terrible TERRIBLE drivers !!!!!!!!!!!!! ......(NF)

[lew]

I absolutely can't believe how many totally LOUSY drivers we're forced to share the roads with these days, specially in weather like we had yesterday !!

 

It was reported on this mornings news that there were 700......SEVEN HUNDRED !!!!!!.....accidents around the GTA during yesterdays snowfall.......that's COMPLETELY INSANE !!!!!!

 

Some of you folks need to realise that you need to SLOW DOWN a little bit when the roads are snow & ice covered......you CAN'T be roaring down the hiways at 130 like it's the middle of July !!!!

 

And STOP changing lanes every 100 yards, your NOT the only one who's trying to get somewhere !!

 

And what's with the idiots that don't clear the snow off the car windows ??.......how the heck do you drive when you can't see ?????

 

And why don't you spend a few $$$$ and put winter tires on your vehicle so you can get some traction and your not holding up hundreds of other people because you can't get up a tiny hill ?? .......You spent $30,000 for the car, go spend another $500 so you can move it in the snow !!

 

And while you've got your wallet out, buy some windshield washer fluid too so you can clear some of the crap off your windshield and maybe see the guy in front of you so you don't slam into the back of him at the red light.

 

SEVEN HUNDRED accidents......INSANE !!!!!!

 

SLOW DOWN, PEOPLE !!!!!!

 

Now, where'd I put my coffee ??

[John]

Mornin' Lew, I totally agree. My family is out on those roads too with all of the Jackass's! Take a deep breath, another sip of coffee and think Buckhorn in August!

 

J...

[Crazyhook]

IT was crazy here as well Lew!

 

Have you seen the new car out on the roads.. the ford Igloo!

 

Why don't people spend 5 minutes brushing their car! nothing better then driving to fast with summer tires and cutting people off without the pleasure of seeing!

[pikehunter]

Although I haven't winter tires on my van or Honda, although they would be a definate asset on the rear wheel drive van, I totally agree with you Lew.

 

I wonder how many of the 700 morons that piled their cars up yesterday were distracted by cell phones, coffee and screwing around with the radio? Really from what I saw in Hamilton and in Burlington it wasn't that terrible to drive. Now Niagara, N. of T.O, above the escarpment that was probably alot worse, but holy crap!

 

People, just slow down, trust us...you will get there.

 

Enjoy the coffee Lew.

[solopaddler]

I always enjoy your rants Lew, kind of Andy Rooney-esque

[lew]

I always enjoy your rants Lew, kind of Andy Rooney-esque

 

I'll take that as a compilment Mike, I think Andy Roonies great !!

[deadphish]

I especially love the drivers that go 30-40clicks in the fast and middle lanes, thinking that the slower the better, while everyone else is doing 80-100 and are changing lanes to pass them.

[lew]

I especially love the drivers that go 30-40clicks in the fast and middle lanes, thinking that the slower the better, while everyone else is doing 80-100 and are changing lanes to pass them.

 

Perhaps if more people were doing 30-40 in yesterday's conditions, rather than changing lanes and passing others at 80-100, we wouldn't have had the 700 collisions I spoke of above

 

But then again, what do I know ??

[Terry]

I think they need to do something about the people that go too fast follow to close and the people that go too slow

yesterday I followed a car that was going 15K in an 80 and the road was in pretty good condition...there wasn't an car infront of her and 100 cars behind her...she sure felt she was a safe driver...yeah

if conditions are that bad in someones opinion they should stay home..

I did not pass her because I didn't have far to go, you couldn'e pass her on the left , too much traffic. so I saw 20 cars drive on the shoulder to get around her...I think I could have ran faster then she was going and even though she will never get in a accident she will cause lots of them....so it does go both ways

[Puckhead]

Happens every year. First winter system and everyone forgets how to drive. My only venture out of the house yesterday was to timmies and i was stunned at how stupid some people were. (i was also stunned that the roads were still not salted at that time - but that's another story).

[Joey]

Idiots are good in our business I hate to say it, but we earn our money from motor vehicle accidents. Its un unfortunate fact of life that someone profits from idiots on the road And the the rest of the world pays for it by insurance rates going up We are not an insurance company, but work directly with them.

 

As you said Lew, slow down, pay attention, get off that freakin cell phone, buy proper tires, etc., etc., etc., it will save us all in the long run (although I may need to look for a new job , no I doubt it, they never learn).

 

Joey

[wuchikubo]

I agree with you Lew, seeing some of these speeding morons fly by in their 4x4 20-30 Km over the limit in these conditions is just plain stupid, and one of the reasons why insurance seems to be going up all the time.

Aside from not seeing with all the snow on top of the car, remember that when the snow blows or falls off the car while driving it may cause an accident behind you and it does reduce the aerodynamics of the car so one will likely be using up more fuel. Come on people, clear your cars in your driveway or where you park it!

 

But like Terry, I don't like it when drivers are more than 20 Km under the speed limit when there doesn't appear to be enough of a reason to be driving so slow. It also is a reason for initiating road rage especially with the morons I mentioned above.

 

Maybe driving schools should make it mandatory to have a winter course (hmm, maybe make it a requirement for getting a license too).

 

By the way, I've had my snows on since early Nov. Ya it sucks on gas but it's when we have these kind of days, I know it was a good idea.

 

Stan

Edited January 16, 2007 by HearingFish

[Dabluz]

I'm a lousy driver. I haven't had any accidents. I manage by just avoiding accidents and being thankful that others manage to avoid me when I do something wrong.

