|
I've had people pass me crossing the double yellow line, in very dangerous curves, generally idiotic actions, and I was doing the speed limit, without variation.
I've had them pass me on the entrance ramp to the Interstate and I was doing the speed limit (they were not on the entrance ramp trying to get on the highway).
If slow speed causes a head on collision, then that same slow speed could result in serious injury, to you, when the car trying to pass you gets hit head on.
Tuesday I almost got in a wreck on my bike. A couple idiots in SUVs were passing each other and tailgating. One of them went by me at 70 in a 45 zone. I caught up with them at an intersection as I usually do when driving a road where I know the light timing perfectly. A couple intersections (with lights) down the road, an ambulance is approaching the intersection from a secondary road, lights but no sirens. Usually the ambulances here can switch the traffic light green but this did not happen this time. Two cars in front of me are at the intersection while the ambulance is not there quite yet.
The car in front of me suddenly locks his brakes, skids 25 feet and slams into the car in front of him and immediately stops (he was going 50 easy). I hit the brakes and felt the rear tire slide. I might have been able to stop, but decided to trade control for a panic stop, with the possiblilty of hitting the now smashed car and possibly getting sandwiched between the car behind me and the now wrecked one. I coasted between the two wrecked cars and another car in the left turn lane, through the intersection.
Most of my problem was the 2007 dated tires on my bike, probably less traction than when they were new, but they are not dry rotted and I hate to throw them away.
The two SUVidiots that had been passing-tailgating now had tow total loss junkers, and I survived.
As in most accidents there are multiple factors.
Had the ambulance not been there it never would have happened.
Had the first SUVidiot not slammed on his brakes it would never have happened.
Had the tailgater just driven normally (not agressively) it would have never happened.
Had I given him more separation I would not had to take the "control" option and illegally lane split between the twp groups of cars.
In the final analysis, I will give more distance between me and the car in front of me as my behavious modification, at least until I wear out those 6 year old tires.
The way you win driving is a lot like chess, stay intensely alert, give yourself some margin of error, and for me at least, consider everything going on around you as part of your "chess game".
regards
Mech
|