How do so many morons get driver's licences?

[Dexter Sinister]

So I'm making the obligatory visits to relatives during the holiday season, and end up driving from Regina to Saskatoon on December 27th and from Saskatoon to Regina on December 30th. Both trips were made through heavy fog. Visibility was generally under 100 meters, which I verified by watching road signs, landmarks, and my odometer. The speed limit on that road is 110 kilometers an hour, which for some reason means most people do 120 on it, on the widely held belief that the police will allow you that. I know of no evidence to suggest that's true, and the police of course deny it. But I digress.

This is for all those hundreds of cretins who passed me on that road, driving at speeds way beyond what was safe under such conditions of reduced visibility:

Lissen up ya morons. 120 klicks is over 33 meters a second. If the visibility is 100 meters, and there's something blocking the road ahead, you'll have at most 3 seconds to stop after you've noticed it. The distance will be a little less than a standard city block. Can't be done. Other options you might have: hit the ditch at fairly high speed, or die. Those are not mutually exclusive; you could do both. And I'd be seriously pissed off if you took me and my family with you as you lose control. I don't care if you kill yourselves, and in fact most days I hope you do, but don't put other people at risk.

And somehow it seems relevant to note that in all the dozens--possibly hundreds--of times I've made that trip, I've rarely seen even a single dead deer by the side of the road. I saw a dozen this week, which is evidence enough of widespread folly among drivers.

 

[Timetrvlr]

I may be the only other driver in Canada that shares your frustration with the idiocy that is daily practiced on our highways! Tailgating in poor driving conditions is my pet peeve!

 

[zoofer]

This is for all those hundreds of cretins who passed me on that road, driving at speeds way beyond what was safe under such conditions of reduced visibility:

Lissen up ya morons.........

Somehow I do not think they will get around to read your post.
They are probably down at the pub picking lice out of each others hair. 8)

 

[Andygal]

RE: How do so many morons

How do so many idiots get drivers liscenses? Easy, the testers are the previous generation of idiots that got driviers liscenses.

 

[jjw1965]

What if you had to get an I.Q. test before you got your licence?

I wonder if that would help? :wink:

 

[Nascar_James]

Re: RE: How do so many morons get driver's licences?

I may be the only other driver in Canada that shares your frustration with the idiocy that is daily practiced on our highways! Tailgating in poor driving conditions is my pet peeve!

Correct, tailgating is not very sporting. If someone is in the LEFT lane however, and holding up traffic with no one in front, then if and only if high beaming the slow moving vehicle will not force the driver to the slower lane, what other choice do you have? The driver needs to get the message that his/her driving is holding up traffic, which amounts to "wreckless driving". There are signs on many highways that slower moving vehicles should keep to the right.

 

[Timetrvlr]

You are assuming that we all have 4 lane roads. Let me assure you that we do not! In the interior of BC all of our major highways are two-lanes with the occasional passing lane.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

My observation, entirely anecdotal and unscientific I admit, but experience must count for something, is that most of the people out there on our streets and highways have no concept of what they're doing. Driving to them means simply controlling the vehicle and getting it to go where they want it to go, without regard for conditions outside the vehicle or the presence of other vehicles. That's why we see drivers speeding, tailgating, lane hopping, talking on cell phones, eating, putting on makeup, shaving, going too fast for conditions, and a lot of other proven dangerous and stupid behaviours. But they all think they're above average drivers.

I've been driving for 40 years. Never had a speeding ticket or parking ticket, never gone off the road, never had to take evasive action because I've always been able to anticipate and avoid such situations, and have only once made an error in judgement that resulted in minor sheet metal damage to my car. That involved a small patch of black ice and a concrete post in a parking lot. I think on that record I can legitimately claim to be an above average driver.

I would further contend that only a few percent of the drivers out there drive thoughtfully and defensively as I do. Over 90% of them are incompetent at anything beyond the basic mechanical skills of operating the vehicle.

 

[Suzique39]

I also wonder how some folks get their driving licences. If you have watched the show 'Canadas worst Drivers', you will notice they all had drivers licences to start with. What idiot let them pass a drivers test? Those testers who allowed the worst drivers to pass the test need to be fired!

 

[FiveParadox]

Drivers' Licenses

One must keep in mind that, for the most part, citizens do not need to be re-evaluated for each subsequent renewal of their licenses. If one gets out of the habit of driving with all proper precautions being exercised, or if one's ability to drive simply begins to degrade, it could take years or decades for the authorities to find just cause to deny a driver's license to such a person.

