I saw a crash, and had zero sympathy.

[GH85Carrera]

We were on I-40 just a few minutes ago, going through downtown Oklahoma City. Nice smooth 4 lanes wide with the extra lanes for off ramps and moderate traffic. Compared to LA, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and other major metropolitan cities it was light traffic and those drivers would ask where is the traffic. We were all rolling along at 65 in a 60 MPH speed limit zone.

As always I leave 5 or 6 car lengths of space between the car in front of me. I glanced in my rear view mirror to see if I had room to get around a slow moving pickup pulling an empty trailer. There was some generic little econo box coming up FAST, likely 80+ MPH, behind me one lane over. I just waited for him to blast around me, cut in front of me, zig and zag through traffic like in movie chase scenes. My wife exclaimed "that idiot is what causes accidents!" as the idiot went from far left to far right lanes looking for open places to get around traffic.

A few seconds later we saw a sea of tail lights. Sure enough, he was smashed up against the concrete wall divider. The cops were there already. The driver was out of the car, with his hands clasping the top of his head. I sure hope the cop saw the accident and has a full ticket book. The cop was not in pursuit as there was no flashing lights behind the idiot. Steam pouring out from the smashed front end of the car.

So one idiot off the road, and evidently the safety of modern cars kept him unhurt. That car is totaled, and the police were there so he will have some explaining to do. Hopefully he looses his license for a time, and has to pay some tickets.

I have done some stupid driving in my youth, but I never tried to drive like that idiot. My (alleged) speeding was in the open spaces, away from traffic. I have never, ever, totaled any vehicle. I have not had a ticket in this millennium, and not one crash in this millennium. My last crash was in 1978 when I really thought the lady was going to stop at the 4 way stop sign. And that was just a minor fender bender that was her fault. I have owned my 911 for 31 years, driven it to 41 states and Canada, over 125,000 miles. Not one ticket or crash. I have owned my El Camino for 35 years and 350,000 miles and not one ticket or crash.

[masraum]

Sometimes Darwin chooses a life lesson instead of the ultimate prize. Hopefully, he learned something.

[LWJ]

Motor vehicles are an easy way for Darwin to work his magic. Sad that idiots sometimes take innocents with them.

[Zeke]

Unfortunately (fortunate for other drivers) this doesn't happen enough. You have no sympathy, I actually wish for a crash as long at it's a one car crash. But, that won't always be the case so I guess I just have to shake my head and keep going.

I have, though, often wondered if I would do any harm to someone really stupid when I could be assisting. I suspect though, that if they were in a lot of pain that I would nail them right at the jaw/ear and knock them unconscious.

My wife was visiting with her sister in AL doing the speed limit (she was far from a slow poke) when a car behind her pulled out to pass on a rural 2-lane road. This resulted in a horrific head on right just to the rear of her, and neither car hit hers by some luck. She got out to go help the other drivers involved. All dead on the spot. Middle aged couple nailed by a lone younger driver. AL rural roads all have a crown and a ditch. She wouldn't have had the ability to pull someone out of a ditch if there was a fire.

I don't know if I could handle that. She worked in the ER in a hospital at the time. I guess she's seen it all.

[bugstrider]

Please tell us that you rolled down your window and yelled to the driver… “you can’t park there!”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GH85Carrera]

We just saw on the local news, the idiot driver weaving in and out clipped the cop car, and that is what spun him into the wall!

He was taken to the hospital, and reported to be OK. The cop was uninjured. He sure will not talk his way out of that mess. Giggle giggle.

So no wonder the cop was right there, Johnny on the spot, he was part of the crash! I am glad no one was really hurt, too bad the cop did not give him a wood shampoo, but the cop would be in trouble if he did.

The TV station had footage of the car shot from their helicopter. And the car was not just smoking from the broken radiator, it actually caught on fire. The fire department was there quickly to put it out.

We got lucky we got past before the big traffic backup from the fire department putting out the fire.

[Randolph]

Wait a second, you leave 5-6 car lengths in front of you? Please tell me you are always in the far right lane. 3rd in 4 lane with no traffic is almost acceptable so that might have been ok too.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by bugstrider

Please tell us that you rolled down your window and yelled to the driver… “you can’t park there!”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

LOL!

I've got a buddy that works for a company in the next building over in Houston. Yesterday he texted me and another buddy (we work for the same company in the building across the street), and said, "hey, look out your window". There were a bunch of policy and a fire truck with some lanes closed down. Then I noticed that there was a white pickup in the landscaping outside our building.

