Driving: How dangerous is it really?

[:) Smiley]

Ever hear those statistics about how dangerous driving is compared to all sorts of other activities such as bungee jumping, airplanes, etc?

Well it is true that statistically driving is dangerous... but those are just general statistics. It includes all the data from people who drive drunk, people who drag race, people who drive in snowstorms at 3AM, people who are old and have 5 second reaction times, etc.

So my question is, what are the statistics of road safety for people who obey the laws and dont do stupid things with their cars?

[Gangerolf]

well the people who drive drunk etc make it dangerous for the law obeying people.

[Dis]

stupid people make it more dangerous as well. I think they are more of a threat than drunk drivers.

Stupid may be a harsh term. Let's just say ignorant then.

[Inverse Icarus]

theres a lot of variables with driving too.

[threadjack]

how many car accidents have you gotten into?

@ Wheel: 1
I rear-ended some guy on a rainy day. we swapped info but he never called / did anything. i tore off the bumper from his Towncar and a small crack (which later grew) in my windshield. The general consensus is that the car was stolen, or he's got a friend at an autobody shop.

Passanger: 2
my mom once opened her door into traffic and a van tore the thing clear off. stupid mom.

my friend hit a taco bell sign. you know, one of those big signs in front of the place. dumbass.

[Sprayber]

I've seen three close to me die this year as result of car accidents including being in one myself.

Mine was weather related and technically I was was out of my truck when I was almost run down so it wasnt due to the accident itself.

My fiance had her fatal accident on a clear day with the temp about 50F. She was pulling out onto a major street at a blind spot. Too many bushes at the pull out point and they say also that the sun was probably in her eyes as well.

There are lots of variables in driving. Poorly maintained roads, bad weather conditions, poor drivers, drunk drivers, crowded roads and distractions both inside the veichle and outside.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Gangerolf
well the people who drive drunk etc make it dangerous for the law obeying people.

Hear, hear. Driving should be unproblematic but there are so many idiots on the road (I don't think it is too harsh at all). It really should be more simple than it is but other people can't follow basic rules and common sense. It is a dangerous thing to do, due to other people and the crap they pull.

[Ishtar]

Well, if I could afford a chauffeur, I'd probably never drive again! People are crazy!!

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Ishtar
Well, if I could afford a chauffeur, I'd probably never drive again! People are crazy!!

Exactly how would having a chauffeur elminate the danger to you if you are worried about other drivers hitting you? You would still be in the car, just not driving.

[Pekka]

I think it's not that dangerous. Depends where you live. For example driving in some 3rd world country with lots of bad cars in towns.. now that is dangerous. You can never know what other driver do, he might be intoxicated, bad driver, having medical problems.. what ever. That's why good driving is also very much taking those things into account and driving so you can avoid possible crashes that are caused by other drivers.
Also cars that have not been repaired and taken cared of as they should be can be hazardous to everyones health.

Bad weather makes it more dangerous, many people think they are too busy to slow down and keep distance to other cars. Drivers think they are better than they actually are, think they can make the car stop sooner than they can.. think they have better tires than they have.

Driving is pretty safe, if you take things into consideration, other drivers too and their possible mistakes, have the right speed in different situation, going too slow can be dangerous too. Trust no one .

[Dis]

depends on your definition of safe.

If you men to stay alive then the odds are in your favour.

but if you intend to be free from any pain whatsoever that is more difficult. I was in my first accident with another vehicle earlier this year. I was rear ended on the freeway. I swear I shouldn't take the freeway. Often the traffics is stopped. Yet despite the fact there are traffic jams everyday in my city people are amazed when the car in front of them slows down and they plow right into you. My neck hurt for like 3 months.

[Martinet]

Driving is one of those insane activities that is collectively considered sane by society because of its total pervasiveness (like US taxes). When were you first in a car? Probably hours after you started breathing air. No, I am not a colleague of Ted Kazynski, nor Amish, but I have personal problems with the automobile.

Yes, statistically an individual has a good chance of living to his life expectancy without being killed by a car, but the death toll from accidents is horrendous in quantity. The fact that these victims were, on the average, more likely to have expired from cancer is really no consolation.

There are the glaring cases where so-and-so thought it would be fun to test the spedometer, but driving safely doesn't guarantee safety. Safe driving may reduce the risk one poses to onseself, but one is still at the mercy of millions of morons roaming the streets (I include myself among the morons ).

No matter how short the trip I make, I can always count on one ore more "close calls." Many are my fault, some seem unavoidable. But I could easily be misfortunate enough that the close call will be a little too close and I could be severely injured, die, or have the blood of another person on my hands. Unless your hobbies are unusual, driving is the only daily activity in which you hurl gigantic pieces of metal about the landscape.

Oh, and my accident? Rammed from behind at a red light.

I'm unalert, I'm armed with a ton of steel, and that might be me behind you. Feeling lucky?

[Dis]

that is why SUV's are so popular.

Americans are a bunch of pussies. They fear death and injury and thusly want to drive around in tanks to alleviate their fear of death.

The most brave americans are the one's driving VW Beetles

[Dauphin]

I have had two accidents.

One time I wasn't even in my car. I returned to the car park to find a big white scratch mark down the side of it. Obviously the person parking it was unable to fit within the white lines.

The second occasion it was about 2am, I reversed my car out of the driveway and hit a car parked across the curbway i.e I was boxed in. I didn't notice it (obviously) as it was dark, but why the hell was it parked across my driveway?

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Sagacious Dolphin
I have had two accidents.

One time I wasn't even in my car. I returned to the car park to find a big white scratch mark down the side of it. Obviously the person parking it was unable to fit within the white lines.

The second occasion it was about 2am, I reversed my car out of the driveway and hit a car parked across the curbway i.e I was boxed in. I didn't notice it (obviously) as it was dark, but why the hell was it parked across my driveway?

Quite frankly, if he'd have been parked across my driveway, I would have nudged it out the way too...serves him f**king right.

[Bereta_Eder]

Given that every summer in Greece we talk about the "Summer massacre" - it is estimated that a small village is wiped out of the map due to fatal car accidents during every major exodus from the urban centers, I'd say pretty dangerous.

Portugal has managed to outpass us in car accident fatalities per year, a monumental achievement.