Why is it so easy for stupid people to drive?

[motometal]

XR, just to play the devil's advocate here, how is that that cars are useless this time of year? You must live where there is A LOT of snow, because a front wheel drive car with good tires can go thru a lot of snow, will get way better mileage, leaves more space in the garage, is more aerodynamic, etc.

To contrast, just came back from Spain, took me three days to spot a pickup. Really. They just aren't there, not even the farmers drive 'em. How to haul the dirt bikes in spain? Well, for starters, you can evidently ride a full blown mx bike right down the street there, so you may be able to ride to the riding area if it isn't too far away, otherwise a trailer behind a car. gettin off topic here...

to sum up, we are a wastefull society, and "think" we need much more than we really need.

And yes, I drive a full size 4wd truck to work every day...

 

[JuliusPleaser]

Man, I want a full-size pickup BAD, but I can't justify buying one. My Suck-10 handles all my needs and goes around corners pretty well, too.

I drove a full-size Dodge last week, and I think i'd get tired of trying to park it after a day or two.

 

[Camstyn]

I really like my 1/2t regular cab short box 2wd fullsize GMC. The box is big enough for 2 bikes and all the gear, the cab is roomy enough being a fullsize that you don't need the extra cab, it's easy to park and decent on gas. 23mpg highway, 200hp V6, and it gets used as a truck more than most. I drive it every day, usually with nothing in the back, because I hate driving cars and can only afford one vehicle. If anyone thinks that's wrong, bite me.:scream: The truck does suck in the snow, though. I've got a wooden pallet with about 250lbs of chain on it in the back, and it still sucks in the snow. Too light in the rear, a front wheel drive car would be worlds better.

 

[atc3434`]

Graduated Licensing is the way to go. Some people just can't drive. Ever been getting on the Thruway with an EZpass, and the idiot in front of you will try and go through the automatic EZpass lane too, only to realize that they don't have an EZpass. Can't they read, or see the big flashing lights and signs! Gee wiz people can be dumb. And SUV's are kinda wasteful. They serve their purpose to a lot of people well, but a lot more people have SUVs that will never need to be shifted into 4 wheel. They're slow and gas hogs too.

 

[XRpredator]

Originally posted by motometal
how is that that cars are useless this time of year? You must live where there is A LOT of snow, because a front wheel drive car with good tires can go thru a lot of snow, will get way better mileage, leaves more space in the garage, is more aerodynamic, etc.

Okay, for one, the highways aren't the problem, city streets are! And like I said, I'd rather have her driving the bigger vehicle if she (God forbid) were ever in an accident. She's safer being in the bigger rig, plus I have something that I can haul 4 grown adults, their gear, and pull a trailer full of bikes wherever I need to. And I have power to pass! There's more important things than gas mileage . . . And they're not slow atc3434!

Besides, motometal, the garage isn't for rigs! That's where the toys go! :D

And JP, parking a full-size pickup ain't bad when you have your own covered parking spot at work . . . :p

 

[motometal]

call me spoiled, but I would never go back to having anything less than a 25 x 25 garage, so that I can fit bikes, the sled, wifes car, AND my full size truck. Scraping windshields in the winter is a bummer.:mad:

 

[Bman]

We have an old guy here that drives an older red tauras that really pisses me off. He goes 10km in town(speed limit is 50), and yeilds at every corner even if it is straight through because there are stop signs coming off the side streets. Thats what loud exhaust is for. Pop it in neutral and give it a rev or two.

 

[txvintage]

Yesterday morning my son got his learners permit......GULP!

Run, run for your lives.

 

[cr125_king]

Lutz:You think it's to easy for people to get their licences? ya right. I'm 16 and i just got my licence. Here in B.C we got the graduated licence program( i dont know which other places do this too?). the test to get your novice(N) is really hard. I passed it the 1st time because i took a few lessons . I dont know anyone here who hasent passed if they took no lessons. I think it is hard enough to get your licence. Then once you get it, you have to be rivh to afford insurence. I pay $120 can for a month. Thats without collision($145 with collision). Just my 2cents
:)

 

[a454elk]

My 16 year old is taking his behind the wheel test next Thursday! AAAHHHHH!
Just what I need, Jr Elk terrorizing the highways. He only has a small problem with his driving, like not seeing red lights, cars coming his direction or stop signs. Other than that, he's great! :)
Elk

 

[Whoops]

Getting a drivers licenses is way to easy. Really, the most difficult challenge in the driving test is parallel parking. When has anyone parallel parked their way out of an accident? The idea of car control is completely missing from license testing.

98% of the drivers on the road have no idea of the perfomance limits of the vehicals they drive. Things like; how fast can you come to a stop or how quickly can you change lanes without loosing conntrol of your vehical. Knowing these things goes a long way in accident avoidance. Just like knowing where your front and rear bumpers are located keeps you from dinging cars in the parking lot.

