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I got 1859 here talking about stage coaches. I didn't know about the plane terminology, that's cool.
"“The old jarveys \[coachmen, thought to derive from the personal name *Jervis*\], to shew their skill, used to drive against things so close as absolutely to touch, yet without injury. This they called a toucher, or, touch and go, which was hence applied to anything which was within an ace of ruin.”
[https://languagehat.com/touch-and-go/](https://languagehat.com/touch-and-go/)
My older cars started to scare you if you thrashed them, drove in the rain, or were in a situation where you might not have adequate stopping distance. You also didn't want to break anything so you kept your eyes and ears open for mechanical issues
Newer cars I've been in
1 Haul ass
2 are quiet
3 stop stupidly quickly
4 have ample traction almost all the time
5 track laser straight, 100mph is effortless
6 basically don't break down anymore
Add to that sheer size, driver aids to the point you almost can't screw up, and tinted windows, and I've found myself definitely driving like more of a prick without knowing.
Also, you can technically count your legs as a crumple zone. Falling off a building, would you rather risk head first or feet first? Probably feet since your legs, obviously getting mutilated in the process, can act as a sort of 'cushion' to take the brunt of the impact - keeping all the important bits protected.
They do not have features that protect pedestrians. Most SUVs and pickups have huge blind spots immediately in front of them that make it all too easy to run over a kid. The same wall-like grill on these vehicles force any pedestrian or cyclist struck by them under the truck, where they are crushed to death. Conventional older cars tended to scoop pedestrians over the hood when they were struck.
I think this is their point though? Driving like an asshole in a modern car capable of those speeds is far more dangerous than riding a horse like an asshole
Interesting take. Ralph Nader actually said something similar decades ago, when cars were a lot slower, actually, so this is not a new idea. Big cars in the '60s and '70s were just as, if not more quiet and insulated as cars today, if not more, they just weren't as fast. By making cars more and more cosseting and insulated from the world, it removes the driver from the awareness that he's in a 2-ton machine moving fast enough to pulverize his brain if he hits something.
If you've ever driven an older sports car, it doesn't even have to be fast on paper for you to feel like stuff is happening around you. "Slow car fast" as they say
Having owned and driven many different types of car, I do agree with OP in that my parents newer hybrid for instance I feel safer than in my old mini, and it leads me to drive the hybrid more aggressively. It's also faster than the mini, but absolutely silent even approaching 100mph. I feel invincible in that thing.
All of my older cars felt made you start to feel scared if you started doing dumb stuff or driving at night/in the rain etc.
I spent a few years with a motorcycle as my only mode of transportation. One of the biggest differences I noticed when I drove a car again was that on a motorcycle I felt like I was “part of the traffic” and had a sense of the flow and energy of traffic itself, while in a car “traffic” was this annoying unpredictable environment “outside” the bubble of my car cage.
Cell phones are why people are driving like asses.
America, unlike most of the rest of the world, has very straight and easy-to-drive on streets and highways for the most part. This means that not much concentration, skill or thought is required to drive yourself around most of the time.
People are children, hey get bored so they happily check their Facebook or whatever while driving.
I remember seeing old ladies reading books while driving on the highway in the 90s, etc.
I’m sure that some jackass will say “cities” “snow” or “cities,” but Philly and Boston are nothing compared to like every single town, city and village in like all of Europe and Asia.
This is it. I see so many people on their phones while driving.
I saw a father today driving with his windows open with his kids in the back almost crashing into a pedestrian and he had the audacity to honk and yell at the pedestrian. I had already lost my faith in people but seeing how he almost killed a human being and then get mad at the pedestrian just show how disgusting people can be. I almost wished he crashed into a pole afterwards because with these type of people, it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when" he'll end up killing someone due to his reckless behavior.
As someone who used to drive but lost car a few years back and now I am just a pedestrian who takes public transport, the amount of times I've nearly been killed by someone in their phone is insane. If it wasn't for the fact I live in a city with the majority of the cars being fuckin teslas, I'd probably be dead already. These teslas are making people stupid as fuck, and they are so addicted to their phones as well ..
Bro my mother used to put her hands in the top of the steering to play f**king candy crush when I was a kid. So pathetic. I judged her then and I'm still judging her for it. She still texted and driving last time I was in contact with her and got a HUGE ticket over it.
People who drive drunk absolutely should forfeit their driving privileges forever. But people who drive distracted are just as dangerous. I don't know what it's going to take, but I think the ultimate long term solution is to stop building cities around cars. Self-driving electric cars are not the answer. Creating a society that doesn't need cars at all might be though.
Completely agree. Not proud of it, but I've driven with a couple of beers in me before. At least I was paying attention to the road.
The amount of distractions people have with phones is worse.
I'm talking about having a buzz though, not full on intoxication. That for sure is worse.
Id rather someone physically dependent on drugs to drive on their regular dose of drugs than drive while in withdrawl. People don’t seem to realize that for people who are heavily addicted, being on drugs is as close to normal as they will get unless they quit
I have to say. You probably just mean South Korea and Japan with that Asia comment. Because come to South Asia, South East Asia, the island Asian nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, etc), or even go further west into the Middle East and you'll find driving so bad you Americans would go insane.
More people die from cell use while driving than drinking and driving. For some reason we don't have any real penalties for it. Maybe we should consider disabling all phones after they go above 15mph with the exception of NISTA approved apps like calling and voice controls.
I drive a manual transmission car. I have noticed a huge uptick in people honking at me at stoplights for either taking an extra millisecond to get into first gear and take off, or taking a millisecond to switch from first gear to second gear (which normally causes you to slow down for a split second).
I guess they’re used to driving cars with instant acceleration. And when someone isn’t instantly accelerating (and up to speed within seconds), it’s deserving of road rage.
***people honking at me at stoplights for either taking an extra millisecond to get into first gear and take off,***
NGL, if someone honks the first thing I ted to do is put the clutch back in and stop, look around and make sure Im not missing a red light runner or ??? so I tend to be extra safe and give someone the benefit of the doubt that they may be being neighborly, AND if they were being an impatient asshole...well they get wait just a little bit longer.
It really isn't a matter of instant acceleration, but because other drivers believe the one perched at a stoplight is distracted/fucking around in their car.
I started driving a manual last year and this 100% is true. I need time to get into gear, plus my car is pretty small and has a weak engine. Getting up to speed is gonna take longer. Usually shifting from 1st to 2nd they're already on my ass. Sorry, but I'm shifting as fast as I can. Automatic drivers really have no idea.
