Last nights drive..

[HudsonHawk]

We were on our way back home on 635 after watching a friend play hockey in Richardson. It was a nice light rain, you know just the kind to make everyone stupid.


Between Marsh and Midway there was a multi-car accident that had just happened. A pickup and a car got into an altercations and had left and right lanes closed. Traffic was down to 2 lanes. We went through there and were getting back up to speed when a tahoe/suburban came flying up on the left hand side and cut between the car he was behind and me. There was barely enough room to put his SUV in there.

He took the NB 35 ramp at speed and all I could think about was it was just a little wet to be doing that. Just as he got to the bottom of the curve, the rear end starts sliding out on him. He over corrects, turns sideways, Over corrects again, spins the other way 540 degrees and ends with his nose against the wall stretched across 1.5 lanes of traffic. He may have clipped the retaining wall with the rear and that probably contributed to the final spin.


While this was happening, I hit the brakes, locked up the fronts on my LJ (no ABS unlike my previous vehicle) and started sliding out into the main lanes of 35. I came to my senses before I cause another accident, let off the brakes, regain control and then manage to stop before I hit the guy sitting sideways in front of me. I turn on my flashers and hope others are paying attention as they come down that ramp.


The guy in the SUV then backs up into the slow lane of 35 and takes off (thakfully its 9:30PM and traffic is light). I follow him up onto 35N and he is driving much slower. He did wave. I guess he was thanking me for not plowing into him.

Maybe a mile up the road there is another SUV sitting sideways on top of the barrier right before a bridge. A firetruck and police car were on the scene. I can only guess they were waiting on a tow truck.

Why is it that people get stupid when the weather gets bad?

[Dave04]

Why is it that people get stupid when the weather gets bad?

Sadly, the weather doesn't MAKE them stupid... they are stupid all the time. The weather just helps make it easier for the rest of us to see it...

[trickyrix]

A light drizzle doesn't impair their vision, and they forget that it's just enough water to bring the oil to the road surface. Ergo, the ballsy and stupid folk keep charging along as if the weather was dry and sunny.

At least that's my theory...

[jeepinbanditrider]

On 20 coming up to Weatherford they have the cheese wire barriers up (that's what I like to call them on the motorcycle) and I've seen lots of cars especially trucks and SUVs that have spun out and made it half way over that barrier before being stopped, high centered on top of it.

[creek]

1. Drivers Ed doesn't use SUVs.
2. Drivers Ed doesn't teach recovery maneuvers.
3. You can't fix stupid.

I was lucky enough to survive until I was 23 and got hired as a Police Officer. I attended a three day Pursuit Driving school my rookie year and it was an eye opening experience. I believe that all drivers education programs should include many of the lessons I learned at that and subsequent schools. Besides, it is a lot of fun to repeatedly push somebody else's car past the limits and get paid to do it.
The first school was in Lancaster. They had a half mile road course with 22 corners. They let you have unlimited tries at setting your best time the first day before the lessons began and it was hilarious to watch. After the school was over you got one shot at the course. The improvement was amazing and nobody lost control.

[MiataMike]

1. Drivers Ed doesn't use SUVs.
2. Drivers Ed doesn't teach recovery maneuvers.
3. You can't fix stupid.

I was lucky enough to survive until I was 23 and got hired as a Police Officer. I attended a three day Pursuit Driving school my rookie year and it was an eye opening experience. I believe that all drivers education programs should include many of the lessons I learned at that and subsequent schools. Besides, it is a lot of fun to repeatedly push somebody else's car past the limits and get paid to do it.
The first school was in Lancaster. They had a half mile road course with 22 corners. They let you have unlimited tries at setting your best time the first day before the lessons began and it was hilarious to watch. After the school was over you got one shot at the course. The improvement was amazing and nobody lost control.

I can agree with that totally 100%. If your going to learn to drive, LEARN TO DRIVE.

[goofygrin]

[onething]

Learn how to drive WTSHTF (- linkie) . I think this should be a mandatory part of Drivers' Ed.

[Sharpie]

1. Drivers Ed doesn't use SUVs.
2. Drivers Ed doesn't teach recovery maneuvers.
3. You can't fix stupid.

I was lucky enough to survive until I was 23 and got hired as a Police Officer. I attended a three day Pursuit Driving school my rookie year and it was an eye opening experience. I believe that all drivers education programs should include many of the lessons I learned at that and subsequent schools. Besides, it is a lot of fun to repeatedly push somebody else's car past the limits and get paid to do it.
The first school was in Lancaster. They had a half mile road course with 22 corners. They let you have unlimited tries at setting your best time the first day before the lessons began and it was hilarious to watch. After the school was over you got one shot at the course. The improvement was amazing and nobody lost control.

Did they use SUV's???

[HudsonHawk]

My dad was a OTR truck driver and gave me lots of driving pointers. Every vehicle I have ever owned I have made it a point of going out and finding an ice covered parking lot to learn how it handles on slick road conditions. Purposely putting it into a skid and learning how to recover from it.

A lot of people take driving for granted and don't realize they are piloting a 3500+ lb. deadly projectile.

[Maverick]

1. Drivers Ed doesn't use SUVs.
2. Drivers Ed doesn't teach recovery maneuvers.
3. You can't fix stupid.

I was lucky enough to survive until I was 23 and got hired as a Police Officer. I attended a three day Pursuit Driving school my rookie year and it was an eye opening experience. I believe that all drivers education programs should include many of the lessons I learned at that and subsequent schools. Besides, it is a lot of fun to repeatedly push somebody else's car past the limits and get paid to do it.
The first school was in Lancaster. They had a half mile road course with 22 corners. They let you have unlimited tries at setting your best time the first day before the lessons began and it was hilarious to watch. After the school was over you got one shot at the course. The improvement was amazing and nobody lost control.

I wholeheartedly agree. I became a much better driver after the pursuit driving segment at the academy. I wish more drivers were taught many of those techniques.

[creek]

Did they use SUV's???

In 1978 they hadn't invented the term. We used these: http://people.smu.edu/acambre/nova/police.html

They do use SUVs now, if the dept. has them.