On Tailgating...

What's one of the easiest ways to guarantee being in a car accident?  Answer:  Ride another car's tail at high speeds towards stopped traffic.

The picture above is of a silver Charger being driven by a driver who decided that getting to the airport to pickup a friend or loved one was worth risking his life. 

I'm sorry, but if you believe that, you deserve to spin-off the off-ramp and crash into a fiery blaze.  The person or persons have landed safely.  You're an off-ramp away from the airport.  Slow the heck down and take it easy.

Well the driver he was tailgating was not having a great morning either and stepped on the brakes hard in front of the charger.  So hard in fact that the car that braked seemed to make a little hop as it abruptly slowed down.  The Charger was dangerously close to slamming into the braking car.

Now you're probably one of those people that likes to tailgate.  I'd suggest there are easier ways to get killed.  Look up "how to commit suicide" on google.  I'm sure you'll find dozens of ways to handle your business.  (Disclaimer:  I am not suggesting anyone kill him or herself, but that if he or she does, to not do it on the road)

Two basic scenarios :

1.  You're risking your life in case the car in front of you has to quickly stop due to some unforeseen event or miscalculated approach.  Slam!  More often than not, you will be held responsible.

2.  The person you are tailgating will take drastic measures to express his or her content at your tail-riding.  Also risky.  Slam!  More often than not, you will be held responsible unless you can prove that the driver who slammed on his or her brakes had malicious intent.  Difficult to prove.  Saying "He just slammed on the brakes" is not enough to prove it. 

Conclusion:  Stay the fudge away!

The faster you are driving, the more distance you must keep between your car and the car in front of you if you care about surviving an unpredictable situation.  If the car in front of you suddenly has a blown tire or loses velocity quickly, you will need space and time to react.  If you are too close, not only will you surely collide with the car in front of you, but are setting yourself up to cause a chain of collisions in which you are the target.  Again, if you do not value your life, please find alternatives.

With love,

the ones who want to live another day.

and the Driving Dude.

DWS- Driving While Stupid

On Tuesday of this week, while driving it to work, a driver in a black Mercedes was caught "Driving While Stupid".

Black Mercedes. Plates:  UCLA SLM.

Be wary of this driver.

In Torrance, CA, while trying to make a left onto Hawthorne coming from Del Amo Blvd heading east, this driver almost ate the center divider while making the left.  I, of course, made a snark under my breath.. something like "Where'd you learn to drive ackhole?" Scoff!

So as I followed I decided to move over to the right lane to avoid this DWS.

Put on my signal light, checked the rearview mirror, the right mirror, lastly the blindspot by turning my head, and switched lanes.  As I was passing this car, I noticed it started to veer ever so slightly towards me. I quickly checked the right lane, and swerved to the right while accelerating.

I looked in my left mirror to my horror.  The Benz was still veering right, already a foot and half into the next lane and quickly swerved back into the lane it was in.

What the heck?  Was this ackhole drunk or stoned or having a heart attack?

Usually if I see a car slightly drifting towards me I give a quick 2-honk warning and most driver reactions are to course-correct.  I did not do that this time and instead took the riskier move of getting out of the way.

The car finally moved behind me and when reaching a red light on an intersection I pumped my brakes as I slowed down to assist this person in seeing my car.

Well the driver decided to swing over to the right hand lane and turn right on Artesia without stopping.  The windows were tinted so I could not tell you what the driver looked like or if he/she was visibly distraught.. but nowadays it could just have been someone updating their FB status.

:|

I checked the license plates:  UCLA SLM

I don't know if it stand for UCLA IS LAME, or  I'M A STUPID DRIVER.

The latter would be my guess.

People, if you're gonna drink or use drugs, stay at home or have someone else drive.  Leave the texting for when you're not driving, or pull over to a gas station and do it. 

And while you're at it, visit ontheroadrageagain.blogspot.com  for more tips to avoid driving like a douchebag.