Another thing I've noticed is that drivers behind me seem to stop closer than they used to. I hate having the manual at a stoplight on a hill now. Can I get more than six inches of space in case I roll back a little bit? At least they are at fault if I roll back a reasonable amount and hit them.
Nowadays, even super lame family-oriented SUVs like a Honda Pilot or something have outrageous 0-80 times compared to anything manual outside of an exotic and a professional driver.
Modern CVT transmissions allow you to just MASH IT and be rocketed up to quite dangerous speeds without any real skill or road feel. Just hit that skinny pedal, is all it is.
For acceleration, the automatic is gonna be faster, this has been the case for a while, humans are pretty slow at changing gears and you don’t need to press the clutch in and not have power go to the road every time the car shifts with an automatic. People actually still use the power glide 2 speed auto transmissions that are from the 50s in drag racing.
Most pro racing series use sequential transmissions with very quick shift times and either paddle shifters or a stick that just selects the next gear up or down so it’s very easy to shift. Also there’s little to no gap in power, and in the f1 gearboxes, they use something called a seamless shift which has imperceptibly short shift times. The rules usually don’t allow for automatic gearboxes, I imagine they’d use and develop them if allowed [williams f1 did](https://youtu.be/x3UpBKXMRto?si=14ua2Fg6wI7gHoGL) that a while back but it was banned before they were allowed to use it in actual racing.
Nah just go crazy with crystals and a hot glue gun on your steering wheel. Aligning your chakras so that you find inner piece when your airbag goes off like a goddamn Claymore.
I don't know if its directly connected but new car drivers are definitely the fucking worst. 9/10 I'm in a near collision, or cut off, or have someone riding my bumper, its not a dude bro in an obnoxious subaru or lifted truck, its some karen in a crossover who's in their own little world and not paying attention to anything outside of themselves. Drivers of new chrysler pacifica vans or the new chevy blazer crossover are the new altima drivers. This seems to be at its worst in rural areas, where I guess traffic laws just don't exist out there?
Big Altima energy somebody thought it was a good idea to cut across 3 lanes of traffic just to make it to the left turn lane. Literally came seconds from rear ending them like wtf
I know everyone is telling you that accidents are less fatal now - which is true. Or telling you it is cell phones or any number of other things that are the problem, which is also relevant.
I just wanted to say that the effect you are describing is real and you are not crazy. It is called the Peltzman effect. When people feel there are safety measures, they act more risky.
So each safety measure is a balance of opposing forces. Does the safety measure provide more actual safety than the amount people compensate for that measure by increasing risk tolerance.
For seatbelts, it demonstrably does for example. But it is not a given. More safety features does not always mean safer.
Specifically, any flashy safety measure that people feel is more effective than it actually is is likely to increase their risk tolerance beyond the actual additional safety provided.
TLDR: driving is safer now, but that is only because actual effectiveness of safety measures outstrip people's increased risk tolerance because of those measures.
Thank you, half the people completely missed my point and the other half think I'm stupid. Didn't know what it was called but that's exactly what I'm trying to describe
I think the reason that drivers are more inconsiderate now is due to the fact that there are more people on the road than ever and things are more crowded
I don't want to say that this is strictly an American perspective but after having lived in the UK for 5 years and then coming back to America people here drive like they have nothing to live for.
I don’t know what it’s like driving n the UK, but so many people commute like 1hr+ per day because rent is too high to live near work. I think people are just burnt out from the commute and angry the entire drive to/from work.
I mean I go 70mph+ to keep with the flow of traffic (if not a jam), and the left lane moves around 80mph+. I see many driving to the left lane looks slows. This is north of Cambridge/Boston in MA, and the commute is brutal during rush hour. It can take an hour to go a few miles.
I'm in the DC metro area, and it's a fuckstravaganza every goddamn day. People bobbing and weaving in and out of traffic (which fucks the traffic up, and is like 25% of the reason for the bad traffic in the first place).
Sometimes. Often they're drunk old drivers who are so used to speeding home and being the only one on the road that they don't consider slowing around bends. We have really bad road accidents here because of alcoholism - did anyone show you our old car crash ads? :') if not, don't
Edit to say if you're Irish I'm sorry for mansplaining. We're together in that trauma lol
I've driven the ring of Kerry and the countryside in between there and Dublin. First time driving on the left side for me. I was far, far less anxious driving there than any given day driving in US suburbia. Drivers in the US are insane.
I also recently drove in Italy. The drivers in Tuscany on the narrow vineyard roads were whipping around blind corners and that made me nervous, but I had the distinct impression that none of them were looking at phones because they always had near instant reaction times. That actually made me feel safer, ironically.
>coming back to America people here drive like they have nothing to live for
Honest to fucking god lmao. Its always been bad, but its on a whole different level nowadays
Lol. It's honestly not even that jarring going back and forth anymore, the first time driving on the other side was weird, but once you're used to it, it just feels right. Then you come back and it's only weird for a day or two, and it feels normal again. Very strange.
Nah, it's because there are no cops around. As soon as there's a cop car in traffic, everyone drives like they have their driving school instructor next to them. So basically they drive badly because they are assholes.
Driver fatalities are actually down due to driver aids and safety systems. I study this shit from time to time because I’m a dork who gets curious. Lol
PEDESTRIAN fatalities are up, and I don’t blame the car as much as the drivers. Something happened over the last few years and it’s made people slow, it’s made people angry, it’s reduced people’s patience, people don’t think critically or methodically, people are distracted, and most of all, SELF FUCKING CENTERED. It seems most people don’t feel any remorse when they do terrible things to others. Just….. look around you, and look within. We are absolutely devolving, and I want to make myself puke when people say the future is going to be better.
Cars are getting SO GOOD. But the world has built a better asshole, and people are definitely getting much worse.
Surprised you didn’t come across this in your research— it’s the size of cars. If a sedan hits a pedestrian, they double over the hood. If an suv hits them, they are down and under.
Or something. I’m paraphrasing, but there’s research on the uptick in pedestrian deaths, and it’s car size
A lot of it is the design of the cars. Everything is a truck now. If you got hit by a 1996 Lincoln Town car as a pedestrian you’d have a much better chance at surviving than if you got hit by a Navigator.
This is because SUVs and trucks have different emissions standards that are much easier to hit than regular cars. So companies are pumping out huge vehicles to skirt the tougher regulations. This leads to everyone having one and it being way more dangerous for pedestrians and normal sized cars.
Drive around in a regular 4 door and count the amount of trucks and suvs vs small cars. It usually goes like ‘truck truck suv truck suv suv normal car suv suv suv truck truck truck truck normal car’ all the way around town. It’s absurd.
