I've been wanting to write about this for awhile -- if I had, I suppose I would look prescient. (For those of you who don't read the Bulletin, it appears that the young 16 year old cyclist was killed by a motorist who may have been texting...)
It seems to me that there is a common denominator in many of the traffic accidents I've been reading about in the paper. That combined with what I see myself every day on the roads.
What I am seeing is a whole lot of tail-gating. Worse, it seems like no one is paying attention to the cell phone law. And I just don't know what to say to the people who actually text!
I had someone zoom up on my the other day who's back end was smashed in. She could barely keep her car on the road, and I saw her wrenching the steering wheel to the right. Not exactly road safe.
So her back end was smashed in, how does that compute with tail-gating? Because the less room you leave for yourself to stop, the less room the person behind you has to stop.
Keeping an adequate distance helps not only you from smashing into the guy in front of you, but helps keep the guy behind you smashing into you. Get it?
Thing is, I'm NOT a slow driver. The tail-gating doesn't seem to have any relation to how fast I'm going. They just drive up on the back of whoever is in front of them, apparently.
Time it sometime. Pick a landmark on the side of the road and see how much longer it takes to get to a particular point in the road. It's milliseconds.
Everytime I read about a multiple car accident, I have to believe there was some inadequate distances involved. I think if properly space, cars are less likely to pile up on each other.
Linda came home on Sunday with a harrowing story of a giant truck who almost ran her off the road on the way to church in Redmond. He was talking on a cell phone.
Meanwhile, the other day I was approaching an intersection and I saw a guy in a huge pickup pull out right in front of me. I had an extra ten feet to slow down. Thing it, he didn't EVEN LOOK in my direction. I mean, he stopped at the stop sign, but he might as well not bothered because he didn't EVEN LOOK.
Over and over again, I see erratic driving behavior, and find out the driver is talking on the cell phone.
I know nothing I can say will change anything. I know this is a throw away post and that I'm saying the obvious. All I can do is continue to drive defensively, continue to provide as much space as possible between me and others. Try to avoid what I see as erratic driving from others.
But I sure wish the cops would enforce this tail-gating and cell-phone ban. And throw the book at ANYONE who texts. That's just crazy.
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7 comments:
yeah they need to clamp down on the cell phone law. OPB radio did a small report on it, noting that it's not enforced because a lot of the people say they need their phone for their job.
BS! That's why you get a headset.
Also, I wish they'd crack down on illegal tinting of windows. They don't. I tried to make eye contact and signal a speeding person in a school zone while I was waiting to pick up my son.
I agree with all of the post and the comments. Sometimes you even see the number plates have been tampered with, a blackish cover over them or even some form of lense to make them invisible from the side.
People often believe that they can "educate" others by driving extra slow or using the lights or what not. All it does is create rage in folks who do not know how to not get bothered by the actions of others. Sure, if it is dangerous I get upset as well. But if someone drives slowly in front of me and I can not overtake - will getting upset really make a difference, except on my heart rate? I doubt it.
The story in the Bulletin reminds us that every day is precious and can also be our last. Even if we do everything right, it might not be enough to come home alive. An important lesson to remember. My heart goes out for the family of the boy. But also for the families of the folks in the car. For the actual driver - not so much. It is very hard to forgive. Very.
/rant
"I had someone zoom up on my the other day who's back end was smashed in. She could barely keep her car on the road, and I saw her wrenching the steering wheel to the right. Not exactly road safe."
I grew up in New Jersey, where motor vehicles had to undergo a pretty rigorous safety inspection every year. Probably half of the junkers I see driving around on Oregon roads wouldn't make the cut there.
Safety inspections would make sense for Oregon, but the idea probably is too "socialist" to be seriously considered here.
"OPB radio did a small report on it, noting that it's not enforced because a lot of the people say they need their phone for their job."
BS indeed. How the hell did people manage to do their jobs BEFORE cell phones? Amazingly, they did ... and I don't think the world was any the worse for it.
According to the Bulletin story, the dumb douchebag was texting to his girlfriend who was SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM at the time.
Hope they throw the book at the son of a bitch. Sounds like they're getting ready to.
I met someone who knew the guy who was texting. And they described him as an airhead.
Well...the other day I was driving past Lava Lanes and saw a Bend PD officer chatting on his cell phone as he pulled out of the PD dept.
You could say it was a official call...but he was just leaving the office...and smiling and laughing as he talked.
So...I say, if they don't follow the laws themselves why expect them to enforce them.
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