Driving While Stupid is a major offense in my book.

After the Storm, Pot-holes!

So now that the rain is over, everything's just fine again right?  Well, not exactly.

See, although many love to rev up the engine and maximize acceleration due to a clean and dry road (awesome grip), there is a dangerous foe lurking right below-

Potholes.

Woo hoo!

Yup, those pesky breaks in the road are responsible for damaging suspensions and popping tires.

Potholes are formed due to deterioration of the road. When it rains, the water and traffic helps wash away any loose debris in between the cracks of the road.  Also, once water goes in the cracks, cold weather freezes up the water which solidifies (expanding) and breaking the road even further!

(image from: http://www.carpages.co.uk/news/news-images/potholes_15_06_07.jpg)

Try to avoid them but not at all costs.  Swerving to miss them could be more dangerous than going over them.  Be wary though, speed and potholes are not a good combination.  Try to keep your driving to low speeds at least until you survey your usual traveling roads.  After a few days, you should be able to remember all the potholes that have surfaced and the specially nasty ones.

Adapt your commute route and speed according to what you've learned.  Hopefully, within a few weeks, road crews will fill those potholes up with fresh new asphalt!

If you must go over a pothole, try to do it slowly but don't brake or stop quickly or you might find yourself on the receiving end of a rear-end collision.

**  Want to report potholes in your area?  Just Google:     reporting potholes (nameofyourcity)  Use the Google widget at the top of my blog!!

Rain on My Commute: Part 5

#5 PLANNING!   

Map your route if you are driving to a new location.  Being lost sucks, but being lost in the rain sucks even more!  You might want to get familiar with an alternate route also, just in case flooding or unexpected street closures arise.  If you are driving to a familiar destination, you may want to still look for an alternate route, especially if you remember seeing "FLOODED DURING RAIN" signs.  Chances are that road is flooded.

Also, expect traffic to be very heavy and give yourself more than enough time to travel to your destination.

Websites such as sigalert.com or maps.google.com broadcast up-to-date traffic mapping which will help you set realistic expectations. Also listen to local radio or newscasts for street closures or other hazard warnings.

 

Bring an umbrella!  I almost hit two people today who ran out of a building to cross over to the parking lot with their jackets pulled over their heads.  :|  Bring your umbrella and you will significantly lower the chances of being hurt or killed.  It's dangerous enough that visibility is low and the roads are slick.  Running to and fro with a half squint and a jacket (or papers, etc) blocking your peripheral vision is the perfect storm for pedestrian-caused accidents.  Walking with calm will also help you avoid some of the many pitfalls of hasty, wet pedestrians such as:

slipping and falling
landing on a puddle of water
sinking into mud
falling into a trench

Oh, and it will also keep you dry and warm!

So remember, the more your prepare for being a Roadie in the rain, the safer and less frustrating the experience will be.

Well, that concludes my TOP 5 Tips for driving in the rain.  Please continue checking in as I give more miscellaneous tips for driving in normal and not so normal conditions.  Also, I will update some of these blogs as time goes by, so come back and read them again as a refresher.  You might find something new you did not read before...


Safe Driving!


the Driving Dude

Rain on My Commute: Part 4

picture by David McNew (see source here)

#4 ENVIRONMENT!   

Looks like L.A. was spared rain for most of the day, but forecasts put the probability this evening from 50% to an 80% chance!

So let's continue with my personal 5 favorite tips for driving in the rain... with #4:  Be aware of your environment!

I know it might seem a little overwhelming.  You've already had to be mindful of communicating your intentions in limited visibility (COMMUNICATION), check your vehicle for anything that might put you at risk (MAINTENANCE), and worry about keeping a safe distance from cars both in front and behind you (DISTANCE).  Now I'm asking you to pay attention to what is happening around you.

Check the road! 

