15-12-2002 23:32									#1
	Driving: How dangerous is it really? Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Ever hear those statistics about how dangerous driving is compared to all sorts of other activities such as bungee jumping, airplanes, etc?

Well it is true that statistically driving is dangerous... but those are just general statistics. It includes all the data from people who drive drunk, people who drag race, people who drive in snowstorms at 3AM, people who are old and have 5 second reaction times, etc.

So my question is, what are the statistics of road safety for people who obey the laws and dont do stupid things with their cars?

	15-12-2002 23:36									#2
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well the people who drive drunk etc make it dangerous for the law obeying people.

Last edited by Gangerolf on 15-12-2002 at 23:59

	15-12-2002 23:55									#3
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stupid people make it more dangerous as well. I think they are more of a threat than drunk drivers.

Stupid may be a harsh term. Let's just say ignorant then.

	16-12-2002 00:50									#4
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theres a lot of variables with driving too.

[threadjack]

how many car accidents have you gotten into?

@ Wheel: 1
I rear-ended some guy on a rainy day. we swapped info but he never called / did anything. i tore off the bumper from his Towncar and a small crack (which later grew) in my windshield. The general consensus is that the car was stolen, or he's got a friend at an autobody shop.

Passanger: 2
my mom once opened her door into traffic and a van tore the thing clear off. stupid mom.

my friend hit a taco bell sign. you know, one of those big signs in front of the place. dumbass.

	16-12-2002 01:05									#5
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I've seen three close to me die this year as result of car accidents including being in one myself.

Mine was weather related and technically I was was out of my truck when I was almost run down so it wasnt due to the accident itself.

My fiance had her fatal accident on a clear day with the temp about 50F. She was pulling out onto a major street at a blind spot. Too many bushes at the pull out point and they say also that the sun was probably in her eyes as well.

There are lots of variables in driving. Poorly maintained roads, bad weather conditions, poor drivers, drunk drivers, crowded roads and distractions both inside the veichle and outside.

	16-12-2002 01:16									#6
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quote: Originally posted by Gangerolf well the people who drive drunk etc make it dangerous for the law obeying people.

Hear, hear. Driving should be unproblematic but there are so many idiots on the road (I don't think it is too harsh at all). It really should be more simple than it is but other people can't follow basic rules and common sense. It is a dangerous thing to do, due to other people and the crap they pull.

	16-12-2002 04:45									#7
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Well, if I could afford a chauffeur, I'd probably never drive again! People are crazy!!

	16-12-2002 06:49									#8
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quote: Originally posted by Ishtar Well, if I could afford a chauffeur, I'd probably never drive again! People are crazy!!

Exactly how would having a chauffeur elminate the danger to you if you are worried about other drivers hitting you? You would still be in the car, just not driving.

	16-12-2002 06:57									#9
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I think it's not that dangerous. Depends where you live. For example driving in some 3rd world country with lots of bad cars in towns.. now that is dangerous. You can never know what other driver do, he might be intoxicated, bad driver, having medical problems.. what ever. That's why good driving is also very much taking those things into account and driving so you can avoid possible crashes that are caused by other drivers.
Also cars that have not been repaired and taken cared of as they should be can be hazardous to everyones health.

Bad weather makes it more dangerous, many people think they are too busy to slow down and keep distance to other cars. Drivers think they are better than they actually are, think they can make the car stop sooner than they can.. think they have better tires than they have.

Driving is pretty safe, if you take things into consideration, other drivers too and their possible mistakes, have the right speed in different situation, going too slow can be dangerous too. Trust no one .

	16-12-2002 12:21									#10
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depends on your definition of safe.

If you men to stay alive then the odds are in your favour.

but if you intend to be free from any pain whatsoever that is more difficult. I was in my first accident with another vehicle earlier this year. I was rear ended on the freeway. I swear I shouldn't take the freeway. Often the traffics is stopped. Yet despite the fact there are traffic jams everyday in my city people are amazed when the car in front of them slows down and they plow right into you. My neck hurt for like 3 months.

