Consider this a bonus for those people who actually read this blog. (Is there anyone at all who does? Anyone?)
As usual, all spelling mistakes are preserved from the original reports.
+ [How to start off on the right foot--a malapropism in the first sentence]
"When I acrossed the intersection of W_____ & K_____ ..."
+ "We stopped on the side of the road and he stopped too and got off the car screaming and shouting at us calling us "terrorists" and shouting that this was our fault. We felt quite shocked by this acquisation and called 911 immediately at around 5:08..." [You'd think this kind of stuff wouldn't happen in Canada. Btw, I never figured out why it got the name 9/11 instead of 911. I would have thought 911 would have been so much more appropriate.]
+ [complete report]
[you know how sometimes you can tell how old the driver is by their language?]
"Was driving and saw break lights so I breaked
realized I had to break way faster
braked hard and slid into other vehicle"
+[two stories]
-"Both vehicles making right hand turn at L____ & H_____. Car in front starts to turn with no traffic coming then I look to make my turn and proceed, he steps on his brakes for no reason & I hit his bumper. I get out of my car and call him an idiot and he starts to swear at me [what did you think was going to happen?] so I got a little angry. I pull my car in front of tow truck which had stoped and he pulled away and came to police station and so did I. I do not think he should have a license to drive!!" [that last sentence really had me taking this guy seriously. sic]
-"Approx time 12:45pmI was proceeding northbound on L______ Rd (P_____) signalling to make a right turn onto Kingston going east. I stopped at the stop sign (lights) then proeeded about 1 1/2 metres out and stopped again as there were oncoming vehicles from west to east in the lane I was turning into. It was in my 2nd stop that the other vehicle rear-ended me, shifting (moving forward) my car about 2 metres to the front and onto the right lane of the eastbound traffic on K____ Rd. The other driver came out aggressively swearing and firing punches at me. I asked him for his license and insurance information. He refused to give any information and drove hastily away. He showed up at this police station shortly after me and continued his raging and name-calling. He had to be spoken to by staff Sgt. C_____ to discontinue his behaviour." [in a story like this, who is telling the truth? Personally, I think they're both telling the truth about the other person but not about themselves.]
+[the driver's account of the auto shop incident] "I bought 4 new tires at A_____ [auto shop] at the P______ Centre on Thurs ____. Picked up the car at 8:00pm. I drove out of the mall on Glenanna exit and went north to K_____ road. Aprox 100 metres later the car dropped and started screeching. The back driver tire was gone and the bumper was crushed. A couple accross the street in the mall parking lot brough me my wheel and informed me the wheel had hit a van in the parking lot. We then saw a woman getting into the van and the couple ran back accross to inform her what happened. She drove up behind me took my information and left before I could take hers. She had a small dent in the door of the van. My wife in her car went to A____ told them what happened and the sent for a tow truck (C____ #73). He found a few of the lugnuts on the road, put the tire back on and towed it to A_____ in the P_____ Mall. In the morning R_____ had it picked up, towed to the collision reporting centre, then to R______ Auto Body."
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Work Thoughts
Anyone ever notice how much faster work goes when you're actually working?
Instead of thinking of all the things you could be doing instead of working, you're actually focused on something, and that makes time go by so much faster.
I wonder if young people would actually work if they were given responsibilities instead of tasks. When you're told to vacuum a room, you're counting off the time until you can be free from work. When you're told it's your responsibility that the room is clean, suddenly you take a personal interest in whether or not the room is clean, as opposed to an interest in looking like you're working for the duration of the hour that the job is supposed to take.
And what's with the excuses everyone gives for not working, and that they're commonly accepted excuses? Here are quite possibly the five most used excuses for poor work performance:
"It's Monday."
"It's Friday."
"It's Wednesday."
"It's Thursday."
"It's Tuesday."
