@dannym3141 -- I agree with your fault figure, from a legal standpoint. But I would feel bad / partially "responsible" from a moral standpoint if I brake-checked a guy in that situation and he smashed into someone else. It would still be overwhelming / entirely the tailgater's fault, BUT if I hadn't been there and/or I hadn't brake-checked, the outcome would have been different.

I didn't explain the "assumptions" that I'm talking about very well in my original post here. Anything can happen, but we make all sorts of assumptions that very low probability things that *could* happen won't. We also subconsciously prepare for some of those low-probability things to make them even lower probability (drive slower than legal speed limit in rain, etc.). That's the sort of thing I wanted to comment on, but I rambled and didn't make that clear. Sorry.

Don't you know? Everyone driving faster than you is a maniac, and everyone driving slower than you is an idiot.

(thanks George Carlin)

First off, given the fact that he was going at least 10mph slower than everyone he was likely not even going the speed limit. Second, I'm tired of people thinking they are being safer by driving slowly. The safest speed one can drive at is the pace at which the rest of traffic is moving.

Too slow, or too fast, are both recipes for an accident. People need to stop driving like they are the only ones on the road and that they are somehow special enough fix what they see as wrongness.

If you want to be safe on the road pay attention to all the variables around you, which includes assholes that you will piss off and likely encourage to be even more stupid by driving slower than the rest of traffic in the middle of the highway..

That being said, no part of this accident was likely even related to this driver.

The bikers were totally riding all over the place. But it wasn't like they were forcing him to drive slower or interfering with his way to get from point a to point b. Unless the bikers did something really fucked up to him I don't see how what he did was justified.

I was almost in an accident like this once. My girlfriend and I were driving through California near Modesto on a two-lane, 50 mph back-road in the dark. Our right front tire went over the line into what looked like more pavement but was actually soft, dry, desert dirt. We just barely kissed the line but it was enough to send us off the road towards a tree, my girlfriend over-corrected and brought us back on the road and into the oncoming lane. We passed through the space between two cars, went off the other side of the road, over-corrected again (because we were really just fishtailing at that point), drove back through oncoming traffic, sideways, and stopped in our original lane facing the wrong way.

I always think of that when I see car accident videos. That and the fact that we were driving an early Hyundai Accent, the kind that would've vaporized had we actually hit anything. For a few seconds there, floating in the space between two cars, my whole existence was entirely dependent on luck, or fate if you wish. It felt very weird, and a damn-sight unfair.

It's really easy to say that this guy was driving irresponsibly, or to say that one needs to respect semis, but it looks like he was going with the flow of traffic, maybe just a little faster. Those moments like this happen before you even know what's going on. Your tire brushing that little pile of melting snow can start a series of events that you have no control over. And driving slower than the rest of traffic can be just as dangerous, especially in the snow.

But I'm not trying to be preachy. The thing that really amazes me is that when people see these videos, we always tend to think of ourselves as being in the place of the driver who fucked-up. We could just as easily, however, be the other guy. Happens every day, all over the world. You're driving safely in your own lane, minding your own business, and all-of-a-sudden you're pink pate' getting spread nicely over a crispy metal cracker. Nothing you could've done. Driving is dangerous.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'car, crash, driving, psa, pedestrian, drive slower, save a life, comedy' to 'car, crash, driving, psa, pedestrian, drive slower, save a life, ucb midnight show' - edited by chilaxe

Great, So the faster driver panicked and could not steer to avoid an accident the slower driver is still hurt because he was driving slower and holding up traffic so the car behind him tailgating slammed in to him and pinned his car against the larger truck anyway.
But its all a moot point anyway because of nanny states future policy's people will no longer be able to leave their home unless Tagged, tracked and followed while being wrapped in over lapping layers of bubble sheets with a government or insurance official telling you what you can and can not do the entire way.

What I really got from this video.
Tires, Road grade, Weight of car, Safety features and Driver experience or training do not effect anything so drive slower or will you kill not only your self but also everyone else.

