Quote:
Originally posted by jtm
If people are getting rear-ended, don't blame it on the police. Someone isn't paying attention and/or driving too closely behind someone else.
|
That’s a good point. The police should not be blamed. The municipality, the state, or the locals should.
If you think back to driver’s ed, the std “cushion” distance between cars should ideally be one car length per 10 miles an hour of the speed you are traveling. If you are able to follow that standard, you should never even come close to rear ending the car ahead of you. From my experience in driving in various metro areas in the north east, this standard is impossible to maintain in heavy traffic. If you bring your rural courteous driving habits to the city and leave a nice comfortable cushion, then people will be darting into it from a side streets, or just plain passing you (even on a double line) as I noticed some of the more aggressive Massholes did.
There is a certain level of expectation that the guy ahead of you wont just lock up the binders. If you are approaching an intersection, you should be more alert to avoid a potential collision. For the most part, the car ahead of you is speeding up to make the light. If he speeds up, then locks the binders, I’ll very likely be making creative design statement with his trunk. There is theory and practice of metro driving. Drivers can normally judge the point of no return when approaching a light, if you change your mind at the last moment and screech out into the intersection you’re just showing your lack of ability to drive safely. Even if you don’t get a citation, you’re a hazard.
In my opinion as some nameless, faceless Cellar asshat ™ , this newly developed technique of avoiding a citation by braking furiously while getting into an accident is counter productive and a direct result of this new 1984 system.
The creators and implementors of this system should be summarily executed in the middle of the intersection for the camera to observe (but only after the light turns red).
Quote:
Originally posted by jtm
Traffic fines are annoying, but running red lights is dangerous and there's no excuse for it. It's probably the most dangerous moving violation, right alongside running stop signs. Besides being rear-ended is not as fatal as t-boning someone.
|
I agree running a light after the light has been red for say, ten seconds and the cross traffic has started moving, is one of the top two most dangerous violations. I’m guessing that’s not the circumstance of the majority of the fines though. If I were a betting slang, I would bet that the majority of fines are written for those who pass
just after the light turned red. In most cases before the opposing traffic actually started moving. It's also more than likely the opposing traffic’s light also turns green as the other turned red. Not smart.
In any case, common sense and defensive driving techniques keep you from being some bureaucrat’s profitable statistic. When the light turns green don’t dump the clutch and do a “hole shot” from the indicator line on the road. Instead , realize you have no control of other drivers,
and check for traffic in all directions that may have someone coming at you before you proceed into the intersection.
It’s a very simple technique, and doesn’t cost a fortune or create an automotive big brother. Don’t dad’s teach their kids to drive anymore??