How Alert Are You??

[lsalem]

I have ridden a motorcycle for 45+ years. It is an absolute must to always be aware of your surroundings and have an exit strategy no natter what you are driving. With all the driver distractions today the road is one of the most dangerous places on earth.

[2upServant]

In traffic on a major interstate both side had concrete barriers no where to escape.. i saw a car advancing in the left lane at a high rate of speed. the traffic in the left lane ahead of him was much slower. My mind immediately went to this is not going to be good. I let up on the throttle to see what was going to happen as there was a vehicle at my drivers window. that vehicle was just about in front of me when the other guy rear-ended him. he went up the barrier and rolled as I went by. I firmly believe it was by the grace of God that I was no caught in that accident. however there were some very tense seconds as I watched everything unfold knowing I had nowhere to go but straight forward and hope I got past it before it hit me.

[davis2]

Originally Posted by followingsea

Thank you for stating the obvious. I apologize for for my safety zeal.

Let me ask old biscuit this. Which would rather investigate, a fatal engine room fire or a minor burn?

You can learn as much about safety studying the later as the former. I learned this for while training to investigate accidents at the nuclear power plant. As it turns out my best friend from grade school in Indiana investigated fatal trucking accidents.

During one visit I followed him from his house to his office. He blew through every stop sign.

More recently I looked into taking our granddaughter camping in our Class A. I found no cases of children being killed.

It was a wonderful trip. The last pictures I have of my wife before she died in her sleep. There is a natural order to life and it is not easy.

Your you want a recipe for attending the funeral of your children and grandchildren based in real life here it is.

Tell then to get a big MH. Tow a big enclosed utility trailer for all of your toys. Drive like a bat out of hell.

If the OP started by say his son was driving 60 mph and being alert for what could go wrong; then I would be heaping praise.

Sow down and enjoy life while you can.

You are such a joy!!!

[packnrat]

Originally Posted by Marshalone

I have taught emergency response classes for a couple of decades and still teach related classes. First thing is, always drive defensively which includes being hyper alert and watching other traffic, keeping in mind the possibility of you altering what you are doing. Second, we are not running the Southern 500 in our large vehicles. We cannot read the mind of the dummies that we share the road with so the slower we are traveling, the easier it is to take evasive measures (not to mention better MPGs). Large 18 wheelers cause so much carnage on our roadways due to high speeds and following too close, both practices those of us driving MHs need to stay away from. It is NOT getting safer out there. With budget cutbacks we have less law enforcement (less visibility and less enforcement) and many are taking advantage of that. Even on interstates posted at 70 I usually run 62. My MH handles better at that speed and gets better mileage. Stay safe y'all.

not here in ca. the chp /state police, are expanding.
they need the revenue.

[R.Wold]

Originally Posted by packnrat

not here in ca. the chp /state police, are expanding.
they need the revenue.

This is admittedly off topic, but adding personnel does not increase revenue. That these agencies operate at a loss is a given, and no enforcement revenue streams will even begin to cover base salaries, much less the many associated costs of employees, training, facilities, equipment, etc,etc,etc.....So while CHP is always hiring, it’s not to increase revenue. Most law enforcement agencies in California are forced to operate at below a minimum staffing par and are always looking for qualified people. I suspect this is the case in many jurisdictions across the country.

[Unplanned Tourist]

I think that riding bikes for 50 plus years has given me an edge in awareness. I always ride like I'm invisible.

I have friends that seem to have so many more close calls than I do. I always leave lots of room ahead of me. The standard 2 second rule gets bumped up to 3 or more when I'm driving the MH.

That extra second can save your life, so take it easy, and stay alert out there.

I have had my DL for 51 years now, and never had an accident. Knock on wood! I did all the crashing I needed on dirt bikes.

[sneffels]

My rookie year (and by that I mean our first trip in a motorhome, and a 15 yr. old 45FT DP, towing a Mini Countryman with Air Force One, 3100 miles into a 6000 mile trip, we were on a 5 lane interstate coming out of the west side of Nashville. I was following a semi at a respectable distance in the second lane from right at about 62 MPH. A newer Class C passed me on the left, then the semi. As he was starting to clear the Semi, he discovered, "Hey this is my exit!", slashing across 2 lanes to exit right. The semi locked everything up (you know like when the back set of tires smokes and starts bouncing up and down.)

I quickly learned three things:
1. Semis have excellent brakes for large vehicles.
2. My coach has antilock brakes (who knew!)
3. The Air Force One system works! I could never be sure before because the vehicle was so light and I usually drove so cautiously, I never stressed the system. I could feel it during this stop.

The kicker, as the class C swerved onto the exit, he was trailing his sewer line. Guess he unhooked in a hurry that morning. Fortunately, we stopped, barely in time. After the adrenaline faded, we laughed like hell, having just seen an even bigger rookie! I'll never forget that image.

[RELHUB]

Originally Posted by followingsea

Observed your son passing me in Texas. Just shook my head. A few mile later on the side of the with the cargo trailer listing to starboard.

I would have stopped and helped but I was driving BIL car. My rig and TOAD has all manner of jacks and shoring to help those refuse to learn the lessons of history. Also know first aid and CPR.

Your son was driving to fast for his tires as was the other driver. The expected result of a bow out of high center of gravity rig is a broken neck. Your body is not designed for such events.

Whenever a RV rig or semi passes me going 70 mph I think the driver has a death wish and the hair stands up on the back of my next hoping they will not take me with them.

WOW you need to read the story again
You are really confused
His son did not have the problem