Scare tactic's fail. They only serve to make the scared drivers far more nervous while driving then they should be.

meh

I searched google for about 20 minutes for news articles to back up my statements. In all honesty, I found just one. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/
25/driver-blamed-string-crashes-says-he-smoked-pot-fi/ I'm not quite sure why so few articles come up. Perhaps drivers aren't tested for marijuana as much as they are alcohol? I'm open to debate here.

>> ^Duckman33:

>> ^Gamble:
I'm not discussing whether or not it's toxic. I'm stating the the claim that nobody, IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND, has ever died from marijuana abuse is bullshit, and a ridiculously unbelievable claim to make.
I drink, I smoke, and a few years ago, before my employment started testing me, I smoked pot. I have no problem with anyone else doing the same. However, the claim that it can't kill you is, frankly, retarded.
Take automobile accidents alone. (Keep in mind, in the interest of being fair, that alcohol-related auto fatalities occur far more often.) In France alone, 7% of all drivers in fatal car crashes were found to be under the influence of marijuana. As with alcohol, the impairing effects stack with the more you consume.
Alcohol is statistically shown to kill more on the highways than marijuana. I disagree with drunk-driving, and sincerely hope that all those that do find their way into a ditch without harming others. Marijuana is an impairing substance as well, and I have no more patience for it on our roads than I do alcohol.
In light of all that, I'm 100% supportive of everybody getting baked out of their minds as long as they don't endanger others.
>> ^enoch:
so can i infer from your comment you disagree with joe rogans claim?
while i did find three "possible" recorded deaths over the last 20 yrs due to weed..they could not be substantiated and a coroner in england who theorized much more...there really is no evidence to back up the claim that weed kills.
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30
but you go right ahead and plug your ears and cover your eyes and continue to believe the corporate funded propaganda campaign demonizing weed.
it is like it's the 1940's again!
yaaaaay.

>> ^Duckman33:

100% correct. No one has died from pot. Get over it.


I have never seen any evidence that anyone has ever died as a direct result of marijuana use, and you provided none to back up your claims. But I have heard and read many reputable people say that no one has ever died from it's use.
I can tell you one thing. I'd feel more comfortable getting behind the wheel after taking a bong hit or two than after drinking a six pack. If anything I'd drive slower and more cautiously. Drunk I'd speed, and more than likely be swerving all over the road. Comparing the impairment you get from weed to alcohol is ridiculous.

>> ^Gamble:

I'm not discussing whether or not it's toxic. I'm stating the the claim that nobody, IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND, has ever died from marijuana abuse is bullshit, and a ridiculously unbelievable claim to make.
I drink, I smoke, and a few years ago, before my employment started testing me, I smoked pot. I have no problem with anyone else doing the same. However, the claim that it can't kill you is, frankly, retarded.
Take automobile accidents alone. (Keep in mind, in the interest of being fair, that alcohol-related auto fatalities occur far more often.) In France alone, 7% of all drivers in fatal car crashes were found to be under the influence of marijuana. As with alcohol, the impairing effects stack with the more you consume.
Alcohol is statistically shown to kill more on the highways than marijuana. I disagree with drunk-driving, and sincerely hope that all those that do find their way into a ditch without harming others. Marijuana is an impairing substance as well, and I have no more patience for it on our roads than I do alcohol.
In light of all that, I'm 100% supportive of everybody getting baked out of their minds as long as they don't endanger others.
>> ^enoch:
so can i infer from your comment you disagree with joe rogans claim?
while i did find three "possible" recorded deaths over the last 20 yrs due to weed..they could not be substantiated and a coroner in england who theorized much more...there really is no evidence to back up the claim that weed kills.
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30
but you go right ahead and plug your ears and cover your eyes and continue to believe the corporate funded propaganda campaign demonizing weed.
it is like it's the 1940's again!
yaaaaay.

>> ^Duckman33:

100% correct. No one has died from pot. Get over it.



