Remember Don't Drink & Drive?

[KmH]

Now it's Don't Phone or Drink & Drive.
Smartphones are killing Americans, but nobody’s counting

 

[NancyMoranG]

Good article.
I learned to drive in '73 and it wasn't a crime to drive drunk! Unbelievable!

We drive in an Rv and can see down into cars . It is amazing to see people texting while driving.

Don't know where I saw it posted but somewhere inEurope has a different driving test. It tells the driver they do NOT get their license until they pass the course WHILE texting!
After numerous cones are mowed down, stop signs run through etc...the new driver actually exclaims 'it's impossible to text and drive!'
Hmmm...

 

[Overread]

Driving is deadly; but I also put a huge onus on the fact that no country forces you to do a retest (that I'm aware of).; unless you crash/get caught.

In most industries even if you're working with tools/machines every day you still have to go on refresher courses. The more deadly the machine the more often you have to take those refresher courses; or the more likely its legislation changes again the more likely you'll have more refreshers.

With driving you do the test once and that's it. Unless you lose your licence you're pretty much set and the next date is your "old age" one. So that's a huge block of time to get bad habits; to forget good practice; to get over confident and start doing stuff you know you shouldn't - eating, smoking, texting, drinking etc...

I still hold that if you had to do a refresher course every 5 or so years it would have a positive effect.

 

[KmH]

Every time I'm out driving I see that the average American driver is at best a mediocre driver.

And it's not just about texting, it's also about doing anything on the phone.
It's about maintaining situational awareness. It's about signaling your intentions. It's about following the rules of the road.

But unfortunately, common sense seems to be less common these days.

 

[Destin]

Every time I'm out driving I see that the average American driver is at best a mediocre driver.

And it's not just about texting, it's also about doing anything on the phone.
It's about maintaining situational awareness. It's about signaling your intentions. It's about following the rules of the road.

But unfortunately, common sense seems to be less common these days.

Agreed. Most people driving a vehicle on the road have no business doing so.

Even without any distractions the average American has a hard time driving competently. I used to be a competitive cyclist, but I won’t even ride on the road anymore with the prevalence of distracted driving.

I also sold my motorcycle in part due to irresponsible drivers... though I am looking at buying another one soon because the itch has struck me.

 

[NancyMoranG]

I really have to wonder at people who have ALL kinds of things hanging from their rear view mirror!
I know I am old, but when I learned, it was illegal. Your entire view was to be free so that you could view a sudden movement from the side, such as a kid chasing a ball into street.
Now, they can't even SEE with a huge blind spot created by these Mardi Gras beads, their work badge, etc. And the swinging movement of their beads discounts the unexpected movement from the side.

And in my Tundra, the side view mirrors are so big, I definitely know there is a blind spot.
Wonder if anyone keeps track of types of vehicles are involved in the bike, pedestrian fatalities?

 

[webestang64]

I also sold my motorcycle in part due to irresponsible drivers... though I am looking at buying another one soon because the itch has struck me.

I had a motorcycle in the 80's. Never feared for my life on the road back then. Now I fear for my life and I drive a big 96 Ford Crown Vic.

 

[jcdeboever]

I see it all day, every day. It's incredible. Even witnessed a guy around my age slam into the back of someones car on I69. I watched it happen, and I knew it was gonna happen. Ill be honest, I've answered the phone while not on blue tooth, I don't even like doing that. I don't text or surf though but I see people doing it continuously. I have got into the habit of making sure Bluetooth is on, at least my hands are on the wheel. Most of the time, I don't answer it unless I am on a long drive. The fine for our drivers is $10,000 to the company, if caught on a non blue tooth headset.

 

[KmH]

Yet if you ask most people if they are a good driver they will say that they are.

The last couple of years the number of people killed in car crashes has gone up - over 100 people a day die in car crashes.
We won't even mention the thousands injured daily.
Don't wonder why car insurance costs what it does.

 

[RowdyRay]

Every time I'm out driving I see that the average American driver is at best a mediocre driver.