I thought "you can't park there" when I saw it.

I was later told that the guy had a heart attack. I figure (assuming he lived) that running up over the curb and sidewalk and into the landscaping was probably lucky for him. THat's the sort of thing that gets attention compared to just pulling over on the side of the road and dying.

[GH85Carrera]

I was in the 2nd from the right, as my exit to the right was about 2 miles ahead. I always leave lots of room in front of me. I have no ABS, and have no interest in rear ending anyone. We did come to a complete stop and just moved past the wreck at a few miles per hour.

The old "rule of thumb" was leave one car length per 10 MPH you are traveling. My reactions are not quite that of a F1 driver.

[Randolph]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I was in the 2nd from the right, as my exit to the right was about 2 miles ahead. I always leave lots of room in front of me. I have no ABS, and have no interest in rear ending anyone. We did come to a complete stop and just moved past the wreck at a few miles per hour.

The old "rule of thumb" was leave one car length per 10 MPH you are traveling. My reactions are not quite that of a F1 driver.

That's reasonable but with no ABS and guessing you were driving the El Camino, you ought to always be in the right lane as a courtesy to everyone else with modern cars with modern brakes and suspensions.

I see young kids all the time that have no idea how to drive on the highway doing 65 in the lefthand lane, having no self-awareness of drivers around them, it's like they all drive high just tooling along no matter the traffic around them.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

the idiot driver weaving in and out clipped the cop car, and that is what spun him into the wall!

That's best case scenario. If you've got to involve someone else in your stupidity, make it a cop.

[pwd72s]

I was wondering how you could leave 5-6 car lengths in front of you. Good luck doing that on I-5 if anwhere near Portland, Salem, or Eugene...

[GH85Carrera]

And is only part of it. Reaction time is more. People tailgating are the biggest issue. Abs will not save you following two cars lengths behind

[MMARSH]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

I was wondering how you could leave 5-6 car lengths in front of you. Good luck doing that on I-5 if anwhere near Portland, Salem, or Eugene...

Same here, not gonna happen. Cars will jump in with that much space......

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Randolph

Wait a second, you leave 5-6 car lengths in front of you? Please tell me you are always in the far right lane. 3rd in 4 lane with no traffic is almost acceptable so that might have been ok too.

WTF? I have 4 to 5 car lengths in front of me no matter what lane on a highway, or more at 70 MPH. A "car length" is not 25 feet. If someone needs that space, I just back off. I will say if I can't read the front plate of the driver behind me I move over. 80% of the people out on the freeway know the drill. They commute every day. The other 20% come in all types. Nothing you can do about people with no common sense other than you hope you never see them again. There will be many others taking their place.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Zeke

WTF? I have 4 to 5 car lengths in front of me no matter what lane on a highway, or more at 70 MPH. A "car length" is not 25 feet. If someone needs that space, I just back off. I will say if I can't read the front plate of the driver behind me I move over. 80% of the people out on the freeway know the drill. They commute every day. The other 20% come in all types. Nothing you can do about people with no common sense other than you hope you never see them again. There will be many others taking their place.

Exactly. I don't try to drive defenselessly at all times.

[A930Rocket]

So this douche bag pit’d himself on a cop car, after weaving in and out of traffic. Job well done.

I see people weaving in and out all the time and I’m amazed there’s not more accidents.

Whatever my safe space is between my truck and the vehicle in front of me, must be big, because cars pull in front of me. Sometimes I can’t see their license plate.

[Randolph]

Originally Posted by Zeke

WTF? I have 4 to 5 car lengths in front of me no matter what lane on a highway, or more at 70 MPH. A "car length" is not 25 feet. If someone needs that space, I just back off. I will say if I can't read the front plate of the driver behind me I move over. 80% of the people out on the freeway know the drill. They commute every day. The other 20% come in all types. Nothing you can do about people with no common sense other than you hope you never see them again. There will be many others taking their place.

Milt, my highest priority in driving is being considerate. From that, everything like safety flows. I am constantly looking ahead, to my right (mostly) and left, and in back of me. Constantly. I'm always looking 1+ miles ahead to see what traffic is doing. I'm looking to see what kinds of cars are around me, what they can do for braking, accelerating, changing lanes... I'm looking to see if anyone is coming up fast behind me, even with me at 80 in the left hand lane, so I can safely prepare to move over to them go by with no drama. No, I'm not the guy who says 80 is fast enough, you can go around me. I always think, maybe this guy has an emergency. Who knows. But removing drama from driving works.

