Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

We often think of dangerous jobs like being a policeman or fireman, or someone working on high-tension lines or working in a coal mine. But every day a lot of us are closer to death than many of those hazardous jobs I just mentioned. While I'm not a paranoid, white-knuckle driver, it occurs to me at times how dangerous driving has become with the addition of two actions: Fast-food restaurants and cell phones. There are numerous accidents attributed to someone spilling hot coffee or dumping french fries and reaching for them before they all empty onto the floor. This pales in comparison to accidents that have happened due to being on a cell phone. I don't feel I'm less safe on an interstate with all traffic heading in the same direction because speed has always been a factor there, but county roads are another story. All unmarked roads in PA have a default speed of 45 mph but I have been on some that have 50 and even 55 posted for speed limits. In travel between my house and my part-time job, the speed is 40 mph, then for about a three-mile stretch, it goes to 50 mph. Most people I encounter on any road tend to push the speed up slightly above the posted speed limit. I will usually give myself a cushion of 5 mph and stay at the speed limit or slightly above. If on a two-lane highway with two cars coming from the opposite direction, each doing 55 mph, a head-on will most likely cause at least one death, if not more. That is a combined speed of 110 mph which is understandably a deadly speed. On a two-lane country road, I think we are often only 48" from traffic coming in the opposite direction.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I have been in one head-on collision. Both cars were traveling only 30mph but that was enough to total both cars. My car was 3 days old. I had just bought it to get more safety features than my old car had. They worked. I do not know what happened to the other driver but on my car all the airbags deployed. No injuries at all. Except that I had to buy another car, and the car I had was on sale and the next car wasn't. Insurance covered the sale price so I had a slight injury to my wallet (not to mention the inconvenience of using a rental car and doing all the paperwork).

I have been driving for almost 70 years now and two-lane highways are undoubtedly the most hazardous. There are times when 48" is reduced significantly.

tgreenhaw

I've always marveled at the fact that we think little of putting our lives on the line depending on perfect strangers to drive safely.

JADAV

For those afraid of flying I repeat something that I read recently: "If you have arrived safely by road at the airport then you have completed the most dangerous part of your journey".

TonyF Loc: Bradenton, FL

I have too! It's amazing when you think of all the people we come in contact with: grocery store, neighborhood, camera clubs , etc., and I think, 'Wow, they're driving!' And they probably think the same of me, too.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Almost everywhere I go these days is on two lane State highways or county roads and the thing I have the most trouble with is tailgaters I mean less than a car length at over 55mph, especially since no one drives the posted speed limit, the other is the people that don't understand lane control !!

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Lane control is either not known by a lot of people or they choose to ignore it. When turning left from a single left turn location (in other words there is not a double lane left turn), the correct procedure is to turn into the lane nearest to you if you are turning onto a street that is two or three lanes wide going in the direction you are heading. If you want to turn right a block or two down the street, you then put on your right-hand turn signal and move over. Sometimes when I turn left from that location, someone behind me will gun their car to get around me into the second lane over. A few days ago I turned and signaled to move to the right and someone was so hell-bent to get around me that he blew his horn when I began to move over as he had gunned his car to pass. Then when he couldn't get around me he floored it into the left lane and continued on -- he stayed in that lane for as far as I could see him. I always turn properly and then almost immediately move to the right because I have to make a right a block later. I would say eight out of ten people make the initial turn properly but 20% knuckle-heads is quite a large number when you consider these idiots may be coming toward you on a two-lane highway the next time you encounter them! Tailgaters are also very aggravating to encounter. When someone tailgates me I will at first tap my breaks three times. If that doesn't back them off, I slow to the exact speed limit and let them sit there until they get the message. If there is a gas station or other business, or a wide driveway I can pull into I don't mind letting them pass but on some roads, it is quite a stretch before you can find a place to pull over.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

I agree with you on the turns, however I was referring to lane control on curves some as much as half the car width and most offenders are the small short wheel base cars! My joke about them is their brains shrink when they get in the small car.
Years ago I was driving my wife's car on the way home from picking my daughter up from work I had a car tailgate me close to eight miles on a two lane road I wandered a bit because I was watching the car instead of the road, he was so close I could not see his headlights at times, then the Red and blue lights cam on, Now I am really pissed off, I pulled over rolled my window down and then saw it was a State trooper, He said good evening sir you seemed to be having trouble controlling you vehicle, I said yes sir I can explain, it was because some asshole was tailgating so close I was watching him instead of the road, he kind of grinned and admitted he a little close, then I told him he was lucky I was in my wife's car, he ask why, I told had I been in my car he would have been writing one hell of a report and I probably would have gone to jail , then ask and what do you think the out come of that would have been. He smiled and said have a good evening sir.
I believe he thought I was a teenager, I had heard kids talking about being pulled over and not having done anything.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

And then there is the push to have self-driving cars. Like nuclear fusion, its always 20 years off.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Self driving cars will not appear until the roads are instrumented to provide lane information in snow events.

Don’t hold your breath.

Dannj

I just might stay indoors for awhile😳

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

There is a difference between having a license to drive and having the intelligence to drive. I have learned that it is safer to be the fastest thing in the left lane when riding my motorcycle on the interstate highway. When I'm in the right lane, cars entering the highway either don't see me, don't care, or believe it is my responsibility to let them cut me off. When I'm in the middle lane, I'm on pins and needles as cars ride up on me or cut in front of me as they quickly go from the third lane to the first. By being in the left lane, I don't have to contend with those crazy drivers.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

I think most but not all is people just don't see motorcycles but then there are those that don't see anything but where they are going!!!
I'm glad I don't ride anymore, I just don't bounce anymore

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

I was heading up a mountain road in the Smokies last year and on a curve of about 280 degrees hidden by a stone wall on my right, a white Jeep came barreling down the mountain 2 feet across the double-lined road on my side! We both had to swerve to avoid a collision!

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

That happen here without switchbacks