This option pack keeps the butthead off of me.

 

1. Left lane issue. During light traffic (obviously no choice during rush hour), you are proportionally more vulnerable the closer you are to the centerline of the road to someone who crosses the double yellow line(s) [note: no island, wall, guardrail, open space, etc.] into your lane, resulting in a head-on collision. Another reason: at night, after the bars empty, drunks get into the right lane... of the freeway, going the wrong way (if I just go the speed limit in the "slow" lane). Another reason: I've been told Missiori is extremely strict about staying in the right lane [besides not spelling correctly, please verify].

2. At least in Arizona, left lane lemmings cause emergency vehicles to use the left turn lane. My left turn off highway 69 is at a right curve. During heavy traffic one day, I merged into my left turn lane to face an ambulance coming towards me in the opposite left turn lane! All because "boneheads" weren't looking behind them. I also look out my office window to the highway below to watch for people pulling over for emergency vehicles... lotsa "boneheads" ready to make fair game of me join their Darwin club.

Thanks for the discussion. Maybe this only happens in Aridzona.

 

[QUOTE=

Both people that hit me told me the same thing "you just appeared".

I personally believe that it is people multi tasking or just not paying attention to where they are driving, not what they are driving.

Again all personal opinion.[/QUOTE]
Imagine you are driving a BIG yellow backhoe down a two lane main road, you near an intersection. To your right, a Honda stops, and as you get about 10 feet from him, he pulls out. Backhoes don't brake like MINIs. A backhoe friend of mine told me this true story. His bucket cut into the cylinders of the Honda's engine. The Honda guy started to see how ridiculous "I didn't see it" (the big yellow backhoe driving at 20 mph?) sounded to the cops and...

As you all sit at red lights, make a game of counting cell phone users vs. not. Think there should be a multitasking test for getting a license?

 

http://prescottdailycourier.com

Attached picture is from our newspaper. I'm so computer stupid, I don't know how to link directly to this Oct. 12 story.

I was just ahead of the black pickup. If I kept pace with the pack, that pickup would have sandwiched me in this wreck. What I heard on the radio today is that the 74 year old driver of the white car who crossed the center had a history of heart problems. The 77 year old truck passenger killed was not wearing a seatbelt, driver was airlifted. 74 y.o. was wearing seatbelt, but truck entered completely into his passenger compartment.

Thanks for the discussions. There is no excuse for stupid MINI drivers with this forum (when it concerns motoring)! And I'm just curious about other member's local bad drivers.

 

Too 2 funny. Could my flame thrower face backwards? I saw a classic car show where they had a flame throwing contest. Cars have exhaust tips with a spark plug, they rev up, cut engine ignition, light gas that passed thru engine. It would ruin the catalytic converter (?), melt the bumper. Hot idea!

 

There has got to be a million stories about bad drivers. I don't think a day goes by when I don't have at least one experience with stupidity on the road. Most don't result in an accident but they could.

 

When you cut people off, they hit you. Technically their fault, but you cause the accident.
Or, nailing your brakes really really hard in traffic.
Or, simply trying to get a better position at a light, and jumping in front of a big, lumbering vehicle to do so.
Or, jumping in front of someone when they're distracted. Again, their fault, but you put yourself there.

I try to take a peek at everyone on the road, assess their attentiveness, their driving skill, and the condition of their vehicles, and catalog them for (short-term) future reference, so that I won't be terribly surprised by their behavior.
But I'd be willing to bet that, even subconsciously, the Kia Sorento inspires a different driving style than the MINI. It may convey an inherent feeling of safety, one that desensitizes the driver to traffic conditions, or she may be accustomed to the handling of the MINI, and that simply doesn't work well in the Kia. Who knows?

Years ago, my mom was hit by some crazed fool who put his car in reverse and nailed the gas on a single-lane road. The police report said she rear-ended him because she didn't get out of the way. Does that answer your question?