s2k causes wreck while standing still
11-28-2000, 07:51 PM
#1
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A couple weeks ago I was driving to work and stopped at a T where I was going to make a right turn. Traffic was fairly heavy on the road I was turning onto in both directions, so I was patiently waiting for a break to pull out.
A car- a 1987'ish camry or something similar drove up in the far lane and stopped to turn left on the road I was pulling out from but had to wait for traffic to clear (as did I to make my right turn). Behind that car a Chevy Van drove up and the driver was admiring my S2000.
The driver stared a few seconds too long and smashed into the rear of the camry throwing it across the road and into a ditch. The Camry was pretty much totaled, but the driver was alright. I was pretty shaken the rest of the morning- feeling a little guilty for simply driving my car that day!
Another time, after I first got the S2000 last May and was driving it through the NC mountains, I stopped in a town to get some food. The main road in this town had 4 lanes on each side and I was pulling out from a stop light after stopping at a Wendys. I was first in line and the light turned green- so I went and a Ryder-like truck came barreling through the intersection at about 50mph right through a red light. Fortunately I saw it wasn't slowing down and engaged the VTEC and got out of the way with a little bit of fishtailing (wet roads). The ryder truck braked and did a 180 in the middle of the intersection, but didn't collide with anything. Oddly, all lanes were stopped at the red light, and he had driven right through an empty lane passing all of the stopped vehicles.
So the car not only causes collisions, but it also saved me from one. Anyone seen the Stephen King movie Christine?
A car- a 1987'ish camry or something similar drove up in the far lane and stopped to turn left on the road I was pulling out from but had to wait for traffic to clear (as did I to make my right turn). Behind that car a Chevy Van drove up and the driver was admiring my S2000.
The driver stared a few seconds too long and smashed into the rear of the camry throwing it across the road and into a ditch. The Camry was pretty much totaled, but the driver was alright. I was pretty shaken the rest of the morning- feeling a little guilty for simply driving my car that day!
Another time, after I first got the S2000 last May and was driving it through the NC mountains, I stopped in a town to get some food. The main road in this town had 4 lanes on each side and I was pulling out from a stop light after stopping at a Wendys. I was first in line and the light turned green- so I went and a Ryder-like truck came barreling through the intersection at about 50mph right through a red light. Fortunately I saw it wasn't slowing down and engaged the VTEC and got out of the way with a little bit of fishtailing (wet roads). The ryder truck braked and did a 180 in the middle of the intersection, but didn't collide with anything. Oddly, all lanes were stopped at the red light, and he had driven right through an empty lane passing all of the stopped vehicles.
So the car not only causes collisions, but it also saved me from one. Anyone seen the Stephen King movie Christine?
11-28-2000, 09:39 PM
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Happened to me yesterday, evening rush hour. 3 car pileup on the freeway as the guy in the lane next to me was looking at the S2K and not the stopped traffic ahead of him.
11-29-2000, 07:19 AM
#4
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Happened to me the first week of October last year, when the car was a week old and truly a rarity.
It was at night, nearly deserted roads. I was in the left lane, and with about a car length between us in the center lane was a conversion van. There was NO ONE else on the road and the right lane was empty for miles. A young girl, maybe 18, in an older Integra, comes flying up in the center lane, and I guess trying to be smart and show off, tries creep up on the minivan so as to cut over on me (with a FULL empty lane on the right, mind you, and I was already doing 70 in a 55). She clipped the minivan, they both went into a spin, and I slammed on the brakes to avoid both of them. (I could just see calling home and telling the then-hubby that I had wrecked the brand new car).
Yikes! People, it's just a car! Pay attention... it's better than paying higher insurance premiums!
It was at night, nearly deserted roads. I was in the left lane, and with about a car length between us in the center lane was a conversion van. There was NO ONE else on the road and the right lane was empty for miles. A young girl, maybe 18, in an older Integra, comes flying up in the center lane, and I guess trying to be smart and show off, tries creep up on the minivan so as to cut over on me (with a FULL empty lane on the right, mind you, and I was already doing 70 in a 55). She clipped the minivan, they both went into a spin, and I slammed on the brakes to avoid both of them. (I could just see calling home and telling the then-hubby that I had wrecked the brand new car).
