I was clipped off by the blue on white Delica on Esplanade between St. Georgies and Lonsdale in North Van at 5:55 PM tonight. The Delica changed the lane on the front of me without any indication of it's intension and made a right turn to Lonsdale Ave; I had to slam on the brakes and flash high beams. My Suzuki SX4 is small but still visible on the road with all the lights on! Oh, it emerged on the Low Level Road from the port. Hellooo!
Okay, so it wasn't me, but I'll throw my nickel in the pot to tell my story of 'poor driving style' - I call 'em "drifters" and I seem to be more cognizant of them now that I drive a unique vehicle.
Anyway, some clown in the lane next to me starts to drift towards me (we are going forward at about the same speed), and it's only after I tap the horn before she realises what she's doing. Looked like another case of I-don't-really-like-this-lane-and-I-want-to-be-in-the-next-one-by-the-time-I-get-to-the-lights!
And then, not 20 minutes later, there's another one, this time in front of me, and only after he's nearly half-way into the other lane does he realise what he's done... and jerks the wheel back. Not sure how the cyclist beside him at that point felt, but I can imagine!
So, was there actual contact or was there a hair's distance between you? Hope you're alright.
I was 5 ft behind on the right lane and if it was a contact it would be a different story. It happened 2 blocks away from my home and I drive this route every day so I would call it 'an autopilot'. I am aware of dummy drivers and I see them every day but I just thought that Delica owners were different! Wrong idea!
That kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME!! Driving is too easy - nice and warm, music on, tv, video, cellphone... In away though, it proves the point that RHD vehicles are no more or less hazardous than LHD - It ALL boils down to the quality of the driver. If one takes it seriously and tries to stay focussed then reckless or aggressive or just plain stupid dangerous stunts are way less likely. Driving is way more fun that way too. If one is behind the wheel but in the mind set of sitting on the couch at home watching the onboard dvd player, rolling a joint, mixing a cocktail, chatting on the phone, well... Personally I make it a habit to assume all the other drivers out there are distracted, careless chuckle-heads and so am never surprised - pissed off for sure, but never surprised...
konadog wrote:...Personally I make it a habit to assume all the other drivers out there are distracted, careless chuckle-heads and so am never surprised - pissed off for sure, but never surprised...
I refer to that as my "offensively-defensive driving style" - everybody on the road is a oblivious to my presence so I have to be on constant alert.
Probably comes from years of street riding a bicycle: nobody sees the bicycle until it is on the hood of their car and the rider is kicking their door and banging on the glass!
I was once a cycle courier in London, and for a couple of months in Vancouver. I have to say that the driving level in Vancouver is rotten, most of all, people haven't figured out how to signal in Vancouver. Nothing like watching someone cut you off while stitching across three lanes of traffic, driving down to the far end of the left turn lane, coming to a stop in the middle of the junction and then turning on their indicator. Well DUHHHHH ~ I kinda figured that you were turning left! Maybe next time use the indicator a little earlier... . Do you remember that woman who topped herself on the Bamfield road on the Island? And the author of the article had mentioned that it was a RHD van that she was driving? I will wager that if she was driving a LHD short wheel base vehicle the same results would have occurred. One must be aware of their surroundings and what is going on with the vehicle itself, when driving.
Just a thought, though.... When this Delica cut you off, Sergiy, did you see the wipers go on? As seldom as it happens, I feel like such an ass on bright sunny days, when I go to change vehicle attitude and my wipers start up .
Falco.
Sent from my smart pad, using a pen.
Seek Beauty... Good Ship Miss Lil' Bitchi
...... Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. ~ Japanese Proverb
Hi Profister,
Hmmm.... Blue and white..... North Van... That sounds like me. Wait a sec.. Tuesday, the 4th. around 6:00 P.M.... Thankfully no. I wasn't there. I had to think about it though and check my calendar.
I have a lot of family in the insurance business. A study in California found that people who own a car and own a cell phone are 19 times more likely to cause a car accident. That's just saying "people who own a cell phone" without establishing whether they were using the phone at the time of the accident or even in a car. There was no need to make that link. The plan in B.C. is hopefully to ban hand held cell phone use in cars, hands free only, but if you are in an accident and ICBC can show cause, they can subpoena your cell phone bill to find out whether you were on the phone when the accident occurred. If you were on the phone, you will almost certainly be found at fault. If you want to do one thing to make your self a better driver, don't use your phone in the car. I don't. OK well I have a standard so it would be a bit of a circus.
And yes, I think Vancouver drivers are some of the worst. Wasn't there something on the radio a few weeks ago about a TV show looking for the 10 worst driving cities in North America and we "won"? ... Twice!
Here's my punchline though: I was parking at Vancouver City Hall and a guy wheeled into the handicap space just as Mayor Sullivan was approaching. The guy got out of his car with no visible handicap whatsoever so I hollered " Hey buddy! I think they mean 'physically handicapped!'" . Predictably, the guy suggested that I perform an impossible act of self gratification, then noticed that the mayor was watching and almost ran away.
Sorry gang, you shouldn't have gotten me started.
Brett,
89 Exceed,
There are really only 10 kinds of people in the world;
Those who understand binary and those who don't.
The plan in B.C. is hopefully to ban hand held cell phone use in cars, hands free only
Interesting thing about this is that it dosn't seem to make any difference - you are way more likely to cause crash when on the phone while driving whether you are holding the phone in your hand or it's strapped to your noggin. Something about trying to be in two places at once I suppose. Funny, cell phones have only been around for a few years and have become "indispensible" - "How did we ever do with out!" Except in the event of a roadside breakdown or other emergency when I would like that instant communication (of course cells don't work anywhere north or west of Campbell River anyway), I feel very lucky to have no need for a cell phone or blackberry - Whew, I can still get away from it all! Keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road and your head in the game!