 

[the caracal kid]

hey dex,

it is a natural tendency to inaccurately evaluate one's one abilities (at everything) so yes, in any poll of abilities you will see the average is "above average".

let me ask you something though: is your lack of tickets due to never speeding or due to never getting caught speeding? Luck plays a major role in people's lives. This includes accidents. Not every misjudgement is critical. Is the speeder that knows how to avoid speeding tickets a better driver, equal driver, or worse driver than the person who drives the limit and never gets tickets (given both have the same accident rates)?

The issue with people's driving abilities comes down to both the "minimum" required to be licenced, the lack of retesting, and "people" (people are very good at judgement error, attribution error, failing to remain objective, etc).

Not that i am defending dangerous driving, but merely clarifying what dangerous driving is! (and that is dependent on the driver and the vehicle). I will agree with those complaining about tailgating. I really get tense when i get caught in a Coquihalla special (BCers will know what i mean := next to zero visibility, snow in left lane, tracks in right lane, .... and yet somebody will ride your backend expecting you to be doing at least 150.)

 

[LindzyRae]

Lissen up ya morons. 120 klicks is over 33 meters a second. If the visibility is 100 meters, and there's something blocking the road ahead, you'll have at most 3 seconds to stop after you've noticed it. The distance will be a little less than a standard city block. Can't be done. Other options you might have: hit the ditch at fairly high speed, or die. Those are not mutually exclusive; you could do both. And I'd be seriously pissed off if you took me and my family with you as you lose control. I don't care if you kill yourselves, and in fact most days I hope you do, but don't put other people at risk.

The same could be said for the opposite, those slow drivers can be just as dangerous. When I was home during winter break in the middle of rush hour going down the expressway was an older mad going 50km where everyone around him was going at least 80km! I nearly was hit twice while people were trying to pass.

 

[Nascar_James]

Re: Drivers' Licenses

One must keep in mind that, for the most part, citizens do not need to be re-evaluated for each subsequent renewal of their licenses. If one gets out of the habit of driving with all proper precautions being exercised, or if one's ability to drive simply begins to degrade, it could take years or decades for the authorities to find just cause to deny a driver's license to such a person.

In the state of Arizona, your initial driver's license is valid till you are 65 years of age.

 

[JomZ]

I dont know about anyone but the downtown core of Toronto is one of the scariest places in Canada for me too drive in.

It seems the unwritten rule is that yellow means speed up and red means you have 3 seconds to get through this intersection.

I really notice this when I went down to the east coast a few weeks ago, it was such a relaxing drive through NB and PEI. I came back and it was like HOLY $#&@

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Re: RE: How do so many morons get driver's licences?

... is your lack of tickets due to never speeding or due to never getting caught speeding?

Both, but mostly the former. Nobody who speeds routinely will be without speeding tickets. I rarely go over the speed limit, and about the only time I do is when I'm passing someone on a highway. I'll get up to 130 briefly sometimes, but that's just to get by as quickly as I can. Seems to me that minimizing the time I spend in the lane facing oncoming traffic is a good idea. But if I'm on a road where the limit's posted at 100, I'm not going to be cruising along at 110 or 120 the way a lot of people do. I'll be at the speed limit, within the limits of accuracy of my speedometer and the cruise control, or under it if conditions warrant.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Re: RE: How do so many morons get driver's licences?

...the downtown core of Toronto is one of the scariest places in Canada for me to drive in.

Ottawa's worse, in my experience. And I wouldn't even try to drive in Quebec City. Those people are crazy on the road.

 

[JomZ]

Yeah I wonder what are the Top three worst cities too drive in are. Quebec and Ottawa are pretty bad, I usually park when I go there and walk most of the time.

Toronto is getting progressively worse I would say

 

[the caracal kid]

JomZ,
i didn't find toronto all that bad once you learned that "posted limit + 20" is the expected on the major-major roadways.
try montreal or winnipeg to get your blood flowing, or calgary to put you to sleep

dex,
wow! that is very abiding of you. I wonder how many people drive in the same manner. Buses in van may honk at you if you are going the limit, and nobody likes a poke on the highways. You would be in for a shock if you drove the BC autobaun. Lets just say that those posted limits are guidelines :wink-wink:

 

[Toro]

RE: How do so many morons

I got my drivers licence by taking a test.

 

[Jay]

Re: RE: How do so many morons get driver's licences?

JomZ,
i didn't find toronto all that bad once you learned that "posted limit + 20" is the expected on the major-major roadways.

It is true. On the 400 series highways the speed limit is a suggestion. When we drive to northern Ontario we average about 130K...not unusual to see 140. But in our defense these are huge highways and we wouldn't do that on a two lane road. 2 lane roads are mostly 80km speed limits, but everyone does 100.

Ontarians just don't like to be told what to do or how fast to do it!