Car Tech: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving?
- 5/30/07 11:37 AM
Drugs, licit and illegal, including booze
by Ngallendou - 5/30/07 6:12 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Impaired awareness, slowed reflexes, dulled judgement,
complicated by the anger and irrationality that accompany
foolish behaviour and addictions.
the bad drivers themselves
by jfalsken - 5/30/07 6:16 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
They are doing everything else on the list, while they are suppost to be driving. Reaching for things takes your eyes off the road and is a major cause for accidents. Not having both hands on the steering wheel makes it hard to complete proper turns and in most cases forces people to either turn to short or too wide. Eatting and you spill in your lap and then you have to deal with the mess and if it was coffee oh my! 2nd degree burns occur! The GPS systems show things that just aren't open anymore. What's good in that, you spend more time and gas looking for something that isn't there at all. It cost Kim his life just last year! Everything on the list can lead to problems while driving!
Threats to safe driving.
by cmarsden - 5/30/07 6:17 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The car does not drive itself!
Threats to safe driving
by horseperson - 5/30/07 6:32 PM In reply to: Threats to safe driving. by cmarsdenGood one! I wondered how long it would be before some wit would point that point out! Driving while under the influence of alcohol is illegal pretty much everywhere. (same with certain cold tablets, as well as the illegal drugs.) So, if you overindulge, don't drive.
what i think is the biggest threat to safe driving
by mmbrennan - 5/30/07 6:25 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
People are the biggest threat because most do not know how to drive. they don't know the rules of safe driving,nor do they care. Not every one falls into this catagory.most drivers can opperate a motor vehecil without any problems at all.most of these nonsence laws are people who need to reconised and stay up nights thinking of ways to make roads safer because that they themselfs are the cause of most problems on the roads. they can't drive in the first place.
...biggest threat to safe driving?
by marikavs - 5/30/07 6:34 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This is a nobrainer... All of the above, of course! Anything that's distracting to the driver is a threat.
Bad Drivers
by Bageech - 5/30/07 6:36 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Bad drivers do not think ahead. Changes in traffic are a surprise to them and their reaction is eratic. When the light changes they don't anticipate it and so they have to think about what to do next. They are not able to read traffic. This also leads to eratic behavior.
CELL PHONES IN USE
by reneeinmay - 5/30/07 6:36 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have seen lines of traffic being held up because some thoughtless nut is so involved in their conversation that they are crawling on the left hand side (passing on the right is supposed to be a no-no) and then when they have finished their conversation, speed up like a Bat Out of Hell; while in the meantime they have caused numerous drivers to not catch the lights and creep behind them. They act like they can't live without them. If they need to use the cell phone then get OFF THE HIGHWAY and use it, but not while driving. To put this in short words, SHUT UP, HANG UP & DRIVE! The world evolved just fine without cell phones, especially while driving in vehicles.
Bad Drivers
by amichaudjr - 5/30/07 6:36 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There are always those drivers that think the roads were just made for them and their are no rules except what they make of them.
Bad drivers are bad drivers
by Jacksafro - 5/30/07 6:36 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Bad drivers are just that - bad drivers - it doesn't matter whether they have a cell phone attached to their ear, screaming kids in the back seat they have turned around to admonish, reading a huge map or the news or a book or writing checks on the steering wheel, dashboard dining, pets in their lap or hanging out the window or in the truck bed, gabbing with their friends, playing thumping music, tailgating, rushing through traffic,or changing their clothes at 60mph, bad drivers are bad drivers PERIOD!
I don't see that any one particular group as being MORE hazardous than another. I have a mobile service business and travel everyday hundreds of miles through the cities and in rural areas.
I've seen all sorts of things done behind the wheel. And not just cars - 18 wheelers, motorcycles, even on bicycles!
People do not realize the human body was NOT designed to travel any faster than it can run (and that isn't very fast). We strap ourselves in( well, those of us that choose to use a seat belt) to a 2 ton (or more) flammable fueled missile, that IS considered a deadly weapon, and hurtle ourselves along at breakneck speeds even when obeying the traffic signs!
Driving is a HUGE privelage and ought to be seen as such! Instead Americans,at least, think that driving is a God given or patriotic right! Harumph! Insurance companies love the heck out of the fact that responsible drivers recognize there are many IRresponsible drivers on the road and are willing to pay for THEM in the guise of "uninsured motorists clauses".
My answer would be to pull any license and confiscate the car for anyone that has a third speeding infraction or tailgating accident where no one was hurt. If you cause an accident resulting in bodily harm or death - then that's it - NO MORE DRIVING!
Don't get me started on drunk drivers!
And how about those cars we all see in the store parking lots with bald tires? Think THOSE people are safe drivers? Heck NO! I say put a parking boot on the car and let it stay parked until they buy safer tires for it!
Make these unsafe drivers wear out their shoe leather for awhile and we might see a rise in safer roads!
Responsibility starts with oneself, especially when one knows they will be held accountable for their actions!
Ignorance and complacency
by cptdrinian - 5/30/07 6:38 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You've listed a number of items that contribute to making one driver bad as opposed to another but they are not the cause. The causes of bad driving are ignorance and complacency. People who ignore the rules of the road are a danger not only to you and I, but to themselves. Being granted a driver license does not allow you to put me at risk because you're angry, in a hurry, lost, or simply not paying attention. Being granted a license to drive means that you've passed written and road tests which indicate to the proctors that you've grasped the basic rules of the road and laws on the books to promote a safe driving environment.
It means that you understand what the road signs mean and that you intend to abide by them. When the speed limit is posted at 70 MPH that means 70 MPH, not 85 because you happen to be in the number 1 lane. Speed limits are posted because the road has been surveyed as to how fast cars may travel safely and not try to break the laws of physics by shoving two pieces of mass in the same physical space. This is driving folks, not vehicle fusion. The term "speed limit" is implicit in its meaning that it is a LIMIT.