I mean, really, what is that? There is no good day of the week to work. Just do it, or if you're fine with just appearing like you're working while getting paid by the hour, fine. The world would be a better place if people were paid by the volume of work accomplished, as opposed to by the hour. Either that, or, if it's a responsibility type job, like making sure all the traffic signals are operational in one city, just get a salary and work when you're needed instead of sitting at an office all day waiting to be needed.
I must admit to zoning out while staring at a monitor for up to 15 minutes at a time (in my defense, it's usually only 5 minutes). Thus, I've discovered for the first time in my life a use for chewing gum--it keeps you awake. I'm sorry, Mr. Bayer, if this means that my stomach is digesting without end--it's a small price to pay for putting in a half decent work performance.
And for one last thought, why does everyone dream of being rich, when it is impossible for that dream to be true for everyone? You cannot have a rich person without a poor person. (Thus, the critics state that communism brings equality by making everyone poor.) On that note, why are we trying to abolish global poverty? The only way to do that is to get rid of rich people.
So many questions. If you keep asking questions of a wall, it will eventually start answering them.
Instead of thinking of all the things you could be doing instead of working, you're actually focused on something, and that makes time go by so much faster.
I wonder if young people would actually work if they were given responsibilities instead of tasks. When you're told to vacuum a room, you're counting off the time until you can be free from work. When you're told it's your responsibility that the room is clean, suddenly you take a personal interest in whether or not the room is clean, as opposed to an interest in looking like you're working for the duration of the hour that the job is supposed to take.
And what's with the excuses everyone gives for not working, and that they're commonly accepted excuses? Here are quite possibly the five most used excuses for poor work performance:
"It's Monday."
"It's Friday."
"It's Wednesday."
"It's Thursday."
"It's Tuesday."
I mean, really, what is that? There is no good day of the week to work. Just do it, or if you're fine with just appearing like you're working while getting paid by the hour, fine. The world would be a better place if people were paid by the volume of work accomplished, as opposed to by the hour. Either that, or, if it's a responsibility type job, like making sure all the traffic signals are operational in one city, just get a salary and work when you're needed instead of sitting at an office all day waiting to be needed.
I must admit to zoning out while staring at a monitor for up to 15 minutes at a time (in my defense, it's usually only 5 minutes). Thus, I've discovered for the first time in my life a use for chewing gum--it keeps you awake. I'm sorry, Mr. Bayer, if this means that my stomach is digesting without end--it's a small price to pay for putting in a half decent work performance.
And for one last thought, why does everyone dream of being rich, when it is impossible for that dream to be true for everyone? You cannot have a rich person without a poor person. (Thus, the critics state that communism brings equality by making everyone poor.) On that note, why are we trying to abolish global poverty? The only way to do that is to get rid of rich people.
So many questions. If you keep asking questions of a wall, it will eventually start answering them.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
What to do if you get into an Accident
Before the Accident
Always carry a pen and paper in your car. (The glovebox is a good place.)
Have insurance, and carry it with you like you carry your license. Also, keep it up to date. Many drivers will accuse you of being at fault if your insurance papers are expired. It's an accusation that doesn't work unless you no longer have insurance, but it's still nice to avoid the accusation.
During the Accident
First, get (in this order) the license plate number, make, model, and colour of the car. A license plate by itself is not good enough!--police will check your memory by matching the number and your description of the car against what car the plate is actually registered to.
Then, write it down. Hit and runs are surprisingly common.
Get a description of the person driving the car. Skin colour, race, hair colour, eye colour, glasses/none. If they run away after asking you to pull into the next parking lot (also common), you want to be prepared. (At this time, also check your clock and write down the exact time of the accident.)
Look for witnesses. Especially if it was the other driver's fault. Get at least two witnesses. Flag them down if necessary. Witnesses aren't usually necessary, unless the other driver reverses into you or does something particularly stupid. You also need witnesses if the other guy runs a red.
On the other hand, if the accident was your fault, you don't want witnesses. You can't stop them from witnessing, but you certainly don't need to flag their car down.
Get the full name and contact numbers of the witness. If you can do so without being pushy, get their address as well. Police prefer and trust home visits over phone calls.
