Road Rage: 5 Signs You're A Lunatic
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I live in a country where people drive like maniacs. It’s a fascinating phenomenon, because the natives are pretty passive people. Ok, maybe they’re a little more passive-aggressive than just passive, but generally speaking they aren’t outwardly aggressive people.
Indeed, the physical crime in this country is quite minimal. Even with beer drinking serving as the national past time, they don’t often become rowdy or uncivilized. They are raised well, so to speak. Which is why it’s so amazing to watch them on the interstate.
The speed on large highways is 130 kmh – which is about 80 mph. That might sound quite fast, and it is, but it’s a safe speed when defensive driving is in place. Unfortunately, few people seem to care about that. What you end up seeing are madmen tailgating 1 foot from your bumper, whilst driving 93 mph in the rain.
Obviously, this means you would also be driving 93 in the rain – but you have to, because the guy behind you would be even closer if you didn’t. Why don’t you just move over? Well, you would. But you can’t, cos there is a slow moving truck in front of you (that’s how you got in this mess in the first place) and a slew of slow-moving semis on the right, who are driving bumper to bumper.
It’s like the Wild West, and as such, I tend to drive only at night when the natives are sleeping. That YouTube clip completely epitomizes the driving experience in this country. It's a guy filiming himself driving like a lunatic. That’s the vid, go on and have a look. Notice how close everyone is. What you probably don’t realize, is that in many scenes, all those cars are already driving 80 mph! It’s a scary video. He has so many near-misses, I have yet to be able to watch the whole thing. I hope I never see him on the road.
Very Scary Driving
Top 5 Signs You're a Lunatic Driver
You Drive a BMW -- This will probably offend a few BMW owners, but hey, this is a biggie. I didn’t associate BMW ownership with bad driving when I lived in the US, but my time in Europe has shown a distinct correlation. Every time I see someone fly by me like a lunatic, they are almost sure to be in a BMW.
You’re 40 mph Over the Speed Limit -- You’d think most people would realize this is dangerous. Apparently, many do not.
You Pass On the Right -- This one makes you a bad driver and a jerk. Just because the guy in front of you doesn’t want to drive 90 mph, doesn’t mean it’s ok for you to pass him on the right.
You Cross Solid White Lines -- You know, there’s a reason these things exist. Crossing them is a danger to others – and yourself. Not that the safety of others seems to matter to you.
You Pass On the Shoulder -- Are you insane?!?
You Think That YouTube Video is Funny -- Do I need to explain this one? Honestly, if you want to drive like a lunatic, that’s cool. Go to a closed track and race away. But don’t endanger innocent people who have no desire to die today.
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Comments
OMG!! I found myself wanting to grab the "oh shit" handles half the time watching that! I can't believe that someone would drive that insanely, let alone video themself doing it!! This person should be arrested!
Fretbuzz - You should view on another computer... its worth seeing!
Shayze - Yes ! I know! Uunreal, isnt it!!
I wouldn't last five minutes in that car. In fact, I didn't last five minutes with just the video!
Me either!!
LOL Isabella,
I used to drive pretty much like this. And I'm still alive after more than 35 years of driving. More, I did not have any accidents for the last like five years, and no at fault accidents for more than ten. And I never seriously injured anybody, let alone killed. All with daily commute... :)
If you were driving like that in the US or another Western country it wouldn't matter much - where have you been driving?
In the country that video takes place in, EVERYONE tailgates at 110 mph - and even in the rain. That makes it a lot more dangerous...
Actually, by Russian standards Czechoslovakia was a Western country. I've been driving mostly in Moscow all my life - till I moved to US in 1999. And now I'm trying to teach Americans how to drive - like here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Defensive-Driving
You can't drive like that in US, most of other drivers will just be scared to death watching you driving. At the same time Americans eat, do makeup, read, or even play trumpet - all while driving. I believe this kind of behavior is much more dangerous than your pet peeve tailgating :). BTW, it looks much worse on the video than in real life. For some reason camera distorts the distance heavily, and makes a car in front of you appear much closer than in reality. I watched the same effect when I tried to tape the view from the car once. Just normal driving looks really scary this way.
Actually, it looks pretty bad in real life, Misha - I live here. ;) And it's the Czech Republic now..... ;)))
I think it's all about perception. And it's all relative. Go to Cairo or Delhi to set a reference point :).
All that tells me is that Ruskies must drive even worse! It's not about perception, it's about how well you can drive - and how well the person in front of you and beside you can react to your shite driving. I have been here for 5 years, I tour all over the EU, I know what it looks like. Firsthand. You cannot win this argument! I don't care about people putting lipstick on while driving, if you think the person in that video is driving responsibly, you're insane.
He's AS CLOSE as it looks, I see it every day, ffs. You're only as safe as the most dangerous idiot on the road.
Fakt!
I'm not trying to win anything. I'm just commenting on your post on the topic I happen to know something about ;) And the one we happen to slightly disagree on, and therefore we are having an interesting conversation...
And how do you tell what driving is good and what is bad? Can you use a bit more objective criteria than just "I like this" and "I don't like that"? Like average number of miles driven between accidents in one country (or city) vs. another?
QUOTE " You're only as safe as the most dangerous idiot on the road. "
Disagree. Ne fakt! Absolutely disagree. You are as safe as you make yourself safe. All my 35 plus years of driving experience make me strongly believe your safety depends on you and only on you.
