Proof positive that every driver on the road ought to have above average ability :dubious:
I’m an average driver. I’ve got good situational awareness, but I’ve yet to regain my driving confidence. I’m happy to wait for a good opening in traffic, I keep to the speed limit, etc etc. I’ve been in far too many accidents, but only one was my fault: I accidentally reversed into a parked car. In 20 years I’ve had only one speeding ticket. My car isn’t a powerhouse either. If I had something like a Boxter or TT, things might be different.
Years Driving-15
Tickets- 4
At-fault Accidents- 2
Not-at-fault Accidents- 2
At first glance, not too great, right? Yet my self opinion initially leans towards being above-average. Then a couple of weeks ago I took a defensive driving course (mandated and paid for by work), and I have a different view. We heard there that yes, 80% of drivers surveyed consider themselves to be above average drivers, and I think the problem is that they don’t have a point of reference so that they can say, “I drive like that person, who is a 4.”
So let’s ignore the subjective scale, and let’s set up a new scale that can more objectively measure driving skill. I’m going to borrow some terminology from the five keys of the Smith System (Google it). How about we use a scale from 0 to 10, starting at 5 for average drivers?
Aim high in steering - Look out as far ahead of you as you possibly can. At least 18-20 seconds in front. Add one point.
Get the big picture - Be aware of all signs and other indicators of conditions around you. Add one point.
Keep your eyes moving - Check your mirrors constantly, at least every 8 seconds. Add one point.
Leave yourself an out - Leave space around you (in front, back, and sides) so that you have a direction to escape if you need it. The worst place to be is in the middle of a pack of cars. Add one point.
Make sure they see you - use lights, horns or eye contact to ensure that other drivers are aware of your presence. Add one point.
I’m pretty sure that none of these are things that were taught to us when we started driving. As an unexperienced driver, you don’t even have the frame of reference to understand many of these concepts, which is why it’s good to have a defensive driving course for adults. But drivers also do negative things:
Talk on cell phone while driving - Lose one point.
Drive aggressively - Lose one point.
Drive while tired - Lose one point.
I’m sure you can help me find more things. I now realize that I’m just an average driver, like most of you out there. The good habits I mentioned above just make up for my bad ones. Drivers who think that they are above average just because they can control their cars are fooling themselves. Average drivers can control their cars; Excellent drivers control the environment around their cars.
OK, off my soapbox now.
I have no idea how good or bad I am. I know that I haven’t had an accident in 30 years (but had several fender benders, mostly my fault, before then). I drive the speed limit, keep a lot of room between me and the car in front, am rarely aggressive, don’t run lights, wear my seatbelt, almost never talk on the phone, don’t smoke, etc.
However, I see this as sort of a weakest link situation: you’re only as good as your last mistake. I haven’t done anything really dumb that I know of in a couple of years, but dumb moves can result in a nasty wreck. So I’m not very pumped about my driving ability. If you need a number, I’d say 4, occasionally dropping to -1.
I’d say I’m a 7…
of Years Driving: 25 years
of Tickets Received: 0 (though countless parking tickets)
of Accidents (at fault): 1 (this winter… black ice)
of Accidents (non-fault): 1 (caught in a pile up)
I’m going to say that you (the royal you) are not above average if you’ve had an accident that was your fault after having driven for 5+ years, or if it was within the last few years.
A fender bender within a couple years of having your license, and accident free for 3+, that’s probably OK.
I think I’m a good driver. 6.5. I’ve driven coast to coast and back, lots of highways, driven in New York, DC, Boston, Baltimore, Philly, Portland, Seattle, and other cities. I’ve driven in Canada, France, and Switzerland. (not that those are much different)
Lots of winter driving in Maine and upstate New York. I can put a car into, and pull it out of a skid without worrying about it. I’ve avoided accidents that I think that lesser drivers would have been in.
We did a lot of stupid fooling around in cars in high school, and I’m convinced it made me a better driver.
I’ll give myself a 7. Not on a scale based on other drivers, but on a scale of what is possible.
I treat driving (and riding motorcycles) as I treat flying. I’m always trying to improve the line through turns, anticipation of other driver’s actions, NEVER tailgating, never ending up stopped in an intersection, never hovering in another driver’s blind spot, spotting and anticipating surface conditions (very important on the bike) Being in the “best” lane (or part of a lane on the bike) to stay out of trouble etc. etc.
A couple of years ago, I discovered a major problem. If I spent several hours driving in rural conditions, I would begin focusing my attention farther and farther ahead, and being alert for deer, elk, and other hazardous fauna. When I then entered an urban environment, there was a gap in my attention at closer ranges…say a half a block. If a stop sign, for example was not visible from a block away, I’d often not see it at all. So I’ve developed an urban mode, and a rural mode of scanning.
I’d say 5. My vices are speeding and talking on the phone while driving. I don’t egregiously speed, but I’m usually doing at least 10-15 over the limit on highways (but that’s usually the flow of traffic). I’ve been driving for 16 years, 1 accident (fender-bender, not at fault), and 5 tickets (four for speeding, one for apparently rolling a stop). I always signal, maintain a safe following distance, look as far up the road as possible, use my mirrors, and generally entertain myself by trying to guess what the cars up ahead are going to do. I get out of the left lane as soon as I pass anyone on a highway (except in the city, where traffic is all a shambles and there’s no lane discipline whatsoever).
That said, one bad day and anything can happen.
Oops. Above post is mine.
