why do people drive like idiots in bad weather?

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mpvue

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we got a medium storm here in eastern PA today, took me more than an hr to go 29 miles. saw 2 cars facing the wrong way on the shoulder on rt22. got passed by jeeps TWICE in the snow covered left lane, they had to be going over 60mph. I was getting tailgated by a girl in a dodge stratus, I moved over only to watch her come up close to the next guy in line and hit her brakes.
I don't mind driving in the winter, I kind of like it. but all the problems are NOT from the weather, it's the IDIOTS thinking their car performs the same in the snow as it does dry! I do love seeing yahoos in SUVs in the ditch, though (hopefully they aren't hurt).
basic observations is this: subaru and jeep drivers think they are invincible (great traction doesn't help you stop) and girls really don't know how to drive in any kind of weather!
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I've seen this too in marginal conditions. It's because people don't feel responsible for their actions anymore. Ask the average joe (or more likely, jane) about this and their answer will be, "That's okay, I have insurance and they'll take care of it if anything goes wrong".
 
Here, they tailgate constantly and don't adjust for weather conditions. They've upped the tire size 3x what came on the vehicle from the factory, guaranteeing the ABS won't work.
 
It's the opposite here. If the road is wet and it's 50 degrees outside, it's automatically treated as ice and everyone just takes their foot off the accelerators and idles down the road. Seems to be no happy medium. Either no caution at all, or severely over-cautious.
 
Reminds me of the time I spent 6mths in Cincinatti Ohio. I'm a desert rat that had never seen real snow. I'm driving to work in my lifted 4x4 Dodge Ramcharger. I'm on a 2-lane road going about 27mph. A car came up behind me. I couldn't pull over w/o getting stuck on the side of the road.

Car decided to pass me. As he pased his rear end swung out. I watched as he slid by me
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As I slowed down the car slid around me and went into the ditch backwards
 
I took off today due to the storm. Wasn't that bad but cars were all over the road. Freezing rain later. That is the worst.
 
My xB gets around pretty good with traction control and all season tires. We had a biggest in 20 years snowfall recently. I get frustrated when idiots get right on my [censored] in these conditions and I start worrying about putting on my brakes and getting rear ended because they won't be able to stop.
 
You folks give the average driver way to much credit for their driving abilities. Almost no one knows how to drive. They start, stop and turn the wheel, but they aren't driving, just reacting to their surroundings.

I've owned and driven a number of fast cars. I raced on the drag strip, dirt track and road course. I've always considered my self a pretty good driver, but, when I started flying lessons I realized just how poor a driver I was. It is all about planning, thinking, knowing in advance what you will do when things go bad.

Any of you pilots here know what I'm talking about. At my age, my reflexes just aren't what they used to be, still, I consider myself a better driver then I was 30 years ago.
 
At least five years ago I told my co-worker that people's driving skills would end up being a good indicator of the down fall of our society, i.e - like the Roman empire.

Idiots driving in snow. Too lazy to use a turn signal, especially at a busy intersection. U-turns near an intersection.

Last winter I saw a student in a parking lot plow into a cement light post because he was too lazy to clear the frost off his windows first.

The turn signal thing drives me bananas.

Disclamer re: idiots driving....knock on wood three times.
 
I find driving on the snow covered lanes fine most of the time in my Subaru equipped with four winter biased tires(Nokian WR G2). The key is not making any sudden/quick movements and your fine. I only pass when traffic is crawling along.

I agree though its nuts passing in the left lanes with run of the mill all-seasons with the false sense of AWD/4wd traction.

My wife is an incredible winter driver. She has 20+ years experience mainly on cruddy all-seasons on FWD's. She loves using winter capable tires though now. I will admit she is a better winter driver than I.
 
"Anyone going faster than me is an idiot, anyone going slower is a moron."

This rule applies in both good and bad weather.

That said I still remember a girl in my high school who hit a telegraph pole in a snowstorm:

"I had the brake to the floor, pulled on the handbrake, put it in park, nothing stopped the car."
 
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Why do people drive like idiots in good weather?


+ 1 googolplex (a number that I think is used only by the IRS).

It is truly unbelievable how many accidents I've seen over the years here in the Pacific Northwest due to driver stupidity/arrogance. In the case of adverse weather, it's like precipitation does double duty as a brain remover! In good weather the sun acts like a cerebral EPROM eraser!
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
That said I still remember a girl in my high school who hit a telegraph pole in a snowstorm:
"I had the brake to the floor, pulled on the handbrake, put it in park, nothing stopped the car."

How did she do in Physics class?
 
I wish the evening news would go something like this...

"To the estimated 4000 people who had to put up with the really slow traffic on I3000 at about the mile 10 offramp today you can thank Marty Moron, who was distracted by his cell phone conversation to the extent that he rear ended someone, causing a two lane pileup. He lives at 403 SW Chestnut, the Safeway at 3rd and Maple is donating eggs thru midnight, so drop by and show your appreciation for his driving skills."
 
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