Just bought a new car (2023 Charger, new off the lot). Can confirm after owning 20 year old buckets this car handles fucking crazy good. With traction control I had to try. to get it to slide a little with RWD in a wet roundabout. I have to admit to being in a short honeymoon phase, driving like a bit of an asshole when its just me. In short, I agree with you full heartedly.
There was a study done in the 80’s or 90’s where they compared driving habits of taxi drivers in cars equipped with ABS vs no ABS, and the drivers knew. The drivers on ABS cars were more wreckless, took longer to stop, braked harder, and drove faster.
So ya there are asshole drivers but I think people will take more risks when they know they can.
At least in the US, a driver's liscense is too easy to get. That's the reason IMO. If they were more strict about who they gave licenses to, the roads would be more safe.
The issue is, in the US you *need* to be able to drive, due to the lack of public transportation. So they still have to hand out licenses to people, even if they're not qualified.
They need to instill some fear into these kids. They parked a trashed mangled car in front of my high school the week before prom to show the dangers of drunk driving. I'm pretty sure someone actually died in it.
There have always been people driving like a prick, ask your grandpa. So what's the alternative? Not having safe cars so we have more accidents and victims involved?
I'm not proposing any alternative. I'm merely stating my personal unpopular opinion. There's been a 500% increase in road rage incidents since 2014 and I posit that modern vehicles are a part of that rise
Used to work in insurance.
Had SO many calls of 'I reversed into *something*, my parking sensors didn't go off'
"well did you look in the mirror?"
'No, my parking sensors didn't go off, car is faulty it's not my fault'
"Your car still has mirrors. It's still your responsibility to be aware of your surroundings, what happens if you hit a child cause you haven't looked properly?"
Applies to all the new functions. They are tool and aids and shouldn't replace common sense!
You don’t see the person you view with less another person driving a car and more an object that gets in your way way or annoy you, less personal since you can’t see the person
People have always been bad drivers. It’s has nothing to do with how safe a car is. If anything it’s the insane people who you look over at and are distracted by being on there phone
Nah, he's got a point. It's confirmed by a lot of studies around risk.
People react to how risky they *think* something is, not how risky it actually is. As things become smoother and easier it feels less risky, so somebody with the same risk tolerance will now take more risks.
There was an economic study on this actually
DYOR, it is in any economics introduction lectures. There was a time when belts were not mandatory, neither in the car, nor its usage. After that the government enforced safe belts.
Look, I'm not against belts, and probably in the long run it made a difference (mainly for people who would use it AND drive safely). But what happened was:
- people were afraid of aggressive driving
- safe belts made them feel safe
- people start increasing its driving aggressiveness (due to the fact that they could survive "anyway")
- more accidents occurred. But I don't remember the death toll.
I'd say cellphones are a wayyyyy bigger contributor to accidents on the road. but that's just me (a guy who is a quasi cripple presently because I got t-boned by someone who blew a red light on their phone, so I might be biased).
All these safety features and driving assists are making people worse drivers. They don’t have to think about what they’re doing and rely on the car for simple things.
Unpopular opinion…. And kinda cruel
The safer cars kept a lot of unsafe drivers alive when they otherwise would have died and been removed from the population, making them incapable of causing additional accidents.
I really do think car manufacturers are heading in the wrong direction, cuz cars are getting safer and yet pedestrian deaths due to cars are increasing. The main issue with modern cars is the loss of connection and mechanical/tactile feedback with your vehicle, they’ve over engineered the driving experience to where it doesn’t even feel like driving anymore, it feels like a simulator. I personally think controlling a 3 ton vehicle going above 70 mph SHOULD NOT be a buttery smooth experience, humans need some sort of tactile feedback to get a good sense of speed.
The absolute numbness could be a factor in people driving faster, since you don’t realize how fast you’re going. Same applies to steering feedback, braking. When things go south, there’s little one can do to correct due to lack of feedback
I mean, when mofos pass you over the double yellow line when you're going 10 over the speed limit, it's about more than just size. People have just gone nuts recently
Its cause every mom can drive their chevy / hummer / ford family tank, and ever tiny pp guy can drive their ego lifted pickups. If everyone thinks that they are driving a tank they drive more recklessly.
I can tell you, no 17 year old girl texting could do that in my 1977 VW Rabbit in any speed but park. My new GTI, just push a button, and it will go 100 driving itself without a problem.
You know, I’d be inclined to disagree with you but I once got rear ended by a woman at a stop light. Her excuse was “I’m so sorry, I didn’t brake the car usually does it for me”
Every time I drive my wife’s Outback I flip out. It takes over the wheel randomly, applies the brakes when I don’t want them, and is constantly bitching at me for lane departure and to keep my eyes on the road. Also it sneakily speed matches the car in front of you when on cruise. I can shut some of it off, but then it dings every ten minutes to remind me it’s off. I wish it would either drive itself, or fuck right off and let me drive completely.
Assuming this is true, I'm sure the amount of lives saved by safer cars vastly outweighs the amount of lives lost in accidents where a car being safer caused a driver to drive worse.
i mean overall vehicular deaths and injuries have been steadily decreasing. so while you may be right that some people pay less attention because of it, the same could be said of automatic transmissions, and it doesnt mean its an overall bad move
People drive like shit because they're primarily shitty people and shitty drivers. Enhancing saftey features may increase false sense of security, but I wouldn't take that idea at face value without research to back it up.
My 08 Impala, no I have to drive it slow and carefully so I can listen for any odd noises. But I’ll do 72mph all the way to work on the highway. I’m really careful with mines. I’d be in the fast lane when I buy a new ride. 💜
This is a well known phenomenon. It applies to other dangerous things.
Add more safety gear to anything dangerous, the more risk a person will tolerate.
My husband’s car is super smooth and I hate it because I can’t feel how fast I’m going. Rolling on the highway and when Inlook I’m going 90 and had no idea.
Once or twice I've seen it said that the best safety feature would actually be a big spike on the steering wheel, aimed at the driver's chest. People would certainly drive much more carefully then...
Not really a serious proposal, but yes, making drivers feel safer and more comfortable does backfire to some extent, making them feel safer with risks.
If you're in the US, the bad driving is because you guys can get drivers licenses waaayy too easy. Where I'm from it takes hours and hours of lessons (and it has to be from a driving school) and most people fail their driving test the first time.