When exchanging information, get their driver's license and insurance, and hand over your own.
You will need this information regardless of whose fault the accident is. Also, ask who the owner of the car is, and if it's different than the driver, get information on the owner.
Specifically, you will need the full name (first, middle, and last), address, postal/zip code, telephone numbers, driver's license number, province/state of the license, class of license, gender, date of birth, age (included in date of birth) from the license; owner's name, address, postal/zip code and phone numbers; and the insurance company's name, policy number, and expiry date. (In other words, everything.)
After you exchange information, the person at fault may offer to pay for it in cash. If you are at fault, you will want to pay in cash, because your insurance will skyrocket.
Car repairs are ridiculously expensive. Take these examples from actual police reports.
"Front Bumper, Right Headlight, and Hood Damage--$2000"
"FL Corner of Bumper, FL Headlight Cover Damaged--$1000"
"Rear Bumper cracked--$1200"
A damaged license plate is $150. Any bumper damage that can't be sanded away will cause the bumper to be "totalled", which usually runs around $1000, depending on the size of the vehicle.
All this said, you want to pay in cash, even with these absurd prices, and you don't want your insurance to know. You can't force the other party to leave insurance/police out of it, but you can offer gently.
People lie. All the time. For the first five minutes of every accident, everyone says sorry. After that, it's your fault--you reversed into them--regardless of whose fault the accident really is. That's why witnesses are important.
I always feel sorry reading the reports of those under 25, because if it's their fault they admit it and they haven't learned how to bend words/lie yet. I think once every 50 reports, I get one where someone isn't defending their innocence by bending words/outright lying.
Now, I don't condone lying, but.. if you must lie, make sure it matches the damage on your car. If you T-bone someone, and claim the other guy rear-ended you... police aren't stupid. (It's really funny reading the reports of stupid liars.)
Before you leave the scene, write down the location of the accident and make sure the other driver is aware of the accident location too. It would make my job so much easier if you can exactly place the accident, i.e. "Eastbound Main Street, directly in front of McDonalds, 1240 Main Street, just before the intersection of Main & First, 5 yards before the right turn lane begins." Things that help me in my job are when I know the intersection just passed and the intersection about to be reached when it's a midblock; and the exact businesses nearby, with address numbers, whether at an intersection or a midblock. I'd appreciate it. :-)
After the Accident
If you don't trust the other guy or it's their fault or if damage is significant or you're going through insurance, report the accident to the police. Call 911. (If someone is injured, call 911.)
Get multiple estimates for your/their car if you're paying for it. (Unless the car isn't driveable, and needs to be towed everywhere.) Car shops generally charge more if they find out it's being paid for through insurance. It's easier to rob a non-personal corporation than a person and future potential customer.
Always carry a pen and paper in your car. (The glovebox is a good place.)
Have insurance, and carry it with you like you carry your license. Also, keep it up to date. Many drivers will accuse you of being at fault if your insurance papers are expired. It's an accusation that doesn't work unless you no longer have insurance, but it's still nice to avoid the accusation.
During the Accident
First, get (in this order) the license plate number, make, model, and colour of the car. A license plate by itself is not good enough!--police will check your memory by matching the number and your description of the car against what car the plate is actually registered to.
Then, write it down. Hit and runs are surprisingly common.
Get a description of the person driving the car. Skin colour, race, hair colour, eye colour, glasses/none. If they run away after asking you to pull into the next parking lot (also common), you want to be prepared. (At this time, also check your clock and write down the exact time of the accident.)
Look for witnesses. Especially if it was the other driver's fault. Get at least two witnesses. Flag them down if necessary. Witnesses aren't usually necessary, unless the other driver reverses into you or does something particularly stupid. You also need witnesses if the other guy runs a red.
On the other hand, if the accident was your fault, you don't want witnesses. You can't stop them from witnessing, but you certainly don't need to flag their car down.
