Not sure if I was just unlucky, but... my 20-25 minute commute took over 40 this morning. Granted, the fog was pretty heavy, but not that bad. I was behind a couple of SUVs that were literally off the road a couple times; this on a straight road with no obstacles mind you. They'd just start driving into the ditch, then when half the vehicle was off the asphaly swerve back on the road. Amazing. People drove as if the average IQ had dropped a good fifty points overall... a good 1/3 of the vehicles I saw this morning didn't have their headlights on at all. What the hell are people thinking?
thinking probably something like: "oh look it's foggy out, hey those suv commercials show the driver braving all sorts of on/off road conditions, i don't need to slow down... wait i just dropped a wheel, this is really scary (stomps on brakes, jacks the steer)... wheew THAT was close, hey i pulled that off, just like on TV. my aren't i a good driver (drops a wheel again, jacks the steer, rinse, repeat)..." if it's any consolation, i had two cars try and pull out in front of me (i had both the heads and the fogs on) when i was less than 10 car lengts away (i could see the expression on their faces so i don't wanna hear shit about how they didn't see me)
Luckily for me, I went to work early... No one on the road at 6:30am. I think it doesn't matter what it is, fog, rain, sunlight....people just can't drive. And don't get me started on people talking on cell phones...Not a day goes by were I don't almost get killed by people on phones, drifting into my lane, pulling out in front of me, or my recent favorite....stopping at green lights...TWICE!!! I use my phone in the car, but I'm allways handsfree... I'm seriously considering writing our congressmen or someone...Cell phones should not be aloud in cars, or atleast you should have to be handsfree, or stopped...
Well, the problem there is, there are lots of people responsibly using cell phones in their vehicles. You have to consider people just DO stupid crap while driving, and that is by no means limited to cell phones only. I almost got rearended--TWICE by the same driver--because somebody had to put their makeup on while driving. Others rummage around in the glove compartment or for something in the passenger seat... unless you can somehow legislate away stupidity while driving, I don't see passing laws working.
Well moose, I agree a lot of people have the ability to be on the phone and drive, and also I realize there are many other factors(make-up, eating, futzing with the radio etc...). Its just I've really been paying attention to the idiot factor lately, and 9 out of 10 assholes have a cell phone up to their ear.... like I said, maybe not eliminate it completely, just make it mandetory to be hands free... or have the car stopped to use the receiver....
you cant just go to hands-free and expect these people to drive better.. NY state tried that, didnt work.. people on cell phones are in their own world while talking and thats the reason for their accidents. Only people who cant manage holding phones and driving are manual owners.. and dont tell me you can steer, shift, and hold a phone, and no a leg steering dosent count. Just rid cell phones completely from cars in general. is it that hard to wait maybe up to one hour to call someone back? yes i do talk on the phone occasionally in my car.
My point, though, was that these people who currently swerve all over the road while on a cell phone will just find something else to distract themselves with: eating, makeup, reading (I kid you not, I see people read the paper in the car sometimes), etc... you can't keep legislating away these things one by one. Also, there are plenty of people who can handle a phone conversation without removing attention from their driving. Why punish them because other people can't? It's not about phones, it's about people and their mentality. Hell, you could make a case for people driving Expeditions or Suburbans when they don't need to being just as dangerous... it's amazing how many drivers just can't handle a vehicle that size properly; I keep getting tailgated by giant monster SUVs on two lane roads sometimes--if I had to make an emergency stop I'd be toast. Should there be a law against people buying big vehicles just because some are incapable of driving them properly? If you try to use laws to control people's behaviours in this way all you will end up with is a bunch of practically unenforceable laws and even more of a mess in our legal system.
i think cell phones should be allowed as long as there's a hands free kit... in bombay last year, it was illegal to use a cell phone while driving... if caught, u were pulled over and made to drive over ur phone
Well, I think you shouldn't ban them all together because of emergency situations, accidents...hell, even calling for directions. I sure as hell don't want my girlfriend driving alone at night with no phone.... I just think its way safer to use handsfree(or better yet, bluetooth). At least you can keep your hands on the wheel and shift if your driving a manual.
Well I think talking on the phone w/o a hands free kit demonstrates your mad skills and multi tasking abilities. I saw one person a few months back holding there phone talking, driving, and smoking going down 400. I would have been real impressed if they were also shifting a 5 speed to .... Just kidding with the cell phone and driving. I stay away from yapping on the phone and driving and usually try to pull over. In regards to this mornings fog it was crazy. I hit all those same drivers swerving off the road and back on. What a day and I even made it to my final destination.. woo hoo.. Lovely DC.
Speaking of buying big SUV's. I saw a large F250 the other day with a handicap tag. Kinda made me wonder what the handicap tag was for and if it was physical how the hell did they get into the Truck.