mind you, but the FLOW OF TRAFFIC) by 10-15 mph. The least safe drivers were those who stayed at the speed limit or slower.
"'It's the same for everybody -- you've got four little patches of tire scraping along the pavement and if you're going too fast, it takes you that much longer to stop,' he said."
Apparently all of the improvements in brakes, suspensions, steering and tires have gone completely unnoticed by him. Somebody get this man a subscription to Car & Driver...
Anyone who wants to reduce traffic fatalities has to stop treating different types of roads in the same way. It's dangerous to exceed the speed limit by 15 mph in residential area. It's dangerous to take sharp curves on two-lane country roads at 20 mph over the speed limit. It's not dangerous to drive 80 mph on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (which has a 65 mph speed limit).
Second, as someone who used to drive 30,000 miles per year on interstate highways, I can say that people who drive the speed limit or slower on the interstates are the WORST drivers. They can't merge properly (FLOOR the accelerator - the engine won't explode!), they rudely block the passing lane (it shouldn't take four miles to pass one car!) and in general show a lack of attentiveness and skill that is annoying and dangerous (just because you're driving slow doesn't mean it's okay to yak on the cell phone.)
I do agree with you when you tell apart "exceeding the speed limit" from "excessive speed when related to the conditions". It's a mistake made all to often here by the successive governments. As a result, still no noticeable drop of the number of road victims. In fact there were more in 2001 than in 2000, despite a growing number of radar controls.