[Bly]

Lew,

 

I agree with you 100%. Yesterday as I was taking my eldest to her bass lesson, I used all the idiots driving around as what I like to call "a life lesson" (whenever I see/hear about stupidity or something great we try to talk about it right then and there) I pointed out to her that it is NOT that difficult to drive in the snow if you remember 3 basic things 1.SLOW DOWN 2.leave proper space for braking and 3.don't try to "race off" from every stop. We also talked about the benefits of snow tires etc. We saw one slide that demonstrates my other thoughts about winter driving...that alot of people are just bad/unsafe drivers and they put everyone else at even more risk during the winter..learn to drive right and one would be amazed and how much easier the heavy traffic and bad weather are to deal with.

 

Just adding my thoughts to your rant....hope you don't mind

Blyght

[Puckhead]

Oh - just in case this guy from yesterday is an OFNer - around 11am, west oak trails. You were coming south on grand oak trail boulevarde in your mafia style mercedes sedan. Just kept on going and didn't even bother to stop as you were on the cell phone and too "busy" to check if other cars were coming. Thankfully I saw you coming and thought to myself "100 $ says this guys an idiot and thinks the world stops for him". Bud, i was the guy in the Silver mdx. If i didn't slow down before hand - anticipating your stupidity, you were spending the night in the hospital as a whole lot of heavy SUV was going right into your lap. Mercedes or no mercedes, it was about to become a pancake of twisted metal with you as the goey filing in the center.

[pigeonfisher]

don't forget how many drivers we have in the GTA that have never driven in snow before, some have never seen snow. This could be/is a MAJOR cause for all of these accidents.

 

Being a proffessional driver (80,000 kms a year) I have seen it all. I have found that the combination of people driving in the wrong lane and being "over cautious" in changing situations causes more accidents than the few people going to fast. Someone going 40 on a two lane highway because they are unsure of the road conditions is not safe, it forces people to make an aggressive move to get around them. While being passed the unsafe driver becomes nervous and often jams on the brakes. This causes the drivers beside and behind the unsafe driver to react to the situation.

 

Often times it is not an action that causes accidents but the reaction of the other drivers around the person.

 

Be careful, drive according to road conditions. If you have to drive at %50 of the posted limit then either the roads aren't safe or you are not confident enough in your driving to be on them. In either case, GET OFF THE ROAD.

[davew3]

I know what you mean Lew. Saturday out shopping a little snow and slush, I am at a yeild waiting for traffic, just let off the brakes, touch the gas and BUMP. Look in my mirror at a big white van. I get out, he gets out and says " I couldn't stop, I had my brakes locked"

and I said to him IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR!!! SLOW DOWN !!! Come on people pay attention, it can save your life.

[Raf]

If you have to drive at %50 of the posted limit then either the roads aren't safe or you are not confident enough in your driving to be on them. In either case, GET OFF THE ROAD.

 

Ding Ding Ding

[ecmilley]

took me 3 hours to get to work monday, no probs doing 80-90k down the 115 but iguess all the drivers in oshawa, whitby ajax can only muster about 20 km/h.

this is Canada buy some darn snow tires and if you don't want them buy a go pass

[Fisherman]

Ya, those are the days that if you don't need to be on the road, stay home. No you don't need to go to Timmies for a coffee, or need to go fishing, better to stay home on a bad day and have another day later to enjoy.

[Nanook]

My car has anti-lock brakes, superduperxx tires,auto allwheel drive,all the latest gizmos. does that mean I have to know how to drive as well?

 

I put the blame on stupid advertising................some people believe all the see.

Good post Lew!

[Eddyk]

Lew. I havent seen you this upset since that old lady in the canoe cut you off when you were casting.

[lookinforwalleye]

It`s a fact that once you get south of the mullet line(Hwy.9) driving when you even the slightest bit of snow on the ground is a risky proposition too many people who don`t have a clue how to handle a car when conditions are less than ideal and thats not even mentioning the cheap bald summer tires they have on their cars and forget the so called all season tire they are next to useless in a Canadian winter,snow tires should be mandatory.

[Guest Trophymuskie]

OMG Lew you hit a nerve. I was unfortunate enough to have to drive about through Ontario or 1000 Kms in this filtered try again please yesterday. I left Flint Michigan at 6:30 AM and got home at 4:30 PM some 2 plus hours later then I should.

 

Wow I guess it ain't that bad 8 hours instead of 6 but my god I witnessed 2 live spins within 100 yards in front of me and many others just seconds prior. I counted 3 tractor traillers in the ditch as well as a couple dozen cars. All were single car crash and spin.

 

What gets me here, I was doing 100-120 whenever I wasn't stuck in traffic. And not once did I ever slip one bit. This tells me that the roads weren't all that bad. I know I have superior driving skills and that I installed new tires ( not winters but an agressive tread and they are 17 x 60 ) on my Avalanche the day before I left for the Chicago Muskie Show.

 

I also hate the guys going way to slow in the middle or left lane as well as the ***holes that refuse to move over. They pass a truck but stay in the left lane because they will be passing another some 300 yrds later. I guess they are to darn lazy to move their stiring wheel a couple of inches with their finger sticker out to hit the signal. That really burns me as much as those idiots to cut in front of you making you hit your brakes, you should never have to hit your brakes but once you are on the off ramp. Those guys should pay a brake tax as they are wasting others pads.

 

Glad I got that one off my chest, Hey if you see a red Avalanche with BIGMUSKY plates get out of the way.

[Crazyhook]

Richard I have seen you drive!

 

I held onto the door the whole time!