	16-12-2002 13:54									#11
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Driving is one of those insane activities that is collectively considered sane by society because of its total pervasiveness (like US taxes). When were you first in a car? Probably hours after you started breathing air. No, I am not a colleague of Ted Kazynski, nor Amish, but I have personal problems with the automobile.

Yes, statistically an individual has a good chance of living to his life expectancy without being killed by a car, but the death toll from accidents is horrendous in quantity. The fact that these victims were, on the average, more likely to have expired from cancer is really no consolation.

There are the glaring cases where so-and-so thought it would be fun to test the spedometer, but driving safely doesn't guarantee safety. Safe driving may reduce the risk one poses to onseself, but one is still at the mercy of millions of morons roaming the streets (I include myself among the morons :scared.

No matter how short the trip I make, I can always count on one ore more "close calls." Many are my fault, some seem unavoidable. But I could easily be misfortunate enough that the close call will be a little too close and I could be severely injured, die, or have the blood of another person on my hands. Unless your hobbies are unusual, driving is the only daily activity in which you hurl gigantic pieces of metal about the landscape.

Oh, and my accident? Rammed from behind at a red light.

I'm unalert, I'm armed with a ton of steel, and that might be me behind you. Feeling lucky?

	16-12-2002 13:58									#12
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that is why SUV's are so popular.

Americans are a bunch of pussies. They fear death and injury and thusly want to drive around in tanks to alleviate their fear of death.

The most brave americans are the one's driving VW Beetles

	16-12-2002 15:45									#13
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I have had two accidents.

One time I wasn't even in my car. I returned to the car park to find a big white scratch mark down the side of it. Obviously the person parking it was unable to fit within the white lines.

The second occasion it was about 2am, I reversed my car out of the driveway and hit a car parked across the curbway i.e I was boxed in. I didn't notice it (obviously) as it was dark, but why the hell was it parked across my driveway?

	16-12-2002 23:24									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Sagacious Dolphin I have had two accidents. One time I wasn't even in my car. I returned to the car park to find a big white scratch mark down the side of it. Obviously the person parking it was unable to fit within the white lines. The second occasion it was about 2am, I reversed my car out of the driveway and hit a car parked across the curbway i.e I was boxed in. I didn't notice it (obviously) as it was dark, but why the hell was it parked across my driveway?

Quite frankly, if he'd have been parked across my driveway, I would have nudged it out the way too...serves him f**king right.

	16-12-2002 23:37									#15
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Given that every summer in Greece we talk about the "Summer massacre" - it is estimated that a small village is wiped out of the map due to fatal car accidents during every major exodus from the urban centers, I'd say pretty dangerous.

Portugal has managed to outpass us in car accident fatalities per year, a monumental achievement.

	16-12-2002 23:44									#16
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quote: Originally posted by Provost Harrison Quite frankly, if he'd have been parked across my driveway, I would have nudged it out the way too...serves him f**king right.

Gotta agree with that but it depends on what you're driving. I once pushed an *******'s car out of the way with my old truck. I left myself lots of room when I parked, but when I came back to the truck I found I had 1ft in front and 6in of space behind me. This was a 4 speed 71 Ford crewcab 3/4 ton truck with no power anything with a big steel bumper in back. What was the idiot thinking? I put er in reverse and 'gently nudged' the SOB back about 4-5 feet so I could get out. I doubt he drove anywhere that night.

	16-12-2002 23:46									#17
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Oh absolutely Spencer, I couldn't budge a car with my small thing, but in principle, I would

	17-12-2002 00:02									#18
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"obbeying the rules" is important. however, driving faster than the speed limit is not dangerous as people try to make it. Only 0.8% of all traffic accidents occur because of speeding.

I was involved in a car accident a couple of weeks ago. I didn't push the breaks hard enough, when I tried to change lines, and hit the corner of the car infront of me.