Ježiš Maria! Viš nemaš pravdu, Fakt to JE!!! The person driving in that video is a bad driver. He gets way too close before he changes lanes - he has no way to know when someone is going to brake, he's lucky he made it. He passes on the right - ON THE SHOULDER. You think that's good driving? Roads here are crap, they are uneven, he's lucky he didn't lose control when he went on the shoulder at that speed. He passes left on solid white lines - WHEN HE CAN'T SEE WHATS AHEAD OF HIM.
That's a majorly stupid thing Czechs do, they will pass on a 90 degree turn, having no idea if a truck is coming. It's no surprise CZ has one the highest mortality rates for driving accidents in the world. It's cos they drive like lunatics.
And they ALL say it's true - they just follow it with "except for me.. I don't drive like that."
Tailgaiting with 2 inches between you and the car in front of you while going 120 in the rain is dangerous. If you don't understand why, it's silly to continue this interesting conversation!
Just because Im a girl doesnt mean I dont know how to drive!
LOL Isabella,
Don't take it personally :). I did not want to offend you in any way.
Actually, I do agree with you on the shoulder passing, and on a few too risky cases of passing on a two-lane highway. The rest is just the regular style of driving in the Eastern Europe (and Russia - which is even worse from American point of view :). It is different from typical American driving style, and I don't have enough statistical data to judge with confidence which style is better. As for the distance from the car in front of you- I happened to just finish my essay on this a few days ago. It pretty much sums up all my years of worldwide driving experience to date. If you are interested - it is here: http://www.funandsafedriving.com/ftopict-159.html
You haven't offended me, but come on.. the guy's driving like a maniac. Ty vole wouldnt be a good enough insult for someone like that. He's more of a mamrd. If you know either of those Czech phrases. I have been on the road, going 140 (kmh) while passing a line of trucks going 80 kmh, each of them 1 foot from the truck in front of them, with a Skoda in front of ME, and another Skoda in front of HIM, etc, etc - and yet, I'll still have some jerk in a BMW an inch from my bumper, flashing his lights at me, as if I can actually go anywhere, or like I could pull over between the trucks that have only 1 foot of space between them.
That is how people drive here - and thats me already 10 kmh over the speedlimit, it's not like Im going too slow. And that guy in the BMW is very typical. I don't care if it's worse in Russia (And BTW, CZ has always been Central Europe! I am west of Vienna!) that doesnt make it ok.
Thats like me saying crime is worse in NYC, so don't whine if you get killed while visiting Brno!
The driving is just as bad, possibly even worse, here in the Middle East. But BMWs don't feature much. Here, the real maniacs go for the biggest Land Cruisers on the market and fling them around like there's no tomorrow. Often, there isn't, for them or their victims.
I couldn't even finish watching the video- sheesh.
In my opinion this vid is pretty boring....i drive like this everyday, i get aggrivated if i go less than 95mph on the highway. I ive in the US and know a lot of people that drive a lot faster than that and weave the same way. I guess i should put together a video and see what people say LMAO
Paraglider - I believe you! ;)
Angela - Me, too!
Stevo - People in the US keep a minimum distance from the car in front of them. So do people in Germany, where there isnt a speed limit on certain parts of the autobahn. That is NOT the case in this video, and this isn't Germany or the US. Its normal here for people to drive less than a foot from the car in front of them at all times, and its normal to tailgate, etc, etc.
You've never experienced driving under these conditions, and you cant tell how close or how dangerous it is just from that video.
Driving at 120 mph is fine if youre not doing it where everyone else is going 60. Nor is it ok if everyone else is going 80, but are only a foot apart.
You've missed the entire point - as did everyone else in your forum.
Isabella: I agree with all of your points. I am usually a safe driver, but I do have a tendency to mistake I-95 for the Autobahn every so often. That's always fun, but it usually causes problems, you know small things like car accidents. (Kidding!) Great hub, pal.
Nice article Isabella!
I can't help wondering what you'd think of the driving over here (Rome). I'm considered a "safe" and "defensive" driver yet I break 3 of those 5 rules everytime I step on the peddle.
Thanks!
Thoog.
James - LOL. Well, 95 is a much bigger road and much safer than the one in that video! Be safe! :)
Thooghun - Thanks! I bet I'd think Rome was pretty scary, especially if you admit to what you just admitted to! ;)
Good lord! He sort of has weaving down to a very fine (and very terrifying) art!
Great Hub you have here :) please read my new hub about getting free online car quotes...
...Actually, I DID find the video to be quite funny. That's not to say I drive (or ride- given that I'm a biker) like this, or think it's even remotely okay to do so. Such people are the real reason riding is considered dangerous- the rate of motorbike accidents would drop drastically if we took bad driving (and yes, occasionally, bad riding) out of the equation.
I find I generally have a very short temper with poor driving in general; I mean, in each vehicle is a person, and I'd have no problem speaking up if someone barged down a busy street, shoving people aside and ignoring whatever rules were in place just to shave fifteen seconds off their journey. At the end of the day, it's a worse scenario when people are behind the wheel of a couple of tonnes of hurtling death.
It all comes down to common decency; and if you don't have it, you shouldn't be allowed to take control of such a dangerous machine. I walk everywhere I physically can, because I just don't like going on the roads. People are lunatics.
I think had I been a passenger in that car I would have done more than wet my pants. Great hub thanks for sharing.
Fretbuzz says:
2 years ago
I can't see the vid, but I agree with your top 5 signs -especially since I ride a motorcycle.