Unsafe drivers

SturgeonKing50 · 12-13-2003, 02:51 PM

I would like to share today with everyone and possibly get some of your thoughts. I was returning from a business trip from the Bend area today.Came down Highway 58 and got on I5 at Eugene. It was POURING down rain.Between all the Semi-Trucks and Cars and the road spray the driving conditions were horrific. It was truly very bad driving conditions. At times you could barely see 100 yards. What amazed and upset me was all the road idiots flying down the freeway and in and out of traffic at speeds up to 80 MPH. Also many cars were not driving with there lights on.It made seeing the lighter colored vehicles very hard to see.Finally I saw several Rocket Scientists fly by me with their cell phones glued to their ears. This is how people get killed although usually not them. Are these people just braindead or what? I finally got off the freeway at Brooks. These type of people scare me to death to tell you the truth.It was just plain insanity. I just had to vent. It it just me or have any had a day like today? I'm home now so I think since I cannot get out and fish today I will set by the woodstove and have a nice mixed drink. Thanks SK50

1pump · 12-13-2003, 04:03 PM

[img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] Hey, a drink sounds good. I usually don't drink at home but I know I gotta have some booze around here somewhere.

I work on the road, so believe me I know what you're talking about. I was sitting at a light in St Johns the other day. My light turned green, and as I let the clutch out a Subaru sailed right thru the intersection, cell phone glued to the ear of the driver. I don't think she even noticed that she ran the light. If I would have been a little quicker with the clutch she would've t-boned me. And Subaru vs Freightliner wouldn't have been pretty.

The no-lights syndrome in bad weather is another dandy. Road spray conceals just about everything if it's thick enough, including big trucks.
It amazes me how people can be so unaware of their environment and how they fit in it, whether it's driving or anything else.

Mad Mikey · 12-13-2003, 04:13 PM

Geez, you beat me to it. I just got back from a trip to SE PDX from Aloha and back again and was just grinding my teeth at the idiots on the road. Four wrecks on the way over, three new ones on the way back. A couple were multiple vehicles.
Either it was hotrodding teens in lowered rice rockets or an SUV driven by someone who thought they were invincible.

ARgh!! I'm so glad to be leaving the city soon.

BTW, I have nothing against SUV's. I love em'!!! I just hate to see them being piloted by idiots.

Norski · 12-13-2003, 08:27 PM

I also drive for a living over here in Bend and on any day you can see the crazys driving with phone stuck in head and eating a big mac, now who is stearing the auto????

Herring Impaired · 12-13-2003, 09:48 PM

We need to either do as others do and require headlights on 24/7 . Or pass a law that says if you can't actually see the ball of the sun then your headlights must be on.

Today I saw a black Expedition that was nearly invisible with no lights on in the pouring rain.

Turn on your headlights. I promise your utility bills won't go up!

Mr. Carp · 12-13-2003, 10:10 PM

What drives me nuts are these people with the automatic headlight on their vehicles. The headlights automatically come on. They think that since their headlights are on, they are fine. The bad thing is that their taillights don't come on as well, so you can't see the car if you are approaching it from behind in bad conditions.

Turn Your Lights On. I drive with mine on all the time. I believe it helps.

I could rant about bad drivers for hours, but I probably shoud restrain. :grin:

FishinMission · 12-14-2003, 06:06 AM

Yah..Yesterday...saw a gal facing the wron direction when you come onto I-5 from the Fremont Bridge northbound. There was a huge, deep, puddle there in the low spot. Evidently..this gal musta hit that puddle at freeway speed and hydroplaned causing her to spin out. Luckily..it looked like nobody got hurt, or suffered any damage.

If you're reading this...watch out for that area!! Be in the left lane there!

Mark

Moley Molson · 12-14-2003, 06:53 AM

My auto headlights also activate my tail lights.

I think you must have been referring to day time running lights.

I agree 100% though....it doesn't hurt anything to have your lights on in these conditions. It's scary out there sometimes.

Straydog · 12-14-2003, 06:57 AM

I drive I-5 between Medford and Sutherland each week and it is getting very crowded and scary out there.

Just the sheer numbers of vehicles makes it much dangerous than it has been in the past. Plus, there are more and more that don't understand the best way to drive the passes between GP and Canyonville. The position jockeying gets more dangerous all the time.

My hope is that the speed limit is not raised on I-5.

1pump · 12-14-2003, 10:30 AM

Quote:

My hope is that the speed limit is not raised on I-5.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Too late. It's already been done by the legislature. ODOT just needs a little time for their engineers to survey the roads and get the signs changed. There'll be some stretches where it won't change, like Sexton Mtn, Smith Hill, etc. (I'm guessing).
It won't make any difference with car traffic, IMHO. You can go 70 all day long with impunity, so if they raise to 70 and actually enforce it speeds should remain about the same.
What I'm looking forward to is the bump in the truck limit to 65. It's about freakin' time, although they won't do it where they really need to, like all of US97 and US20 between Bend and Burns, and other open stretches. Apparently they're staying at 55 for eveybody on the 2-lanes, where an increase would do the most good.

Grip It-N-Rip It · 12-14-2003, 05:50 PM

you guys should try being truck drivers. Everyone just has to be in front of you. They think you can see them from all angles and they will jsut hop in front of you and slam on thier brakes like you can stop 80 grand on a dime.YEAH RIGHT!!!

Albacore Tuna Captain · 12-14-2003, 08:25 PM

The only way to "idiot proof" the highway is to get everyone but you and me off the road! :smile: Until then, I will just idiot proof my vehicle and drive like everyone else out there is trying to get me involved in their accident.

We already have laws to address every situation that has been posted on this thread. Driving while on a cel phone or eating a big mac is called, "Driving While Encumbered" Not turning your lights on when it rains hard is called, "Failure to Operate a Motor Vehicle With lights in Reduced Visibility". Passing a semi truck without lights on and when the spray is so thick you can't see through it is callled, "Careless Driving".

We have laws to cover all the dangerous acts but you wouldn't want a police officer on ever corner or every mile to enforce the laws so we have to rely on the public's obediance. And since we can't rely on that, we must protect ourselves from the idiots!

So drive carefully my friends, fasten your seat belts and when you see someone driving like an idiot, GET THE HECK OUT OF HIS WAY! :shocked:

Herring Impaired · 12-15-2003, 10:02 AM

Quote:

you guys should try being truck drivers. Everyone just has to be in front of you. They think you can see them from all angles and they will jsut hop in front of you and slam on thier brakes like you can stop 80 grand on a dime.YEAH RIGHT!!!

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Most of us aren't truck drivers, but most of us do pull boat trailers quite often. I run into the same thing when I do. You can be going with the flow of traffic, and people will pass you only to slow down when they pull in front of you. Same thing, they don't think about increased stopping distance when they pass and jump in front of you with less than a car length or two seperating us.

Mr. Carp · 12-15-2003, 10:37 AM

That's why I think that some of these people with these enormous boats and trucks should have a CDL. Some of these boats and truck combos are like 50 ft long. That is longer than the truck I took my CDL drive in. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] Some of thse people can't drive thses big trucks and boats if their life depended on it. Let's not even get into backing them up.

It will never happen, so I am just wasting my breath.