Driving: The art of accident avoidance

[84porsche]

Driving used to be a privilege but it has really gotten to the point where everyone can have a license and abuse it. I am going to rant a little. Today was a beautiful morning to take the P-car out so I did. The ride to work was wonderful and having a Targa made it that much better. The way home on the other hand was disgraceful. I have never seen such crappy driving/drivers in my life. I was driving in the city of Irvine on side streets and the 5 freeway for those that know it. It begins when I was getting on the freeway.
(1) Big rig passes my on-ramp doing 75-80 mph doesn't let me get on the freeway. Finally I have my chance and another truck behind him moves up and tailgates the truck and forces me into the shoulder, I was out of room. This was only the beginning.
(2) Making a left turn (two lanes) broken down car in one of the lanes. The guy is just sitting in his car not doing anything as if he doesn't know that he should at least move the car to a safer area where he won't get rearended. I am stuck 2 cars behind him trying to make the turn and with signal, no one will let me in, another truck almost smashes the drivers door in - came within 2 inches.
(3) Get into a parking lot to pick something up and accident #3 almost happens. PT crusier starts backing up right into my car within 3 inches this time except to the passenger side.

Drving is fun (Porsche runs etc.) but really driving today is an art form or survival of the fittest car and driver. It seems everyone has become self-centered more and more and everybody is worried about themselves. I am no where near a great driver but I do have patience and I believe in common courtesy. If everyone would practice this, the roads would be a lot safer. I wish I could propose the DMV to make the driving test harder so that people become safer drivers and realize that they are not only affecting themselves but everyone else also. Today I was lucky but others (Philip) have not been as lucky. How can we improve driving? Ok I am done ranting. Opinions?

[singpilot]

Ditto.

[Bill Douglas]

I think it would be rather interesting if all drivers had to re-sit their licence after 10 or 20 years. I know for a fact there are a lot of road rules that come as a complete suprise to experianced drivers.

Plus enforced "manners" might be interesting too.

[Mulholland]

If California had right to carry permits, people would be a lot nicer.

[singpilot]

Mul;

They just bypassed the permits part.

This morning they arrested two 9 year olds having a scuffle on a street here in 'South Central' LA.

The police got more than passing interested when they watched as one of the 9 year olds pulled a blue steel revolver from his coat and squeezed the trigger at the other 9 year old's head. The 22 caliber revolver only had 5 live rounds in the 6 chambers. He happened to get the empty chamber. Said to the police that he meant to blow the kid away.

What do you do when a 9 year old pulls a loaded gun?

[Aurel]

Same here in New-Jersey. People drive like $hit. The thing I hate most is people who don`t understand that following at one car distance when you are doing 80 mph is way too short. But you have no choice, because if you leave more than one car distance, some idiot will sneak in anyways, so that he can arrive home 10 seconds earlier. It is a vicious circle. I always try leave enough space between me and others, but others constantly try to take that space. It is especially nuts on friday afternoons. I noticed the average speed is close to 85 mph, and the traffic extremely dense.
People want to be on a week-end, but what`s the point of arriving dead ?

Aurel

[Mulholland]

Originally posted by singpilot
What do you do when a 9 year old pulls a loaded gun?

Gun control and disallowing concealed carry laws only hurts the law abiding citizens...It makes them vulnerable and criminals more brazen.

[ubiquity0]

Easier access to guns- just what the kids need

(CDC, 1997)
Firearms Deaths by Mode of Death for Children <15 Years of Age
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