Accident Avoidance

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Accidents occur when two motor vehicles meet at the same place at the same time. (Yes, yes, I know, it could be a vehicle and a rock, a vehicle and a tree, etc. In fact, Wabulon's worst vehicular accident was a one vehicle crash occurring at 0 miles per hour! [Tell 'em, Wabulon.])

So, it seems to me that the obvious way to avoid having an accident is: Stay away from other vehicles! That's why I like to find big, empty "pockets" in the flow of traffic and settle into them for as long as they last. And why it always baffles me to see one car following another down a mostly empty away at a distance of about ten feet. Not, you know, coming up that close to pass the car in front and then going around it. No, the guy in the back just settles in, at 60 miles per hour, a car length or so behind the leader. What in the world is that about? Maintaining a proper following distance -- maybe 60 feet-- would result in the rear driver arriving less than one second later than his following at ten feet.

I think people just get mesmerized into filling the space between themselves and the car in front of them.

Comments

  1. Anonymous6:21 PM

    I drive for a living and what I was taught was 30mph and under 3 to 6 sec following distance. Over 30mph 6 to 8 sec following distance. I know that seems like alot but with practice it is actually easy to do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wabulon5:34 PM

    Gene is quite right, although how he knows and remembers that is beyond me: I was asleep on my motorcycle and the kickstand spontaneously broke. I was grievously bunged up.

    ReplyDelete

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