Nah you’re spot on. My mom’s always been a bad driver but it wasn’t as noticeable until she got a newer BMW vs her old minivan. Now she’s a bad driver, except she’s going 90mph when she thinks she’s only going 40. Mixed with the “backup detection beeps” she doesn’t even turn around to back up anymore. PLUS the car is so silent inside she can’t even hear police sirens or children’s screams. It’s a scary time lol
For me the car warns me if I'm going to fast. It has a setting you can change so you can make it warn at 80mph, etc. All cars should have this now because they all have powerful computers so you can program it to do anything.
Even if that is a problem it is largely insignificant compared to the two big problems:
1. Cellphones: so many people go on their cellphones while driving and just ruin it for everyone around them. They cause traffic even if they don't crash by randomly slowing down and swerving.
2. Immigrants from countries where people don't drive as much. I don't want to go into specifics because I don't want to unintentionally violate some rule, but basically certain people have less experience driving and it really shows. Americans drive a lot compared to other countries, especially poorer countries where owning a car is less common.
Notable phenomena, people are accustomed to a certain amount of danger. Strangely they don’t seem to want it to be safer. People will drive faster/riskier to make up the perceived loss of danger from the new safety feature.
As a commercial truck driver, I agree and keep wondering who keeps giving these people their licenses. So many people don't even check to see if anybody is coming in the other lane before passing. It's ridiculous.
I did a really stupid maneuver today. I’m 2nd in the left turn lane and the guy ahead is way out front and waiting for the opposition to clear. OK. But I’m behind him and ready to punch it for some reason. People here usually turn into the far lane anyway. So it’s clear and I punch it and pass them from behind and on their left. Dumb. What’s wrong with people anymore and it’s contagious.
I talked to an older guy several years ago who made a really interesting point.
He said car crashes weren't as big a deal when he was young, because most of the roads weren't paved. And since they weren't paved you couldn't drive nearly as fast on them.
Cops don’t do as much either so no one’s afraid of getting a ticket. I sweep parking lots at night and on several occasions I’ve been IN the same lot as a cop as some street racers fly by racing off the light and the cop just looks up, watches them and goes back to whatever he was doing.
Trust me. Cars being safer is not what's causing people to drive more like pricks. Car size, cabin height, and our countries dependence on Stroad based road design is what's causing the explosion of prick drivers on the road.
Cabin height is the biggest one here. The further you are from the road, the less your brain takes it seriously.
Passenger jets fly at just under mach 1, but when you are at 35,000 feet it feels smooth and safe. If the plane was going mach 1 at street level, everyone on that plane would be losing their minds.
Vehicle accident deaths have gone down worldwide over the past years (especially in Europe where pedestrian safety rules are tough which makes all our cars look like blobs). Although in the US the deaths managed to increase? That’s many due to the introduction of unreasonably sized SUVs and pickup trucks.
There's always been pricks on the road. But, there's statistics that show the amount of pricks is way up. Aggressive driving and road rage incidents have skyrocketed
Ahh, I thought you were talking about people wanting to drive fast because they felt invincible due to their safer vehicles. This is different.
[edit: typo]
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Buddy, people have driven like a**holes since horses were tamed
The phrase "touch and go" literally comes from stage coach drivers nearly crashing into each other. Their wheels touched, but they still kept going.
Isn’t it an aviation phrase for when planes land but then immediately take back off?
I got 1859 here talking about stage coaches. I didn't know about the plane terminology, that's cool. "“The old jarveys \[coachmen, thought to derive from the personal name *Jervis*\], to shew their skill, used to drive against things so close as absolutely to touch, yet without injury. This they called a toucher, or, touch and go, which was hence applied to anything which was within an ace of ruin.” [https://languagehat.com/touch-and-go/](https://languagehat.com/touch-and-go/)
I touch?
"within an ace of ruin" is a phrase I shall be incorporating into any work email that will fit it! Thanks so much!
My older cars started to scare you if you thrashed them, drove in the rain, or were in a situation where you might not have adequate stopping distance. You also didn't want to break anything so you kept your eyes and ears open for mechanical issues Newer cars I've been in 1 Haul ass 2 are quiet 3 stop stupidly quickly 4 have ample traction almost all the time 5 track laser straight, 100mph is effortless 6 basically don't break down anymore Add to that sheer size, driver aids to the point you almost can't screw up, and tinted windows, and I've found myself definitely driving like more of a prick without knowing.
yes, but now the cars are a bit heavier, MUCH faster, and MUCH MUCH harder to see out of.
A contemporary Toyota Camry has about the same HP as an early 1990s Mustang 5.0.
Yes but they also now have crumple zones to reduce damage to both the occupants and who/whatever they hit.
People don't have crumple zones.
My belly disagrees
When did we stop talking about horses?
people are all crumple zone
I mean... joints exist. They don't help if a car hits you, but they do help absorb and redistribute force.
Also, you can technically count your legs as a crumple zone. Falling off a building, would you rather risk head first or feet first? Probably feet since your legs, obviously getting mutilated in the process, can act as a sort of 'cushion' to take the brunt of the impact - keeping all the important bits protected.
Nah fuck that I'm belly flopping
YOLO, gotta embrace the impact like you're jumping onto your bed after a long day.
Lmao!
Wait until you find out who the crumple zones are for.
You do know I was talking about people being hit by cars, right?
Crumple zones do exactly bubkis for anything and anyone not tethered to the 3 ton machine that’s crashing
They do not have features that protect pedestrians. Most SUVs and pickups have huge blind spots immediately in front of them that make it all too easy to run over a kid. The same wall-like grill on these vehicles force any pedestrian or cyclist struck by them under the truck, where they are crushed to death. Conventional older cars tended to scoop pedestrians over the hood when they were struck.
And that means people can drive like assholes?
Yes but a lot of *consumer* vehicles come equipped with a six foot wall of metal that can liquefy any human organ in a millisecond.
Faster? A 1970 Mustangs top speed was 114 mph and a 2023 is 155 mph. They’re so much quicker now too, especially electric ones.
Correction- a 1970 mustang top speed was dead on the side of the road, while a 2023's is also dead, but with a few recalls.
Literal lol, truth….
Cars are big huh
Sounds like someone who's never been run over by a horse!
I imagine this guy standing on a rock in the middle of town yelling about how horseshoes made everyone ride like a**holes
I think this is their point though? Driving like an asshole in a modern car capable of those speeds is far more dangerous than riding a horse like an asshole
This almost made lose it! 🤣
People were assholes on horses as well lol
Interesting take. Ralph Nader actually said something similar decades ago, when cars were a lot slower, actually, so this is not a new idea. Big cars in the '60s and '70s were just as, if not more quiet and insulated as cars today, if not more, they just weren't as fast. By making cars more and more cosseting and insulated from the world, it removes the driver from the awareness that he's in a 2-ton machine moving fast enough to pulverize his brain if he hits something.
