<p>You sound just like the people who say ‘they’ can handle texting and driving (even though they can’t).</p>
<p>
That speaks wonders. I don’t mean it condescendingly - I can guarantee I drove more aggressively at that age than now (and I’m no Caspar Milquetoast now) but over time one gains experience that tells them some of the aggressive behaviors you described don’t always work out so well. You’re not the only part of the equation - the other drivers are as well. When you get aggressive with the passers or in passing, you’re making assumptions about the skill level of those other drivers that may be incorrect - some of them might not even have a license or might be barely able to handle the car and yet others simply aren’t expecting you to do something like this and a crash can result.</p>
<p>You say you’re west coast bound? If you’re headed to the LA area be careful who you get aggressive with.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information, GladGradDad. I know I can be an aggressive driver just like any other driver on the road. I know the risks of my actions. Don’t want to give any one a heart attack but…I have text and driven. <em>gasp</em></p>
<p>Many of you have one glimpse of my driving habits. You guys can assume I don’t use my indicators. You can assume I don’t check my blind spots. You can assume I don’t know the rules of the road. </p>
<p>Who knew a joke would set off alarms on so many people. I’m great driver people! Parking on the other hand…:rolleyes:</p>
<p>Texting while driving??? I hope you get a ticket, and soon, so you aren’t one of those tragic and stupid cases on the public service commercials!</p>
<p>You’d be amazed at the number of near-accidents I’ve seen from that. People sit there texting after the light’s turned green, and a car coming up from behind expects them to start accelerating. Car just sits there for an extra 2-3 seconds longer than they should. Suddenly the car behind has to slam on their brakes because jackass driver in front wasn’t watching the road.</p>
<p>Part of being a mature driver is realizing the risks you’re taking when you take them. It’s easy to feel you’re safe when you’re unaware of all the possible consequences of your actions.</p>
In the case of an accident, most likely the person who rear ended the car would get the ticket. The car who started accelerating assumed the car in front was going to move. Another case of this is a stop signs where the car in front is trying to turn. The car that is trying to turn stops suddenly because it wasn’t safe to turn yet the person behind them accelerated forward assuming the would be turning. Who would get the ticket? The person who rear ended the car. </p>
<p>Now, when I text I can see the car in front of me. If the car in front starts moving, I let my foot off the break, put my phone down, and if if the car in front starts driving, I’ll drive, too. </p>
<p>
Looks like I have what it takes to be a mature driver. I know the risks that I’m taking. Every driver takes risks.</p>
<p>Memo to all drivers that enter the State of Michigan - Beware!</p>
<ol>
<li>Speed limits are just starting points. Speed limit of 70 mph means an average speed of 80 mph.</li>
<li>Left lane is for passing or sitting at posted speed limit - whatever.</li>
<li>Construction zones are the Michigan equivalent of AdventureLand. Orange constructions barrels are slalom posts.</li>
<li>If you are in the left lane and you are about to miss your exit, don’t worry about it, just zip right and exit.</li>
</ol>
<p>Basically, anything goes and at a high rate of speed.</p>
You’re right but it’s the texter dufus at the light who’ll potentially get injured. I’m not saying you’re a dufus - I’m saying the texter who isn’t paying attention to the traffic signals and traffic and sites there at a light when they shouldn’t is the dufus.</p>
<p>One time I was sitting at the end of a line of cars at a stoplight and as I usually do, I was keeping an eye out for what traffic was doing while I was sitting there. I happened to notice a driver approaching rapidly behind me and it became clear that he didn’t notice the stopped traffic or the light for some reason. I put my Z in gear and actually moved out of the lane (I always leave room in front of me for this) over into a shoulder area. That movement apparently caught the eye of the ignorant one and he slammed on his brakes and ended up stopping about halfway through where my car had previously been. If I had been texting I would have been slammed by the wayward driver and likely injured. But of course, he would have received a ticket and been at fault for whatever comfort that would have been. ;)</p>
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Actually you don’t really ‘realize’ the risks you’re taking as in appropriately processing them. It’s a scientific fact that the cognitive functions in the area of risk taking aren’t fully developed yet until around the age of 25 which is one of the reasons, along with inexperience, that teens take risks that someone else might not. I know this sounds condescending but I don’t mean it that way, I’m just stating facts, and as I already admitted I can look back to when I was 18 and thereabouts and realize I took a number of risks in driving that I wouldn’t take now. Of course, insurance companies are well aware of these facts which is why insurance is so much higher for people in this age range, especially males.</p>
<p>I used to drive a couple of hours a day and for something to do I used to watch the psychology of driving. What the OP saw is pretty universal. When someone goes to pass, the first driver often speeds up. This is not some sort of aggression but just human nature. They feel like they are driving too slow. There are endless numbers of similar situations. For example, if someone is driving at a comfortable or slightly slow speed behind another vehicle, they may decide to pass. Once they complete the pass, they tend to slow down. Underpasses are also interesting. A distant underpass can have high clearance and can be wide with shoulder lanes on both sides. Approaching traffic will almost universally slow down several miles an hour. After crossing the underpass, the traffic will again speed up. Curves in the road have the same effect even if they are wide broad curves. I could go on for quite a while about my observations, but I think you can start to see the point. We do not drive entirely rationally but our driving is altered by how situations feel to us.</p>
<p>I use cruise control a lot so speed is more a function of downhill vs flat or uphill.</p>
<p>On roads with curves, I slow down at curves and resume to the speed limit on straightaways. Even curves with wide shoulders. The reason is that I can’t see around the curve. Same thing with hills. Especially with hills and curves.</p>
<p>I can drive a little slower at night too though after getting night-driving glasses, this is less of a problem. Driving at night with reduced visibility due to rain or snow means I slow down too.</p>
<p>I assume that someone with better vision or someone that wasn’t assuming that a breakdown was possible around a curve would drive faster.</p>
<p>There’s one particular intersection that I used to drive through regularly where the speed limit drops from 45 to 40 around a curve, and then drops to 35 about 50 feet later. The reason for the first drop in speed is that there’s a golf course on either side and golf carts sometimes cross the road. The reason for the second drop in speed is an intersection for a public school. I have seen accidents where someone didn’t slow down and they couldn’t stop in time to avoid hitting a stopped vehicle. If you’re distracted and didn’t slow down, you could have an accident. If you’re distracted and did slow down for the speed limit, you could also have a problem.</p>
<p>Underpasses usually come with off-ramps and on-ramps. The last-second merging activity near off-ramps, slowing down (often inappropriately) before off-ramps, and slow mergers and tailgaters on on-ramps all combine to slow down traffic on freeways as they go by.</p>
<p>Curves may also limit visibility, so some drivers slow down to avoid overdriving their sight lines.</p>