Get the full name and contact numbers of the witness. If you can do so without being pushy, get their address as well. Police prefer and trust home visits over phone calls.
When exchanging information, get their driver's license and insurance, and hand over your own.
You will need this information regardless of whose fault the accident is. Also, ask who the owner of the car is, and if it's different than the driver, get information on the owner.
Specifically, you will need the full name (first, middle, and last), address, postal/zip code, telephone numbers, driver's license number, province/state of the license, class of license, gender, date of birth, age (included in date of birth) from the license; owner's name, address, postal/zip code and phone numbers; and the insurance company's name, policy number, and expiry date. (In other words, everything.)
After you exchange information, the person at fault may offer to pay for it in cash. If you are at fault, you will want to pay in cash, because your insurance will skyrocket.
Car repairs are ridiculously expensive. Take these examples from actual police reports.
"Front Bumper, Right Headlight, and Hood Damage--$2000"
"FL Corner of Bumper, FL Headlight Cover Damaged--$1000"
"Rear Bumper cracked--$1200"
A damaged license plate is $150. Any bumper damage that can't be sanded away will cause the bumper to be "totalled", which usually runs around $1000, depending on the size of the vehicle.
All this said, you want to pay in cash, even with these absurd prices, and you don't want your insurance to know. You can't force the other party to leave insurance/police out of it, but you can offer gently.
People lie. All the time. For the first five minutes of every accident, everyone says sorry. After that, it's your fault--you reversed into them--regardless of whose fault the accident really is. That's why witnesses are important.
I always feel sorry reading the reports of those under 25, because if it's their fault they admit it and they haven't learned how to bend words/lie yet. I think once every 50 reports, I get one where someone isn't defending their innocence by bending words/outright lying.
Now, I don't condone lying, but.. if you must lie, make sure it matches the damage on your car. If you T-bone someone, and claim the other guy rear-ended you... police aren't stupid. (It's really funny reading the reports of stupid liars.)
Before you leave the scene, write down the location of the accident and make sure the other driver is aware of the accident location too. It would make my job so much easier if you can exactly place the accident, i.e. "Eastbound Main Street, directly in front of McDonalds, 1240 Main Street, just before the intersection of Main & First, 5 yards before the right turn lane begins." Things that help me in my job are when I know the intersection just passed and the intersection about to be reached when it's a midblock; and the exact businesses nearby, with address numbers, whether at an intersection or a midblock. I'd appreciate it. :-)
After the Accident
If you don't trust the other guy or it's their fault or if damage is significant or you're going through insurance, report the accident to the police. Call 911. (If someone is injured, call 911.)
Get multiple estimates for your/their car if you're paying for it. (Unless the car isn't driveable, and needs to be towed everywhere.) Car shops generally charge more if they find out it's being paid for through insurance. It's easier to rob a non-personal corporation than a person and future potential customer.
Monday, July 14, 2008
How Traffic Accidents Happen
Over the last four summers, I've worked for the government sorting traffic accident reports. During that time, I've read an estimated 6,000 of them.
You might think a job like mine is very interesting, but in reality, it's extremely dull. There is the occasional report that pops up once every few days that makes me laugh out loud (e.g. the bird incident), but that aside, every accident happens the exact same way. In the five scenarios below, I am giving you 95% of all accidents, hoping that, as my friends, you learn from the mistakes of others and remain accident free.
1. Bad Left Turns
"I think I can make it! I think I can make it! Oh--I didn't make it."
It amazes me how many bad left turns are made. If a vehicle is blocking your view of the other lanes, and they remain empty for a while, that doesn't make it okay to make a left! Inch out until you can see, then make the left when it's clear.
Once I read about a guy who made a left on a yellow and was hit by an oncoming car. He claimed the other driver "ran the yellow." You cannot run a yellow! Just because the light has turned yellow/red does not mean oncoming traffic has stopped! Just because one lane has stopped for the yellow does not mean the others have!
