Oppo, how have you stayed Accident Free?

"valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv) 10/09/2013 at 19:25 • Filed to: None

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Hello Oppo! I believe I had done my homework as I wasn't able to find my question on Oppo or Jalopnik. If I missed it, let me know but please leave your comment either way.

About six years ago I was sitting in driver's ed listening to the instructor blab on about insurance. He said something along the lines "so when you get into an accident... That's right. I said 'when', not 'if'... statistically you will be involved in an accident during your lifetime". My first reaction was "oh no! I don't want to be involved in an accident!", followed by "screw you man! You don't know shit, I'm never gonna hit anybody!". And soon after I realized that the two points to avoiding an accident are 1) be a smart driver, and 2) avoid the idiots on the road.

( Full Disclosure : I'm male and 22. According to insurance companies I should be dead, but I've never had any altercation on the road. I'm not here to gloat about my flawless, pristine, amazing and voluptuous driving record; rather I want to know what you do to avoid accidents on a daily basis.)

I haven't been driving for long - 6 years since I've been licensed, 3 since I've owned my own car - and because I'm still in university and live close to school, my only big trips are to back home. These trips range from 100 - 500 km depending on my location (university or co-op in a different city) and I take them as late as possible to avoid traffic. Occasionally when I do drive in traffic I get a little freaked out and tense. There are so many idiots on the road! How do you keep away from them?

At my age my older sister had a few accidents under her belt, so I must be doing something differently. My question to you guys is: how long have you driven without any accidents, were the latest ones your fault, and what tactics do you employ?

A note on fault: sometimes an accident is not your fault, such as being rear-ended. I agree, but not completely. There are things you can do to avoid putting yourself in those situations. For example, I always leave some extra space between myself and the car in front until the guy behind me has come to a complete stop. I try to make sure that I have a free lane or somewhere to go in case I see them approaching too quickly. In a similar fashion I always follow the "leave a 2 second gap on the highway" rule and it has actually saved my ass on one occasion. If I see a maniac on the road I either let them pass or speed up to get away - speeding isn't too safe but I think the temporary risk gives me better options than having him on my tail or in the lane next to me.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:29

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Some links I did find, some of which are even relevant!

http://jalopnik.com/how-to-deal-wi…

http://jalopnik.com/ten-things-eve…

http://jalopnik.com/5947303/the-wo…

http://jalopnik.com/5945189/postal…

pdthedeuce > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:30

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I drive as if every other car is actively trying to kill me , and I try to deny them the opportunity .

blackchair > pdthedeuce 10/09/2013 at 19:32

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This. I just imagine that a car is going to change lanes without a signal for no reason without looking for me. I avoid blind spots, avoid changing lanes into one's blind spot, keep my distance.. etc. I try to stay active on the roadway constantly thinking about escape spots if I need to swerve or just observing traffic and staying aware of who is driving around me.

deadpedal > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:34

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By keeping my options open.

By keeping my head on a goddamn swivel.

And keeping in mind it's a bunch of 2 ton death hammers out there with texting shitbirds/teenagers/olds with cataracts piloting them around.

Been working very near perfectly for a long time.

Also, you can be your worst enemy.

Zohaibman72 > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:34

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little do people know

I don't even have my full lisence yet

and I'm one of the youngest people here (17)

So this would be useful to me too

pdthedeuce > blackchair 10/09/2013 at 19:34

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yup... keep your head on a swivel . pretend that you are driving a VIP (which you are), and are trying to avoid assassins (which you are) .

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > pdthedeuce 10/09/2013 at 19:36

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But what form of denial? E.g. will you cut them off to prevent them from getting ahead and brake-checking you? Not saying that's what you'd do, but I think you might end up pissing them off even more...

pdthedeuce > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:40

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if some one is driving aggressively , you get out of the way, defusing the problem before there is one .

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:41

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I'm 25, been driving 9 years with a license (nearly 10 if you include driving with my permit) and have never been in an accident (while I was driving). A lot of it is being a smart driver and knowing how to drive effectively.

For example: Instead of slamming on my brakes to avoid rear-ending a car that suddenly came to an abrupt halt on the freeway, I will find a gap to change lanes or brake and turn out of the way. Lots of people simply slam on their brakes, brakes lock up, and they still hit the other car. (Of course sometimes it's unavoidable and the best you can do is reduce the impact) But all too often I think people just freak out and simply react without thinking.

PatBateman > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:42

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It's been 10 years since I've had an accident. My fiancé was driving behind me, the guy almost ran her off the road (he passed in a no passing area). He then passed me on an overpass (and in another no passing area), and when I honked my horn, he jumped in front of me and slammed on his brakes. Due to my state's laws, I was technically at fault. I wasn't too happy with that.

