Insurance

[epj3]

Ahh, I woulda said the same thing at your age dude, that was my point (and no slander to young folks believe me, I'm sticking up for ya!). But really, being a careful driver is not the same as being an 'experienced' driver. When I say experienced, I don't mean X number of years behind the wheel (but this helps I think to a degree), but actual real world instructional driving, a driving school like Dan mentioned, maybe some defensive school driving, etc etc.

It's not that you can't drive (obviously you can!), but may not know 'other' things to look out for that you just haven't experienced yet, or things to do in the event of something hairy, that a driving school/class could prepare you for better.

Daz all I'm saying.

I wish I had gone to some driving school classes when I was younger, might have been able to avoid 1 or 2 of the fender benders I had when I moved to the ATL (Again the point I'm making.). If you were say from a small town, under 20, and that's all the driving you've ever done (albeit maybe years of it).. 8 lanes moving 80 bumper to bumper is going to be a little different and hairy from your normal driving experiences.

I've driven throughout new york city, all around Philly, all around Washington DC (think capitol beltway), etc. Kirby and others can tell you how much of a headache the areas around Philly (like King of Prussia) can be, especially if you aren't entire familiar with the area.

NYC was quite an experience, Philly is just trashy, but the DC beltway is crazy. People cut you off if there’s any more than 2 car lengths in front of you.

I've had more driving experience at 19 than most people around here have had in their lives ("here" being where I live, not the forum ). So far I've never had ANY kind of collision with anything - like hitting a curb, another car, etc. with the exception of my accident (in which the other driver got a moving violation and a speeding ticket for the whole thing. I even called the officer who came to the scene of the accident a few days before they told us the report was ready, and he even told me that from what the witness said (witness was an off duty officer in a neighboring department), that I had done everything I was supposed to be doing, and they estimated my speed to be around 20 - 25 (it was a 35mph zone). Everyone makes driving mistakes, but I see others making more bad maneuvers than me, like making left turns from the wrong lanes, slowing down before turning on their turn signal (irks me so much), tailgating, changing 3 lanes at a time on a 4 lane highway, etc.

My point is that people assume that because you are younger, that you suck at driving, but it just isn't true. Obviously as I get older I will become a better driver, but that doesn't mean I'm inexperienced. I travel a lot. Hell, I drove up with a friend and purchased my current E34 from the middle of Brooklyn. Talk about hairy, driving a car you aren't familiar with, around an area you DEFINITELY aren't familiar with.

But I know what everyone is saying - big daddy I don’t have anything to feel guilty about, but the kind of driving school I would like to go to would be a car control school. I'm not concerned about knowing where blind spots are, how to keep alert, etc. I'm a pretty defensive driver, but where I personally have NO experience, is maneuvering the car after it starts to hydroplane or situations like that. I know what to do in the situation, but if it's never happened to you, your mind makes you do what you're not supposed to do (like slam on the brakes). That's never happened to me, and as easy as it is to just slam in the clutch and try to get the car back under control, your mind usually says "S*IT!" and you slam on the brakes. I think everyone knows what I mean...

Though I did hit a spot merging onto a highway that was just soaked in oil (with no traffic on it, and fortunately I wasn't going more than 20 mph) , and the e30 just did a 180... eeek.

 

[Big Daddy]

I understand what you are saying but Street Survival is not just about blind spots. They do skid pads, accident advoidance, etc. They do a lot of the same things that occur in a control clinic. When you said a "lot of times your mind makes you do what you're not supposed to do", that is part of my point. Attending these schools and performing the procedures under controlled conditions over and over again, you then react as you have been trained, in other words your mind makes you do what you are "trained" to do. This is why police shoot over and over again in the dark feeling their way through a scenario they become trained to react in a particular way. I am sure you are a good driver, but every one can learn from more schooling.

 

[epj3]

I understand what you are saying but Street Survival is not just about blind spots. They do skid pads, accident advoidance, etc. They do a lot of the same things that occur in a control clinic. When you said a "lot of times your mind makes you do what you're not supposed to do", that is part of my point. Attending these schools and performing the procedures under controlled conditions over and over again, you then react as you have been trained, in other words your mind makes you do what you are "trained" to do. This is why police shoot over and over again in the dark feeling their way through a scenario they become trained to react in a particular way. I am sure you are a good driver, but every one can learn from more schooling.