Yesterday it rained, and some guy infront of me hit the breaks REAL hard. he had ABS, I didn't. My wheels got locked, the engine shut down, and I had about a sec to try and steer the dead ( no hidraulics, coz the engine was off) wheel, and avoid a collision, while simultaneously trying to restart my car. During all of this my car was sliding at about 30 mph, to the car infront of me. I dodged the bullet that time.

	17-12-2002 00:18									#19
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You stalled?

	17-12-2002 00:20									#20
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I once took down a motorcycle with two people on it.

I was in a big hurry and I thought I could overtake them and turn from the left lane to a right street, they were on the inner lane. Turns out I couldn't, even though I didn't realize anything then and there.

The moment I had turned the street an old woman next to me on the pavement starts screaming like a banshee "HE KIIIILLLLED THEM!!! HE KIIIIIILLEEEEEDD THEM!!!".

Quite breathtaking.

I stop the car get out and see the surealist site of the motorcycle on the asphalt behind me and its two riders moaning and groaning on the street.

With what little breath was left in me I dashed to their side loudly proclaiming my status as being a w@nker.

Fortunately nothing serious except for some bruises and cuts. The bike appeared ok too.

They just rided it and left saying they were alright. No dead, no hard feelings and propably not an insurance of their motorcycle for themselves.

	17-12-2002 00:25									#21
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quote: You stalled?

yes. You should see my tires. ****ing public safety hazard.

	17-12-2002 00:26									#22
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quote: Originally posted by UberKruX Passanger: 2 my mom once opened her door into traffic and a van tore the thing clear off. stupid mom.

I saw this nearly happen yesterday when someone jumped out in front of a car opening the door and this other driver had to really hit the brakes...the irony of it was, the person exiting the car was a policeman from a police car. And these are supposed to be advanced drivers I had one pull across in front of me and park on the wrong side right in front of me meaning I had to slam on the brakes and do an emergency stop...sometimes you wonder if their training is what it used to be

One accident, a rear end shunt when the roads were really wet, I'd just come over the hump of a bridge and there was a huge queue of traffic and I couldn't have seen him or stopped in time. Only a small tear in his bumper. Only thing is though, it was a bloody Porsche Boxster

	17-12-2002 00:33									#23
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quote: Originally posted by Azazel however, driving faster than the speed limit is not dangerous as people try to make it. Only 0.8% of all traffic accidents occur because of speeding.

Around 35% of fatal accidents are due to speeding.

	17-12-2002 00:33									#24
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After rummaging through my hard drive, here are a few quick stats for US highway accidents in 2000.

Killed, Total: 41,821
Killed, 65 or Over: 6,643 (16%)
Killed, Rain, Snow, Sleet Conditions: 3,933 (9%)
Killed, Midnight-6am: 8,594 (21%)
Killed, Alcohol Related (BAC 0.01 or over): 16,653 (40%)

Categories are not mutually exclusive.

Source: US Dept of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts, 2000, Tables 56, 57, 60.

http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/1.pdf

	17-12-2002 00:33									#25
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Policemen are rather bad. but bus and taxi drivers are hell. The first know they're invisincible in this enormous piece of metal, the others are trying to make a buck, yet are not very wise about it. It's really funny to see them cutting through lanes and speeding only to line up with me at then next traffic light.

	17-12-2002 00:50									#26
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Mancunian taxi drivers are my biggest hate on the road.

	17-12-2002 00:52									#27
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[QUOTE]Around 35% of fatal accidents are due to speeding.

are you sure? could you give me some data on that?

	17-12-2002 01:16									#28
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Driving also looks less dangerous because it doesn't get in the news much. As opposed to, say, terrorism, which hardly anybody dies from but gets in the news a whole lot.

	17-12-2002 01:19									#29
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http://themes.eea.eu.int/Sectors_an...August_2002.pdf

check this for anyone interested.

	17-12-2002 01:21									#30
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click on transport accident fatalities.