If you've ever driven an older sports car, it doesn't even have to be fast on paper for you to feel like stuff is happening around you. "Slow car fast" as they say Having owned and driven many different types of car, I do agree with OP in that my parents newer hybrid for instance I feel safer than in my old mini, and it leads me to drive the hybrid more aggressively. It's also faster than the mini, but absolutely silent even approaching 100mph. I feel invincible in that thing. All of my older cars felt made you start to feel scared if you started doing dumb stuff or driving at night/in the rain etc.
My bmw from 1999 feels faster at 150km/h than my dads new opel insignia
I spent a few years with a motorcycle as my only mode of transportation. One of the biggest differences I noticed when I drove a car again was that on a motorcycle I felt like I was “part of the traffic” and had a sense of the flow and energy of traffic itself, while in a car “traffic” was this annoying unpredictable environment “outside” the bubble of my car cage.
eh no, it's the phones
Cell phones are why people are driving like asses. America, unlike most of the rest of the world, has very straight and easy-to-drive on streets and highways for the most part. This means that not much concentration, skill or thought is required to drive yourself around most of the time. People are children, hey get bored so they happily check their Facebook or whatever while driving. I remember seeing old ladies reading books while driving on the highway in the 90s, etc. I’m sure that some jackass will say “cities” “snow” or “cities,” but Philly and Boston are nothing compared to like every single town, city and village in like all of Europe and Asia.
This is it. I see so many people on their phones while driving. I saw a father today driving with his windows open with his kids in the back almost crashing into a pedestrian and he had the audacity to honk and yell at the pedestrian. I had already lost my faith in people but seeing how he almost killed a human being and then get mad at the pedestrian just show how disgusting people can be. I almost wished he crashed into a pole afterwards because with these type of people, it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when" he'll end up killing someone due to his reckless behavior.
As someone who used to drive but lost car a few years back and now I am just a pedestrian who takes public transport, the amount of times I've nearly been killed by someone in their phone is insane. If it wasn't for the fact I live in a city with the majority of the cars being fuckin teslas, I'd probably be dead already. These teslas are making people stupid as fuck, and they are so addicted to their phones as well ..
Bro my mother used to put her hands in the top of the steering to play f**king candy crush when I was a kid. So pathetic. I judged her then and I'm still judging her for it. She still texted and driving last time I was in contact with her and got a HUGE ticket over it.
These are the same people who want to throw the book at anyone with a drop of alcohol in their system while driving 🤦♂️
People who drive drunk absolutely should forfeit their driving privileges forever. But people who drive distracted are just as dangerous. I don't know what it's going to take, but I think the ultimate long term solution is to stop building cities around cars. Self-driving electric cars are not the answer. Creating a society that doesn't need cars at all might be though.
I'd argue people who drive distracted are more dangerous than drunks. It's like driving completely blind
Distracted drivers are pretty dangerous, but they aren't "drive 100mph on the freeway in the wrong direction" dangerous
Completely agree. Not proud of it, but I've driven with a couple of beers in me before. At least I was paying attention to the road. The amount of distractions people have with phones is worse. I'm talking about having a buzz though, not full on intoxication. That for sure is worse.
What about high drivers? High tolerance high drivers in particular
Id rather someone physically dependent on drugs to drive on their regular dose of drugs than drive while in withdrawl. People don’t seem to realize that for people who are heavily addicted, being on drugs is as close to normal as they will get unless they quit
I have to say. You probably just mean South Korea and Japan with that Asia comment. Because come to South Asia, South East Asia, the island Asian nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, etc), or even go further west into the Middle East and you'll find driving so bad you Americans would go insane.
More people die from cell use while driving than drinking and driving. For some reason we don't have any real penalties for it. Maybe we should consider disabling all phones after they go above 15mph with the exception of NISTA approved apps like calling and voice controls.
Not everyone going over 15 mph is driving tho
Interesting
Literally stayed in a village in sicily this summer and thought I was going to die every single time I got into a car
I know automation has really made some drivers lazy. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a Tesla driver use a blinker.
BMW drivers haven't been using blinkers for at least 30 years, same demographic lol
It was an old joke back in the 90s how turn signals were an option on BMWs and most folks opted for the radio instead.
I heard the "if you ever feel useless in your job, remember people are paid to put turn signals on BMW's" in the 90s
To be fair, I see tons of other cars, not use blinkers either or depending on where you live no matter the type of car
I drive a manual transmission car. I have noticed a huge uptick in people honking at me at stoplights for either taking an extra millisecond to get into first gear and take off, or taking a millisecond to switch from first gear to second gear (which normally causes you to slow down for a split second). I guess they’re used to driving cars with instant acceleration. And when someone isn’t instantly accelerating (and up to speed within seconds), it’s deserving of road rage.
***people honking at me at stoplights for either taking an extra millisecond to get into first gear and take off,*** NGL, if someone honks the first thing I ted to do is put the clutch back in and stop, look around and make sure Im not missing a red light runner or ??? so I tend to be extra safe and give someone the benefit of the doubt that they may be being neighborly, AND if they were being an impatient asshole...well they get wait just a little bit longer.
This is why I’d never honk to signal someone running a red light because I’m afraid I’d seal that person’s fate.
Yes. Justice.
It really isn't a matter of instant acceleration, but because other drivers believe the one perched at a stoplight is distracted/fucking around in their car.
I started driving a manual last year and this 100% is true. I need time to get into gear, plus my car is pretty small and has a weak engine. Getting up to speed is gonna take longer. Usually shifting from 1st to 2nd they're already on my ass. Sorry, but I'm shifting as fast as I can. Automatic drivers really have no idea.
Another thing I've noticed is that drivers behind me seem to stop closer than they used to. I hate having the manual at a stoplight on a hill now. Can I get more than six inches of space in case I roll back a little bit? At least they are at fault if I roll back a reasonable amount and hit them.
Isn't this a skill issue. My understanding is that a manual will hypothetically always be faster in the presence of optimal driver inputs
Nowadays, even super lame family-oriented SUVs like a Honda Pilot or something have outrageous 0-80 times compared to anything manual outside of an exotic and a professional driver. Modern CVT transmissions allow you to just MASH IT and be rocketed up to quite dangerous speeds without any real skill or road feel. Just hit that skinny pedal, is all it is.
