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View Poll Results: Rate your skills:
There is no one better then I am!
119
13.65%
I am a good driver, I can hold my own.
603
69.15%
I am alright...
125
14.33%
I need improvement, the gas pedal frightens me.
8
0.92%
I drive like a 90yr old. I love the brake pedal, and use it even when I am pressing the gas.
17
1.95%
Voters: 872. You may not vote on this poll

How good of a driver do you think YOU are?

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Old Nov 2, 2005 | 11:52 AM
  #241  
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Originally Posted by dr-rjp
Traffic tickets have a higher correlation with WHERE AND WHEN YOU DRIVE.
I'm well aware of that, however it has never been a problem for me.

Originally Posted by dr-rjp
There are some places (mostly dinky, little towns with one police car) where you will get nailed for speeding even if you go 1-2 mph over the limit.
Yes, I know some people who have been nailed for going 1mph over. Yes, it is one exception. Also one has to realize there are two different ideals for being a good driver. The first is from a strictly legal standpoint (dot every I, cross every T). The second is from a... for lack of a better term.. "performance" standpoint (you will only do this type of driving in a controlled enviroment... road racing, autocross, etc).

I don't care if you have the fastest lap time at your local race track, if you can't leave a safe distance between you and the car infront of you, or use your signals, you are a crappy driver. If you follow every law in the book to the T, yet you do not possess the skills to avoid an seemingly avoidable accident, you are a crappy driver. The guy who has lightning fast reflexes yet cuts people off is just as bad as the grandma who can't avoid a pothole on the crown of the road.
Old Nov 2, 2005 | 12:18 PM
  #242  
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Originally Posted by foodmanry
Taking your whole post into context it is not a direct correlation, indirect perhaps. Of all the accidents I have been in 5, only one was my fault and I was 16 at the time with one month of driving under my belt. I rear-ended a lady after following too close. The other 4 accidents have all been other driver's faults and I had no way to avoid them, nor would have traveling any slower helped either. Three of the accidents I was stopped and either rear-ended or side-swiped.
Sorry, I should have said accidents which you are at fault. None of us can control other drivers on the road. At the same time, a 'good' driver is more likly to find a way to avoid the accident, if at all possible.

Originally Posted by foodmanry
As far as the tickets, I've had 6 tickets. All of them for speeding. I watch out like crazy for cops, but you can't see them all. And because I speed does that make me less responsible? No. If I speed beyond my driving ability or beyond the safety of the road conditions at the time then yes.
Speeding is breaking the law. Break the law you get a ticket. Not following the law shows a lack of responsibility. No one is forcing you to go faster than the posted speed limit. It's a risk you take. It's a risk I take. Sure, some days I feel like getting in the middle or passing lane on the way home and just cruise home going 70 or 75. Most of the time I find myself just hopping in the right lane and going the speed limit. You've seen it, the dumbarse weaving in and out of traffic going 20mph over. You get to your destination and the guy is just getting out of his car while you are pulling into the parking lot. 45 seconds is not worth the risk IMHO. I'd rather just leave a minute earlier and save myself the ticket and 3 years of increased insurance.
Old Nov 3, 2005 | 10:39 PM
  #243  
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Originally Posted by MrGone
Speeding is breaking the law. Break the law you get a ticket. Not following the law shows a lack of responsibility. No one is forcing you to go faster than the posted speed limit. It's a risk you take. It's a risk I take.
From this I understand that you are no more responsible than I am.

Also to note...it is how you define responsibility. I don't equate speeding in general with a lack of responsibility because you are breaking the law. When I speed I still follow the Basic Speed Law. So which law is law? Hmm....also the dumba*s that is speeding at 20 MPH over and weaving in and out of traffic is showing a lack of responsibility because he/she is endangering everyone else on the road that they are sharing. That is what I equate to lack of responsibility.
Old Nov 4, 2005 | 05:29 AM
  #244  
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Originally Posted by foodmanry
From this I understand that you are no more responsible than I am.

Also to note...it is how you define responsibility. I don't equate speeding in general with a lack of responsibility because you are breaking the law. When I speed I still follow the Basic Speed Law. So which law is law? Hmm....also the dumba*s that is speeding at 20 MPH over and weaving in and out of traffic is showing a lack of responsibility because he/she is endangering everyone else on the road that they are sharing. That is what I equate to lack of responsibility.
Mr. Gone, your statement assumes that driving 70 mph (when that's the speed limit) is also the limit of responsible driving, as if there could be such a number. Does irresponsibility instantaneously increase at 70.000001 mph? Or is it a logrithmic or exponential increase after 70? Are you two times as irresponsibible at 90 as you are at 80? Accidents at 70 are just as bad as accidents at 80. Does the law determine a quality as arbitrary as responsibility?
Old Nov 16, 2005 | 06:41 PM
  #245  
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Im a good driver but the maxima to me is kid of big to me so when I'm parking on a side street wit 2 cars in fornt and behind me I always bump there bumper
Old Nov 18, 2005 | 09:54 AM
  #246  
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I drive like a grandma on the street, I instruct karting on the track.

Old Nov 19, 2005 | 10:45 AM
  #247  
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i can definately hold my own.. ive been tested a few times.. quick instinks basically.. im pretty alert.. i know my surroundings well and trust myself when i make decisions.
Old Nov 21, 2005 | 02:17 PM
  #248  
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I've logged around 500,000 miles with one accident (car backed up onto mine when it was parked) and about 20 speeding tickets. Yes, I drive fast, but I also react fast and don't do stupid stuff. I also grew up in the snow belt.
Old Nov 21, 2005 | 04:30 PM
  #249  
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since my accident i honestly don't think i am a good driver but my car should be fixed sometime this week and once i get her back ill try my best to drive careful and slower
Old Nov 23, 2005 | 05:22 PM
  #250  
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Originally Posted by GBAUER
20 speeding tickets.
The cops in you area must be real a$$holes.

BTW: I've been in Mid Atlantic only ones and during that trip I could barely avoid getting two speeding tickets.
Old Nov 23, 2005 | 07:45 PM
  #251  
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Originally Posted by GBAUER
I've logged around 500,000 miles with one accident (car backed up onto mine when it was parked) and about 20 speeding tickets. Yes, I drive fast, but I also react fast and don't do stupid stuff. I also grew up in the snow belt.
20 speeding tickets , isn't continually being caught classified as stupid stuff???

You do have a fair amount of storm troopers up in your area, maybe the cops are nailing you with their newest technology, painted engine cover detector...

Let's do lunch again soon...
Old Nov 23, 2005 | 08:34 PM
  #252  
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I've logged around 500,000 miles with one accident (car backed up onto mine when it was parked) and about 20 speeding tickets. Yes, I drive fast, but I also react fast and don't do stupid stuff. I also grew up in the snow belt.
Whats your insurance like?! Why don't you let up a little? Don't forget that accidents usaully are'nt cause by speeders, but the blue hairs that are oblivious to everything around them. I feel 5 to 10 mph over is reasonable what about everyone else?
Old Nov 25, 2005 | 12:27 PM
  #253  
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Originally Posted by Metal Maxima
No speeding tickets, no accidents...EVER (knock on wood)
ha, i have 4 tickets in the past year...i've slowed down a little
Old Nov 25, 2005 | 11:48 PM
  #254  
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LOL i sympotheise with Gbauer because i have been pulled over 23 times no joke. But mostly not for speeding, other stupid little things. Either way i classify getting pulles over for snow doughnuts excellent driving lol.
Old Nov 26, 2005 | 02:32 PM
  #255  
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I drive it like it's rented and can't seem to get any tickets.
Old Dec 6, 2005 | 10:16 AM
  #256  
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i am a bad driver
Old Jan 3, 2006 | 08:46 AM
  #257  
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This one time.... in summer camp....
Old Jan 3, 2006 | 11:35 AM
  #258  
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Can't say I'm the most law-abiding driver ever but I'm definitely a better driver than most of the people in my area. You'll normally find me doing 10-20 over as long as there isn't bad traffic and I've never caused an accident or had any close calls that were my fault.
Old Jan 3, 2006 | 08:44 PM
  #259  
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i think i am a very good driver.... havent been on the road for long.. but i did some stunts many ppl wouldnt and couldnt do... but im certainly not the best out there.. no where near...... no accidents or anything.....
Old Jan 4, 2006 | 09:54 PM
  #260  
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To tell ya the truth i do drive fast sometimes in certain conditions late for work or school who knows but i have gotten 2 speeding tickets on my lexus ls 2 years ago before now i have a clean license and oh ya i drive in any weather condition and can drive even 24 hours non stop if possible last time when i traveled to florida from NY nonstop i was going about 95 on the fog weather and only stopped for cofee break or bathroom but never went for sleeping break and can drive any car small medium big anything auto stick name it i am a pro <---- everything stated are 100% true i dont bull $hit
Old Jan 4, 2006 | 10:02 PM
  #261  
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btw vans i seen the videos now on lexus i top speed 135 max i couldnt go further cause of the governer chip and yeah no accidents thank G-D loves me
Old Jan 13, 2006 | 07:23 AM
  #262  
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i've never had an accident or a ticket but i don't think that makes me a good driver. i just drive really slow (i like to cruise, the nicer my car the slower i go. i want to share the view) and i've been lucky. in an emergency where i would have to react quickly?-i would definitely be in a terrible accident
Old Jan 13, 2006 | 09:44 AM
  #263  
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back from the dead again grr...
Old Jan 13, 2006 | 09:45 AM
  #264  
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i would say i drive pretty good, although i got into 2 accidents, well not so much me, but my car, as i was not in my car and it was in park...
Old Jan 13, 2006 | 10:38 AM
  #265  
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Originally Posted by silvermax2k2
If you get in a situation where you start to fishtail heavily, do you think you could regain control?


= No. I went into a fishtail with my Mustang over the summer (traction control was off; was starting out from a dead stop getting onto the road) and regained control (was not easy or fun).

3 weeks ago I totaled the damn thing after it got away from me AGAIN (with traction control on) on a road with A LOT of sand left over from previous snowfalls . Looking back on the accident, the friggin sand was the killer.

<edit> This was my first accident @ age 31.

Originally Posted by silvermax2k2
If you encounter an emergency situation when impact is eminent, what do you do? Do you just slam on the brakes and hope you don't crash, or do you look for ways out such as changing lanes, or down shifting to try and stop faster, or even hop a curb to avoid hitting some one?


= Evasive action/defensive driving…

Originally Posted by silvermax2k2
Many times we spend all this money on our cars to make them better, but we don't use our best judgment when driving. I.E. racing on the streets.


No street racing for his kid, even with the Mustang. I’d toy with people every now and then from stoplight to stoplight, but no real racing…
Old Jan 15, 2006 | 03:58 PM
  #266  
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so far so good. no tickets, no accidents (knock on wood)... sure i'm only 21 but as far as driving, i'm definitely better than the average adolecent behind the wheel.

I owe a lot of it to a good driving school when I was young, plenty of hours behind the wheel, and fairly good defensive driving.
Old Jan 15, 2006 | 08:08 PM
  #267  
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i have actually had people ask me if i do stunt driving.......i was in a parking lot one day (abandoned) and i was going 50 MPH and pulling the e-brake and sliding into parking spots.. i have videos to prove it too!!!!!!!! PM me if you dont believe me...i think i could do almost anything with my car... but im not 100% sure....never ran for my life in my car with a 426 Hemi charger following me.. so i cant tell you if i did that
Old Jan 16, 2006 | 07:57 PM
  #268  
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Originally Posted by silvermax2k2
Many times we spend all this money on our cars to make them better, but we don't use our best judgment when driving. I.E. racing on the streets.
Originally Posted by Josh_0351
No street racing for his kid, even with the Mustang. I’d toy with people every now and then from stoplight to stoplight, but no real racing…
I think that toying with people from traffic light to traffic light is about as close as most any of us actually gets to "real" racing.
Old Jan 25, 2006 | 07:25 AM
  #269  
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I think that I am an above average driver.
Old Feb 2, 2006 | 08:00 AM
  #270  
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What caused me to revisit this question again has been the idiots I encounter on the road. I don't know if we could reach consensus on what constitutes a "good driver," but I am sure that we can do so with "bad drivers."

Although there may be prior posts that operationalize the concept of "good driver," or, at least, provide benchmarks, I would like to do so here.

IMHO, there are four main qualities that distinguish the good driver from the bad driver:

1) Maintaining full control and proper operation of one's vehicle, at all times and in all real-world, driving conditions (e.g., no car tricks like they do in commercials).

2) Adherance to the rules of the road, both written and unwritten, legal and social, except where conditions warrant otherwise.

3) Extending courtesy to other drivers even when they are discourteous themselves.

4) Practicing defensive driving at all times.
Old Feb 2, 2006 | 09:31 AM
  #271  
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What caused me to revisit this question again has been the idiots I encounter on the road. I don't know if we could reach consensus on what constitutes a "good driver," but I am sure that we can do so with "bad drivers."

Although there may be prior posts that operationalize the concept of "good driver," or, at least, provide benchmarks, I would like to do so here.

IMHO, there are four main qualities that distinguish the good driver from the bad driver:

1) Maintaining full control and proper operation of one's vehicle, at all times and in all real-world, driving conditions (e.g., no car tricks like they do in commercials).

2) Adherance to the rules of the road, both written and unwritten, legal and social, except where conditions warrant otherwise.

3) Extending courtesy to other drivers even when they are discourteous themselves.

4) Practicing defensive driving at all times.
Old Feb 2, 2006 | 05:42 PM
  #272  
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I can hold my own against most anyone, my idea of a great driver is some one who can drift and do all kinds of cool stuff with their car, like 360’s, 180’s and so on. So basically drifters are the ones who could say they are the best.
Old Feb 17, 2006 | 12:15 PM
  #273  
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well im a pritty good driver unfortunatly i have tickets out the *** for speeding, ect but no accidents in 5 yrs so ill say im ok just need to slow down when im driving on the public road but those speeding tickets dont say much about my skills just that i have a lead foot
Old Feb 21, 2006 | 12:12 PM
  #274  
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There's so much more to this question other than whether you speed or not, and whether you've been in an accident or not.


Anyone in the Seattle area knows how frustrating it can be to get around here.

One example: Lots of people who obscenely obey traffic laws. I mean as in driving the speed limit or below no matter what.

"Hill coming up? Oh well I guess I'll just let gravity slow me down before I finally realize I should give it more gas"

"Someone behind me in the left lane? Oh well. I'm driving the speed limit, and I'm passing this guy here, even though it's going to take me 5 miles or so to finally get past him. So too bad for the guy behind me"

I could go on and on.


I think I'm a good driver because (among other things):

I'm always aware of everything going on around me. I try to never be distracted if I can help it.

I know what my car can and can't do, in all road conditions.

I know the dimensions of my car. That is, I can get in and out of tight spaces confidently, and my mirrors are properly set so that lane changes can be safely made in an instant if necessary.

etc...
Old Feb 21, 2006 | 12:16 PM
  #275  
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And by the way.. Thumbs-up to this. Well put.

Originally Posted by dr-rjp
1) Maintaining full control and proper operation of one's vehicle, at all times and in all real-world, driving conditions (e.g., no car tricks like they do in commercials).

2) Adherance to the rules of the road, both written and unwritten, legal and social, except where conditions warrant otherwise.

3) Extending courtesy to other drivers even when they are discourteous themselves.

4) Practicing defensive driving at all times.
Old Feb 22, 2006 | 12:13 PM
  #276  
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OK so I go through tires fast. Perhaps its my tendency to go 45mph in one direction pull the e-brake, and do an in-lane direction change......(you should SEE the soccermom's faces... in the opposite lane) so yeah, some would call me an advanced driver. IMO Once you can survive city traffic, its time to master the car's physics.

Good driver? Spose thats if you mean one can go without getting tickets, or getting in accidents OR one that can whip a maxima sideways at 80 and not freak out.....

apex apex apex.....

J

OH, and for the record, I'm sitting on some tight suspension, and really sticky rubber, PLEASE don't try this at home....
Old Feb 22, 2006 | 06:42 PM
  #277  
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Originally Posted by Jasovanni
OK so I go through tires fast. Perhaps its my tendency to go 45mph in one direction pull the e-brake, and do an in-lane direction change......(you should SEE the soccermom's faces... in the opposite lane) so yeah, some would call me an advanced driver. IMO Once you can survive city traffic, its time to master the car's physics.

Good driver? Spose thats if you mean one can go without getting tickets, or getting in accidents OR one that can whip a maxima sideways at 80 and not freak out.....

apex apex apex.....

J

OH, and for the record, I'm sitting on some tight suspension, and really sticky rubber, PLEASE don't try this at home....
You're retarded. Why dont you try taking it to a track?



This thread is sooo OLD when will it die? WHY do people still reply to this ish?
Old Feb 24, 2006 | 11:28 PM
  #278  
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I consider myself a real lucky driver. Been into 1 accident, not my fault, some girl was talking on the phone and hit me. And got pulled over 3 times, all with warnings, so no tickets at all. Have a good weekend!
Old Feb 26, 2006 | 09:08 PM
  #279  
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Originally Posted by Jasovanni
OK so I go through tires fast. Perhaps its my tendency to go 45mph in one direction pull the e-brake, and do an in-lane direction change......(you should SEE the soccermom's faces... in the opposite lane) so yeah, some would call me an advanced driver. IMO Once you can survive city traffic, its time to master the car's physics.

Good driver? Spose thats if you mean one can go without getting tickets, or getting in accidents OR one that can whip a maxima sideways at 80 and not freak out.....

apex apex apex.....

J

OH, and for the record, I'm sitting on some tight suspension, and really sticky rubber, PLEASE don't try this at home....
I never actually seen anyone who really know how to pull this off present it in such manner....
Old Feb 27, 2006 | 12:57 PM
  #280  
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I'd say I'm a damn good driver. I have only had 1 accident and that was not totally my fault.



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