Fellow Fiends:
Let me start out by disclaiming any overt yank-bashing; this is not intended
as a flame, and I've been in the States for a long time, so anything here
probably applies to me, as well.
That said, I'd have to say the following contribute highly to the American
accident rate:
1) Simple lack of paying attention, even under extraordinarily difficult
driving conditions. Yanks pay more attention to their hair, car phone, eye
make-up, and even the morning paper (I have seen people actually READING the
paper on I-95 during a morning rush hour ... and I don't mean whilst waiting
for traffic to clear: they read at 65-70 mph. ::shudder::) I think this is
one of the largest contributions to the accident rate.
2) Simple lack of courtesy or, really, acknowledgement that other drivers
even exist. I've seen more yanks saying things like 'if that fella would
just get offa MY road...'
3) Insane scheduling. People here seem to schedule their workdays to the
ultimate limit, leaving little or no time for travel in between appointments.
Very unrealistic, which leads to #2 above and, often, #1.
4) Irrational belief in the safety of their vehicles, coupled with a callous
disregard for the lives and health of others. I call this the 'my minivan's
better than yours' syndrome. Americans are constantly being told that their
vehicles are safer than ever, and they believe it ... even beyond what the
advertisers claim. There's been here a rash of young hooligans who steal
cars with air bags and then drive them into walls .... just to get the airbag
to inflate, thinking they are otherwise safe from a head-on collision with
brick and masonry. ::shudder:: These safety claims lead to the belief that
they will survive, more or less intact, any accident in which they are
involved, despite frequent evidence to the contrary. Moreover, they don't
seem to realise that ALL cars don't have their safety features ... nor do
they really seem to care. What happens to the other fella in an accident
(since it's obviously going to be his/her fault) is really not their problem.
5) Construction. I've seen this cause more accidents than just about
anything else. Poor roads, unusual roadsigns, and roads that, instead of
being closed outright, are left open with narrowed lanes, no shoulders,
jersey barriers, and confusing signs. Particularly at night, this is just
plain insane. Close the road and suggest other routes, I say.
6) Unfamiliarity with the areas in which they're driving. I think rather
than being bored, many Americans are challenged by driving in unusual places
they've never been ... and paying attention to everything BUT the road until
the last possible minute. Yanks are fiends for motor touring, and local roads
hereabouts can be very, very confusing. Couple that with a couple of the
reasons above, and it's a lethal mixture.
7) Poor maintenance, particularly of older vehicles. Unrealistic
expectations of their vehicles' abilities (You mean you can't stop in less
than fifteen feet at 60 mph?). Drugs. Alcohol. Dead-dog tiredness (Yanks
work far too long and then expect themselves to make a 2 hour commute
afterwards...). Lots and lots and LOTS of Americans on roads designed for
60% of the current traffic; I think the simple fact that there are so MANY of
us out there is one factor. These last items round out the field.
That said, I've got to say that most of us here on the SOL list seem to be
above-average defensive drivers, and probably (along with our counterparts
with older American and German classics) some of the better drivers on the
road overall. I'm sure all of you have seen good examples of some of the
above. As for defensive driving, as I've said before, I prefer to pretend
that all drivers are actively trying to kill me, rather than just assume
they're not paying attention. Seems to keep me out of trouble most of the
time.
Just one Mick's take on the whole situation.
Corey
75 MGB 'Rags'
Scared Witless on America's Highways
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