Following distance...

In Basic Driver's Ed, they go over following distance fairly extensively. It's after they get that little card and get on the road on their own that it all goes south. They know what they are supposed to do, but, what the heck? Their big ol' hurry outweighs safety every time.

 

That's right. It goes away along with defensive driving. How many drivers are still using the old outdated "a car length for every 10mph rule"?

 

I've always been an advocate of safe following distance. I just wish other drivers (4-wheelers are the worst, in my experience) would also follow safe following distance practices. An example, if you will. I drive a Toyota ECHO (yeah, yeah, echo...echo...echo). Last summer I was traveling down Rt. 322 between Meadville, PA and Franklin, PA. Little to no traffic. Well, this SUV comes up behind me. Now, I'm traveling at the speed limit, 55mph. The SUV came up real fast behind me, and stayed approx 10 ft. off my rear bumper. And stayed there through three legal passing zones. I dropped my speed, moved off the road into the breakdown lane, and finally stopped my car completely to get this individual to go the heck around. The individual in the SUV decided that somehow I was in the wrong, and parked his vehicle in the drive lane, got out, and came back to have "words" with me. Being a bit concerned about my safety, and not having a cell phone. I got out, saw the individual's aggressive stance, and grabbed the tire iron out of my trunk. Dude from the SUV screamed a nasty word or two at me, jumped back in his SUV, and roared away. My question is, what exactly did I do to encourage this behavior? If somebody wants to drive that darned fast, go around! And why did the dude feel justified in getting aggressive with me? Was it the size of my car? I realize it's a small car. It's what I can afford. And I have just as much right to use the road as any idiot in a SUV, don't I?

 

Don't forget the "experts" who tell the sheep that you can get better fuel milage "drafting" a big rig. They're right, you don't burn much gas when the car's in the junkyard and you're in the ground.

 

You probably didn't "do" anything to encourage his behavior. Fact is there are folks out there who are just plain mean. Or crazy. Or doped up. I'm glad you didn't get hurt in this.

Road rage has gotten to be so prevalent that I really wonder just how far it is going to go. Shoot, Utah, and I'm betting some other states, actually have laws addressing the road rage situation. Remember all those road rage shootings in the L.A. area several years ago?