Yikes! People, it's just a car! Pay attention... it's better than paying higher insurance premiums!
11-29-2000, 08:16 AM
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Originally posted by Sondra S2K:
...tries creep up on the minivan so as to cut over on me (with a FULL empty lane on the right...
...tries creep up on the minivan so as to cut over on me (with a FULL empty lane on the right...
- and I've noticed that in the USA people don't seem to care at all about this, and on Highways you get passed by cars from everywhere. Quite frightening, especially knowing how easy it is to get a licence there...I remember driving from North Lake tahoe to SF on a totally empty motorway, and coming quite fast on a sedan riding calmly on the left lane, trying to be polite, staying well behind him till he pulls to the right, then flashing my headlights, then coming closer, then using my horn, then, very angry, finally doing what I've never done in France, and is considered extremely rude (and illegal), passing him on the right lane, shouting quite bad words in french at the poor guy...
So is it allowed to do this? If yes, I've just acted as an ignorant idiot, if not, well, I will have to come to the conclusion that americans are really bad drivers...
11-29-2000, 08:33 AM
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I'm not sure if its entirely legal, but its legal to merge into the slow lane, and its legal to drive up to the speed limit, so if the guy is driving slower than the speed limit and you happen to be in the slow lane and pass him, I can't imagine it being illegal.
But in the US, people do this all the time. I am guilty of it myself. It is pretty rude and I get pissed when I'm waiting in line in the fast lane only to have someone cut very close to quickly get in front of 3 cars waiting for someone to move to the slow lane.
But generally, if its just you and the other guy, and he won't evacuate the fast lane, I think its not too taboo to go around on the right- only if there is a line waiting for him to move and you pass 4 people on the right is it extremely disrespectful. That always gets me a bit po'ed...but not nearly as much as when people who block the fast lane and can't get over to allow faster traffic to pass.
You are absolutely right- its too easy to get a driver's license in the US. I agree whole heartedly. In most countries it can cost over $1000 and involve training. But I suppose the size of the country and lack of good public transportation demands that we lower the barrier to entry...even if it costs lives in the process.
But in the US, people do this all the time. I am guilty of it myself. It is pretty rude and I get pissed when I'm waiting in line in the fast lane only to have someone cut very close to quickly get in front of 3 cars waiting for someone to move to the slow lane.
But generally, if its just you and the other guy, and he won't evacuate the fast lane, I think its not too taboo to go around on the right- only if there is a line waiting for him to move and you pass 4 people on the right is it extremely disrespectful. That always gets me a bit po'ed...but not nearly as much as when people who block the fast lane and can't get over to allow faster traffic to pass.
You are absolutely right- its too easy to get a driver's license in the US. I agree whole heartedly. In most countries it can cost over $1000 and involve training. But I suppose the size of the country and lack of good public transportation demands that we lower the barrier to entry...even if it costs lives in the process.
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11-29-2000, 08:35 AM
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Most places in the states have laws prohibiting passing on the right, but they are seldom enforced. Because of this lax enforcement most americans don't even realize it's wrong to pass on the right.
It would take a lot of retraining (traffic tickets) to make americans obey the rule.
It would take a lot of retraining (traffic tickets) to make americans obey the rule.
11-29-2000, 08:48 AM
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You usually have to pass on the right due to all the Mercury Marquis in the left hand lane doing half the speed limit. Drivers in the LHL are SUPPOSED to yield to faster traffic but seldom do. Europeans have better lane manners.
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11-29-2000, 02:13 PM
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It happened to me a few weeks ago. I was in stop & go traffic coming home and a guy was looking at my car & hit the car in front of him. He wasn't going very fast so no one was hurt. I had just waxed my car and it was shining. Too much for the guy, I guess.