Being constantly considerate of other drivers around me combined with the kinds of cars I drive makes me a very safe driver who can easily do 80+ with 2 car lengths ahead of me, like nearly every car in front of me and behind when traffic is flowing or when inconsiderate drivers are on the road causing traffic. When I go to my plater or anodizer, it's a solid 40+ minutes of highway, I always time to avoid traffic but invariably either young people or old people (also anyone from Maine, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida) feel like doing 65 in the left lane with braking for no reason with all 4 lanes across because the 3 to the right are doing pretty much what they should be doing. Happened twice last week, was in traffic for no reason, figured construction, got to the top of a rolling hill looking down and there it was, the left lane car creating a barrier with more than a full quarter mile of OPEN ROAD ahead of the lead cars. It took some time to safely get past him, old guy in a Camry. Not always old guys, young kids too.

If I ever win the lottery with serious mega millions, I will create roadside billboard artwork, probably in a 1950s style design, educating people how to be better, considerate drivers on the road.

In terms of ABS not saving you, I agree. But hand of god brake calipers and high performance tires, with driving considerately, does save you. All of my cars I drive on the highway can outbrake nearly anything, safely. Combined with my motorcycle-driven constant, and I mean constant, attention to the road means I can drive fast and safely and want everyone else to do the same and if they can't or don't have the cars, then the far right lane is for them.

I don't drive my 1981 Scirocco on the highway for this very reason. It's not safe.

Be considerate when driving. Everything else flows from there.

Peace.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Randolph

Wait a second, you leave 5-6 car lengths in front of you? Please tell me you are always in the far right lane. 3rd in 4 lane with no traffic is almost acceptable so that might have been ok too.

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I was in the 2nd from the right, as my exit to the right was about 2 miles ahead. I always leave lots of room in front of me. I have no ABS, and have no interest in rear ending anyone. We did come to a complete stop and just moved past the wreck at a few miles per hour.

The old "rule of thumb" was leave one car length per 10 MPH you are traveling. My reactions are not quite that of a F1 driver.

Interesting, I've always learned that you leave "2 seconds" of space between you and the car ahead which adjusts for speed. The car ahead passes some landmark (street sign, whatever) and you count, 1 mississippi - 2 mississippi, and then you should pass the landmark. I don't always follow that rule in traffic. I mostly follow it, but there are times when I do not. I should, but...

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Randolph

Milt, my highest priority in driving is being considerate. From that, everything like safety flows. I am constantly looking ahead, to my right (mostly) and left, and in back of me. Constantly. I'm always looking 1+ miles ahead to see what traffic is doing. I'm looking to see what kinds of cars are around me, what they can do for braking, accelerating, changing lanes... I'm looking to see if anyone is coming up fast behind me, even with me at 80 in the left hand lane, so I can safely prepare to move over to them go by with no drama. No, I'm not the guy who says 80 is fast enough, you can go around me. I always think, maybe this guy has an emergency. Who knows. But removing drama from driving works.

Being constantly considerate of other drivers around me combined with the kinds of cars I drive makes me a very safe driver who can easily do 80+ with 2 car lengths ahead of me, like nearly every car in front of me and behind when traffic is flowing or when inconsiderate drivers are on the road causing traffic. When I go to my plater or anodizer, it's a solid 40+ minutes of highway, I always time to avoid traffic but invariably either young people or old people (also anyone from Maine, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida) feel like doing 65 in the left lane with braking for no reason with all 4 lanes across because the 3 to the right are doing pretty much what they should be doing. Happened twice last week, was in traffic for no reason, figured construction, got to the top of a rolling hill looking down and there it was, the left lane car creating a barrier with more than a full quarter mile of OPEN ROAD ahead of the lead cars. It took some time to safely get past him, old guy in a Camry. Not always old guys, young kids too.

If I ever win the lottery with serious mega millions, I will create roadside billboard artwork, probably in a 1950s style design, educating people how to be better, considerate drivers on the road.

In terms of ABS not saving you, I agree. But hand of god brake calipers and high performance tires, with driving considerately, does save you. All of my cars I drive on the highway can outbrake nearly anything, safely. Combined with my motorcycle-driven constant, and I mean constant, attention to the road means I can drive fast and safely and want everyone else to do the same and if they can't or don't have the cars, then the far right lane is for them.

I don't drive my 1981 Scirocco on the highway for this very reason. It's not safe.

Be considerate when driving. Everything else flows from there.

Peace.

But can the cars (or trucks) behind you two cars lengths distance stop that fast? You may well be rear ended very hard.