This might be a little difficult to do if it's pouring or if there is bumper to bumper traffic.  Nevertheless, if you have the chance to survey the road you are about to drive through you will be able to:

A) Approach puddles with care (hydroplaning hazard and enemy of pedestrians world-wide).  **Usually form on lanes closest to the sidewalk!  If you can, drive in a middle or left lane.  If you can't avoid a puddle try not to SPEED through it, take it a lower speed, and if a pedestrian is close-by, be mindful.  Don't slam on your brakes or swerve to avoid puddles.  Those actions would be riskier than driving over the puddle.

B) Avoid flooding!  More than just a puddle can be very dangerous and inconvenient.  Always keep in mind to look ahead, as far as you can see.  If you see cars trying to cross a flooded street up ahead, I'd suggest looking for an alternate route.  Turn and drive around the flood, looking for a route through higher ground or that is not flooded.  The danger with flooded streets is that you have very little control as to how your vehicle is going to react.  There is a risk of your car stalling, which means it will stop while submerged in water and you will not be able to drive away. 

There is also a risk that your car will float away if the water is rushing or begins to rush.  Since you are not on a boat, your car will be at the mercy of the water.  If you absolutely have to drive through water that submerges the body of your vehicle, be prepared to abandon your car if it stalls.  I've driven through flooded water and was lucky, but too risky to do again. 

If your car is stuck in water, turn on the hazard lights, abandon the vehicle as quickly and as safely as you can, head for higher ground, and call a towing company.  If you remain in your car, you risk being whisked away or being attacked by piranhas.

*By the way, you should all be flood-literate after all the recent water main breaks in L.A. County.  

C) Avoid the future.  I've brought this point up in a past blog with the SUV that rear-ended the Benz.  If you have the chance to look over the cars in front of you, either because you're driving on a downgrade or have a tall vehicle, use that advantage to look towards future traffic.  This will alert you to possible floods, accidents, or a dreadfully congested lane.  It is no fun to be stuck in a turtle of a lane with rain pouring and seeing other lanes moving forward painlessly.  Trying to change lanes from a stopped position in the rain is another risky maneuver.  If you absolutely have to move out of a stopped position, do not dart out quickly (slipping uncontrollably potential) and do not do it without communicating your intention (flash those signal lights). Be Smart, not Emotional.  If you let your frustrations get the best of you, the outcome might be worse than just sucking it up and being careful.

D)  Be mindful of others.  Not everyone reads this blog and so many do not understand that there are better ways to drive than using the indifferent, half-ass approach of most drivers.   Most people will NOT communicate, will be driving way too fast (stay far from those), swerve to avoid rear-ending someone who has stopped short (or to make a last minute turn without signaling), stop short in front of you, or cut you off.  This is why keeping distance and keeping your eyes peeled will be a life saver.  If you notice that the traffic in front of you at 100 feet is moving slowly, yet the car in front of you keeps sprinting ahead, you know to keep calm and not hastily move forward.  Once the car in front of you rear-ends someone,  you can calmly and safely change lanes to continue on your way. 

If you see an accident that is about to happen close to you, quickly decide what your best reaction will be.  Sometimes an assisting bump on the horn can help avoid two other cars crashing. Sometimes not reacting at all is the correct route.  Other times you may need to swerve to miss hitting a car that is hydroplaning or skidding in your direction.  Stay calm and remember SLOWING DOWN is an option, as long as it is done in a safe manner.  Speeding away or swerving may not be as safe as just applying the brakes moderately and allowing the car to spin out of control in front of you.  If you speed up and swerve,  you may find yourself becoming part of an accident that some other commuter behind you sees and avoids.

Share the Road!  I know many of you get super frustrated at bicyclists on the road in any kind of weather.   Be safe, change lanes if you have to, but share the road.

Your life and your safe travel does not supercede a cyclist's.  If you think otherwise, then get your head checked by a shrink.

**

The last thing I'll say is that all of these tips are valid under Normal driving conditions.  But with inclement weather, regular road hazards are amplified greatly.  This means that if you are a decent driver during Normal driving conditions, you will need to push yourself to be an Excellent driver during Rainy conditions.