This is one of my driving pet peeves - well, it doesn’t really peeve me, but I can’t understand why people do what they do. I’ll see a group of six or eight cars, all within two car lenths of each other, with a couple of hundred yards of clear road in front and in back of them. Strangely enough, I see this more often when it is snowing or icy. It’s as if people feel safer with other people around. Not me, man. I want to be all by myself. If one person starts sliding, you have an automatic pileup in a group. If I am going to lose control of my car, I want room to regain control, not be part of a pinball game.
I’m a pretty safe driver considering I drive a red sports car, I’d rate myself a 6.
of Years Driving: 9
of Tickets Received: 0
of Accidents (at fault): 0
of Accidents (non-fault): 1 (Rear-ended at stop light 2 months after I got my license)
I’d rate myself around a 4. I guess. Can I split the difference and say a five or six on highway driving and a two or three in city driving?
of Years Driving: Started right before I turned 17, I’m now almost 24. . .a little over seven years.
of Tickets Received: 3. All in my first year and a half.
of Accidents (at fault): 1. Again, tied to one of the tickets. Low speed, no damage to my car, minimal damage to the other car. And it was judged that I wasn’t entirely at fault, but I did run the stop sign.
of Accidents (non-fault): 0
I have not had a citation since July of 2001. That being said, the fact that I had two citations on my record at the same time meant that my license was suspended, and my insurance officially sucks to pay for.
TheLoadedDog, I call that “sixth sense” car body language. I don’t know how many drivers read other car’s body language, but I suspect that most experienced, good drivers do it. It’s pretty obvious when you’re used to seeing it - a car that is about to turn right starts to veer to the right before the signal comes on, etc.
Let’s see - my stats:
Driving 23 years.
About 3 speeding tickets (maybe 4 - I’ve lost track over the years). Last one was years ago.
Accidents my fault - 0.5
Accidents not my fault - 0.5 (one accident - assigned 50% fault - she screwed up, and so did I). This was 10 years ago.
By the Smith scale, I rate a 4 out of 5 (occasional aggressive driving, but I’m working on it). When I first learned to drive (and I took lessons from a very good, tough instructor), I figured that it was as easy to develop good habits as bad habits, so I made the effort to develop good, defensive driving habits. I would rate myself a 6 out of 7 overall; I’m in control behind the wheel, and I know what I’m doing and I do it well.
I’m also a 7 for parallel parking. I can park in a space about a foot longer than my car. I can thank my driving instructor for that, too - he taught me the magic formula for paralleling. 
ETA: I don’t think speeding tickets are a good measure for driving abilities when you’re a MORE dangerous driver in most urban areas if you don’t stay with the flow of traffic.
(By the way, I’m a woman.)
Okay I’ll play…
Probably a 6.5:
Driving 28 years
5-6 tickets, but only 2 in the last 23 years, both at notorious speed traps (one I consider deserved), went 15 years between tickets there for awhile.
1 At-fault fender-bender, 1 no-fault wreck which damaged the left front, both 23-24 years ago.
Hence I was probably a 2 or 3 back then, but improved substantially with experience. I could have probably written TheLoadedDog’s post myself: like him I too have a sixth sense, one which let me go those 15 years between tickets by sensing precisely those kinds of cues in other drivers ahead of me when they see a cop up ahead and abruptly change lanes or tap their brakes or even more subtle stuff. Same thing for expecting those “bonehead moves”; basically I try to never put myself in a tough position where some idiot can ruin my day. I do curse out said bonehead moves but really to blow steam; I’m not motivated to “get back” at anyone.
My extensive sim racing career has also certainly helped; I am always aware of where all the cars around me are, so I don’t really need to check mirrors (tho I typically do so anyway), and I am also aware of what the safe limits are of my vehicle. I will admit to redlining her on an on-ramp, but I become Cautious Carl whenever other cars are near, and never tailgate. No coffee drinking, cell phone use, etc., always 10 and 2 on the wheel-worst thing I do is fumble with my CDs when no other cars are around.
When my nephew gets his license I will be paying for one of those professional driving courses where they learn to react to emergencies and whatnot. I’d also like to get him simming too, to train his brain to know where other traffic is. If I knew then what I know now…
2 - Poor
I total’ed my first car (and 2 others in the same accident) because I didn’t realize I was going the wrong way on an interstate! :smack:
:dubious:
Many reasons. I’m aware of my shortcomings as a driver, for starters, and do my level best to mitigate them. Primarily, this comes in the form of not driving, but if I must drive, I keep my shortcomings as a driver firmly in mind.
I’ve also never been in an accident I caused - or contributed to even. I’ve been in two - the first, someone T-boned me as I was driving up to a green traffic light with the flow of traffic going slightly below the speed limit - by pulling through a gap in a line of stopped cars (the traffic light had just turned) without looking either way. I couldn’t have seen him (he pulled out in front of a semi that blocked my view to that side), or avoided him if I had seen him (nowhere for me to go). The second accident I wasn’t the driver (and the driver wasn’t at fault either - we hit a deer late at night on an unlit country road).
Hell, I’ve only had two tickets in my entire 15 year driving history - and one of those I got on purpose. Saw a cop (knew he was there anyway - he was always there at that time of day) and sped up on an empty straightaway in order to get a ticket so as to have physical proof regarding why I was tardy for a final.
Also, there’s the fact that, as crappy a driver as I am, I’m still nowhere near the worst driver I’ve met. Other than being aggressive, prone to road rage and too damn fast, I’m a perfectly fine driver. I signal properly and consistently, stop properly, obey traffic signals and signs (other than speed limits :P), stay in my lane, don’t talk on the freaking cell phone while I drive, pay attention to the road and my surroundings, I don’t tailgate, etc.