Driving to work the other day, I was traveling in the fast lane of a four lane freeway and approaching a car dawdling along where cars in front were having to undertake to get past.Coming closer, I see the driver is talking to the front seat passenger. No longer paying attention, he drifts into to the next lane as an 18 wheeler truck approaches. The trucker blows his air horns to avoid an accident. I honk my horn with the honk code for "hey dumb ass, pay attention and whilst you are it, Get over".
As you can probably gather by now, idiots who sit in the overtaking lane oblivious to the world, are a particular hot button of mine. Mexicans in beaten up pick ups, SE Asian women in Japanese cars, people on phones and old people in sedans seem to be particularly fond of this practice in Houston (all of this based on my unscientific study of driving around them and looking giving them the evil eye).
Some hope that the law may pay attention to this is an autoblog article stating that Oklahoma is now going after slow drivers in left hand lane. Today they are receiving a warning but apparently, the Sooner Troopers will be handing out $206 tickets. Hooray, a step in the right direction. Jail'em I say !
I lived in Germany and lane disciple is a big thing there. On the Germany Autobahns, soon as you overtake, you pull back in. Not only is it a courtesy and the law, but it is in your interest to do it. German autobahns outside the cities often have no speed limit. Sounds great, you may say BUT the autobahn is often 2 lanes that go over the topology of the land with not much visibility into the distance. Whilst you may overtake at 60mph, the high powered sports mobile 3 miles away but doing 180mph cannot see you or you him until it is dangerously close and he is flashing the headlights furiously to say "verlassen Sie eine meine Weise!"
If you've ever wondered by German car companies are pioneers in car safety features such as ABS, Stability control or airbags, then just drive on a German Autobahn. When you brake at high speeds in crappy Winter weather and visibility, you need every accessory including a rosary. On the otherhand, in Germany is it against the law to undertake on the autobahn. They are also big into cameras and even use it to measure how close you are to a car whilst driving at speed. Too close and you'll get a ticket in the post.
I'd love to get Motorbike again but am hesitant to get one in Houston due to the poor standard of driving and not being a cat, I only have 1 life: There are simply so many people gabbing on their cells, I've seen a few texting, redneck drivers who switch across 4 lanes from fast lane to exit last minute, bubbleheads putting on their makeup whilst driving.
In self reflection into my newly discovered driving piousness, perhaps I am suffering from the Lake Wobegon effect and overestimate my achievements and capabilities in relation to others.
After surveying drivers, the Swedish researcher Ola Svenson found that 80% of respondents rated themselves in the top 30% of all drivers.
Are the Europeans really the best drivers in the world? Hell no. From the 2003 Darwin Awards I quote:
A 27-year-old French woman lost control of her car on a highway near Marseilles and crashed into a tree, seriously injuring her passenger and killing herself. As a commonplace road accident, this would not normal qualify for a Darwin nomination, were it not for the fact that the driver's attention had been distracted by her electronic "Tamagotchi" key ring, which had started urgently beeping for food while she drove along the highway. In an attempt to press the correct buttons to save the "Tamagotchi's" life, the woman lost her own.
I would love for the Texas driving standards to be improved upon. Apparently according to the autochannel, Houston is not the worst city for least courteous drivers but ranks # 11 ! Miami holds #1 spot with NY, Boston, LA, DC being next in line. (After reading this, I guess I should count my blessings).
If I look back at my own driving record, my driving standard has changed with age.
When I was younger, I would drive pedal to the metal on freeways whenever I could but as I get older and with some speeding tickets behind me, I tend to stay within speed limits.
I had mobile phone in my car in 90's and whilst talking on a trip at night, I almost drove through some construction as I was not paying attention. That was a big lesson: I no longer talk on the phone whilst driving as I can't do two things at once. Europe has mostly banned use of mobile whilst driving. I wonder when US will catch up.
So as I get older, I may finally be able to cast that first stone and graduate to the 30% club. However, getting older has it's problems and good track record is not a predictor of future ones. "Fiesta driver, 93, wrecks two Porsches Daily Telegraph"
If you are going to have an accident after 76 years of incident-free motoring, you might as well do it in style - though that was the last thing on Jack Higgs's mind as he hurtled towards two Porsches. The 93-year-old, who had received not so much as a parking ticket since he began driving at 17, caused £60,000 worth of damage to the two sports cars after losing control of his Ford Fiesta.
Mr Higgs, a retired Pentecostal minister, was parking next to a Porsche showroom when his car shot backwards. First, his 13-year-old hatchback hit a gleaming red Carrera II which acted as a ramp, causing Mr Higgs's car to flip over on to a silver Porsche 911 parked alongside. Staff in the showroom ran outside to be confronted by a scene of wreckage and Mr Higgs hanging upside down by his seatbelt in his overturned car. Dave Coombs, a dealer at the showroom in Penarth, near Cardiff, said on Monday: "It was amazing. We could hardly believe our eyes at the damage. "He managed to get himself free and walked out without a scratch. But the Porsches were a real mess.
"There was glass and bits of broken metal everywhere, but Jack is such a gentleman he asked for a sweeping brush to help clear them up. "But we walked him to his home for a cup of sweet tea while the breakdown trucks arrived to tow away the cars. "I'm not too concerned about the cars - what matters is that Jack survived which is incredible considering his great age."The widower is well-known to staff at the garage, RS Porsche, because he lives next door. He is allowed to drive across the forecourt to reach his garage almost every day - something he has been doing for the last 45 years without any hitches.
He cannot explain how he managed to lose control of his car and smash into the pristine Porsches on this occasion. One of the cars was a write-off while the other was badly damaged and will need extensive repairs. Both cars were privately owned and were in the garage for servicing. The cost of Mr Higgs's first accident in 76 years was put at £60,000 - which will be met by his insurance company.His blue Fiesta, worth £600, was also a write-off but it will not matter because the pensioner has decided to quit the roads. Mr Higgs, who has driven more than half-a-million miles in his lifetime, said on Monday: "I can't understand it, nothing like this has happened to me before.
"I've been driving since I was 17, have a clean licence and have never even picked up so much as a parking ticket. I just don't know what happened except that I lost control as I was reversing and suddenly I had hit the cars. "The next thing I knew I was hanging upside down in my car thanking my lucky stars I was still alive." Mr Higgs was given the all-clear after being checked over by paramedics. He added: "It was a miracle I got out alive and I put it down to the power of prayer and God looking after me.
"But that's it - the end of my driving career, I'm never driving again. I'll have to get lifts or go on the bus in future."
Still is Texas really a laggard in traffic laws. No, not according to an article on LeftLaneNews where if it does come to fruition, it would be something I applaud.
Texas is considering raising the speed limit on two major interstate highways to match how most motorists drive. The state's director of traffic operations, Carlos Lopez, said research found that 85th percentile speed of traffic was 79 mph. Thus, speed limits are likely to raise from 75 mph to 80 mph. The Texas Department of Public said raising the limit to conform to the speed the majority of drivers travel will make roads safer. "If people begin to think that the number on the sign is unreasonable, then they won't respect it," Lopez said. "Just putting up a lower number on the highway isn't going to slow down traffic."
Phileas Fogg,
Houston, Texas
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