All the years I have seen these things happen, and I never really understand.

I was taught something called Smith System driving, that would (and has) kept me safe from this stuff over the years. I'm always left appalled/astonished when I see such things happening. Its got to be traumatic.

Stayed in the darn house, today.

 

 

Edited March 29, 20224 yr by HiFlyer

I always wait for better weather to travel that interstate. Areas  like Delano, Frackville  Ravine. can be pretty bad. Thanks for the post HIFLYER.

Too fast...

 

40 minutes ago, TuFun said:

Too fast...

Yup

 

That is utterly insane. What possesses people. Pretty obvious you slow down if the visibility drops. 

I'm sorry, but the average intelligence of the population is extremely low. No different  in the UK of course, same thing happens here.

And people say autonomous self driving cars aren't a good idea. We are so clueless we human beings that we need manual controlled cars... but an AI behind the scenes that takes over when we are doing something dumb.

They really need to teach people basic physics in school before people get their license. 

Also, the simplest tip is to stay home if the roads are snow covered, or at least avoid the highways if at all possible.  I've driven through more than my share of snowstorms and I still will avoid the freeways at all costs. 

There's a contagious stupidity which happens.  People see the conditions and drive slowly, but are passed by a couple of cars.  Before you know it, everyone is going way too fast for the conditions. 

2 hours ago, kerosene31 said:

They really need to teach people basic physics in school before people get their license. 

 

Exactly! Same applies re tailgating. Why are people so dumb that they don't understand that if they are feet away from your bumper and you brake, they will hit you. 

8 minutes ago, martin-w said:

 

Exactly! Same applies re tailgating. Why are people so dumb that they don't understand that if they are feet away from your bumper and you brake, they will hit you. 

Especially if they are texting on their cellphone at the time!

3 hours ago, charliearon said:

Especially if they are texting on their cellphone at the time!

 

Before leaving the UK 18 months ago it was something I still saw quite often, despite the fact it had become illegal with a £200 - £1000 fine and 6 points on your licence.... for just holding it while driving. People are bonkers. 

On 3/29/2022 at 2:26 AM, martin-w said:

And people say autonomous self driving cars aren't a good idea.

Do self driving cars sense bad weather like snow and fog and heavy rain?  I don't know if they do or not.

When I am driving and encounter hazardous conditions I slow down.  If cars are speeding past me I pull off the road and stop or, if possible, go back and wait it out or find another route.

But, I would rather drive myself than ride in an autonomous self driving car.  Not that I don't trust self driving cars, I just enjoy driving.  Even now when I'm just going a few miles to the super market and such I like the driving part.

Cellphones in automobiles are dangerous.  Although if I have my cellphone with me and it rings the car answers it when I push a button on the wheel.  I listen and talk through the car speakers.  I never have to look away or hold the phone.  It can stay in my pocket or on the charging plate on the console.  It's like having a conversation with someone sitting next to you in the car.  There's another button on the wheel to hang up.

Noel

Edited March 31, 20224 yr by birdguy

We had a pileup about 40 miles from me, in heavy fog, about 2 weeks ago ... 5 people died and over 30 vehicles involved:

https://fox2now.com/news/missouri-sheriff-avoid-charleston-mo-after-major-highway-crash/

12 hours ago, birdguy said:

Do self driving cars sense bad weather like snow and fog and heavy rain?  I don't know if they do or not.

When I am driving and encounter hazardous conditions I slow down.  If cars are speeding past me I pull off the road and stop or, if possible, go back and wait it out or find another route.

But, I would rather drive myself than ride in an autonomous self driving car.  Not that I don't trust self driving cars, I just enjoy driving.  Even now when I'm just going a few miles to the super market and such I like the driving part.

Cellphones in automobiles are dangerous.  Although if I have my cellphone with me and it rings the car answers it when I push a button on the wheel.  I listen and talk through the car speakers.  I never have to look away or hold the phone.  It can stay in my pocket or on the charging plate on the console.  It's like having a conversation with someone sitting next to you in the car.  There's another button on the wheel to hang up.

Noel

 

I would imagine the software detects the loss of traction and tries to compensate. They do quite well in snow as you can see below. But it looks like the automation isn't quite ready for such conditions. 

https://electrek.co/2019/01/28/tesla-autopilot-snow-storm/

Tesla autopilot system gets updates over the air on a very regular basis, they are working on it, but full self drive isn't available yet I  believe. 

I'd be very wary of trusting full auto drive until its proven itself to be pretty much infallible. The day will come soon though, they are experimenting now with fully autonomous vehicles with no driver. 

I like the idea of the automation taking over if you are about to hit something, in fact the CX5 I had, had that system.  It was called City Safe, if it detected you were not braking in time it applied emergency braking. Occasionally though it would catch me out, if I drove too fast into a parking space, or if I drove toward a barrier that was on the way up, timing it so I could pass through when it was up. It didn't like that and would slam the brakes on. 😁   

The EU (UK too) has reached a provisional agreement that all new cars from July this year will be fitted with a speed limiter. as a legal requirement. Apparently it can be overridden though, so it looks like it just annoys you with a warning if you speed,

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/driving-tech/mandatory-speed-limiters-set-for-uk-cars-can-be-overridden/

 

Quote

 

The ETSC had been pushing for a system that cuts engine power once the legal speed limit has been reached. It says systems that intervene this way could reduce road deaths by 20%.

However, after industry pressure, the EU is also allowing a more basic system that plays an audio warning a few moments after the vehicle exceeds the speed limit.

The ETSC says research shows that audible warnings are annoying to drivers so are more likely to be switched off – which has no safety benefit.

 

 

I wonder how much it would cost to put a crash-force activated beacon in every car that would transmit within line-of-sight range for ~30 min after a collision and warn other drivers of danger nearby.

If we wanted to solve the problem with texting while driving, we could easily require new cars to have an RFID chip embedded in the steering column and an interlock on phones that would disable texts if such a driver proximity chip was sensed and the phone was in motion faster than you could walk.  The same technology is already in use to sense a keyless fob near the door or driver's seat in many cars.

The problem isn't that we can't solve those problems with available technology and make roads safer--it's that we really just don't want to.  No, we're too busy mandating things like consumer warnings not to iron your clothes while still wearing them on your body, or not to drink the fluid from your lead-acid battery...  Arrrrgh.

 

1 hour ago, Bob Scott said:

No, we're too busy mandating things like consumer warnings not to iron your clothes while still wearing them on your body, or not to drink the fluid from your lead-acid battery...  Arrrrgh.

"Do not start or stop chain saw if holding it between your legs."

32 minutes ago, n4gix said:

"Do not start or stop chain saw if holding it between your legs."

There's something elegantly Darwinian about that...