Are your driving skills above average?

[Belgian_Draft 0]

Well, what say ye? Do your skills strike envy into the hearts of professional racers ....or fear into the hearts of all who share the road?

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[cliffwhite 0]

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Well, what say ye? Do your skills strike envy into the hearts of professional racers ....or fear into the hearts of all who share the road?

Me , I'm a very good driver!!! Most Excellent even!!!!
Why just the other day I managed to turn a sure accident into a near miss at 80 MPH while texting, slapping the kids in the backseat , and eating a double whopper .
The guy I missed.., He sucked ass as a driver! Why did he want to turn there and did he really have to nearly stop before turning???

Blues,
Cliff

2muchTruth

[millertimeunc 0]

"Near miss"? They use that term in aviation as well, but doesn't it really mean you hit them? I mean, you nearly missed them!

...and I am an excellent driver.

The best things in life are dangerous.

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

By what evaluation?

They pulled this question on us at CDL school. EVERYBODY said excellent or above average. That's the problem. Nobody thinks that they can't drive.

Me - 2 very minor accidents in the past 25 years. 2 tickets in the past 20 years, 5 total (I was young and stupid way back when).

I put on 90k mi +/- (not so much this year with the economy down) in the big truck, maybe 5-6k more with my car, and about 1000 or so on my cycle.

Out on the road I see a lot. Tailgaters are the ones I hate most, that or the ones who run up a lane that is closed ahead to jump in front of everyone else (I have been known to "just happen" to spit a big goober out my window as they go past)

A big problem is that way too many people don't seem to have any concept that there are other people on the road too. They have no concern whatsoever for anyone or anything outside a 5 or 10 foot radius from them.

Just my $0.02

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[jcd11235 0]

Well below average in my younger years. Perhaps I've improved, relatively speaking, as I've gotten older and have become content driving at lower speeds.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[cliffwhite 0]

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Out on the road I see a lot. Tailgaters are the ones I hate most, that or the ones who run up a lane that is closed ahead to jump in front of everyone else (I have been known to "just happen" to spit a big goober out my window as they go past)

A big problem is that way too many people don't seem to have any concept that there are other people on the road too. They have no concern whatsoever for anyone or anything outside a 5 or 10 foot radius from them.

I think the "big problem" ,wolfriverjoe, is that when people are in their cars and trucks they don't act like they do when they're face to face. Kinda like the internet.
Rudeness abounds!!
People tailgate, fight for position(like one car length means so much) and hock big lugies on other motorists' vehicles.
I believe a collective civility would go a long way toward alleviating our traffic woes.

Blues,
Cliff
"I always carry a small square of aluminum foil in my back pocket in case a fellow pedestrian may need to dispose of their chewing gum"- Politness Man
A

2muchTruth

[Belgian_Draft 0]

The only metric I will give is this: The best highway driver i know has been a professional truck driver for over 35 years. He has never had a ticket and has never been involved in a traffic accident after over 4,000,000 miles. He is one of the few I would consider "very much above average". The worst driver i know crashed and totaled several vehicles before the state took away his license at age 24. Can't blame alcohol or drugs since he never touched either. Luckily he never hurt anyone but himself.
Although i have never been involved in an accident I have had several tickets and lack the patience I see in truly excellent drivers. Therefor I consider myself just a tad better than average, but not much.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[Andy9o8 2]

Oh, I'm an excellent driver. And I'm definitely not wearing any underwear.

[AggieDave 6]

Well, over the past few years I've had at least 100hrs of training specific to driving. That includes about 80 actual hours of driving on the track. Road track driving specifically designed to teach how to drive in the real world. I'm not a race car driver, but in terms of car handling, traffic law and the application of which, I'm doing pretty good.

Not only has the training come in handy in the real world, its has been a LOT of fun and I'm looking forward to going back to the track in a couple of weeks.

As for CDL's, my favorite line is "you have a CDL, you're a professional driver, right? Then I expect you do drive like a professional. Please sign here..."

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[amstalder 0]

Im a safe driver, not necessarily a good one though. Does that make sense? Id say Im average to slightly below.

[kallend 2,027]

Define "driving skills".

Is avoiding accidents evidence?

Is avoiding speeding tickets evidence?

Is winning races evidence?

Does 100k of rural highway driving count more than 15k of NYC, LA or Chicago driving?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[wmw999 2,452]

I just wonder how many of the "way above average" crowd just have mad skilz, and define "above average" as "able to speed at will without having accidents"

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Belgian_Draft 0]

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Define "driving skills".

Is avoiding accidents evidence?

Is avoiding speeding tickets evidence?

Is winning races evidence?

Does 100k of rural highway driving count more than 15k of NYC, LA or Chicago driving?

