[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Vermilion Villager

[QUOTE A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)

WOW!!!! Am I the only one who noticed you just admitted you were doing 60 on a road in The Villages.....in the same post you complain about other drivers???? [/QUOTE]

But he was doing it to show how unsafe the deputy doing 60 was
(perhaps the officer was responding to a crime occurring in real time by silent approach)

[Vermilion Villager]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

In just two days I've seen:

• - A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
• - A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
• - A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
• - A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
• - A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
• - A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)

If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.

BRAVO!!!! You do know you just admitted to driving 60mph in the vicinity of a roundabout....in the same post you complained about people's driving????? BRAVO SIR BRAVO!!!!

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

........It is amazing just how many people believe that speeding is not the Number One cause of traffic fatalities. But it stands to reason. You can break the laws of traffic. You CANNOT break the laws of physics.

Speed kills.

And yet another insurance citation:

"Here are four instances in which driving too slowly can increase your chance of a collision:

Driving slowly in the left lane
Refusing to use turnouts on a two-way highway
Not following the zipper method
Driving too slowly while distracted
Driving too slow on Interstates or limited access highways
Driving too slow at night or low light conditions
Driving in the left lane except to pass can create a dangerous situation like a traffic backup. A few slow cars can even lead to a traffic jam, especially if two cars are moving equally slowly and blocking both lanes of traffic.

Driving slower than the traffic that surrounds you is more likely to cause an accident than if you were speeding. Driving 5 miles per hour slower than the traffic around you is actually more likely to cause an accident than if you were driving 5 miles per hour faster than the drivers around you.

Slow drivers in all lanes can cause other drivers to weave in and out of traffic around you, which increases the chance of an accident."

So perhaps the posts should have read:

"It is amazing just how many people believe that speeding IS the Number One cause of traffic fatalities."

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Vermilion Villager

BRAVO!!!! You do know you just admitted to driving 60mph in the vicinity of a roundabout....in the same post you complained about people's driving????? BRAVO SIR BRAVO!!!!

Not at all. I am sure the Sheriff's vehicle, including the spedometer, is much more well maintained than mine is. The deputy, charged with enforcing the law and likely trained in the safe operation of the vehicle, certainly would not have been violating the law or driving in an unsafe manner. With no lights or siren indicating an emergency situation (further evidenced by his stopping at a red light rather than proceeding through it), the Sheriff's vehicle should have been the standard for safe, legal driving. I wasn't speeding or driving unsafely, I was using a calibrated standard to reveal that my spedometer is incorrect.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

According to the National Sheriff's Association and the Teamster's Union, SLOW DRIVING creates unnecessary lane changes, which in turn leads to the real number 1 cause of accidents----failure to yield the right of way. Speeding is DEFINITELY NOT the number 1 cause, although speeding can lead to the other causes such as failing to yield the right of way. Still, I'd rather deal with a NASCAR champion driving 95 mph on I 75 than some bozo going 50 in the left lane

From the insurance industry:

"Driving slower than the surrounding traffic is more likely to cause an accident than speeding, according to research. Driving too slowly can make other drivers around you constantly brake and speed up. It can be frustrating for other drivers, cause confusion and could lead to an accident. Forcing other drivers to adapt to the slower speed could force the other drivers to possibly pass on the right side (if slow driver is impeding the center or left lane). Slow drivers can affect how others react to situations. Ex: waiting behind a slow driver to make a left turn, that driver takes too long and then you must react different and possibly make an unsafe judgement call. Other drivers may tailgate the slow driver, to “push” them along.

Why Do People Drive Under the Speed Limit?
One of the most common reasons motorists drive under the speed limit is because they are driving while distracted. Typically, drivers are distracted by cell phones. They are paying more attention to their phone and try to slow down to multitask. However, this is not safe and can lead to collisions.

How do we deal with slow drivers safely?
Make yourself visible to the slow driver by quickly flashing your lights at them from a safe distance to get their attention. If that does not work, you can use your car horn. A quick beep may get their attention. However, excessive honking and laying on the horn is not the way to remedy this situation. The constant alarming noise could also bother or startle those around you. When a slow driver is in your vicinity, you must be aware of everything around you and be patient and make a good decision on how to get around or away from the slow driver."

Actually, the progression is more like....slow driving causes impatience, which results in the person/people behind the slow driver doing any number of things that aren't safe, such as improper lane changes, excessive speed, passing inappropriately, and several other items on the list that was presented. But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver, and the common denominator is speed.

