Some Stuff Many Jalops Don't Seem to Consider

"VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely" (vajazzlemcdildertits) 03/14/2018 at 19:50 • Filed to: psa, safety, Crash Test

4

5

Even if you are the best / safest / most aware driver in the entire universe, that will not save you if you are trapped in traffic and ANOTHER bad driver runs into you.

You can do everything right on the road and still get hurt. What safe driving does is minimize those chances, which of course still helps.

Operating vehicles that do not protect you in an accident are probably the most exciting vehicles to drive. But they require you not to only be extremely good, but also continuously lucky to survive perpetually unscathed.

In a bad accident it is just as likely that you will be seriously maimed than just flat out be killed, which extends suffering and damages quality of life significantly while avoiding the escape of a quick death.

Nothing will protect you if you crash at 100+ mph.

But not you, of course. I see what you write in the comments and you’re a sharp guy or gal. And some of you are luckier than others (I am completely unlucky, plus my wife worries.)

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely 03/14/2018 at 20:17

0

As an aside, when I finally kick the bucket I’d like to be buried in one of these, twisted and mangled up in the Nordschleife.

Long-Voyager > VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely 03/15/2018 at 07:27

0

Even if you are the best / safest / most aware driver in the entire universe, that will not save you if you are trapped in traffic and ANOTHER bad driver runs into you.

If you are the best/safest/most aware driver, you will ensure you are never “trapped” by doing things like leaving a car length at lights, ensuring you are always in an outside lane at lights, etc.

These things give you somewhere to go to avoid another driver from running into you.

You can do everything right on the road and still get hurt. What safe driving does is minimize those chances, which of course still helps.

If you do “everything” right you would avoid accidents, which will keep you from being hurt.

Operating vehicles that do not protect you in an accident are probably the most exciting vehicles to drive. But they require you not to only be extremely good, but also continuously lucky to survive perpetually unscathed.

They also generally lack internal distractions, leaving you to be more in tune with what’s around you and less into Becky’s last FB post. You may be more likely to die in a crash, but being more aware/attentive, you are less likely to be in a crash to begin with.

In a bad accident it is just as likely that you will be seriously maimed than just flat out be killed, which extends suffering and damages quality of life significantly while avoiding the escape of a quick death.

Again, where driving an old vehicle without so much “protection” is better IMO. I know I’ll die in a bad crash. To me that’s better than living forever “handicapped”.

Nothing will protect you if you crash at 100+ mph.

True.

Not trying to argue anything you’ve said, just some different views to consider.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > Long-Voyager 03/15/2018 at 14:05

0

Ok, some soft-counters to your soft-counters.

If you are the best/safest/most aware driver, you will ensure you are never “trapped” by doing things like leaving a car length at lights, ensuring you are always in an outside lane at lights, etc.

These things give you somewhere to go to avoid another driver from running into you.

This assumes that traffic will give you an opportunity to do so, or that the roads will give you room to do so, or that you will have enough reaction time to get out of the way even if you do. All you need is one unlucky day. They’re not guarantees. Either you would have to live in a place with zero traffic or be much much luckier than I am, continually. I especially live in a place where traffic bunches up in the leftmost and right most lanes. Either you have a car in front and behind you, or you’re in the middle lane by yourself, with cars to the right and left of you. And no, just moving somewhere else isn’t a likely option for most Americans.

If you do “everything” right you would avoid accidents, which will keep you from being hurt.

I have a friend who has been riding bikes effectively and responsively for 25 years. A while ago while driving normally he slipped on an uneven surface that looked exactly like a regular surface. He broke his collarbone and hurt himself in several other ways even with riding with the safety gear and thick clothing he normally rides in and was in the hospital for weeks. Your assumption here rides on the idea that you can control all the variables outside of you and your vehicle, and that’s not even remotely true.

They also generally lack internal distractions, leaving you to be more in tune with what’s around you and less into Becky’s last FB post. You may be more likely to die in a crash, but being more aware/attentive, you are less likely to be in a crash to begin with.

People get into crashes all the time even if they’re not looking at their phones. Distraction is the #1 cause of accident but they are not nearly the only cause. While what you say is true, it is completely possible to get into an accident anyway, and people do, even if you’re lucky enough not to.

Again, where driving an old vehicle without so much “protection” is better IMO. I know I’ll die in a bad crash. To me that’s better than living forever “handicapped”.

The assumption here is that crashing in an unsafe car will kill you. Medical technology is pretty good nowadays, and my point was that it is just as likely to turn you into a cripple. All you’re doing in an unsafe car is roll bigger dice more likely to hurt you, which due to advancing medical technology (and the ER is required to try to save your life even if you can’t pay) doesn’t follow that it will also kill you.

It sounds like by being careful you think you will avoid most accidents, and it is probably true you have minimized your risk. But the risk, although minimized, is still possible and occasionally plausible simply through no action of your own. If you have avoided all crashes, maybe you should buy some lottery tickets because you are a far sight luckier than many people in the world.

Long-Voyager > VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely 03/15/2018 at 16:10

0

20+yrs of driving with no crashes to date. (unless you count the one where my vehicle got backed into while I was in the store)

Avoided numerous crashes (those that most people claim un-avoidable) by doing the very things I described and always being aware of what others are doing.

Many people are just horrible drivers with no sense of awareness.

I look at it this way: If it’s my time to go, I’m going no matter what I’m driving, so I will enjoy what I drive and do everything in my power to stay out of crashes.

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > Long-Voyager 03/16/2018 at 06:11

0

As an aside, while I personally think your philosophy is fine, there are plenty of people trapped in hospitals, barely above the level of vegetables, whose family members with power of attorney do not sign the DNR paperwork.

You might want to consider a living will, as you don’t seem to consider the possibility of extended intensive care likely.