INDY 500 COMES TO DES MOINES IOWA !

Des Moines Iowa has slowly transcended to big city Chicago, Minneapolis, or even St. Louis.  If you spend your week commuting by way of 235 or the newly constructed bypass you know exactly what I am talking about. 

 

On the bypass I could swear on any given day you will see this

The legal speed limit is 65 MPH.  But the vehicles are doing 75MPH.  No one uses turn signals to change lanes, and they think nothing of cutting in front of you leaving maybe a foot between the bumper of your car and theirs.      I am always amazed that not only do they pass me going so fast but there is no room between the cars.  One right after another.   Bumper to bumper.  At 75 mph where is their out if something goes wrong with one of the cars in front of them?  Their only out is up the ass of the car in front of them.  I seriously don't think you have a stuntman in your car driving for you - so you will be doing good if you are able to walk away from the wreck.

 

 If you happen to be one of the cars passing on the left and you leave atleast one car length for cushion between you and the car in front of you - they will change lanes - take away your cushion and not think twice about being bumper to bumper as they sandwich themselves in between you and the car in front of you.   Are you STUCK ON STUPID or WHAT?

 

 

 

Where are the checkered flags?  Is it nature VS nurture?  Do people watch too much TV, movies, and races?  Is it the sheep mentality- like sheep led to the slaughter.   Or is it just ignorance? 

 

For those of us who were fortunate enough to learn the "Smith System Driving", probably did not realize at the time ,that we were getting more than advanced driving skills, but a defensive driving technique that can save lives.  http://www.smith-system.com/   The Smith System is the leader in professional driver training.  The Smith System has reduced collisions and increased profits for fleets at Fortune 500 companies.  Since 1952 the Smith System has focused on their trademark of FIVE KEYS of SPACE CUSHION DRIVING.   Their core driving fundamentals of space, visibility, and time.

The five keys give you :

• Space for the vehicle
• Visibilty for the driver
• Time to make decisions 

Here are the five keys:

1. Aim high in steering - avoid collisions by seeing, evaluating, and acting upon all the information available.
2. Get the big picture -  fewer mistakes are made when you have the complete traffic picture.
3. Keep your eyes moving - proper scanning techniques separate safe drivers from people who make costly and daily errors.
4. Leave yourself an out - all that separate drivers from collision is space - use it to your advantage.
5. Make sure they see you - seek eye contact and use your warning devices at the proper times.

What is the most common driving error? 

 

 

Considered the following information provided by The Smith System: 

THE MOST COMMON DRIVING ERROR
In Smith System’s 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 ‘ most common reasons for this distance plus some thoughts to consider:

1.

“I was taught the 2 second following distance when I first learned to drive. It’s more than enough.” Consider this: This following distance has been abandoned by most state DMV’s as well as the Department of Transportation. The 2 second recommendation was derived from testing the stopping distance and reaction time of drivers under ideal road, vehicle and driver conditions and was a minimum. These ideal conditions rarely exist. Even more crucial is the fact this formula never considered how this limited following distance restricted our freedom to survey the complete traffic picture. With two seconds or less, drivers can ill afford to take their eyes off the vehicle directly in front to identify risks further ahead, to the sides or behind. The resulting limited information often leads to late, hasty reactions which expose drivers to unnecessary risk, create a rough transport experience for any passengers and cause greater wear and tear on the vehicle . 2. “ If I carry a larger following distance other drivers will constantly cut in and force me to drop back. This will happen again and again and soon I’ll be behind schedule.” Consider this: A very common perception is that maintaining more than 1 to 2 seconds will invite more drivers to cut in and thus cause us to be constantly dropping back in traffic. The roots of this concern are more emotional than logical. The truth is that when this happens, someone else usually is leaving our lane farther up ahead. It all balances out. The net difference rarely has any impact on our schedule. Here’s why… Let’s assume that a driver who cuts in maintains a following distance of 2 seconds and let’s be liberal and add another half second to account for that vehicle’s length. That means this infringement added 2.5 seconds to our schedule. Even if this occurred as much as 40 times in a day’s driving (very high), it would only add 100 seconds over the total day. And, that’s assuming none of these vehicles ever leave our lane (most of them will). So what is the proper following distance? We recommend at least four seconds. Here’s how you measure it: When the vehicle in front passes a fixed object such as a telephone pole or an overpass, count one thousand one, one thousand two… You should get to at least the count of one thousand four before passing that same fixed point. This distance should be increased in poor road or weather conditions or when driving heavier equipment. The truth is the biggest barrier to maintaining our recommended following distance is just our own pre-existing tendencies. It is instinctive for most drivers to actively fill space, not create it.   And, as a shorter following distance is the habit for almost every driver, it feels awkward to carry a greater distance. Try our four second rule next time you are behind the wheel. You’ll be amazed by the increased visibility and greatly reduced risk achieved for you and your passengers.

  The next time you are on the freeway or the interstate think about the distance between you and the car in front of you. That four seconds between my car and the car in front of me is NOT for you and your car. I am trying to leave myself an  out - you take that option away every time you change lanes and move your car into that space. So when I honk my horn, flash my highbeams or give you the finger - it is because of your stupidity not because I am welcoming you into my space.  You are not going to get to your destination any sooner - in fact you may not get to your destination at all - because you fail to leave yourself an out.

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