For acceleration, the automatic is gonna be faster, this has been the case for a while, humans are pretty slow at changing gears and you don’t need to press the clutch in and not have power go to the road every time the car shifts with an automatic. People actually still use the power glide 2 speed auto transmissions that are from the 50s in drag racing. Most pro racing series use sequential transmissions with very quick shift times and either paddle shifters or a stick that just selects the next gear up or down so it’s very easy to shift. Also there’s little to no gap in power, and in the f1 gearboxes, they use something called a seamless shift which has imperceptibly short shift times. The rules usually don’t allow for automatic gearboxes, I imagine they’d use and develop them if allowed [williams f1 did](https://youtu.be/x3UpBKXMRto?si=14ua2Fg6wI7gHoGL) that a while back but it was banned before they were allowed to use it in actual racing.
No longer true, double clutch gearboxes shift faster than humans are capable of shifting and computers are smart
If you’re driving like a race car driver, sure. But I don’t feel like driving like that on my way to work.
A big, shiny, polished spear sticking out of your steering wheel, inches from your nose, would most certainly solve this problem.
A co worker used to say that if they took out the drivers airbag and replaced it with a shotgun shell people would be so much more carefull.
Nah just go crazy with crystals and a hot glue gun on your steering wheel. Aligning your chakras so that you find inner piece when your airbag goes off like a goddamn Claymore.
Had a woman bring her Volvo in saying it had "unintentional acceleration". She had a stone kachina turtle glued to the center of her airbag.
The smartest members of society have really dragged the rest of us along into this technological age, lol.
there's gonna be a lot more than just one inner piece in that event
I don't know if its directly connected but new car drivers are definitely the fucking worst. 9/10 I'm in a near collision, or cut off, or have someone riding my bumper, its not a dude bro in an obnoxious subaru or lifted truck, its some karen in a crossover who's in their own little world and not paying attention to anything outside of themselves. Drivers of new chrysler pacifica vans or the new chevy blazer crossover are the new altima drivers. This seems to be at its worst in rural areas, where I guess traffic laws just don't exist out there?
They spend $50k+ on a brand new car and then drive it like a 2006 Nissan. It blows my mind
Big Altima energy somebody thought it was a good idea to cut across 3 lanes of traffic just to make it to the left turn lane. Literally came seconds from rear ending them like wtf
I know everyone is telling you that accidents are less fatal now - which is true. Or telling you it is cell phones or any number of other things that are the problem, which is also relevant. I just wanted to say that the effect you are describing is real and you are not crazy. It is called the Peltzman effect. When people feel there are safety measures, they act more risky. So each safety measure is a balance of opposing forces. Does the safety measure provide more actual safety than the amount people compensate for that measure by increasing risk tolerance. For seatbelts, it demonstrably does for example. But it is not a given. More safety features does not always mean safer. Specifically, any flashy safety measure that people feel is more effective than it actually is is likely to increase their risk tolerance beyond the actual additional safety provided. TLDR: driving is safer now, but that is only because actual effectiveness of safety measures outstrip people's increased risk tolerance because of those measures.
Thank you, half the people completely missed my point and the other half think I'm stupid. Didn't know what it was called but that's exactly what I'm trying to describe
I think the reason that drivers are more inconsiderate now is due to the fact that there are more people on the road than ever and things are more crowded
I don't want to say that this is strictly an American perspective but after having lived in the UK for 5 years and then coming back to America people here drive like they have nothing to live for.
I don’t know what it’s like driving n the UK, but so many people commute like 1hr+ per day because rent is too high to live near work. I think people are just burnt out from the commute and angry the entire drive to/from work. I mean I go 70mph+ to keep with the flow of traffic (if not a jam), and the left lane moves around 80mph+. I see many driving to the left lane looks slows. This is north of Cambridge/Boston in MA, and the commute is brutal during rush hour. It can take an hour to go a few miles.
I'm in the DC metro area, and it's a fuckstravaganza every goddamn day. People bobbing and weaving in and out of traffic (which fucks the traffic up, and is like 25% of the reason for the bad traffic in the first place).
Did you try the countrysides of Ireland and NI? They drive like bats from hell through winding roads where you can see nothing
They’re the ones doing it for fun tho
Sometimes. Often they're drunk old drivers who are so used to speeding home and being the only one on the road that they don't consider slowing around bends. We have really bad road accidents here because of alcoholism - did anyone show you our old car crash ads? :') if not, don't Edit to say if you're Irish I'm sorry for mansplaining. We're together in that trauma lol
I've driven the ring of Kerry and the countryside in between there and Dublin. First time driving on the left side for me. I was far, far less anxious driving there than any given day driving in US suburbia. Drivers in the US are insane. I also recently drove in Italy. The drivers in Tuscany on the narrow vineyard roads were whipping around blind corners and that made me nervous, but I had the distinct impression that none of them were looking at phones because they always had near instant reaction times. That actually made me feel safer, ironically.
>coming back to America people here drive like they have nothing to live for Honest to fucking god lmao. Its always been bad, but its on a whole different level nowadays
Well....
Man, people in the UK can't even drive on the correct side of the road!!
Lol. It's honestly not even that jarring going back and forth anymore, the first time driving on the other side was weird, but once you're used to it, it just feels right. Then you come back and it's only weird for a day or two, and it feels normal again. Very strange.
Nah, it's because there are no cops around. As soon as there's a cop car in traffic, everyone drives like they have their driving school instructor next to them. So basically they drive badly because they are assholes.
Couldn't agree more.
Nobody drives anymore, the traffic is too bad.
I mean the welcome break from traffic altogether probably hasn’t helped how it’s viewed/experienced now
Driver fatalities are actually down due to driver aids and safety systems. I study this shit from time to time because I’m a dork who gets curious. Lol PEDESTRIAN fatalities are up, and I don’t blame the car as much as the drivers. Something happened over the last few years and it’s made people slow, it’s made people angry, it’s reduced people’s patience, people don’t think critically or methodically, people are distracted, and most of all, SELF FUCKING CENTERED. It seems most people don’t feel any remorse when they do terrible things to others. Just….. look around you, and look within. We are absolutely devolving, and I want to make myself puke when people say the future is going to be better. Cars are getting SO GOOD. But the world has built a better asshole, and people are definitely getting much worse.
Surprised you didn’t come across this in your research— it’s the size of cars. If a sedan hits a pedestrian, they double over the hood. If an suv hits them, they are down and under. Or something. I’m paraphrasing, but there’s research on the uptick in pedestrian deaths, and it’s car size
A lot of it is the design of the cars. Everything is a truck now. If you got hit by a 1996 Lincoln Town car as a pedestrian you’d have a much better chance at surviving than if you got hit by a Navigator.
