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That is a pc way of saying: So F... in what?
Now I do not know the population of so called "licensed" drivers, but there are app 24 M+ cars in CA state. So if I may reach a bit (24 M * 25%) we are talking of 6 M NON licensed drivers, JUST in CA state. Is this a trend? NAH ! What would make one come to THAT conclusion?
Don't get me going...
Where in CA are you?
A guy driving w/o a license hit my wife's car last year. She was not as attentive as she should have been, but given detail of impact etc. he could have easily avoided the accident had he been driving the speed limit (35 in a residential area) or just braked hard. Guess what? He asked the court for damages against my wife so he could pay his court costs for the charge of driving w/o a license. The prosecutor had a good chuckle about that.
How about this? People who make the rules are forced to prove their case, or are dismissed from their highly paid jobs and windfall benefits.
Speaking of reciprocal licenses, WA is reciprocal with Germany - their tests are a lot harder than ours! I remember taking my test, 20 minutes behind the wheel, too easy.
There's no way I could be a driving instructor either, especially in my neighborhood.
I guess if the bar is set low, more people drive = more gas tax, car sales tax, retail revenue, etc.
Illinois eh?
Recall when I was a little little kid, my father took me along for a vehicle inspection in Crook County, ILL. Before we got out of the car to hand off
to the inspector, my dad put some money on the seat. Don't think
my dad ever had a problem in passing the test.
And yes I declined. I cited him for driving too slow on a very buzy Bay Area freeway. (I.e. average speed day time on that freeway was about 65-80 mph.)
When he got to court I read my notes on the back of the ticket, and the judge, a retired FBI agent zaped him, i.e. max fine.
Good luck to all and stay safe.
jensad
Texas
And no explanation ever as to why limits seemingly arbitrarily change on various pieces of road.
Ludicrous!
Personal experience.
How long ago was this? I have lived in the Chicago area for all my life and cannot remember any time that they had manditory vehicle inspections.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
First one - a person who I won't categorize in an Infiniti FX. Very short driver, barely able to see above the wheel, going 5-10 under with a death grip on the wheel, left lane with traffic streaming around on the right. I think licenses to "new residents" should have specific testing areas based on the origin of the driver.
Second - greybeard in a dirty W124 wagon, going about 5 under. I move around to pass, and we are both suddenly going 10 over. Why do so many of the local dopes speed up when being passed? Should be a capital crime.
Maybe there should be graduated licenses for speed.
I had something similar happen to me last night. I was in the right lane, the other person was driving in the left (not passing anyone of course). As I was catching up, they sped up. As we approached another vehicle, they began to slow down some, but not enough for me to move in front. Then they sped up rapidly, and I got in behind them to pass the vehicle in the right lane. Once I did, they brake checked me a few times. On the 4th brake check, I sped up around them on the right and made the pass.
I really don't understand the concept of getting angry at someone who may pass on the right. The most extreme case I saw was someone driving 60 in a 65, and when I was about to pass, I was curious to see how fast they would go to try and prevent me from passing. At about 105 (guessing they quit at around 95) I cut in front of them and they immediately slowed back down to 60 while I slowed back down to 70.
Not sure what the mentality is, nor do I care. I just want to stick to the right lane, pass when I can, and move back over when I'm finished.
If you don't like being passed on the right, why drive in the left?
About a minute or two later I saw a vehicle camping in the left lane traveling at about 50-55. As I approached and was about to pass, they swerved into the right lane without signaling or looking when I was about 2-4 car lengths behind forcing me to hit the brakes and swerve left to avoid a rear-end collision. They proceeded to swerve through the right lane and off the exit ramp. I then moved back into the right lane and back up to speed until
About a minute or two later I saw another vehicle camping in the left lane traveling at about 50-55. As I approached and was about to pass, they swerved into the right lane without signaling or looking when I was about 2-4 car lengths behind forcing me to hit the brakes and swerve left to avoid a rear-end collision. They proceeded to swerve through the right lane and off the exit ramp. I then moved back into the right lane and back up to speed until
About a minute or two later I saw another vehicle camping in the left lane traveling at about 50-55. As I approached and was about to pass, they swerved into the right lane without signaling or looking when I was about 2-4 car lengths behind forcing me to hit the brakes and swerve left to avoid a rear-end collision. They proceeded to swerve through the right lane and off the exit ramp. I then moved back into the right lane and back up to speed until
About a minute or two later I saw another vehicle camping in the left lane traveling at about 50-55. As I approached and was about to pass, they swerved into the right lane without signaling or looking when I was about 2-4 car lengths behind forcing me to hit the brakes and swerve left to avoid a rear-end collision. They proceeded to swerve through the right lane and off the exit ramp. I then moved back into the right lane and back up to speed until
About a minute or two later I saw another vehicle camping in the left lane traveling at about 50-55. As I approached and was about to pass, they swerved into the right lane without signaling or looking when I was about 2-4 car lengths behind forcing me to hit the brakes and swerve left to avoid a rear-end collision. They proceeded to swerve through the right lane and off the exit ramp. I then proceeded to cuss out the horrible state of NJ and every dang LLC!