I know exactly what you're saying. I'd love to attend a driving school, but with the exception of nascar, NHRA, and dirt track racing there isn't much around here. Since I won't be tracking my car to the point that I'd risk totaling it beyond repair, I do hope to attend a few different driving schools or track events (namely the ones where an SCCA approved instructor sits in the passenger seat).

 

[Dave8812]

Nice to know. I already kinda knew some of that, but thanks for the clarification. I'll be sure and check my insureance.

 

[gizzy]

People cut you off if there’s any more than 2 car lengths in front of you.

If you are really getting 2 car lengths between you and the car in front of you, you should count yourself lucky. Rush our around hear, some people will slip between you and the car in front of you if they figure they will have 2ft (and sometimes not enough room at all) of clearance once they move in.

Don't ask me where the two second rule every went, but it doesn't exist hear (and I doubt it exist anywhere now).

I have to agree that driving schools that offer skid pads and controlled situations will improve any driver. I would also add that it will improve any driver, no matter how "experienced" they are simply due to the practice. How many drivers from the south have never even driven in icy conditions? Chances are they would not react correctly and a driving school could teach them the correct actions through PRACTICE, not just saying "turn into the skid, blah, blah, blah".

A driving school would provide that capability of practicing certain situations until you start reacting correctly for the situation. If you don't practice situations, you run a much higher risk of not reacting correctly. If you did practice situations, but have not practiced them for a period of time, your skills will also diminish.

 

[MrElussive]

True, but car companies are continually pushing the boundaries of power. They are making cars faster, quicker, and with better handling every year. This in itself helps bring out the little boy/girl racer in many. I believe the insurance companies are trying to curb street racing with their policy language, which in real terms should help in policy premium pricing. Although I very seriously doubt that the insurance company will/would let the money trickle down to the policyholder instead keeping it for a fat profit margin. I.E. policy price stays the same or rises, but they can deny coverage for either a perceived street race or an actual proven race. All in all it is usually the policyholder that gets screwed...

Great observation. You would think that since the performance of all vehicles have improved so much, it would allow people's driving to become safer, but instead all this performance just seems to bring out the bad in people.

I think the main problem is that there is just no easy way to drive your car hard. All they do is show us commercials and racing events on TV with cars going fast. But when we want to do the same thing, there's too much BS involved. You keep it on the streets and you are a hazard to yourself and other drivers, and you can get speeding tickets with insurance, blah blah blah. If you take it to the track, those events are not that often, you need a helmet and all this other crap, you need experience, insurance doesn't cover you if something happens, etc. etc.

We need a better system than what we have available to us right now.

 

[Section_8]

If you are really getting 2 car lengths between you and the car in front of you, you should count yourself lucky. Rush our around hear, some people will slip between you and the car in front of you if they figure they will have 2ft (and sometimes not enough room at all) of clearance once they move in.

Don't ask me where the two second rule every went, but it doesn't exist hear (and I doubt it exist anywhere now).

2 seconds??

Christ you'd get 2 semi's trying to slide in front of you here if you gave 2 seconds. When I said 80 mph bumper to bumper, I'm totally serious!

Eric, I think you are certainly an exception to the 'young inexperienced' rule, but it's usually very true if you think about it.

 

[Section_8]

Great observation. You would think that since the performance of all vehicles have improved so much, it would allow people's driving to become safer, but instead all this performance just seems to bring out the bad in people.

I think the main problem is that there is just no easy way to drive your car hard. All they do is show us commercials and racing events on TV with cars going fast. But when we want to do the same thing, there's too much BS involved. You keep it on the streets and you are a hazard to yourself and other drivers, and you can get speeding tickets with insurance, blah blah blah. If you take it to the track, those events are not that often, you need a helmet and all this other crap, you need experience, insurance doesn't cover you if something happens, etc. etc.

We need a better system than what we have available to us right now.

AMEN.

 

[Average Jae]

you guys all bring up some great points. i would like to see more "driving schools" pop up. not the ones that stamp the licenses, but the one that actually teaches you about dynamics, and how to really drive a car. more than anything tho, i would love to see a winter driving school around here.

now here's an idea for insurance cos, give discos to those that attend the schools. not only are they fun, they are helpful in everyday driving as well.