Tuesday, February 22, 2011

A New Way To Monitor Tailgaters

  Driving is something that almost everyone does.  But what makes somebody a good driver vs. a bad driver?  I've noticed that anyone going slower than me is an idiot and anyone going faster than me is a maniac! 
  One of the most annoying things is when someone is tailgating you.  Nothing can incite road rage like someone who is following too closely.  For one thing, someone driving too closely on your tail is telling you that you're driving too slowly.  I can somewhat understand that when you're on the freeway in the fast lane and someone is not driving faster than the other lanes of traffic.  They need to MOVE OVER!
  One time I was actually driving along in the fast lane and came upon a car that I swear to you, was driving 45 miles an hour.  I couldn't believe it.  I, apparently, was following this car too closely for its comfort.  All of a sudden, the brake lights came on and it slowed down even more.  Whereas before it was slightly dangerous, now it became high risk.  This car slowed down to 35 miles an hour!  I got the heck around this idiot and avoided potential danger. But there are all kinds of speeds on the freeway, each person thinking that theirs is the ideal. Tailgating is not a great way to enforce speed, however.  
  And what about in town? So many crashes could be avoided by just following your state's following laws.  Most states say that at speeds over 35 mph, you need to have 2 second following space.  I think one of the only things I remember from my Driver Ed days, fifty billion years ago, is the directive to say "one--one thousand, two--one thousand," to yourself for judging the two second following distance. It's actually a very helpful rule because if I were to actually rear-end someone, I would be given a ticket, without question, as the one who was at fault.  
  Well, now there is a new instrument in the law enforcement arsenal to help police officers enforce that law even more.  It's called the 'TruCam' and it targets tailgaters before the accident happens.  Ohio already has it on the law books and my state of Utah will soon follow suit.  'TruCam' is a radar gun that measures actual distance between cars and then videotapes the actual cars involved.  Police say that it really isn't to give more tickets, but to educate and show people how badly they really are driving.  (Great, just what I needed!)  "We're hoping this will help us be proactive and actually educate the public and stop the accidents from happening rather than just responding to them after they happen."  Alrighty then, maybe I'll have a little less irritation from those pesky tailgaters.  Good idea?  What is the most irritating thing for you when driving?  Will these Trucams be a big help? 

5 comments:

Nicole @ Some Call It Natural said...

That's interesting. I'm not sure it will help. What I don't like is people texting. I have seen quite a few times lately, cars swerving and driving badly around me and when I have the opportunity to pass them, I see that they are texting. I have 3 kids in the van with me. Can you not wait to text people? Or can't you just call the person so you don't have to stare at a screen?

Mehnaz Kapadia said...

Haha! Very well written! I like the humour included :) Driving is something how much ever you practise, one can still go wrong! I say this because my dad always told me - 'While driving you should not only keep in mind the mistakes you could make, but keep in mind the mistakes of the other drivers near you too'! I found this tip from my dad so useful every single time cuz how ever carefully you drive, any car could just bang you from the front, back or side! So Driving requires alot of thinking and quick decision making, not to mention good decisions :)

pridelandmama said...

I personally do not like tailgaters, but I also don't like people in the fast lane going exactly the same speed as the other lanes making it impossible for anyone to go faster. It would be interesting to see how this new technology effects tailgating.
pridelandmama@hotmail.com

Anne D. said...

I don't think it'll help much. People's driving habits are often "habits" and hard to change. I'm most irritated by tailgaiters...especially the ones who pass me and then cut again right in front of me with inches to spare. annejk112233

Seth said...

Sounds like a good idea to me. I get anxious when tailgaters come right up behind me, even when I'm going over the speed limit. I mean, how fast do I need to be going, pal?!