bad driving | Advanced Drivers of North America

After a Crash, Claiming that Something Happened 'Suddenly' is Usually Just an Excuse

It’s a very misguided belief that crashes are somehow acceptable if something went wrong ‘suddenly,’ on the road ahead.

Writing this as a retired traffic patrol police officer who has dealt with and investigated countless crashes, I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve been at a crash scene and had drivers tell me:

“It wasn’t my fault. Suddenly they [drove/walked/ran/cycled] right out in front of me!”

Here’s a classic example of a potentially lethal crisis that could easily be avoided not only by the pedestrian using more sense but also by any approaching driver. (Copyright image, 202o. All rights reserved. [Photo taken from passenger seat.])

Tailgating Doesn’t Apply to ME Because I’m a Good Driver!

Many drivers tailgate in an extreme way and the vast majority of them believe that they are a “good driver” and they have got “good reactions” so they can handle it if things go wrong, but sadly this is simply not true. This article is the “here’s why!”

Heavy traffic on I-90 at Chicago. — Some serious tailgating (in relation to the speed) in the right hand lane of I-90 at Chicago. It only needs two vehicles to bump and the traffic tailback that can result while the driving lanes are cleared, especially if someone is hurt, will delay thousands of people for a significant time. (Copyright image, 2012.)

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Five Displays of Bad Safety in One Chrysler Video Commercial

Do automakers have any responsibility for promoting safe driving? We think that the majority of people would agree that they do, yet for countless years there have been television commercials from automakers showing bad driving — particularly those which glorify speed, or dodging and weaving through traffic — which at the very least, quite deliberately contradict safety values and driver courtesy in the hope of generating more car sales. Some of it, however, seems to be sheer thoughtlessness or even ignorance and the images below would appear to be an example of this.

A Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid commercial, shown on August 24, 2018, showing a dangerously unadjusted seat-back and head-restraint, far too far away to protect the driver if hit from behind, and also the drivers fingers looped through the steering wheel rather than holding it the safer way with thumbs on the rim.

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Dangerous Intersections Awaiting Long-Overdue Roundabouts

At the east end of the evocatively-named Rip Van Winkle Bridge in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York State is a seriously dangerous intersection where, briefly, routes 23 and 9G merge together.

Photograph of the southern merge point of routes 23 and 9G in Columbia County, NY. — A combination of inadequately-educated drivers crossing paths, at significant speeds, with impatient drivers at three separate locations within this photograph has led to many serious crashes over the years. At long last, it is now set to be replaced with a roundabout and this inevitably will lead to a significant reduction in serious injuries and deaths. According to NYDOT, work is scheduled to commence in summer and end in fall, 2018, although time might be running out for that. (Copyright image, 2018.)

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A chat about: Drivers Stopping at Stop Lines!

We saw this earlier today, in Latham (Albany), NY, and the question is “can there be any worse example of thoughtless driving than completely blocking a crosswalk at a red light?”

Photo of a car stopped at a red light but completely blocking a crosswalk. — Bad drivers block crosswalks! (Photo copyright 2017, Eddie Wren)