I am blown away every single day just how bad the drivers are around here. I have people visiting me and i tell them "watch this......lets go to the store and i will show you how bad the drivers are here" Sure enough within 2 min's my point is proven !!
You have to be quicker than they are stupid
It is a direct proportion
I take pride in driving. When i am driving nothing else matters..
Not to say i have not had close calls but i always catch the mistake fast. And you should hear the internal dialogue after i mess up. I always make sure to give myself crap !! lol's
I have a hands free. It requires me to push a button; talk; push another button to hang up, as it were. The pushing a button aspect is like adjusting the A/C; the talking aspect is like talking to the person next to you as the voice is coming from a speaker.
However, Why are so many accidents pinned on cel phone usage? What about the police, taxis, logging trucks, fire brigade or any other party that talk on two way radios? I really don't think it has much to do with the cel phones at all ~ I think it has to do with the driving habits or general mind set of the vehicle operator. If people used the inside hand to hold the phone (like in the case of a radio transmitter) they would still have the outside hand to operate the steering wheel and indicator, plus their inside hand wouldn't obscure their mirrors, like their outside hand does. What if there is an accident and one of the vehicles had a passenger. Would that vehicle be in the wrong because they were talking to the passenger?
I think if we (people in general) were to instil responsibility of actions (the phrase "due care and attention" comes to mind), at an early age rather than plop the child in front of the TV then perhaps we would have more people practising their dialectic skills, hence using more reason & logic when operating a motor vehicle. As a good friend would put it "Drive Accordingly".
Falco.
By the way, if you want to see a really good driver ~ drive behind Tomanique. He signals before his vehicle changes attitude, not during. Clean concise manoeuvres that are easily read and a good convoy leader.
Sent from my smart pad, using a pen.
Seek Beauty... Good Ship Miss Lil' Bitchi
...... Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. ~ Japanese Proverb
The pushing a button aspect is like adjusting the A/C; the talking aspect is like talking to the person next to you as the voice is coming from a speaker.
You'd think so, and it sure gave me pause when I heard it suggested that hands free are as dangerous as hand held. And of course you are right on the money when you point out the importance of "due care and attention." That really is the bottom line. It really should'nt be so hard... Happy and safe motoring All
The problem with cell phone usage and driving is that most people are used to talking on the phone at home where they can give most of their attention to the conversation. Driving a vehicle takes up most of your attention (at least it should...) so when you throw a phone conversation in the mix that requires a certain amount of attention people tend to automatically pay less attention to the road and traffic, to a greater or lesser degree depending on experience. Passengers and conversations with them can be just as distracting, but it's much easier to re-focus attention on the road when needed since you're both in the vehicle so there's no need to explain to the passenger what's going on.
The problem is distraction, rarely will someone put forward the necesary effort to make driving with a phone safe. I know that at times I am not as fully 'aware' as I should be - I really should at least get my speech recognition operating at the minimum.
I can't handle poor drivers, what I think is the problem is that our test is a joke and the police are more concerned with ticketing speeders rather than poor drivers. Don't get me started about pedestrians that start to cross when the hand flashes red... that is the tip of the iceberg for people turning left on Red's after a yellow. Someone get me a book of tickets I would like to hand some out!!!!!!!
I was a driving instructor in downtown Vancouver/East Side and I know it does take a lot of work to talk and be fully aware of what is going on. Every accident is avoidable save for something dropping out of the sky on top of you. People often say no way to that but as soon as you resign yourself that you can't avoid something you will just hammer the brakes and hold on for the inevitable impact.
Hi again gang,
OK well you got me started... Sorry. There is a large, very large body of statistics gathered by a California underwriting group that shows that if you haven't had an accident by the time you are about 25 for women and about 28 for men, the overwhelming probability is that you will not be involved in an accident in the future. .... Unless you go out and buy a cell phone. Then you straight into the "19 times as likely" group.
On the other hand, or perhaps to reinforce the point, dfndr hits the actuarial nail right on the button when he suggests that virtually any accident is avoidable, provided you have the foresight to anticipate and avoid it in advance and the trick there is presence of mind. An English group, at Cambridge I think, have thought lot about thought and have found that as a species, we don't actually "multitask". We "time slice" the same way a single core processor does. We do bit of this job then a bit of that job, switching back and forth, but we "nice" jobs based on how boring they are, meaning that our attention is drawn to which ever task is most interesting or least mundane, not which is most important. Of course there are some legendary exceptions to the rule. Was it President Adams that could write simultaneously with both hands, English with the right and Latin with the left? Those cases are exceptions to the rule if they aren't flat out parlour tricks. If you are on the phone, you aren't really driving any more.
Yep, some cops talk on the phone in the car. They are in the 19 times as likely group. Firetruck drivers do not. Ambulance drivers do not. Taxi drivers? You bet... Probably in the 40 times group in this town. Ironically, every person I know in the insurance business is on the phone from the minute they turn the key to the minute they run over their kid's bike in the driveway.
Next punchline? I passed a blue and white Deli this afternoon, In North Van at the bottom of mountain highway. An '89 low roof Just like mine, driven by a guy.... on a cell phone.
Brett,
89 Exceed,
There are really only 10 kinds of people in the world;
Those who understand binary and those who don't.
without any indication of it's intension and made a right turn to Lonsdale Ave; I had to slam on the brakes 
and flash high beams. My Suzuki SX4 is small but still visible on the road with all the lights on! Oh, it emerged on the Low Level Road from the port. Hellooo! 
.
Good Ship Miss Lil' Bitchi