Making lefts out of malls are equally dangerous. Often when traffic is stuck at a red light, a car will get waved through to make a left, only to get hit by another car in the left/right turn lane. Cars in these lanes are usually zooming, foot on accelerator, having just pulled out from behind heavy traffic. What's worse is the person making the left is hidden by the vehicles waving them out. So when you're in this situation, inch out slowly so you have a chance to see and be seen before stepping on the gas. And if you're waving someone out, look for traffic for them and give them space so they can look too.
Finally, look both ways when making lefts. I have been hit as a cyclist at least twice by people waiting to make a left, see no traffic to the left and assume all is clear, never even turning their head to the right where pedestrian me is coming across.
While driving, also look for idiot drivers making bad lefts. While they would be at fault if they cause an accident, it will still be a hassle to you to get in one. If you can't see the left turn lane because of traffic, and you're the first car after a gap, you should be especially careful.
Bad right turns on red lights also happen with frequency. Never change lanes in the middle of an intersection. This would help matters. That and being careful when making a right on a red. The oncoming traffic is moving a lot faster than you.
2. Tailgating/Failing to look up
A failure to brake in time might possibly be the number one cause of accidents.
"The car ahead of me suddenly braked without reason" is a common excuse given for rear-ending someone. It also doesn't work. If you rear-end someone, you are automatically at fault. Cars may stop at any time for any reason. Making a turn into a driveway, traffic, a dog/box on the road--you are legally required to stop your car in time, and none of these excuses work if you hit the vehicle in front that managed to stop in time.
It's amazing how many people don't expect cars to stop on residential streets as they turn into their driveway.
It's also amazing how some people don't expect cars to stop twice at a stop sign. I was always taught that you stop on the white line, then if you can't see traffic, roll out and stop again.
Rear-enders especially happen to cars making rights on a red light/in a turning channel. Just because the road is "clear" does not mean the driver ahead of you has realized this. And when the driver ahead of you does begin to move, that does not mean they won't stop again. So often when the driver making a right on a red starts moving, the car behind them hits the gas and starts looking for traffic, only to hit the car ahead who ended up not going yet.
Finally, don't tailgate. You never know when the car ahead of you has a clutch and is doomed to roll backwards three feet (ten feet?) before moving forwards again on a green. Leave some space!
3. Trucks
Most people don't know how to drive trucks, and are thus unaware of the special challenges a trucker faces while driving.
For starters, trucks make wide turns. If you are in a double turning lane and are making a turn at the same time as a tractor-trailer, you stand a good chance of getting hit/side-swiped. Let the cars behind you honk all they want--either get through the turn before the truck starts moving, or stay out of the way. If you must make a turn at the same time, do it from the outside lane, and leave a lot of space.
Likewise, many trucks cannot make a right turn from the right lane without hitting a lamppost and must therefore make it from the centre lane. This is legal and don't act like it isn't. If you see the turn signal come on, get out of the way.
Trucks being heavy, they take longer to stop. Don't slam on the brakes in front of one. If you must make an unexpected left/right (into a driveway?), signal early, and give a warning tap on the brakes a few times before starting to slow down.
Trucks also frequently reverse. This has to do with the cargo door being at the back of the truck and the reality that many driveways/parking lots lack maneuvering room.
If you cannot see a trucker's mirrors, he cannot see you! For that reason, never, ever tailgate a truck! If you're trying to get fuel efficiency by drafting behind a truck, only do it on a parkway/interstate and be careful!
Blowing your horn to a truck is almost useless. My Dad drove a truck for 15+ years. He's lost most of his hearing because the truck engine was so loud. The truck engine will drown out the sound of your horn. (That's why truck horns are so loud.)
If a trucker begins reversing into you, get out of the way. If that isn't possible, you can try a blast of the horn, but better than that, make visual contact. Open a door. Stick your arm out of the window. S/he probably won't hear you so make them see you.
4. Deer
This is one of two universal excuses that gets you off the hook, police-wise and insurance-wise when you have an accident. (The other is when the other driver is drunk.)