I am interested in seeing how people rate their own abilities without having definitive preset standards. If we give absolute standards to go by then it would be easy and opinion would not matter since the cold, hard facts would tell the truth. I know it hurts to have to think, but I'm sure most here can handle the task.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[jakee 1,500]

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They pulled this question on us at CDL school. EVERYBODY said excellent or above average. That's the problem. Nobody thinks that they can't drive.

Skydiving parallel - ask for a show of hands at the DZ of people who are really good at tracking and see how many think they kick ass. Then go up on a decent size jump and see how many of them actually suck balls at breakoff time...

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[DanG 1]

My driving skills are horrendous. Viscious slice. I can chip and putt okay, though.

- Dan G

[nigel99 489]

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Well, what say ye? Do your skills strike envy into the hearts of professional racers ....or fear into the hearts of all who share the road?

My wife has 9 points on her license and has been on a driving awareness course and yet she swears blind that she is a more cautious and careful driver than me. I have a clean license and drive about 5 times as much as her.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

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They pulled this question on us at CDL school. EVERYBODY said excellent or above average. That's the problem. Nobody thinks that they can't drive.

Skydiving parallel - ask for a show of hands at the DZ of people who are really good at tracking and see how many think they kick ass. Then go up on a decent size jump and see how many of them actually suck balls at breakoff time...

Exactly!!

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[kallend 2,027]

Quote

Quote

Define "driving skills".

Is avoiding accidents evidence?

Is avoiding speeding tickets evidence?

Is winning races evidence?

Does 100k of rural highway driving count more than 15k of NYC, LA or Chicago driving?

I am interested in seeing how people rate their own abilities without having definitive preset standards. If we give absolute standards to go by then it would be easy and opinion would not matter since the cold, hard facts would tell the truth. I know it hurts to have to think, but I'm sure most here can handle the task.

OK, I made it through central Boston (MA) without an accident, which is clear evidence of amazingly high driving skills.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

Quote

Quote

Define "driving skills".

Is avoiding accidents evidence?

Is avoiding speeding tickets evidence?

Is winning races evidence?

Does 100k of rural highway driving count more than 15k of NYC, LA or Chicago driving?

I am interested in seeing how people rate their own abilities without having definitive preset standards. If we give absolute standards to go by then it would be easy and opinion would not matter since the cold, hard facts would tell the truth. I know it hurts to have to think, but I'm sure most here can handle the task.

OK, I made it through central Boston (MA) without an accident, which is clear evidence of amazingly high driving skills.

Yes, it is. Bostonians are among the worst.

But you drive regularly in Chicago, don't you??

Where you drive is as much of a measure as ticket/accident count.

Anybody can keep a good record in (insert typical small rural town here).

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[Darius11 12]

Depends on how you measure.

You said skill so I said “Very much above average”.

I doubt we have many people who know about apex speed, or can balance a car in a high speed slide, but I am not sure if that is what you mean by a good driver.

But if you mean safe then no I am below average because of the risks I take.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[rehmwa 2]

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I just wonder how many of the "way above average" crowd just have mad skilz, and define "above average" as "able to speed at will without having accidents"

I suspect there is an age correlation here as well.

I think there are 3 kinds of drivers

1 - clueless (they think they are excellent)
2 - average (everybody else - I mean, seriously, driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants.)

3 - people that have done formal training and actually do know more than those in the first two groups think of themselves.


so I'd say just about everybody should be in average.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Belgian_Draft 0]

Quote

Quote

Quote

Define "driving skills".

Is avoiding accidents evidence?

Is avoiding speeding tickets evidence?

Is winning races evidence?

Does 100k of rural highway driving count more than 15k of NYC, LA or Chicago driving?

I am interested in seeing how people rate their own abilities without having definitive preset standards. If we give absolute standards to go by then it would be easy and opinion would not matter since the cold, hard facts would tell the truth. I know it hurts to have to think, but I'm sure most here can handle the task.

OK, I made it through central Boston (MA) without an accident, which is clear evidence of amazingly high driving skills.

Having negotiated through Boston myself I would agree with you 100%.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[downwardspiral 0]

I am the best driver I know.

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[BIGUN 1,317]

In my opinion or the white-knuckled screaming elderly female passenger next to me referred to as, "Mom?"

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[marks2065 0]

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Well, what say ye? Do your skills strike envy into the hearts of professional racers ....or fear into the hearts of all who share the road?

My wife has 9 points on her license and has been on a driving awareness course and yet she swears blind that she is a more cautious and careful driver than me. I have a clean license and drive about 5 times as much as her.

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I think good driving skilz is different than obeying traffic laws although both are needed to be a safe driver. also tell your wife, the cautious slow driving people are usually the ones getting nailed by everyone else.