You cannot completely prevent anything from going wrong, but you sure as heck can take the steps to increasing the odds in your favor.

Safe Driving!
the Driving Dude

Rain on My Commute: Part 3

 #3 DISTANCE!

The last lesson learned in my previous blog post, and #3 on my TOP FIVE tips to driving in the Rain is: keep your distance from the car in front of you. 

Now although the accident I witnessed yesterday happened over a dry road, the SUV skidded into the Benz and the Benz also slid forward and hit another car.  How could this happen?  I mean, the Benz and SUV's brakes or tires must have been in bad shape. Right?

Wrong.  The assumption that vehicles with brand new tires and brand new brakes should stop on a dime etc is false (unless of course the car's crawling at 2 miles an hour).  If you are driving under high-risk conditions, you should never be confident that you will be able to stop your vehicle in time to avoid a collision.  If you are driving a heavy vehicle, you should be even less confident. 

In normal driving conditions in L.A., cars should have at least a 2 car-length distance between them.  Nevertheless, people are impatient and feel the need to tailgate each and every car (unless occupied by intimidating folk).  Remember:  the faster you are driving the farther away you should be from the vehicle in front of you.  In bumper-to-bumper traffic it is usually fine to be 12 inches away from the car in front of you without risking much.  Driving at 65MPH with 12 inches between you and the car in front of you is asking for major trouble.

Although you may get away with tailgating on a dry road, in a wet road, it is a recipe for disaster or death.  The more distance you have between the car in front of you the more options you have in case of hydroplaning or, as in yesterday's accident, it will give you enough leeway to brake quickly after an unexpected stop of traffic flow.  If the Benz's driver had kept a good deal of distance from the car in front of it, there would only be damage on the rear of the car and might have still been drivable.

Benz driver, if you're out there, next time stop your car so that you can still see the bottom of the back tires of the car in front.  This is a good distance to keep when stopping behind a car in any normal traffic situation.  If you pull up and can't even see the license plate, you are definitely way too close.

I have to mention what my suggestions are when some ackhole is tailgating you.  Usually, I'll continue my rate of velocity and wait for whoever it is to pass me.  If in the rear-view mirror I see that this driver is obviously DWS, then I'll signal and safely make a lane change.  Changing lanes without signaling (see COMMUNICATION!) increases the chances of collision if both of you decide to move in the same direction (as it usually happens).  If I'm feeling relatively brave, I'll gently pump the brakes to remind the driver behind me that "Yes, you have absolutely no fracking idea if I'll have to stop suddenly and you'll obviously be the liable party in a rear-end collision."  This maneuver though has the risk of infuriating the Ragers.  Oh Ragers, hell hath no fury to compare with thy rage.

So if an ackhole is tailgating you, your best option is to take the action that improves your chances of avoiding an accident if you have to stop suddenly.  Throwing cans of oil out your car window to rid yourself of a (tail)Gater is a questionable move (so is trying to shoot the car's tires out or braking suddenly!)

The next storm is coming!  (from weather.com)

False Start - BAM!

So Tuesday morning I rode in to work as a passenger in my buddy's car.  Let's call my buddy "Danger Dude".  So Danger was driving and I was typing away, brainstorming for future blogs, when I witnessed something horrible (aka a teachable moment).


On PCH heading north, just south of Rosecrans (where Fry's is), the right hand lane was backed up.  Traffic though began to move on all lanes as the light turned green.  On the right to us, a silver Benz rapidly accelerated forward.   I told Danger "Look at this moron" referring to the big black SUV behind the Benz as it rapidly accelerated as if to catch up to the Benz.  Danger began to move his car forward and pay attention to driving while I paid close attention to the right lane for I knew what was going to happen.