I keep a good amount of space between myself and other cars, don't speed in traffic, and watch my rear view mirror at stops. That's all we really can do.

WhiskeyGolf > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:43

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I like to think it's because I like driving and minimizing distractions. I'm 25 and have driven my own car 75,000 accident free km, with a lot of 400-500 km trips to family. There are too many idiots on the road to let your guard down, so I think the best defense is situational awareness and analysis. Here's to another 75k!

The Real Dacia Sandero > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:43

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I've been driving for about four years. I've never had an accident of my fault or otherwise. Really, it's looking out and paying attention. My cousin, who's a year younger, has totaled four or five cars. All accidents were her fault because she won't fucking pay attention and drive. Most were just running off the road while texting or looking for something.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:45

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I catch a bus.

and when I drive it's a 3 second rule. The only times I've been in accidents I've been stopped at an intersection and have been rear ended.

pdthedeuce > deadpedal 10/09/2013 at 19:48

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good example ... assume everyone is texting and act accordingly .

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > The Real Dacia Sandero 10/09/2013 at 19:50

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I have to drive my sister's Escalade on occasion. I once took it and asked "do you mind if I adjust the rear-view mirror?" (it wasn't a long drive so not entirely necessary if I were to take it slow and easy). She replied "sure, I never use it anyways".

She may be my sister but I still fully support increasing the level of difficulty for obtaining a driver's license. She definitely would not have one.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 10/09/2013 at 19:51

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I also commuted 35 miles each way to high school, about 20 to college/work for 5 years, often travel distances of around 20 miles to friends' houses (the Phoenix-Metro area is very spread out), have taken quite a few road trips to Vegas/San Diego, traveled to northern California and Provo, UT for fishing tournaments, and regularly drive to northern Arizona to camp. So I definitely drive a lot. lol

deadpedal > pdthedeuce 10/09/2013 at 19:55

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Doesn't seem an unreasonable assumption from what I see.

I'm a freak though. When I see someone driving at 11 & 1, I assume they have no idea of vehicle dynamics and get the hell away....

911e46z06 > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:55

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Don't drive drunk. Don't touch the cell phone. Replace your tires before you really need to. And only hoon when you know there aren't other cars around.

Milky > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:55

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I'm just going to say this (& I'm fully expecting hate), I hope you're not and no one else on Oppo is one of those OVERLY cautious and anal drivers. Driving 29 in a 30mph zone, all the while your blood pressure is through the roof.

With that being said ... I always pay attention to the road and other drivers & have avoided many close calls over the years.

But then again maybe I should get advice from you because my record isn't perfect. A deer hit my jeep when I was 16, I sideswiped someone denting my his door & my front fender, while avoiding a head on (by a got damn Kia Rondo) when I was 18, and last year as 23 year old I crashed my car drifting.

rabbitman > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 19:55

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I have been driving for 20 years in Minnesota at that. Not a single accident ever the only Insurance claim I have ever made was when a women on her cellphone backed into my parked car.
I always watch a head of me at least 5 cars, keep a eye on everything and everyone around me. I just kind of have a mental state that everyone is out to kill me on the road.
I was taught how to drive by many people, and instruction, I lived in a few states that driving condition's differ and traffic condition's differ. I like to consider myself a good driver, but I am not and do bad things like everyone. I just really think you need to be in a state of I am driving and people's lives are in my hands, that was a choice I made when I got my License, to be that guy that always made sure his friends got home safe from parties I.E. I was sober cab for a long time.
Staying safe comes natural, just like the instructor's tell you checking the mirror's constantly comes natural, it does it is a habit that never stops. For some I believe driving becomes natural, you become the driver, you become the car and you just do it, feel it, love it. Pressing the gas, depressing the clutch, shifting through the gear's its part of your heart beat, your breathing, your driving.

Now I must got chop a tree down and knock on it for a few hours to make sure I didn't just screw myself.

pdthedeuce > Milky 10/09/2013 at 20:03

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one thing I learned from riding motorcycles is you are safer if you drive just a bit FASTER than traffic ( like 2 or 3 mph ) because then you make all the decisions about which side to pass on , assuming there is a Left Lane Bandit, and you can chose your following distances and how close people are behind you .

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 10/09/2013 at 20:03

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This scenario always worries me. Not much room to go if there's a lot of perpendicular traffic.

Likewise I try to look both ways before going through an intersection, which is something I always do in my bicycle.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Milky 10/09/2013 at 20:06

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Haha, not at all anal. I definitely go a little over the speed limit when it feels safe to do so. The only anal thing I do is let off the gas when I see a read ahead of me. No point in continuing to accelerate only to get on the brakes (waste of fuel and brakes!). I see people do this and, if you time it correctly, you can whiz by them just as the light turns green.

