the defensive driver

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mek42

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The defensive driver is happier that no accident occured than he is angry at the other guy for blantantly violating the rules of the road, causing the defensive driver to react to the situation caused by the other guy.

It has taken more years of driving than not in my life, but I am finally starting to become a better defensive driver. It does seem like everyone and their entire extended family is cutting me off now that I've increased my following distance though.
 
Originally Posted By: mek42


It has taken more years of driving than not in my life, but I am finally starting to become a better defensive driver. It does seem like everyone and their entire extended family is cutting me off now that I've increased my following distance though.


I hear you on that. I try to leave at least 2-3 carlengths around town, and 4-5 on the highway. Some people trust their reaction times too much. Stopping from 60 takes a lot longer than from 30, even though it feels the same on the highway at 60 as around town at 30.
 
What is a safe distance, is it three seconds? Around here that space is considered room for three cars....lol.

And I'm not talking about left lane camping, I don't do that at all. I'm talking about people that hopscotch all over the crowded highway. Then almost inevitably I see them at their exit, maybe 1/8 mile ahead of me, after many needless shuck and jives.

But I'm with you, when we're all on the highway together at close proximity, lets all just get HOME.
 
Originally Posted By: mek42
The defensive driver is happier that no accident occured than he is angry at the other guy for blantantly violating the rules of the road, causing the defensive driver to react to the situation caused by the other guy.

It has taken more years of driving than not in my life, but I am finally starting to become a better defensive driver. It does seem like everyone and their entire extended family is cutting me off now that I've increased my following distance though.


Yeah, defensive driving and not getting emotional... that is how to safely get from point A to B despite the boneheaded actions of others.

I don't mind the fast drivers but I do mind those who feel the need to tailgate in seemingly an attempt to get me to drive faster. Sorry, I'm not going faster... I will stay the course.
 
Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
What is a safe distance, is it three seconds? Around here that space is considered room for three cars....lol.

And I'm not talking about left lane camping, I don't do that at all. I'm talking about people that hopscotch all over the crowded highway. Then almost inevitably I see them at their exit, maybe 1/8 mile ahead of me, after many needless shuck and jives.

But I'm with you, when we're all on the highway together at close proximity, lets all just get HOME.




I always love when they cut in front of you ..... to go the same speed they were going behind you. Proved a lot, huh?
33.gif

John
 
I hear you loud and clear...

I try to keep more than a safe distance in front of and in back of myself too if I can. I try very hard to practice situational awareness and watch out for what the other crazy-idiot-in too big of a dam hurry to be careful and courteous to the other guy-drivers are doing. I watch the road ahead and behind and I watch what I am doing very carefully. I instruct my daughter to do the same thing as well.

None of that matters worth a hill of beans around here though. I was driving on a curving 2 lane county road yesterday and some idjit was behind me in a huge SUV, and was tailgating me so close I could see what color his eyes were. The area where I was driving is not far from my house, it was in a 45 mph zone, I was doing about 40 because I knew coming up in about half a mile it dropped to 30 and the police have speed traps in that area pretty often. I watch it in that stretch of road and don't go over 30, because I don't need a speeding ticket. The guy tailgating me would not let up and I got tired of his carp so I actually pulled off in the grass on the side of the road to let the idiot pass me. He did, and gunned it and started doing the same kind of agressive tailgating to the next car up the road. I was hoping and praying there was a speed trap to teach him a lesson but there was none.

All this happened while I was driving a little Hyndai Accent rental car. I was in a wreck myself a couple of weeks ago. I thank God no one was hurt but it could have been much worse. And the wreck would never have happened if the guy who hit me had just 5 more seconds' worth of patience.

It's like that all over here. Drivers here are really very rude and overly agressive. It makes me sick and I try my best to stay out of their way and stay out of their precious left lane. And they will never learn until they learn the hard way, either from an accident, a ticket or both.
 
It's a whole different mindset.
We have to give up the 'me first' attitude.
Also, the 'I'll live forever' mentality of youth.

We save on gas, traffic tickets, wear , stress, and accidents.
 
Quote:
I always love when they cut in front of you ..... to go the same speed they were going behind you. Proved a lot, huh?


The "net result" wisdom only comes around after a decade or two of getting nowhere doing it. My son had a habit of entering a highway after another car and immediately passing him/her and getting to his cruise speed. I asked him why he did it. He shrugged. I asked him how he knew that the person he passed wasn't intending to go faster than he was and was just taking longer to get there.

It's the same with racing to stop lights, racing to "get in" just before a merge on a hill occurs and goes to ONE LANE with the same string of cars in front of them ..just about 30ft ahead of where they were.

I don't know how you can effectively teach out the anxiety of waiting in line.
 
Originally Posted By: brianl703
I find it a bit odd that when I drive my Crown Vic, other drivers behave themselves more...


Same thing here when I drive my white Crown Vic with very dark tinted windows.
 
Originally Posted By: hardcore302
In NYC, all that goes out the window, especially in
MAnhattan.

You have to be on OFFENSIVE driver, ifyouwant to compete with yellow taxis.


