Driving Aggravation

Most people here in Rural Pennsylvania must drive a motorized vehicle to get to their destination. There aren’t any public transportation systems to utilize. After several years of driving and observing other people drive, I have come to some conclusions.

Someone is usually going to be driving faster than you and will either pass you or will be tailgating you. Solution: pull over and let the other driver pass you if it is safe.

Someone is usually going to be driving slower than you. Solution: don’t tailgate and pass the driver only when it is legal and safe.

You will eventually catch up to most of the cars that go speeding by you.

If you drive 30 miles to your destination, it will take you 30 minutes if you are driving 60 m.p.h. or 28 minutes driving 65 m.p.h. or 33 minutes driving 55 m.p.h. According to the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course for Professional Truck Drivers the average stopping distance for a passenger car is 225 feet at 55 m.p.h. and 316 at 65 m.p.h. That is a difference of 91 feet.

I always find it amusing when a police officer is sitting with radar, everyone slows down, usually below the speed limit. I never need to worry and rarely even look at my speed when passing a police car. I try to obey the speed limit all the time for several reasons.

It’s the law. Believe it or not, there is a reason for speed limits. Obey them.

I don’t have to worry about getting a speeding ticket or worry about getting pulled over for speeding.

I can’t imagine the emotional pain of wrecking and injuring or killing someone, but to know that I was speeding and disobeying the law would make the pain much worse, plus the ramifications of possible jail time.

If you are a habitual speeder and are having trouble getting to places on time, then you need to wake up in the morning and leave earlier. As shown above, you are really only “saving” a few minutes, but you are putting more lives at risk. Also, please don’t talk on the phone, put on makeup, eat, read the news, or anything else that distracts you from your main responsibility of driving.

Comments are always welcome.