OT: Ice doesn't get the respect it deserves

[gpsman]

Cincinnati is a more of a medium city, but I taught this to hundreds of truck drivers.

THE MOST COMMON DRIVING ERROR

In Smith System=92s fifty years of teaching safe driving to over one hundred thousand fleet drivers, the most common poor driving habit we see is inadequate following distance. Our studies show most motorists maintain between one and two seconds behind the vehicle in front of them.

Here are drivers =91 most common reasons for this distance plus some thoughts to consider:

1. =93I was taught the 2 second following distance when I first learned to drive. It=92s more than enough.=94

The rest:

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- gpsman

[Vic Smith]

I use a method that works in nearly all cases except really heavy traffic. Even then it works pretty good. Get a safe distance behind a semi doing a steady speed. You have to accept the speed is enough, and stick with it. Even when the semi is doing a steady 10 over, nobody will want to pull behind it. You'll never get tail-gated for long either. Tail-gaters see the truck, and they *have* to pass the truck. You can be pretty far back, plenty for safety. Usually 50-100 yards. Hardly ever have anybody cut in front of you. You've taken the "comfortable" distance. I'm not worried about revealing my "secret." Reason it works is I'm almost the only one doing it. The great mass of drivers is predictable and operates with herd mentality.

--Vic

[Jon Danniken]

THe other benefit from following a semi is they don't stop on a dime, giving you an additional buffer before you have to react.

Jon

[Vic Smith]

That goes along with my driving method. The goal is to stay away from as many other vehicles as possible. I'm usually in the right lane. But sometimes the left lane and more speed is safer for a stretch. Tail-gaters are easy to get rid of. Just go slower until they pass. They nearly always do. Besides, when somebody is on your tail, it's a safety issue. You want to slow down.

--Vic

[Vic Smith]

Yep. Part of a safe distance is calculating how fast who you're following can stop, and how fast you can stop. I always assume the car in front of me can slam on his brakes whenever he wants to. More than once I've seen 4-8 cars that tail ended each other pulled over on the x-way waiting for the cops, or with the cops. Don't want to part of a crowd like that.

--Vic

[gpsman]

I've been trying to determine -the one- most important factor in "safe" driving and I think it's "separation".

In the driving instructing business they refer to that as "adjusting velocity to coincide with the following distance of the vehicle to the rear".

I should not be astounded to find more driving knowledge here in 2-3 posts of a single thread than in the entire contents of rec.autos.driving over the last 6+ years.

There, you will learn you literally have no right to slow unless you're avoiding an imminent crash and tailgating is a defensive driving technique; keeps anyone from cutting you off and "forcing" you to tailgate.

You tell 'em, 2-second-Nate. -----

- gpsman -----

- gpsman

[N8N]

Yes, I know, you manage to maintain a four to five second following distance at all times, including in rush hour urban highway traffic. You're not lying at all, super-driver. No, not you, nuh-uh. Not that I would expect you to be lying your ass off on a newsgroup just to get in a cheap dig at me. No, not you, you're way more mature than that, you lying fuckwitted sack of shit.

Go back to MTR and play around with Randy some, he's more your speed.

nate

[RobertPatrick]

"Bob F" wrote in news:ijpdmn$u59$ [e-mail]:

Some of those tailgaters aren't paying attention. The other day I slowed down to 40 before the idiot behind me woke up and passed. They must be texting or some kind of other crap. When I take my foot off the accelerator these idiots behind come closer and closer until they wake up....finally and pass. Which leads to another problem. I notice a lot of people who jerk their wheels into the passing lane. It's like they're playing a video game. No wonder roll overs happen a lot. I also notice lately people pass on the right when the left lane is clear. Seems really weird to do that.

[gpsman]

legroups.com...

Could you rephrase that, perhaps mix some numbers in it? -----

- gpsman

[gpsman]

You misunderstand the technique. You slow, first, i.e., go 3-5 mph slower than the flow of traffic. That will create space to your front.

As traffic passes and changes lanes too close to your front it's pulling away, and has room to continue pulling away (barring vehicles entering the highway) and recreates your following distance for you.

The other facet is using those sight lines to stay way out ahead of your vehicle and making minor adjustments to speed as you see traffic slowing far ahead. -----

- gpsman

[Harry K]

She may haave watched the Myth Busters episode where they demonstrated the technique. Comes out nice and shiny.

Harry K

[Harry K]

Well, lets see. To start with there is no need to slow from 55 to 40 to increase youi distance, a few mph will do it.

Say people slide into your 'comfort zone' at a rate of 50 per hour.

Each time you slow a bit until the space is reestablished then you are back to your 55.

Each time you have lost one "comfort zoe space"

Thus at the end of the hour you have lost 50 "spaces" for a total distance of what? 1/2 mile? 1 mile?

Also you have lost 50 short periods of under 55mph crusing for another loss of what? Being generous lets call it a couple minutes 55mph cruising time.

End result? you arrive a couple minutes (at most) later. If that is a major problem, perhaps leave a bit earlier or take some prozac and chill a bit. It ain't worth getting your knickers in a bunch.

Harry K

[krw]

...and since you're going slower, another three merge in.

The people behind you get pissed and change lanes to get around the road-hog, then merge in front.

Traffic backs up behind, causing them to slow.

End result? Traffic stops, losing everyone hours not minutes.

[krw]

Ah, so if you leave more space you can fit even *more* cars on the highway. Got it.

[krw]

Except that it doesn't work.

[krw]

Except that it's the slow driver, the one you propose, that gets the situation to that point.

[Harry K]

Odd that noone has even mentioned a "slow" driver. Backing off a few seconds and then resuming cruise speed does not constitute a "slow driver". I suppose if someone cut in in front of you you just merrily proceed on tailgating him. Or is it that you tailgate all the time to keep people from cutting in in front of you?

Harry K

[krw]

Back off == slow. If you're "backing off" you're going slower than traffic. Those behind you *will* attempt to get ahead. Sorry, you lose.

I know it's hard, but don't *try* to be stupid.

[N8N]

No it's not. Thankfully, because of all the idiots that don't know that you're not supposed to be in the left lane unless you're actively passing.

nate

[gpsman]

You reported receiving one of your many speeding tickets while in the L lane and not actively passing... -----

- gpsman