Actually I would rather deal with the taxis in Manhattan plus all the other drivers in Queens,Brooklyn,Bronx and all of the Tri-State Area then deal with the drivers in Miami,Fort Lauderdale and even Palm Beach anyday.
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi


I hear you on that. I try to leave at least 2-3 carlengths around town, and 4-5 on the highway.


You cannot do that in South Florida...If you leave more then a half of car length someone will IMMEDIATELY cut in front of you...Without signaling of coarse...I have seen even marked patrol cars do that.
 
To me I found the best way to learn how to defensively drive is to drive a car that doesn't have enough power to get out of its own way. I did this for year in my ext 95 gmc sierra with a 305. It really taught me to read ahead make sure I have a way out as often as I can. Some people forget the having a way out part of defensive driving. Also taught me to coast a lot more than most people seem to.
 
I accelerate slowly, but drive the speed limit, sometimes a little faster. Unfortunately, most people accelerate fast. I'm not sure why.

A few days ago I drove to work, as opposed to taking the bus like I normally do. I was first at the light on a 5 lane road (2+2+turning lane). The light turns green and before I make it across the intersection, I hear honking behind me from a guy in a Toyota Tercel. A business type, wearing glasses, nice shirt, middle aged. I wasn't sure what he was honking at so I slowed without braking to give everything a look around. This guy passes me in the opposite direction's turning lane, flies down to the next light and stops. I drove as normal and pulled up behind him. We're both going the same direction. When the light turns green, he acts like he's going to go, then stops abruptly to "teach me a lesson." He waits until the light turns yellow, then floors it through the light. Ironically, I drove on through and so did the guy behind me.

The point is, the guy can't be in much of a hurry if he has time to stop at the light and to display his attitude.

The other point is, people act completely different behind the wheel of a vehicle, obviously leaving their thought process and self-control at home.

Defensive driving has and does pay off. I never thought I would be the guy saying that. As some of you may know, I've even done some stupid things like pointing a gun out of my window when a guy tried to run me off the road. I've done some really dumb things as a younger, less intelligent human being. It doesn't pay. Leave it alone and get from point A to B safely.

My dad always told me the act of getting from point A to B safely and efficiently was the only act you should concern yourself with when driving. A ticket hits you on the efficient process of it. An unintelligent act hits you on safety.
 
Originally Posted By: Paul56
Originally Posted By: mek42
The defensive driver is happier that no accident occured than he is angry at the other guy for blantantly violating the rules of the road, causing the defensive driver to react to the situation caused by the other guy.

It has taken more years of driving than not in my life, but I am finally starting to become a better defensive driver. It does seem like everyone and their entire extended family is cutting me off now that I've increased my following distance though.


Yeah, defensive driving and not getting emotional... that is how to safely get from point A to B despite the boneheaded actions of others.

I don't mind the fast drivers but I do mind those who feel the need to tailgate in seemingly an attempt to get me to drive faster. Sorry, I'm not going faster... I will stay the course.




The toughest thing for me to learn was the not getting emotional part. I have zero tolerance for the idiot drivers who are not only willing to risk their own lives, but all other drivers around them as well with their stupid driving. People on the roads today have lost all consideration for other drivers and have become way too narcisistic. I absolutely cannot stand people talking on cell phones while they're driving, mainly because it's a completely unnecessary danger. There's no reason people HAVE to talk on the phone while they're driving. I've learned how to deal with tailgaters, left lane campers, and cutter offers, but there isn't much you can do with the cell phone yackers except just get away from them.
 
Originally Posted By: John_K
Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
What is a safe distance, is it three seconds? Around here that space is considered room for three cars....lol.

And I'm not talking about left lane camping, I don't do that at all. I'm talking about people that hopscotch all over the crowded highway. Then almost inevitably I see them at their exit, maybe 1/8 mile ahead of me, after many needless shuck and jives.

But I'm with you, when we're all on the highway together at close proximity, lets all just get HOME.




I always love when they cut in front of you ..... to go the same speed they were going behind you. Proved a lot, huh?
33.gif

John


Instead of spending millions of dollars, researchers could learn a lot about current human nature and psychology in the US by driving through rush hour traffic a few times.
 
As another gentleman said, in NYC you NEED to be an offensive driver or you will end up taking half the day to get across the city. On the other hand, when I am outside of the city, I am ALL about defensive driving. Like another comment, I don't mind people who speed for the most part. What gets me is when people tailgate, cut others off when changing lanes, and RECKLESS speeding. You always need to remember that old saying..."You can be the BEST defensive driver in the world, but there are always going to be other people on the road"
 
Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
Originally Posted By: hardcore302
In NYC, all that goes out the window, especially in
MAnhattan.

You have to be on OFFENSIVE driver, ifyouwant to compete with yellow taxis.


Actually I would rather deal with the taxis in Manhattan plus all the other drivers in Queens,Brooklyn,Bronx and all of the Tri-State Area then deal with the drivers in Miami,Fort Lauderdale and even Palm Beach anyday.


Don't forget New Orleans. It offers all that, plus the thrill of roads that make the dark side of the moon look glassy smooth. . .
 
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