It means passing on the left of another driver so that driver can clearly see your actions in relation to his or her vehicle. The lanes to the right are for those vehicles not capable of driving at the speed limit either due to power capacity or size. They are also there to provide the space necessary for other drivers to build up the speed necessary to merge into the lanes of traffic and not for you to dodge in and out at a rate of speed higher than those lanes allow.
It means that you SHARE the road with other drivers, not that you OWN a 10 foot radius around your car. You would all be surprised at just how much faster traffic would move along if you would simply leave room for others to navigate and merge rather than cut them off or attempt to beat them only to gain another few feet. Traffic is traffic and it is not going to move any faster with you bearing down on the car ahead of you. And if you drive this way because you're in a hurry then who's fault is that? not mine so why should I end up paying for your bad scheduling decisions which resulted in you being late for work?
It means that you will not force me and others to listen to crap music at decibels that would rattle the paint off my car as I idle next to you at a signal light. This way you can hear what is going on which is just as important as the visual aspect of driving. If you wish to listen to music that loud then be courteous and roll up your windows and keep it to yourself as not everyone has your poor taste in music.
Complacency is the other issue which detracts from a drivers ability to perform the task of properly handling a motor vehicle. All of you who drive a particular stretch of road every single day are the worst offenders because you all simply stop paying attention to what is going on around you. How many of you can state with certainty what road signs are new if you are not alert to changes. Complacency will also make drivers engage in actions that they would not otherwise. You will tend to drive faster than you are physically capable because you get comfortable and then you stop paying attention.
In short people are bad drivers because they choose to be, because it is easier than doing the right thing.
Cell Phones - extreme hazard
by redjelly39 - 5/30/07 6:42 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I was bumped into one night by a woman talking on her cell phone and she never even knew she had hit me. I was honking at her and she was so involved with her conversation she didn't hear me until I got next to her and flagged her over. Damage was minimal to my old beater van and she even tried to deny she hit me until I showed her cars paint on my fender.
There was a study done with people talking on cell phones and when having a normal conversation, the drivers were navigating sloppy and hitting the occasional pylon but when asked a math question, the drivers would completely lose it and hit every pylon.
The conversations could be emotional & challenging that could cause a person to lose focus while operating a 2000 lb speeding sledgehammer.
I will either not answer my phone or tell people I will call them back as soon as I pull over or get to where I am going. I really do not like to talk while driving anyway, I have to watch out for all the other cell phone drivers.
Very bad example of using a cell phone
by Snorri - 5/30/07 7:13 PM In reply to: Cell Phones - extreme hazard by redjelly39A few years ago I saw an accident where a woman was talking on a cell phone and went right through a red light. It was icy and she hit a car which spun around in the middle of the intersection. The woman did not stop for almost a block and never put down the phone. I started hearing sirens and as I passed her she was still talking as if nothing had happened.
bad drivers was an obvious answer
by john resler(nakedjazzman) - 5/30/07 6:46 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
While each of the items listed are a distraction on its own they are all part of what feeds into his bad driving practices. If you ran the poll with out the bad driver answer you would find a much different display of answers. BTW you missed the largest cause of accidents (according to a survey of National Insurance Research Group) sexual fantasies while driving.
Self Absorbed
by vrod2003 - 5/30/07 7:01 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Apparently a history lesson is needed. Remember when you were a kid in the car? Were there distractions? Yes, usually you or you and your siblings. Were there people driving at high speeds while others crept along? Yes, the speed limit was a minimum of 70 in most places and many states had no limits. Were there people eating, drinking and driving? Yes, if you recall, it was the era of the drive-in theater, drive up fast food, and even Quicker Liquor drive thru stores.
So, what is the primary difference today? Speeds have actually come down. The cars are much safer and actually weigh much less. The traffic laws are tougher and more strictly enforced.
People are so stressed and overwhelmed today that they are completely self-absorbed. It is almost as if everyone else is invisible. The driver is cruising down the road, talking on the cell phone, iPod connected to the stereo or XM satellite playing Howard Stern, while the kids are singing along to their DVD's in the back seat while munching away on their Happy Meals or doing their homework on their laptops or text messaging their best friends. As drivers we no longer have enough brain capacity to recognize and acknowledge the other drivers and the complex driving conditions that now exist.
For instance, there are a lot more people and cars on the road now than ever before. Car pooling and HOV lane use are at all time lows, despite gas prices. In addition to cars there are a multitude of other vehicles we must share the road with, most of which we tend to ignore, such as motorcycles, scooters, and anything that is not a SUV or minivan. There are an enormous number of large trucks on the road which are definitely not paying attention to everyone around them.
My wife will tell you that I am a pessimist, but I see myself as more of a pragmatist. Either way, I don't see any remedy in my lifetime. I have a cousin who is recovering from a brain tumor and has lost his peripheral vision. He is 50 years old and a salesman his entire life and now he can not drive an automobile. I understand how important the PRIVILEGE of driving can be and how our economy has been built on the principle. Still, if we want to stop the carnage, and yes, that is the correct way to describe it - we must make serious changes to the system that would have a big impact on the economy in the short run. It is not going to happen people. So, I suggest you at least buy a safe care because the chances are pretty good that you will, if you have not already, be a statistic. Speaking of which, here they are:
National Highway Traffic Safety - National Center for Statistics and Analysis - 2005 data
Fatal Crashes - 39,189
# Vehicles - Passenger Cars 25,029 Light Trucks 22,838 Heavy Trucks 4,932 Motorcycles 4,655
# of Fatalaties - 43,443
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