hi John!
not sure what might have given you that idea; actually, SoCal's
where i grew up, and first learned to drive on the road. ;-)
now i'm in the SF Bay Area, and frankly, it's no better here
(especially in the East Bay). AAMOF, speaking as someone who spends
highway time all over this state (and others), the average level of
drivers vehicle handling skill seems to be better in SoCal. (note that i
didn't say they drove better; just that they're better at handling the
vehicle.)
perhaps it's because i grew up in the SoCal environment, and when
you learn in the middle of the Acid Test, everything else seems easier
by comparison. perhaps it's because i've been playing and commuting for
decades on 2 wheels, where the consequences of mishaps are less likely
to be Fender Benders than Body Benders. perhaps it's my experience
driving things that are bigger than the average minivan, or maybe it's
motor vehicle training that started off-road years before i was old
enough to get my first license. i truly don't think my racing experience
has much factor in it as that only helped me learn more about how to
handle the vehicle. maybe it's just my European heritage and experiences
there that makes the average motorist in most of our fair country seem
immensely unqualified to be sharing a highway with the rest of the
General Public.
i didn't say it was easy, but i don't personally find it
particularly or unreasonably difficult to stay aware of what's going on
around me on the road; it's my primary duty when i'm at the controls.
it's accepted as a matter of fact in other countries that take a
Drivers License more seriously than California apparently does; being
aware of what's going on around you isn't an unreasonable expectation of
someone operating a vehicle that likely weighs multiple tons, and is
required for driving responsibly.
cheers!
e
John Freer wrote:
Ernest,
Sounds like you have never driven in heavy LA traffic at 70 mph with
motorcycles legally driving in between cars with clapped out old
Impalas darting in and out of lanes at 85 plus.
Of course it is our responsibility, but it isn't as simple as you make
it out to be.
On 12/7/06, ernest breakfield <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
as someone who grew up and is still routinely in heavy mixed traffic
and/or on motorcycles, i find it not only simple, but my responsibility
(to both myself and others) to always know what's going on around me.
were that to change, it would be time to turn in the Drivers License.
i love our good classic equipment, but believe Good Feelings come as
much or more from Situational Awareness and the ability to *prevent*
issues as they do from successfully surviving them.
cheers!
e
David Brodbeck wrote:
ernest breakfield wrote:
you should already *know* whether or not there's someone in your blind
spot; when it becomes time for an Emergency Avoidance maneuver, it's far
too late to start figuring out what's going on around you.
Ideally, yes, but in heavy mixed freeway traffic it's not always
possible. Every moment you spend checking over your shoulder is a
moment when you're not paying attention to what's going on up ahead.
And those motorcycles can be devilishly hard to see when they're cozied
up next to your rear fenders.