(Alright, there is a third, but it doesn't happen often--see the auto shop incident.)
It amazes me that deer aren't extinct yet after all the hit deer I've read about.
Now, it isn't always a deer. Sometimes it's a dog, cat, cow, moose, toilet (that was a funny story).
Your best course of action is usually to remain going straight, slam on the brakes, hope the animal moves, and if it doesn't blame the damage all on the animal. Unless the animal is a moose, in which case do everything possible to get out of the way, because hitting that thing at a high rate of speed can kill you, and will at the very least total your car/pickup.
If you try to swerve out of the way of the deer, you risk two things. First, that the deer will jump out of the way and into the path you swerved into. Second, travelling a high rate of speed on a gravel shoulder usually results in a car in the ditch or flipped over, which often results in a totalled vehicle, whereas hitting a deer just destroys your front end. It's like the Titanic thing: you'd rather hit the iceberg straight on than scrape it down the side.
5. Parking
People can't park.
Or reverse. I've read so many reports where someone reverses while another car is flying down the aisle. Bang! The funny ones are when two people reverse into each other.
Anyway, it's a parking lot. People reverse out of spots all the time. Without looking, or in the better cases trusting that the rear-view mirror reveals all (it doesn't). Caution should rule. (This is why I always back into a parking spot. It's easier to get in than get out.)
Parking lots are also bad for hit and runs. There are more hit & runs in parking lots than all the other places combined. My Dad's favourite hit and run story was the guy who hit a car in a crowded mall with many witnesses, so he got out and left a note, which when all the witnesses noticed that, they left. Except that all he wrote on the piece of paper was "Sorry!" and drove off.
To give you an idea of parking lot hit and runs, there's a mall nearby especially bad for accidents. It's in a city of 100,000 people. There's an accident there around every 3 days. There's a hit and run there every 15 days. (These might be low estimates.)
Avoid all of the above, and you'll miss out on 95% of at-fault accidents.
Now, just hope the 5% doesn't get you.
Safe Driving!
Oh, right, the bird incident. So this guy goes to a pet shop and buys a bird. He's driving down the road and stops for a red light, when it occurs to him that the bird probably isn't comfortable and might have a hard time breathing in the tiny box he came in, so, he opens the box. The bird goes nuts and flitters all about the car before coming to rest underneath the brake pedal. The driver panics, lets go of the brakes, and rolls into the car in front of him.
As for the auto shop incident... this guy drives out of an auto shop. He gets onto the main road, and he isn't more than 100 feet away from the shop when the back passenger side of the car collapses onto the road, causing massive damage to the bottom of the car. Once the car stops, he gets out to see a couple walking towards him holding his tire, which had hit a car in a parking lot. The couple goes to the auto shop, where they call a tow truck. The tow truck driver finds a few lugnuts on the road trailing the car's path. The tow truck driver towed it back to the auto shop. The next day, the driver has it towed to a different auto shop. I wonder if anyone got fired?
You might think a job like mine is very interesting, but in reality, it's extremely dull. There is the occasional report that pops up once every few days that makes me laugh out loud (e.g. the bird incident), but that aside, every accident happens the exact same way. In the five scenarios below, I am giving you 95% of all accidents, hoping that, as my friends, you learn from the mistakes of others and remain accident free.
1. Bad Left Turns
"I think I can make it! I think I can make it! Oh--I didn't make it."
It amazes me how many bad left turns are made. If a vehicle is blocking your view of the other lanes, and they remain empty for a while, that doesn't make it okay to make a left! Inch out until you can see, then make the left when it's clear.
Once I read about a guy who made a left on a yellow and was hit by an oncoming car. He claimed the other driver "ran the yellow." You cannot run a yellow! Just because the light has turned yellow/red does not mean oncoming traffic has stopped! Just because one lane has stopped for the yellow does not mean the others have!
