NICE people SUCK!

“When I took defensive driving they said 10 seconds minimum. 12 was better.”

“LOL! You have to be joking! That's like 300 yards on the highway!




last edited: 1/16/08 9:08:13 AM”

“Well, in AZ at least, if you rear end someone, you will get the ticket. It doesn't matter if some a-hole pulls in front of you and slams on his brakes (a very common scam, I hear). You can tell the cop until you're blue in the face that you used the 4 second rule or whatever, but if you rear end someone, you will be ticketed for not leaving enough room to avoid an accident.

The point is that the faster you are going, the more room it will take you to stop. I've had a guy tailgate me so tight while going 80 mph, that I couldn't even see his front bumper in my rear view mirror. If I had to brake, he'd be in my backseat.
last edited: 1/16/08 9:19:25 AM”

“At 60mph, your distance to break is approximately 180', including a 60' reaction distance, so with the 10 second rule, you could come to a complete stop 5 times, assuming your car goes 0 to 60 in 0 seconds.”

“My drivers ed teacher (boy that was 27 years ago) used to say that they only thing you can control for sure is the distance between you and the car ahead of you.


So ifyou have someone that tight on you, give yourself more room to react to traffic ahead of you. If you are forced to hit the brakes quickly than, yes, he will end up in your rear seat. If you have some time to slow down you might have a chance.



i am willing to admit that I have ended up in the median strip or shoulder (to the left of the left lane) more than once in morning rush hour.

Sometimes because I have missed a cue and "all of sudden" traffic is stopping in front of me. Other times because I have NO confidence the guy in back of me will stop.


As I get older it is less often reason #1 and more often reason #2.


There was the day that I came to a stop off the left, with my wheels in the grass . . . .and the guy behind me stopped in a cloud of his own smoking rubber just behind the bumper of the car that I had been following. In that foot of room . . .there really wasn't any room for my Subaru . . .and I am glad it wasn't there.”

“I've come to that realization lately. I used to try to brake slowly so that the guy in back of me wouldn't hit me. However, many times, that would just barely give me enough room to stop or swerve.

But, like you said, I just have to worry about the guy in front of me. If the guy behind me is going to hit me, he's going to hit me. There's not a lot I can do about that. Often, swerving is not an option on our freeways.”

“You said "I've come to that realization lately. I used to try to brake slowly so that the guy in back of me wouldn't hit me. However, many times, that would just barely give me enough room to stop or swerve."


Yup. Funny how long it took me to conclude this. Only been driving for .. . 27 years.


I just try to leave enough room up front. Or try to move over and let the cheeseball go.

I will admit . . ..at 80 mph there really aren't that many folks trying to get by me. And I am happy to let them go if they are.”

“I will admit . . ..at 80 mph there really aren't that many folks trying to get by me. And I am happy to let them go if they are.”
lee


Haven't been driving around here before, huh Lee? ;)

Or the 95 corridor between Florida and I26 in SC. That gets scary.”

“I would say most people in the fast lane on CA Interstates travel in the 85-90 mph range.”

“The speed limit on the county road I take to town is 55. I usually drive 50, more out of concern for hitting a deer than anything else, Nonetheless, I hit one New Years Eve and well may have totaled my old truck. I try to leave about a mile between me and the guy in front.”