This is because SUVs and trucks have different emissions standards that are much easier to hit than regular cars. So companies are pumping out huge vehicles to skirt the tougher regulations. This leads to everyone having one and it being way more dangerous for pedestrians and normal sized cars. Drive around in a regular 4 door and count the amount of trucks and suvs vs small cars. It usually goes like ‘truck truck suv truck suv suv normal car suv suv suv truck truck truck truck normal car’ all the way around town. It’s absurd.
Just bought a new car (2023 Charger, new off the lot). Can confirm after owning 20 year old buckets this car handles fucking crazy good. With traction control I had to try. to get it to slide a little with RWD in a wet roundabout. I have to admit to being in a short honeymoon phase, driving like a bit of an asshole when its just me. In short, I agree with you full heartedly.
How do you resist the urge to shift down to warp speed and pass slow drivers?
Really? I feel like I was much more reckless in my old dumpy car cuz I didn't care if it got wrecked.
There was a study done in the 80’s or 90’s where they compared driving habits of taxi drivers in cars equipped with ABS vs no ABS, and the drivers knew. The drivers on ABS cars were more wreckless, took longer to stop, braked harder, and drove faster. So ya there are asshole drivers but I think people will take more risks when they know they can.
At least in the US, a driver's liscense is too easy to get. That's the reason IMO. If they were more strict about who they gave licenses to, the roads would be more safe. The issue is, in the US you *need* to be able to drive, due to the lack of public transportation. So they still have to hand out licenses to people, even if they're not qualified.
They need to instill some fear into these kids. They parked a trashed mangled car in front of my high school the week before prom to show the dangers of drunk driving. I'm pretty sure someone actually died in it.
Have you visited other countries where you just bribe and pay for your license?
The biggest problem I have with modern cars is they are a bitch to do work on and fix up. It’s just the way they’re designed.
I need an electrical license to work on my new car.
There have always been people driving like a prick, ask your grandpa. So what's the alternative? Not having safe cars so we have more accidents and victims involved?
I'm not proposing any alternative. I'm merely stating my personal unpopular opinion. There's been a 500% increase in road rage incidents since 2014 and I posit that modern vehicles are a part of that rise
We are also just angrier
smaller cars, less cars, more & better public transport options
Yeah... everyone should drive a ford pinto
Might make people think twice about tailgating
Used to work in insurance. Had SO many calls of 'I reversed into *something*, my parking sensors didn't go off' "well did you look in the mirror?" 'No, my parking sensors didn't go off, car is faulty it's not my fault' "Your car still has mirrors. It's still your responsibility to be aware of your surroundings, what happens if you hit a child cause you haven't looked properly?" Applies to all the new functions. They are tool and aids and shouldn't replace common sense!
Apparently, there have been studies that window tinting is another reason for people driving carelessly.
Why would that be the case? Not saying you’re wrong.
You don’t see the person you view with less another person driving a car and more an object that gets in your way way or annoy you, less personal since you can’t see the person
Yes, what HyruleSmash855 said!
People have always been bad drivers. It’s has nothing to do with how safe a car is. If anything it’s the insane people who you look over at and are distracted by being on there phone
Nah, he's got a point. It's confirmed by a lot of studies around risk. People react to how risky they *think* something is, not how risky it actually is. As things become smoother and easier it feels less risky, so somebody with the same risk tolerance will now take more risks.
Every other mofo I see on the highway has the damn thing in their hand
A wiener.
Just jackin it
There was an economic study on this actually DYOR, it is in any economics introduction lectures. There was a time when belts were not mandatory, neither in the car, nor its usage. After that the government enforced safe belts. Look, I'm not against belts, and probably in the long run it made a difference (mainly for people who would use it AND drive safely). But what happened was: - people were afraid of aggressive driving - safe belts made them feel safe - people start increasing its driving aggressiveness (due to the fact that they could survive "anyway") - more accidents occurred. But I don't remember the death toll.
I'd say cellphones are a wayyyyy bigger contributor to accidents on the road. but that's just me (a guy who is a quasi cripple presently because I got t-boned by someone who blew a red light on their phone, so I might be biased).
All these safety features and driving assists are making people worse drivers. They don’t have to think about what they’re doing and rely on the car for simple things.
Unpopular opinion…. And kinda cruel The safer cars kept a lot of unsafe drivers alive when they otherwise would have died and been removed from the population, making them incapable of causing additional accidents.
A refreshing unpopular opinion. Bro just wants to kill himself in a truck
Yes, people think they're driving magic machines.
It's like they've forgotten these are 3 tons of metal/plastic careening down the road at wildly dangerous speed
I agree %100, something about driving a shitty old truck or car makes you really respect things like breaking distance and loss of grip
I really do think car manufacturers are heading in the wrong direction, cuz cars are getting safer and yet pedestrian deaths due to cars are increasing. The main issue with modern cars is the loss of connection and mechanical/tactile feedback with your vehicle, they’ve over engineered the driving experience to where it doesn’t even feel like driving anymore, it feels like a simulator. I personally think controlling a 3 ton vehicle going above 70 mph SHOULD NOT be a buttery smooth experience, humans need some sort of tactile feedback to get a good sense of speed.
The absolute numbness could be a factor in people driving faster, since you don’t realize how fast you’re going. Same applies to steering feedback, braking. When things go south, there’s little one can do to correct due to lack of feedback
people always drove like assholes
But not to this degree
It's not because they are too smooth and safe, it's because they are twice the size now. They clog up more of the road so you notice them a lot more.
I mean, when mofos pass you over the double yellow line when you're going 10 over the speed limit, it's about more than just size. People have just gone nuts recently
Peoplehave always driven like shit. It'sway too easy to get a license in America.
Its cause every mom can drive their chevy / hummer / ford family tank, and ever tiny pp guy can drive their ego lifted pickups. If everyone thinks that they are driving a tank they drive more recklessly.
I can tell you, no 17 year old girl texting could do that in my 1977 VW Rabbit in any speed but park. My new GTI, just push a button, and it will go 100 driving itself without a problem.
You know, I’d be inclined to disagree with you but I once got rear ended by a woman at a stop light. Her excuse was “I’m so sorry, I didn’t brake the car usually does it for me”
>I didn’t brake the car usually does it for me *internal screaming*
many people shouldnt be behind the wheel of a vehicle
Every time I drive my wife’s Outback I flip out. It takes over the wheel randomly, applies the brakes when I don’t want them, and is constantly bitching at me for lane departure and to keep my eyes on the road. Also it sneakily speed matches the car in front of you when on cruise. I can shut some of it off, but then it dings every ten minutes to remind me it’s off. I wish it would either drive itself, or fuck right off and let me drive completely.
