It always amazes me to see the lack of common sense on our roads and freeways. When it rains and the roads are wet that seems to be an invitation for drivers to speed up to around 90 miles an hour. Geez, that makes sense.(Not!) Haven't these people ever taken a physics course? Stopping an automobile with a velocity of 90 miles per hour on a dry roadway would take at least nine car lengths. When a car is traveling at that rate of speed on wet pavement it would easily take TWICE as many car lengths.
Another thing that frustrates me on our highways is the lack of manners. There is this "all about me mentality" and "if I have to kill you in order to get to work on time-so be it." Speed demons race around like bats out of hell, cut you off and give you the middle finger.
I think the middle finger on the road is probably used ten times more often than a turn signal.
One other huge problem on the road, are drivers who are distracted by talking on their cell phones. These turtles slow down the speed of normal traffic and everyone is trying to get around them. They are a huge liability on the roads and have caused many collisions and near misses simple because they are not paying attention.
I worry every moment my own children are out on the roads driving. I do not worry about their driving ability. I worry about the OTHER DRIVERS.
I worry about the drivers who are going too fast and the drivers who are going too slow. But I have to say that the aggressive speeding drivers are a dime a dozen on the roads and they scare me the most.
Just a single element of speeding or talking on the phone is dangerous enough. Today, I witnessed a triple combination of big SUV (the worst offenders), speeding on a WET road and talking on his cell phone. After narrowly clipping another driver this idiot had the audacity to give the driver he cut off a show of his middle finger! Where was the Highway Patrol at that moment?
Even more frightening is the fact that it has become quite common for people to drink and drive. Add the drinking and driving to the speed or any other distraction and you have a deadly combination. Automobile accidents which involve intoxicated drivers take thousands of innocent victims every year.
So tell the people you care about to pay attention when they are driving. We all need to drive defensively. Remind your loved ones to obey the speed limit and to give their full attention to the road at all times.
If we save one life, then it is worth it.