I thought about you, reader, and wanted to make sure I analyzed it properly for you.  I shifted my weight to the right as I saw the Benz stop short, only 15 feet from where it had accelerated.  The SUV behind it very quickly accelerated for 11.5 feet before hitting the brakes to avoid ramming the Benz.  The front tires locked and the SUV skid for those 3.5 feet until slamming violently into the back of the Benz which was pushed forward and bumped into the car in front.  The crash happened right outside the passenger window.   The noise was loud and the vibrations were strong.  Danger swerved his car a bit to the left thinking the collision would send one of the cars towards the lane we were on, but no such luck.  I mean, no such fate.  ;)   I quickly smiled with a sense of satisfaction that these people had made such rookie mistakes.  Oh how they would benefit from reading my blog!


Lessons Learned: 

1.  Haste makes waste.  Accelerating too quickly burns gas inefficiently and may set you up for a false-start rear-end.   I believe that the Benz is just as responsible for this accident as the SUV.  If the Benz had moved forward without stepping on the accelerator, the SUV would have not reacted with haste and would not have had the correct conditions for such quick and reckless acceleration.  I hope the driver of the Benz realized his/her mistake while looking through the rear-view mirror at the SUV race towards and slam into the car.  "OH SHIF" would have been an appropriate thought at the moment. 

2.  Keep your eyes on the road.  If you are in a big-ass SUV you should have seen (especially since the road has a downgrade) that traffic was stopped and that the idiot in front of you was sprinting the short distance.  Do not hit the gas unless you are able to process what the heck is happening in front of you.  Distractions when driving must always be kept to a minimum.

I suspect the driver of the SUV was confident that traffic would continue moving and either
(a) reached for coffee
(b) was checking out an attractive person through the left window (potentially me)
(c) was handling a mobile communications device
(d) was having a passionate conversation with someone else in the car (potentially a pet)
(e) or was momentarily BLIND.

3.  Never assume or you'll make an ass out of yourself and only yourself. Assuming that because the person in front of you has moved a few feet forward that traffic will continue to flow uninterrupted is naive and by naive I mean really stupid.  Try not to be stupified while driving (DWS).  As 'easy' as automatic transmission, power-steering, and GPS have made the act of driving, the car will not drive itself.  It needs a capable, awake brain and body to safely coordinate its behavior.  Remember:  Strive to use 100% of your brain power on driving if a steering wheel is in front of you.

4.  This one I'll save for my next post since it is CRUCIAL too when driving in rainy weather.  Can you guess?  The keyword starts with a D. (Sorry for spoiling that my next blog post will be #3 of Rain on My Commute).


By the way, I do hope that those involved in that accident are OK (although it won't be any time soon that they forget this and if worse comes to worse, they will be in legal/financial arguments for a long time to come). 

Thank you Benz and SUV for today's lessons and I'll leave you with this good rule of thumb: 

Don't accelerate unless you are ready to drive and when you do, accelerate gracefully.

Rain on My Commute: Part 2

# 2  Maintenance!

Yes the despicable act of taking care of your shif before it breaks down and you're left screaming "NO NO NO NO NO!  Just when I really need something to work it doesn't..."  Yeah, I'd file that under "Self-fulfilled Prophecy".

If you see the clouds forming or the weather report says it's going to rain, check those wipers!!  While you're at it, wash those dirty windows and check your tires for air pressure issues (a flat in rainy weather is a nightmare) and also for tire wear (baldness).   If the tires can't grip the road right your car will hydroplane!  This means your car will slide out of control as your tires hover over the water on the road. 

Now if your car does go into hydroplane mode (symptoms include not being able to steer normally, obvious skidding or sliding) DO NOT PANIC!  Panic while reading this is totally acceptable but at the moment of hydroplaning you must recall sound advice (and I would suggest surfing the net for more suggestions on how to recover from hydroplaning).