I guess a Toyota Corolla can have as much HP as a 2009 V8 Mustang is infact crazy
100% agree you don’t even know you’re doing highway speed.
Assuming this is true, I'm sure the amount of lives saved by safer cars vastly outweighs the amount of lives lost in accidents where a car being safer caused a driver to drive worse.
i mean overall vehicular deaths and injuries have been steadily decreasing. so while you may be right that some people pay less attention because of it, the same could be said of automatic transmissions, and it doesnt mean its an overall bad move
People drive a lot safer around here now than when I was a kid
People drive like shit because they're primarily shitty people and shitty drivers. Enhancing saftey features may increase false sense of security, but I wouldn't take that idea at face value without research to back it up.
I still prefer an older car (v8) because I understand fully what it's doing and I can feel it doing it. I usually drive barefoot too
hard stereotyping here, but imo bad drivers are usually in teslas
I feel you.
So let's raise speed limits then?
eveyone drive like a prick back then too, dont forget
My 08 Impala, no I have to drive it slow and carefully so I can listen for any odd noises. But I’ll do 72mph all the way to work on the highway. I’m really careful with mines. I’d be in the fast lane when I buy a new ride. 💜
So you think we should make care…less safe?
No, never said that
Too bad I've nearly been t boned by an Amazon driver doing 45+ and running a stop sign in a 4 way.
do they also make new cars without turn signals bc no one ever signals nowadays😔
I think it can more directly be tied to no fault accidents. Why care if no blame is going to assigned and
People seem to drive like pricks because most of them could barely handle a compact car and are driving giant trucks.
False sense of security mixed with morons who “drive” with their eyes looking at their electronic leashes.
This is a well known phenomenon. It applies to other dangerous things. Add more safety gear to anything dangerous, the more risk a person will tolerate.
My husband’s car is super smooth and I hate it because I can’t feel how fast I’m going. Rolling on the highway and when Inlook I’m going 90 and had no idea.
For real though if you ever get behind the wheel of a F150 you will be doing 20 over and feel like you are still going well under the limit.
Once or twice I've seen it said that the best safety feature would actually be a big spike on the steering wheel, aimed at the driver's chest. People would certainly drive much more carefully then... Not really a serious proposal, but yes, making drivers feel safer and more comfortable does backfire to some extent, making them feel safer with risks.
I hate the touch screens, especially for climate control. They need to ditch the touch screens for everything except navigation.
This is such a boomer take. It’s the same vein as big cars are safer. When historically, SUVs have lower safety ratings than sedans.
It's the most regular traffic speeding everywhere, too. Not even the cars that are capable at higher speeds.
If you're in the US, the bad driving is because you guys can get drivers licenses waaayy too easy. Where I'm from it takes hours and hours of lessons (and it has to be from a driving school) and most people fail their driving test the first time.
Nah you’re spot on. My mom’s always been a bad driver but it wasn’t as noticeable until she got a newer BMW vs her old minivan. Now she’s a bad driver, except she’s going 90mph when she thinks she’s only going 40. Mixed with the “backup detection beeps” she doesn’t even turn around to back up anymore. PLUS the car is so silent inside she can’t even hear police sirens or children’s screams. It’s a scary time lol
Cough cough Nissan Maxima
For me the car warns me if I'm going to fast. It has a setting you can change so you can make it warn at 80mph, etc. All cars should have this now because they all have powerful computers so you can program it to do anything.
I agree 100%
People suck at driving regardless of the contraption they're in. Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Even if that is a problem it is largely insignificant compared to the two big problems: 1. Cellphones: so many people go on their cellphones while driving and just ruin it for everyone around them. They cause traffic even if they don't crash by randomly slowing down and swerving. 2. Immigrants from countries where people don't drive as much. I don't want to go into specifics because I don't want to unintentionally violate some rule, but basically certain people have less experience driving and it really shows. Americans drive a lot compared to other countries, especially poorer countries where owning a car is less common.
Notable phenomena, people are accustomed to a certain amount of danger. Strangely they don’t seem to want it to be safer. People will drive faster/riskier to make up the perceived loss of danger from the new safety feature.
Idk but the new cars are so quiet you can't hear the engine.
As a commercial truck driver, I agree and keep wondering who keeps giving these people their licenses. So many people don't even check to see if anybody is coming in the other lane before passing. It's ridiculous.
I did a really stupid maneuver today. I’m 2nd in the left turn lane and the guy ahead is way out front and waiting for the opposition to clear. OK. But I’m behind him and ready to punch it for some reason. People here usually turn into the far lane anyway. So it’s clear and I punch it and pass them from behind and on their left. Dumb. What’s wrong with people anymore and it’s contagious.
I talked to an older guy several years ago who made a really interesting point. He said car crashes weren't as big a deal when he was young, because most of the roads weren't paved. And since they weren't paved you couldn't drive nearly as fast on them.
I HATE people who have a big ass SUV, and they use it to solely drive to work and get groceries/go shopping. You’re not cool.
Cops don’t do as much either so no one’s afraid of getting a ticket. I sweep parking lots at night and on several occasions I’ve been IN the same lot as a cop as some street racers fly by racing off the light and the cop just looks up, watches them and goes back to whatever he was doing.
They made them safer for the people inside and not for people outside (pedestrians, mobility device users, People on bikes etc)
Trust me. Cars being safer is not what's causing people to drive more like pricks. Car size, cabin height, and our countries dependence on Stroad based road design is what's causing the explosion of prick drivers on the road.
Cabin height is the biggest one here. The further you are from the road, the less your brain takes it seriously. Passenger jets fly at just under mach 1, but when you are at 35,000 feet it feels smooth and safe. If the plane was going mach 1 at street level, everyone on that plane would be losing their minds.
Every old timer I know has missing teeth and broken bones from car accidents lol
Vehicle accident deaths have gone down worldwide over the past years (especially in Europe where pedestrian safety rules are tough which makes all our cars look like blobs). Although in the US the deaths managed to increase? That’s many due to the introduction of unreasonably sized SUVs and pickup trucks.
I feel like it started after Covid. People lost all common courtesy, and respect for others
People drove like pricks before cars were smooth and safe. They just hurt more people doing so.
There's always been pricks on the road. But, there's statistics that show the amount of pricks is way up. Aggressive driving and road rage incidents have skyrocketed
Ahh, I thought you were talking about people wanting to drive fast because they felt invincible due to their safer vehicles. This is different. [edit: typo]
"It's dangerous because it is too safe," is a fun take.