Milky > pdthedeuce 10/09/2013 at 20:12

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This .... When you're the one making decisions, they can't get it wrong and hit you.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 20:24

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the other big thing I can recommend:

if you're tired take a break and have a nap. Coffee and Energy drinks are no alternative to a 10-20 minute power nap.

OttoMaddox > pdthedeuce 10/09/2013 at 20:35

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Exactly. I keep 360 degree situational awareness. I shift my gaze from the windshield view forward to my rear view and side view mirrors to know exactly who or what is around me. I don't allow anyone to ride abreast of me or in my blind spot, and if I can't see their headlights in my rear-view mirror they are following too close. That way, when they drift out of their lane while texting or putting on makeup or lighting a cig they collect someone else.

As an aside to that, I NEVER turn my head while moving forward. They teach looking over your shoulder in drivers-ed. But when you twist your head your whole body moves with it and you will turn the steering wheel in the same direction as your head. And the higher up you hold the wheel the more it will turn. And then you drift out of your lane. So never look over your shoulder, use your mirrors. That's what they're for.

In the city I don't assume that just because I have a green light and the other driver has the red that it's safe to proceed. I look to my right and left. Similarly I don't assume that the other driver will obey a stop sign or look to his or her left before pulling out.

Beyond that I keep calm and carry on. It's not a race, I'm not defending my territory, I'm just trying to get somewhere. If someone's trying to ride my bumper I move over and let them pass. I don't speed; I use my cruise control a lot. Even in the city on arterials, where the cops like to put up speed traps. I set it for the speed of traffic flow and take my foot off the gas. So I haven't gotten a ticket in years. And keeping my foot off the gas reduces my own tension and aggression. And that aggressive guy that blew by me because he was in a hurry? I usually pull up next to him at the next light.

Don't be in a hurry. When you estimate travel time, plan to wait 2 minutes at each red light and multiply that by the number of lights on your route if you know it. Know that during rush hour travel time might double or even triple. You have GPS on your smart phone with traffic advisory on it now. Use it to see if traffic is stopped and maybe surface streets are better.

Practice inner peace through driving, my son.

pdthedeuce > OttoMaddox 10/09/2013 at 20:53

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indeed .

Icemanmaybeirunoutofthetalents > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/09/2013 at 21:45

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I'm sure there'll be lots of tips in the comments for this. My suggestion - Always have an out. Either on the highway, on city streets, wherever. Always have an escape plan if the fellow in front does something unexpected. If you can't find one, give yourself more room.

blackchair > rabbitman 10/09/2013 at 23:35

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Good points. I think that something so natural is good along with good habits like checking mirrors and staying aware. I think it is easy for it to become too second-nature where one drives gazing ahead without actively thinking about the situation around them. It changes constantly and always needs to be evaluated. We are never really driving around the same people every day. It's always new.

rabbitman > blackchair 10/10/2013 at 00:31

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Very true even traveling the same route every day for years. Every few minutes, you are entering the road with a different group of drivers, there may be a few people you see every day, if you are lucky. But it is usually a different group of people. Like if I get on the road between 745-8am or that time a hour earlier, or a hour later, those are usual the crowd of people that are late for work and in a hurry. 8-815 those are people that left on time and just on their merry way. Then it starts again around 8:25 the late people.
Kind of a weird analogy I have there, but it's what I see.
I will say places that you are just stuck in traffic for a hour no matter what, like east coast,west coast. Either sit back and enjoy the view and have some good tunes, learn the back roads, or suck it up and use public transportation you will probably get home faster. Nothing can make it better. It just sucks and trying to get one car ahead is not going to make the traffic go faster. Unless your on a bike and can lane split.
I hate traffic, I hate people that ride the passing lane doing the limit on their cells phones, that like to brake check you, after realizing you have been behind them for ten minutes just wanting to pass. Other drivers really kill my passion for driving. Sometimes I just say f it and get off the road and take another route just to not deal with it. Makes my day less stressful, since driving really should be enjoyable.

-Rabbitman

Farugnugen

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/10/2013 at 01:38

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I've yet to have an accident worse than a 1mph bump in a crowded parking garage that didn't even scratch (I hit the tire of a bro truck) since I started driving. I started driving back in 2004.....so yeah going on almost a decade of driOH MY GOD I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE TIME WENT!!!!! I'M OLD!!!!! *sobs gently*

Omnislash79 > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/14/2013 at 21:14

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When in doubt POWEERRRRR OUTTTT ^_6

thebigbossyboss > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 10/14/2013 at 23:30

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I...have had a lot of accidents. Fuck!