And it's not just about texting, it's also about doing anything on the phone.
It's about maintaining situational awareness. It's about signaling your intentions. It's about following the rules of the road.

But unfortunately, common sense seems to be less common these days.

Got that right. Common sense is a thing of the past. For the last 28 years, I've driven a handicapped transportation van. Every year it gets worse. You wouldn't believe what I witness, and avoid, every day.

It's not just the phone. The only thing you should be doing while behind the wheel, is driving. Not eating, putting on your makeup, disciplining your children, reaching for something......just drive the F'n car. Nobody should have to make evasive maneuvers because of your stupidity.

Unfortunately, there isn't enough officers out there to catch them and enforce the rules. And punishment isn't sever enough to make people stop. Jack the fine up to 1,000.00 for texting or distracted driving. I have nothing to worry about.

BTW, I have over 3 million miles in work trucks. No moving violations. Two accidents. Rear ended by inattentive drivers. Both were cited. No idea how many miles on personal vehicles in almost 40 years of driving. No moving violations. One motorcycle accident. Guess who's fault that was. Yet, I can barely afford a 17 year old truck with basic liability. Thanks to no fault insurance, I'm forced to pay for brain dead morons.

 

[Dave442]

I read that article a few days ago and I think it made me hypersensitive to the number of people looking at their phone while driving. Just today a driver almost hit me as they were making a turn while glancing down at their phone and drifted wide in the turn. I expect if it had been a motorcycle or pedestrian in place of a big white pick-up they would not have seen the obstacle until too late.

 

[Overread]

From what I understand car insurance for the insurance companies is basically enforced upon them by government - otherwise its a loss for them. I've no idea how accurate that statement is but it wouldn't shock me if it were true. We've made the car essential for modern life so life has to support the car.

I think very soon dash and rear cams and black monitoring boxes will become as standard under most insurance policies. They are already steadily pushing them in at present with sweeteners of cheapening your insurance and the black boxes are generally only installed for a period of time not all the time. But I suspect that very soon both will become mandatory - at the very least this might get motorways to drive at the speed limit (presently in the uk its 70 but many many people drive at 80 or 90 - if you go along at 70 you tend to be overtaken a lot and I suspect its true in other countries).

 

[Nevermore1]

From what I understand car insurance for the insurance companies is basically enforced upon them by government - otherwise its a loss for them. I've no idea how accurate that statement is but it wouldn't shock me if it were true. We've made the car essential for modern life so life has to support the car.

I think very soon dash and rear cams and black monitoring boxes will become as standard under most insurance policies. They are already steadily pushing them in at present with sweeteners of cheapening your insurance and the black boxes are generally only installed for a period of time not all the time. But I suspect that very soon both will become mandatory - at the very least this might get motorways to drive at the speed limit (presently in the uk its 70 but many many people drive at 80 or 90 - if you go along at 70 you tend to be overtaken a lot and I suspect its true in other countries).

My husband wants dash and rear cameras in our next car after my wreck last year. He wants to be able to have some type of backup to show what happened if any of us are ever in another serious wreck. The driver that hit me made up a story to cover themselves and I was told by both the PD and my insurance company that my statement didn't matter since I had been knocked unconscious and had a concussion. The roads aren't safe anywhere these days.

 

[KmH]

Boatloads of people will resist autonomous cars because they won't be able to ignore the rules of the road.

I can see it now. Video of some guy/girl going ballistic in an autonomous car because they can't go faster than the speed limit so they can get to the grocery store 20 seconds sooner.

 

[RowdyRay]

Boatloads of people will resist autonomous cars because they won't be able to ignore the rules of the road.

I can see it now. Video of some guy/girl going ballistic in an autonomous car because they can't go faster than the speed limit so they can get to the grocery store 20 seconds sooner.

Yep, I've been saying the same thing ever since the idea was announced. But they'll also be forced to leave with enough time to get where they're going.

You're in Iowa. So you're aware of what mother nature can throw at us on the roads. I swear, they got to work in 20 minutes....one time. Then think they can do that everyday. Doesn't work like that.