I have never seen any evidence that anyone has ever died as a direct result of marijuana use, and you provided none to back up your claims. But I have heard and read many reputable people say that no one has ever died from it's use.

I can tell you one thing. I'd feel more comfortable getting behind the wheel after taking a bong hit or two than after drinking a six pack. If anything I'd drive slower and more cautiously. Drunk I'd speed, and more than likely be swerving all over the road. Comparing the impairment you get from weed to alcohol is ridiculous.

>> ^choggie:
Westy....In the U.S., pharmaceutical abuse combined with drink drive kills more people than anything else on the road. Were it simply drink drive(not at all advocating it), the numbers would drop drastically.
Factor out the people too fucked up and too stupid to live, speeding is not a major cause of accidents. Stupidity and lack of skill and awareness in combination with vehicle type and condition of the same, more likely the culprit.

I live in a county(not a country) of nearly 7 million people, a good number of whom are driving illegally with the inability to afford insurance or to properly maintain their vehicles, many of whom are from our 3rd world neighbors to the South (Mexico) where driving rules are as sketchy as the motorists abilities or familiarity with U.S. motoring decorum...FACTOR IN CELL-PHONE ADDICTION which more than likely kills more dumb-asses than speeding!!
A solution to the problem??? Mandatory courses akin to the training and skills needed for professional drivers-A road test that involves navigating a variety of hazards, an obstacle course if you will. Dis-allow the majority of idiots who need not be on the road to have fucking licenses , and the shit polices itself...AND, there's more room for me, who wants to go as rapidly or as slowly as I have the skills and desire to as I will.



I dont think better training will do the trick , the fact is driving a car within the speed limit is ridiculously easy , driving a race car or a car at high speed is an almost compelaty different skill to driving within the speed limit. there was a sudy in the uk that found drives that did the advance driving stuff were more likely to have accidents because they were overconfident. obviously this might be different if everyone had to take an advanced test. because at the moment Manny of the people that do advanced tests will be doing it cos they r boy racers , or people that want to show of.

but yah drink driving using phones and all these things should have much higher penalties maby a ban for a week and a fine the first time you are cought.

driving slower would definalty help , but i think giving space is far more important than say 15mph , especially on a motorway.

If you have space between you and other people there is far more time and space to react + its just harder to hit things if your not near annything.

On the plus-side it forces everyone to pay attention and drive slower.

Wow, everyone is so quick to jump to this guy's defense because he was smoking weed and weed shouldn't be illegal. In most of the other weed related sifts everyone talks about how it should be legal and treated no differently than alcohol. And yet here the guy isn't using it responsibility, he was pulled over for a traffic violation, it's not like the cops have weed radar, 'ooh, ohh two blips on the weed'o'tron he's smokin a roach get him!'

Driving slower does not make you a better driver, old people drive slow that doesn't make them better drivers, some drunk people drive slow, does that make them better drivers? They drive slower in an attempt to compensate for their inability to handle the vehicle at higher speeds. Which means their reaction time is slower. And even assuming they obey all the traffic laws their decreased reaction time still puts them at risk. Being a good driver not only means obeying traffic laws, but also being alert and reactive enough to avoid accidents when other people aren't being responsible drivers, or when shit suddenly happens like a kid or dog suddenly running into the middle of the road. I can't count the number of times where alertness and quick reaction on my part has avoided an accident because of someone else's stupidity.

So I guess to sum things up, defend responsible marijuana use, but don't weaken your position's credibility with a knee jerk, never-admit-someone-smoking-pot-could-be-doing-something-wrong, defense.

Arguing he'll get an unfair sentence, compared to those who drink and drive, is also a fair point to make. But suggesting being high as fuck doesn't impair your ability to drive normally, not so convincing.

Sometimes it's the only way to get the slow folk out of your way. However, being a hypocritical s.o.b., I feel both people who tailgate me and people who drive slower than me deserve to be punished. People driving the same speed as me are annoying too.
Just get the hell out of my lane! It's the one to the left!