Making lefts out of malls are equally dangerous. Often when traffic is stuck at a red light, a car will get waved through to make a left, only to get hit by another car in the left/right turn lane. Cars in these lanes are usually zooming, foot on accelerator, having just pulled out from behind heavy traffic. What's worse is the person making the left is hidden by the vehicles waving them out. So when you're in this situation, inch out slowly so you have a chance to see and be seen before stepping on the gas. And if you're waving someone out, look for traffic for them and give them space so they can look too.
Finally, look both ways when making lefts. I have been hit as a cyclist at least twice by people waiting to make a left, see no traffic to the left and assume all is clear, never even turning their head to the right where pedestrian me is coming across.
While driving, also look for idiot drivers making bad lefts. While they would be at fault if they cause an accident, it will still be a hassle to you to get in one. If you can't see the left turn lane because of traffic, and you're the first car after a gap, you should be especially careful.
Bad right turns on red lights also happen with frequency. Never change lanes in the middle of an intersection. This would help matters. That and being careful when making a right on a red. The oncoming traffic is moving a lot faster than you.
2. Tailgating/Failing to look up
A failure to brake in time might possibly be the number one cause of accidents.
"The car ahead of me suddenly braked without reason" is a common excuse given for rear-ending someone. It also doesn't work. If you rear-end someone, you are automatically at fault. Cars may stop at any time for any reason. Making a turn into a driveway, traffic, a dog/box on the road--you are legally required to stop your car in time, and none of these excuses work if you hit the vehicle in front that managed to stop in time.
It's amazing how many people don't expect cars to stop on residential streets as they turn into their driveway.
It's also amazing how some people don't expect cars to stop twice at a stop sign. I was always taught that you stop on the white line, then if you can't see traffic, roll out and stop again.
Rear-enders especially happen to cars making rights on a red light/in a turning channel. Just because the road is "clear" does not mean the driver ahead of you has realized this. And when the driver ahead of you does begin to move, that does not mean they won't stop again. So often when the driver making a right on a red starts moving, the car behind them hits the gas and starts looking for traffic, only to hit the car ahead who ended up not going yet.
Finally, don't tailgate. You never know when the car ahead of you has a clutch and is doomed to roll backwards three feet (ten feet?) before moving forwards again on a green. Leave some space!
3. Trucks
Most people don't know how to drive trucks, and are thus unaware of the special challenges a trucker faces while driving.
For starters, trucks make wide turns. If you are in a double turning lane and are making a turn at the same time as a tractor-trailer, you stand a good chance of getting hit/side-swiped. Let the cars behind you honk all they want--either get through the turn before the truck starts moving, or stay out of the way. If you must make a turn at the same time, do it from the outside lane, and leave a lot of space.
Likewise, many trucks cannot make a right turn from the right lane without hitting a lamppost and must therefore make it from the centre lane. This is legal and don't act like it isn't. If you see the turn signal come on, get out of the way.
Trucks being heavy, they take longer to stop. Don't slam on the brakes in front of one. If you must make an unexpected left/right (into a driveway?), signal early, and give a warning tap on the brakes a few times before starting to slow down.
Trucks also frequently reverse. This has to do with the cargo door being at the back of the truck and the reality that many driveways/parking lots lack maneuvering room.
If you cannot see a trucker's mirrors, he cannot see you! For that reason, never, ever tailgate a truck! If you're trying to get fuel efficiency by drafting behind a truck, only do it on a parkway/interstate and be careful!
Blowing your horn to a truck is almost useless. My Dad drove a truck for 15+ years. He's lost most of his hearing because the truck engine was so loud. The truck engine will drown out the sound of your horn. (That's why truck horns are so loud.)
If a trucker begins reversing into you, get out of the way. If that isn't possible, you can try a blast of the horn, but better than that, make visual contact. Open a door. Stick your arm out of the window. S/he probably won't hear you so make them see you.
4. Deer
This is one of two universal excuses that gets you off the hook, police-wise and insurance-wise when you have an accident. (The other is when the other driver is drunk.)