One thing that everyone suggests:  Do not brake suddenly.  Let go of the accelerator softly and only pump your brakes if you absolutely must (like if you're about to hit another vehicle and/or person.)  Your car should start slowing down and in the process began to make contact with the road.  If you are skidding or sliding, carefully move your steering wheel in the direction of the skid (if the car is skidding clock-wise, turn the steering wheel towards the right, counter clock-wise towards the left).

#1 hydroplaning prevention method:  Don't SPEED in the rain. 

Check here for more info:

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/22591-driver-training-ways-to-control-hydroplaning-video.htm

Or check out this video:

 

Ok so now you're understanding why maintenance can be crucial!  Preparation can help improve the chances of surviving.

Do as I blog not as I drive...

Yes I was driving in the rain when I took the picture for my last blog.

Driving and Clicking is a Hazard in any weather!

That being said, I knew my risks, I thought about you the reader and clicked away.  I wanted you to learn also from my risky behavior.

Trust me though, I was using advanced driving techniques which I will share with you of course, as this blog progresses.

In the meantime, leave the driving photography to the Driving Dude.

Rain on My Commute: Part 1

Wait... what is going on?  Are all the sprinklers in L.A. busted and showering over the streets?  Turned on the radio and heard "Rain".  Oh my!  Rain in L.A.!

Yes folks it's back.  One of our favorite weather scenarios is making a cameo this week and it's 1000 times more dangerous to be a roadie today.

Although I could write ALL DAY about how rain creates dozens of uniquely tricky situations of which you'll try to get yourself out, I'm going to concentrate on a top three- scratch that- a top FIVE.

#1  Communication!

Since everyone is trying to deal with multiple things when it rains (basically trying to remember my top FIVE) it is imperative that the most basic of things be followed. 

Communicate your intention by using the automobile's signal lights well in advance of your lane change or turn.  Although you may feel like you are the only one using the signals, it's ok, because it means that you're the only one out there who's actually making an effort to PREVENT an accident.  Also, don't be afraid to use the horn if you have to.  Better to irritate someone temporarily than to have them damage you or your vehicle.

Note:  A hand signal is still legit even in rainy weather but apart from wetting yourself (hee hee) you may not be seen.  Which leads us to number 2...

Put on your safety belt and trigger the ignition

Ah yes.. after several days in house arrest due to a nasty flu (swine? avian? who cares? I survived) I am back on the road (rage) again.

Now contrary to what many of my friends may tell you, I rarely act on on my disappointment with crappy drivers, indifferent pedestrians, sloppy construction workers, inefficient movers and well, anything and everyone on the road who decides to use less than their allotted brain functionality.

Yes, I use the klaxon fairly often and flip the bird, and roll down the window and tell people that they are idiots and a list to prove it. But this is nothing compared to the throwing of milk gallons, the shooting of bullets, and the never-safe cutting off car maneuvers that road-ragers all over the planet commit.

So although I'm not the picture of driving sanctity I do believe myself to be the safest driver I know and will debate any challenge to that. Of course, if you come to me and prove it, then I will concede, but we must have drinks first for me to get to know you and make it official.

Now the reason I've decided to write this blog is because I currently don't have time to sit down and write a book, although this may end up being just that, and would love to share some of my acquired wisdom, techniques, and observations of the world on the road. My hope is that you, the reader, will take away something useful to use not only as a driver, but also as a pedestrian, a traffic cop, a runaway kickball, or an ambitious bug caught in the jet-stream of a highway.

Maybe you'll agree. Maybe you'll disagree. The thing that we can be sure of is that either you or I will learn something new. This is also a good way for me to vent some of that rage, so I don't end up killing you as you decide getting off the highway at the very last moment IS worth your life. (Some would much rather die at the right off-ramp than continue to live but be 1/4 of a mile too far from their destination and 2 minutes late to an appointment.)

If you're one of those people that does not drive or has no idea what a car looks like, this blog should serve as a clear window into urban transportation woes in which urbanites submit themselves to the most dangerous of situations all for the convenience of modern living.