What the poster appears to be saying is that he is not responsible for engaging in dangerous acts in his vehicle, if those acts are caused by him being impatient with the guy in front of him.

Sorry. I don't buy it.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Actually, the progression is more like....slow driving causes impatience, which results in the person/people behind the slow driver doing any number of things that aren't safe, such as improper lane changes, excessive speed, passing inappropriately, and several other items on the list that was presented. But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver, and the common denominator is speed.

What the poster appears to be saying is that he is not responsible for engaging in dangerous acts in his vehicle, if those acts are caused by him being impatient with the guy in front of him.

Sorry. I don't buy it.

Well, it's sort of like the chicken and the egg. The driver behind wouldn't be impatient if some idiot wasn't gong 50 in the left lane to start with, and the person in an accident with the impatient driver wouldn't have been hit if there's was more "patience" exhibited.

So, now for the key question: Why should anyone have to be "patient" with some idiot driving 50 in the left lane? It's a matter of interpretation---yes, the proximate cause of an accident might be the impatient driver, but the root cause is the clown going slow.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

"I would rather be alive and have traffic cameras and Police everywhere."

BINGO!!!!!

England has cameras everywhere and I bet that they have MORE Police in areas with high population density like The Villages - and they are not some anti-personal freedom country like Russia and China. Some parts of the US ALREADY have lots of cameras to prevent crime. Department stores and Walmart have had cameras for the last 60 years and that has NOT turned the US into a RAVING mad Communist country. I bet that Canada has plenty of cameras in large cities. And SOON in the future there will be cameras in the sky on drones watching traffic and spotting crime. That will NOT make or break The Villages into a socialist hellhole.
........The problem is that it would represent CHANGE and many people, especially the elderly RESENT change!
........More Police or more cameras could be BOTH a good OR a bad thing, just like Nuclear energy or rockets to the Moon or ANYTHING.........it is the INTENT and the application of ANY NEW idea that determines if its value is good or bad.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by midiwiz

Then it wouldn't be a stock cart, the stock engine max speed is 35.

Well, that may be true, but it is also true that there are a lot of residents here that had sped-up, modified, hot rods in their youth. And they have the knowledge, inclination, and TIME to accomplish hot-rodding a golf cart. Also, they like to tinker. What better way to revisit their youth than to BLAZE down a residential street at 50 MPH, while proclaiming their GREAT individuality and giving a finger to norms !!!!!!
......Look at all the customized golf carts around here. I think that that would prove the possibility of interest in hot-rodding. And think of the psychological THRILL involved in passing all those ordinary residents going the mere speed limit of the average golf cart.

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

England has cameras everywhere and I bet that they have MORE Police in areas with high population density like The Villages - and they are not some anti-personal freedom country like Russia and China. Some parts of the US ALREADY have lots of cameras to prevent crime. Department stores and Walmart have had cameras for the last 60 years and that has NOT turned the US into a RAVING mad Communist country. I bet that Canada has plenty of cameras in large cities. And SOON in the future there will be cameras in the sky on drones watching traffic and spotting crime. That will NOT make or break The Villages into a socialist hellhole.
........The problem is that it would represent CHANGE and many people, especially the elderly RESENT change!
........More Police or more cameras could be BOTH a good OR a bad thing, just like Nuclear energy or rockets to the Moon or ANYTHING.........it is the INTENT and the application of ANY NEW idea that determines if its value is good or bad.

You keep listing all these countries that do things so much better than us and how terrible we are. Yet you’re still here. Why?

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Actually according to the National Safety Council, vehicles that are speeding cause the most fatalities, at a rate of well over two to one over the second-place cause, Careless driving. Other causes, in order, are:


Failure to yield right-of-way;
Improper lane usage;
Erratic, reckless or negligent driving;
Failure to obey traffic signs, devices or officers;
Overcorrecting;
Going the wrong way in one-way traffic;
Improper or erratic lane change;
Following improperly;
Aggressive driving/road rage;
Improper turn;
Passing with insufficient distance or visibility; and
Stopping in roadway.

It is amazing just how many people believe that speeding is not the Number One cause of traffic fatalities. But it stands to reason. You can break the laws of traffic. You CANNOT break the laws of physics.

Speed kills.

That WAS a GREAT post. Very informative.

[jimjamuser]

[QUOTE=Whitley;2173187]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

I wonder whether there are any STUDIES linking Covid to dangerous everyday behavior like bad and/or impaired driving. I will try to look that up.