(Alright, there is a third, but it doesn't happen often--see the auto shop incident.)
It amazes me that deer aren't extinct yet after all the hit deer I've read about.
Now, it isn't always a deer. Sometimes it's a dog, cat, cow, moose, toilet (that was a funny story).
Your best course of action is usually to remain going straight, slam on the brakes, hope the animal moves, and if it doesn't blame the damage all on the animal. Unless the animal is a moose, in which case do everything possible to get out of the way, because hitting that thing at a high rate of speed can kill you, and will at the very least total your car/pickup.
If you try to swerve out of the way of the deer, you risk two things. First, that the deer will jump out of the way and into the path you swerved into. Second, travelling a high rate of speed on a gravel shoulder usually results in a car in the ditch or flipped over, which often results in a totalled vehicle, whereas hitting a deer just destroys your front end. It's like the Titanic thing: you'd rather hit the iceberg straight on than scrape it down the side.
5. Parking
People can't park.
Or reverse. I've read so many reports where someone reverses while another car is flying down the aisle. Bang! The funny ones are when two people reverse into each other.
Anyway, it's a parking lot. People reverse out of spots all the time. Without looking, or in the better cases trusting that the rear-view mirror reveals all (it doesn't). Caution should rule. (This is why I always back into a parking spot. It's easier to get in than get out.)
Parking lots are also bad for hit and runs. There are more hit & runs in parking lots than all the other places combined. My Dad's favourite hit and run story was the guy who hit a car in a crowded mall with many witnesses, so he got out and left a note, which when all the witnesses noticed that, they left. Except that all he wrote on the piece of paper was "Sorry!" and drove off.
To give you an idea of parking lot hit and runs, there's a mall nearby especially bad for accidents. It's in a city of 100,000 people. There's an accident there around every 3 days. There's a hit and run there every 15 days. (These might be low estimates.)
Avoid all of the above, and you'll miss out on 95% of at-fault accidents.
Now, just hope the 5% doesn't get you.
Safe Driving!
Oh, right, the bird incident. So this guy goes to a pet shop and buys a bird. He's driving down the road and stops for a red light, when it occurs to him that the bird probably isn't comfortable and might have a hard time breathing in the tiny box he came in, so, he opens the box. The bird goes nuts and flitters all about the car before coming to rest underneath the brake pedal. The driver panics, lets go of the brakes, and rolls into the car in front of him.
As for the auto shop incident... this guy drives out of an auto shop. He gets onto the main road, and he isn't more than 100 feet away from the shop when the back passenger side of the car collapses onto the road, causing massive damage to the bottom of the car. Once the car stops, he gets out to see a couple walking towards him holding his tire, which had hit a car in a parking lot. The couple goes to the auto shop, where they call a tow truck. The tow truck driver finds a few lugnuts on the road trailing the car's path. The tow truck driver towed it back to the auto shop. The next day, the driver has it towed to a different auto shop. I wonder if anyone got fired?
What the Unconscious Wants
So I'm dreaming that I've just returned to Walla Walla, and there's a crowd. I'm assuming it was the Welcome Back Bash.
A certain person, to remain unnamed, walks up to me. Because of the crowd, we're somewhat close, and our arms end up touching. Our arms eventually become locked, which slowly turns into... holding hands. (It was primarily her initiative.)
After a few seconds, I look at her and ask "Does this mean we're a couple?" She replies "No," but continues to hold my hand.
And there my dream ends. (Either that or I forget the rest.)
The weird part is that I'm not actually (that) interested in her. (Yet?)
A certain person, to remain unnamed, walks up to me. Because of the crowd, we're somewhat close, and our arms end up touching. Our arms eventually become locked, which slowly turns into... holding hands. (It was primarily her initiative.)
After a few seconds, I look at her and ask "Does this mean we're a couple?" She replies "No," but continues to hold my hand.
And there my dream ends. (Either that or I forget the rest.)
The weird part is that I'm not actually (that) interested in her. (Yet?)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)