Education For The Driving Masses: tHE mONDAY qUESTION

Monday, November 30, 2009

tHE mONDAY qUESTION

Back. By popular demand. Oh, well, maybe 3 or 4 people tops. Remember to have a safe driving day, today is the first day of National Safe Driving Week.

Here's our editor's contribution from this past weekend: Buying a tree for Christmas? Make sure you tie that puppy onto your car real good, folks

Today's posts continue below ...

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...: I was behind this woman on a rural road who needled it at the 80 kilometre speed limit for almost 11 kilometres through a winding stretch of Highway 7 near Madoc, Ontario. There's no real safe spot to pass as so many people speed on this road (in the opposite direction) and not worth the risk.
She wasn't really breaking any laws but at points her speed would drop to as low as 72 km. I know this because I was right behind her.
At times, I was so tempted to pass. And the funny thing is I wasn't in a hurry. I didn't have to be anywhere. It was just the fact that she wasn't driving at the speed I was legally allowed to drive at and she was holding me back.
At one point, with five cars behind me, I spotted a blue Cobalt at the very end weave in and out of the lane as the driver appeared to be timing an attempt to pass (the road at this point was a double yellow solid meaning doubly unsafe). I had a better vantage point than him and it looked like he would make it. Illegal, yes but what happened next still makes me feel lightheaded.
After we crested a hill, he pulled out (no signal) and at the same time he did so did the lady in the white Accord behind me. But she didn't accelerate fast enough and the driver of the Cobalt wound up rear-ending her. Both drivers lost control and I started to slow down as this all unfolded in my rearview mirror as well as the guy behind me. I stopped on the shoulder.
Both the Cobalt and the Accord were in the ditch. The driver of the Colbat couldn't get his door open as it was jammed from the way it was leaning in the ditch but he was okay. He wound up climbing out of the passenger side.
The lady in the Accord was nose first into the ditch with her rear wheels off the ground. She was already on her cellphone crying hysterically and wouldn't let me or the other guy help her. Miss Daisy in front of us didn't even brake and she was long gone by the time I had my car parked.
My hands were shaking so bad because I'd never seen an accident before so I smoked a lot of cigarettes while we waited for emergency crews to arrive.
The Colbat driver kept telling me that she didn't look and asking me why she didn't look.
I ignored him. I wasn't mad at him or anything but I thought he was the biggest douchebag seeing as he was equally to blame for what happened. Both of them are lucky there were no cars coming in the opposite direction when all this took place.
I had a lot of trouble sleeping having seen this.
I don't think I'll ever pass another car again since I feel so traumatized.; Mon Nov 30, 01:44:00 PM
Cindy Smith, Editor said...: she was holding me back

From what? I thought you weren't in a hurry?

However, what you described is maddeningly annoying but thankfully isn't a forever kind of event. Miss Daisy would have had to turn sometime, somewhere.

Passing was meant and added to the traffic act in most provinces as a means for drivers to drive around farm vehicles and was implemented as part of the "share the road" initiative after the deaths of farmers in the 50s caused many to fear for their safety as they moved from field to field.

Passing isn't a driving right. And I agree with you that on two lane highways, it's never worth the risk. It's risky behaviour and many have no idea how to perform this skill safely.

This story proved that.; Mon Nov 30, 02:48:00 PM
Martin F. said...: Actually I found anon's comment of feeling held back and frustrated at being prevented from driving at the legal speed limit interesting.

So it wasn't necessarily the speed he was being forced to travel at that was frustrating, but the fact that he wasn't at the speed the white sign was telling him to drive at.

Bizarre. Or is it just me?; Mon Nov 30, 03:06:00 PM
Beth said...: I shared this with you, Cindy, on Saturday.

I approached a very serious, fresh accident on Friday around 5pm. No police or anything on the scene but as I got closer, the fire department was arriving. I was already going quite slow (because most normal people don't plow through crash scenes full speed) and pulled to the right while the fire department tried to navigate their way through the traffic (it was on a two lane road).

Some a$$**** swerved out to pass me. It's not like he was going fast either and had to swerve to avoid hitting me, he just didn't want to wait for the fire truck or he thought I was pulling over to gawk (and what I did see was not good).

His impatience meant the fire truck had to stop while he decided he was the more important one to fill that little gap in the traffic.

I am still lit up about it.; Mon Nov 30, 03:29:00 PM
Paul - Driver Education Counsellor (and Moderator too) said...: I think anonymous's comment is a fair one if made in respect to the speed limit being a reasonable expectation for safe operation of a vehicle - though the "not being in a rush" discounts the intent. But here's my question, and i'm not trying to pile on criticism unfairly:

Why not just drive everyday like you are doing your driver's test with a Ministry test official beside you?

In other words, don't be in rush, plan to arrive on time by leaving on time, and accept the fact that sometimes you might be late due to traffic.

Certainly there are people who aren't speeding for the "race car" thrill, but just because they rush. And it's such an unfortunate reason to break the law and risk lives.; Mon Nov 30, 06:34:00 PM
JULIE, Moderator Extraordinaire and Counsel said...: I hate people who brake in the middle of a merge lane on the highway. Why are you braking? You are supposed to accelerate up to highway speed using the full length of the lane and merge!

I had this idiot do this in front of me tonight merging from Burlington Street in Hammytown onto the QEW. She hit the brakes and slowed down and slowly drifted onto the highway causing a transport to jake brake and flash his headlights at her.

I accelerated and drove the full length of the merge lane and minutes later, couldn't see her anymore in my rearview. She must have been doing 70. I can't tell you how dangerous this is!

If you're too scared to merge onto the highway, stay off the highway. Please.; Mon Nov 30, 10:05:00 PM