That is quite a stretch; linking covid to bad driving. I know, maybe bad driving is linked to those who did not get the vaccine and the boosters. Perhaps we can petition insurance companies not to give policies to the unvaccinated. If we can punish them for not listening to orders, it would make me feel a bit better about having this experimental jab and still getting covid four times.

Lot's to unpack there, but I will ONLY say that I gave a link (AAA news) and the Doctors name that DID make the relationship between Covid and higher TRAFFIC DEATHS and hospitalizations. If I remember correctly it was something like 7% higher. Please fill free to vent against AAA if so desiring.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Whitley

Kind of like a police state. Maybe we can have some device inserted in all of our cars that will automatically notify police if we do something dangerous like, pass on the right or reach for a water bottle while driving. If it saves a life.

I would prefer the tradeoff of maintaining a life compared to the Great, wonderful convenience of drinking water while driving. Note......obviously I am exaggerating to PROVE a POINT.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Well, it's sort of like the chicken and the egg. The driver behind wouldn't be impatient if some idiot wasn't gong 50 in the left lane to start with, and the person in an accident with the impatient driver wouldn't have been hit if there's was more "patience" exhibited.

So, now for the key question: Why should anyone have to be "patient" with some idiot driving 50 in the left lane? It's a matter of interpretation---yes, the proximate cause of an accident might be the impatient driver, but the root cause is the clown going slow.

Don't confuse the catalyst with the cause. I doubt that "well, your honor, the reason I decided to pass in a dangerous no-passing zone and by so doing forced that oncoming driver to take the ditch and then roll down the hill, killing him and his entire family, was because THE IDIOT IN FRONT OF ME WAS DRIVING TOO SLOW" is going to be much of a defense. It was YOUR action that caused the accident. No one has the right to engage in illegal and possibly dangerous or even deadly behavior because he is angry.

That is not to say that driving too slow, especially in a lane designed for faster traffic, is not dangerous. It is. But it is dangerous only because of the volatility of human nature, especially in this day and age. We are far too quick to anger, and thus far more likely to do something rash, dangerous or illegal, than if we kept a cool head. Even slow drivers will eventually exit, or there will be a stretch of road where you can pass safely.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Don't confuse the catalyst with the cause. I doubt that "well, your honor, the reason I decided to pass in a dangerous no-passing zone and by so doing forced that oncoming driver to take the ditch and then roll down the hill, killing him and his entire family, was because THE IDIOT IN FRONT OF ME WAS DRIVING TOO SLOW" is going to be much of a defense. It was YOUR action that caused the accident. No one has the right to engage in illegal and possibly dangerous or even deadly behavior because he is angry.

That is not to say that driving too slow, especially in a lane designed for faster traffic, is not dangerous. It is. But it is dangerous only because of the volatility of human nature, especially in this day and age. We are far too quick to anger, and thus far more likely to do something rash, dangerous or illegal, than if we kept a cool head. Even slow drivers will eventually exit, or there will be a stretch of road where you can pass safely.

Don't confuse what would happen in a court with the real reason for the accident. I'm not trying to justify the actions of an impatient driver, especially one that causes an accident. I supplied references to insurance company studies that show that slow drivers cause more accidents than speeders. This is in response to all who post the inane "slow down, slow down, what's the hurry, we're retired" mantra over and over again. My point is that it is not all black and white. Let's face it, there is a spectrum of driving skills with Richard Petty at one end and the 95 year old lady who can't see over the steering wheel at the other.
Another study was actually interesting in that it pointed out that speed related accidents are not so much the result of absolute speed or lack thereof, but the difference in speeds that's dangerous

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

WOW!!!! Am I the only one who noticed you just admitted you were doing 60 on a road in The Villages.....in the same post you complain about other drivers????

But he was doing it to show how unsafe the deputy doing 60 was
(perhaps the officer was responding to a crime occurring in real time by silent approach)[/QUOTE]
That is ONE possibility. I know for a fact that some Police get bored sitting and looking for speeders. They call in bets on dog tracks and etc. Then, when it comes time for shift change they speed and weave in and out of traffic......JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN. That is not to say all Police are bad drivers. I know of one retired officer (a nice guy) that made me tense up when I rode in his vehicle. He was passing a line of stopped cars in Nashville ON THE DIRT BERM when I had to warn him that we were about to HIT an obstacle. Then he proceeded to push back left into the line of cars. And we were in NO particular hurry. I thought about giving him a hint by wearing a helmet next time I was in his red sports car.