Within a span of 8-10 minutes I almost got hit 5 times by these horrible people! Why is it so difficult to pay attention! :mad:
But I do know what you are describing. LLCs are by definition passive-aggressive, so that kind of junk is right up their alley.
I have had the aggressive ones on highways too. I remember once, in the old car, a minivan sped up as I went around, and we got up to about 85 before I got by. Once I passed, I ran just a little over the line to kick up some spray behind me. He backed off fast :shades:
Must have mistaken the brake for the gas pedal.
jensad
CA state distracted driver crackdown
It's funny, where I live, yapping became a primary offense - yet I see as many people doing it as ever.
Souns like you are a long way from the Bay Area. When my beautiful wife retires this year we will travel and hope we canI will seek a new "domicile venue".
Good luck to all and stay safe.
jensad
Must be something about Illinois. Odd too, since that's the only place we really saw much in the way of cops.
Wow, I wish more Officer's were like you and actually cared about safety. I have never seen someone pulled over for driving too slowly, yet I've seen hundreds that were guilty of it. Driving too slowly, especially in the left lane, is much more dangerous than any speeding driver.
1) Faster drivers are probably more confident, and more capable drivers (agreed not 100% of the time, but usually the slow pokes are the worst drivers and that's why they are driving slow on the freeway).
2) Faster drivers are keeping up with traffic and don't get rear-ended as much or as easily.
3) Slow drivers tend to have merging issues where the most danger is (getting on and off the freeway).
4) Since an accident occurs when two objects attempt to occupy the same space at the same time, it is irrelevant what the speed is.
5) True, it takes longer to brake when going faster, you have less ability to change direction when going faster, but you also have less chance of being rear-ended, less chance of being T-boned (less time in the intersection cause your going faster, ect)
6) When you pass bad/slow drivers, your interaction with them is limited to a second or two, whereas a semi-slow driver's interaction with a bad/slow driver is longer, (maybe 5 to 10 seconds).
7) slower drivers are bored drivers, and bored drivers become distracted drivers, sleepy drivers, or inattentive drivers (why do you think bumper hits occur a lot even in bumper to bumper traffic?)
8) The statistics are easy to find, just look up any city's accident statistics from any police angency on what the average speed is of an accident (hint, it's not freeway speeds).
One trip on I70W coming back from the DC area heading toward the PA turnpike, an LLC paced an old RV traveling about 40-50 MPH for about an hour or two. Unfortunately at the time I did not have a 3rd lane as an option. I didn't know about the "brake check method" until many years later.
I should have specified previously, this method is not used for the clueless LLC, but rather the LLC who is intentionally pacing traffic in the right with the intent to hold back traffic.
Actually there are two reasons.
1.) More driving is done at lower speeds than at higher speeds. think about it how much driving do you do over 55 MPH as opposed to under 55 MPH.
2.) Higher speeds are typically driven on wide open limited access highways which by their very nature are safer than city streets and rural roads. So yes its safer to drive 80 MPH on I-39 through Northern Illinois than it is driving 60 MPH on Lower Wacker Drive in Chicago. But that doesn't mean its safer to drive 80 MPH on I-39 than it is to drive 60 MPH on that same portion of road.
About your points.
1.) Confidence does not equate to compentence. The most confident drivers I know are not great drivers. the best drivers I know drive much slower because they recognize difficulties in increasing speed.
2,) While the faster driver has less likelyhood to be rear ended they are more likely to rear end someone. Who is typically at fault, the one rearended or the one who rearends?
3.) I dont see a correlation between the speed one drives and their ability to merge. I have seen fast drivers who did not know how to merge.
4.) Increasing speed makes it harder to avoid occupying the same space at the same time.
5.) While going faster may decrease your chances of getting rear ended as stated above it can increase your chanes of rear ending someone. I would also question your stats on being T-boned. Going slower does give the driver more ability to avoid being T-boned if one sees someone approaching the intersection.
6.) What happens if you pass a fast but slighty slower bad driver or a bad driver who is driving slightly faster than you?
7.) Bad assumption on your part, driving slow does not mean that driver is bored or will be bored. Getting bored while driving would have more to do with the persons personality more than speed. I once drove down I-55 in Central Illinois at the breath taking speed of 5 MPH and trust me it was not boring.
8.) See my first statement.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
That stat is about as useful as the one I learned in driver's ed about the majority of accidents occurring within 25 miles of your home.
They go through the intersection and I pull out behind them. They get to another "Bump" and after learning their lesson went over that one reallllllllllllllllly slllllllllllllllllow.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
In the last 6 months I think I was further than 25 miles from home (as the crow flies) once.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D