Imagine that every driver had to pass a skills test similar to the test for getting a motorcycle license... I know my commute time would be cut in half.

Whoops

 

[XRpredator]

Originally posted by Whoops
98% of the drivers on the road have no idea of the perfomance limits of the vehicals they drive.

I kinda get in trouble for testing the performance limits of the vehicles I drive! The "Law" don't like it too well. :p

 

[Howser03]

Even a step up from a motorcycle is they should be forced to know skills required for a Class B or A CDL. That will thin out the roads.with the lack of speed control.. most ppl would flip a truck on the first turn they take :confused:

 

[Kawi250Kid]

I agree that it is way to easy to get a lisence... When i took my behind the wheel (on my 16th BDay) I almost got into an accident. I seriosly got within 6" of T-Boning a car... And i still passed. Offroading in my truck suprisingly helped alot, but didnt learn fast enough, totaled my first car (Sports car + 70MPH + Brick wall = a bad day:uh: ) then got a 66 mustang, finally the truck (top speen of 80)

 

[smb_racing]

Originally posted by Hucker


"been around the world and found
that only stupid people are breeding
the cretins cloning and feeding
and i don't even own a tv"

Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger :)

"put me in the hospital for nerves and then they had to commit me, you told them aww I was crazy, they cut off my legs now I'm an amputee"

now that song's going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day :mad: :confused:

 

[Mark Hammond]

This cracks me up
The reason that there is so many idiots on the road in the US is because the driving test is too easy,I doubt whether many people even take any sort of lessons.
I have just taken my driving test in the state of Florida and to be honest it was the biggest joke ever.
20 mutiple choice questions and the driving part took no more than 10mins in an enclosed compound about a 1/4 of the size of a football field.
While I was waiting for my turn there wre people driving to the centre(these people moved to Florida from another state and had to get a Florida driving licsense) went to take their test ,failed and were allowed to drive off and keep rebooking until they had passed.One woman locked all four wheels up on the emergency stop skidding all over the road and all from 20mph and then she could'nt even reverse back in a straight line and ended up on the grass on the opposite side of the road (and this was in the first 2mins of the test.
In England the driving test lasts for 1 hour out on the highway with real traffic and driving situations as well as a written test and you would never pass a test without proffesional driving instruction .
I would say that 75% of Americans would not have a cats in hell chance of passing our driving test and it makes me laugh to watch some of the idiots on your roads andsome of the dumb ass things that they do in a car not to mention the amount of cars that have dents and dings all over them. :confused:

 

[Lutz]

Mark,
That is beautiful. That is exactly what I've been thinking all along. It is just way too easy to get drivers lisences in the U.S.:mad:

 

[nephron]

Yeah, Mark

All hail to the Queen. You're the greatest. The Americans should just get on their knees for you guys. You are superior in every way. As are all the Europeans, and especially the Australians. For cryin' out loud, where would we all be without them? Oh pleeeeaaaase teach me how to drive. Please teach me. I beg you for your superior knowledge and driving skill.

Pommie-I was shifting a 15 speed semi on the farm at 9 and driving one to Colorado and back at 13 (with all the secrets the ol' man had for me to get around the stops;) ). Pickups, tractors, cars--we won't even go there.

And as far as the car dents goes--well, I think that situation is somewhat analogous to teeth...:p

...and bathing.:silly:

 

[Lutz]

Well, I was actually serious about it being way too easy for people to get drivers licenses in the U.S. A huge number of the people on the roads here are very incompetent.

Nephron, it's people like you and I who I think would have no trouble getting a license even if it was much harder to do. I think we "country kids" have a big advantage when it comes to driving because we have more oportunities to operate vehicles and develop vehicle control skills when we are young.

I think Mark is right in the fact that there are too many people who get their licenses here that don't really know how to drive well; and once they have their license, there is no reason for them to get rid of any bad habits or lack of skill that they might have. Short and sweet: it should be much harder to get a drivers license in the U.S.

...As far as every aspect of Europe being better than the U.S.- a lot are, a lot aren't. ...And no person should hail the Queen.:p

 

[Mark Hammond]

Nephron
You seem to be taking this alittle personally,just cause you could drive a semi around a farm yard at 9yrs old dosen't make you a good driver, and if you did drive one to Colorado at 13 that was obviously breaking the law and just a little bit irresponsable on both you and your fathers part.
I to have a Truck licsense and agree that it makes you a better driver as you must look farther ahead and take more in as your in control a large heavy vehicle,the procedure for getting a truck licsense in the US may be harder and more rigorous i don't know I'm taking about people who drive normal cars or pickups and don't seem to have a clue what their doing or whats going on around them.
I'm also not saying that the British are better than the Americans,some things are better and some things are not and IMO your driving standards definatly are not but that dosen't make everyone in the US a bad driver or everyone in the UK a good one either :mad: