Aggressive Driving

While I may not be the perfect driver, I like to think I’m pretty good and pretty safe. One of the nice parts about living where I do, is that I don’t have to worry about driving to work. Walking to and from work gives me time to think and time to decompress after a long day. 

When I was driving around town with more regularity, I noticed a few things that just made no sense to me. Other drivers are way more aggressive, and are particularly dangerous when snow hits. Many seem to just try to power through the slippery conditions, relying on their cars to take care of the rest. 

It’s also become apparent that drivers here have little regard for people who ride bicycles. Being somebody who’s been both a driver and a biker (and I’m not the only one I know), it’s kind of crazy to see the way that biker’s are treated, particularly on some of the side streets. I’ll admit it’s not the smartest of ideas for a biker to be on the street of a heavily traveled road, but at the same time drivers need to be aware of who’s out on the street. 

Many of you who read this blog I’m sure are not these kinds of offenders, so I know I’m preaching to the choir in this case. Nonetheless I felt like it had to be said. I’ve never been an aggressive driver. I’ve never felt the need to make a “Pittsburg Left” (a particularly dangerous driving maneuver for those not used to it), and I know that I should take my foot off the gas when my car hits an ice patch or starts to hydroplane. 

Being an aggressive driver doesn’t do anything for you. Laying hard on the accelerator makes you burn more gas, hard on the breaks wears them out faster, weaving in and out of traffic is just plain dangerous, and none of it gets you from point A to point B any faster. Even over a 130 mile journey, where you average 75 MPH vs 65 MPH, you only shave off an extra 16 minutes off your originally 2 hour trip. Even going 90 MPH you shave a half hour off your time, but that’s if you average 90 MPH (and don’t get busted by the cops).

In the end it’s really up to you as to how you drive, just don’t come to me when your knee deep in tickets, or have your car wrapped around a phone pole.

...Aggressnif (you know who you are)