Every work day I cover 25 miles to work and then 25 back home. Often encountering drivers that make me wish for yearly or bi-annual behind the wheel testing. After a few close calls (and friends telling me I must be making some of this up) I decided to purchase an inexpensive dash camera that turns on and off with the ignition. These posts are pieces of the near daily antics encountered driving in the Antelope Valley and beyond.
Pull in the driveway at work. Of course there is someone parked going the wrong way in the traffic lane with a door open talking. Instead turn right to go down next aisle, at the end a woman decides she will come into tthe aisle the wrong way swinging wide. After passing me she comes close to another driver behind me, then swings into the next aisle still going the wrong way and races to get to a spot before the driver going the proper direction. She had to make a few attempts to align her car before finally parking. Ah yes, college, just because a person attends does not indicate they have higher intelligence, or driving skills.
Good driving skills include knowing what to do when encountering a road hazard. In this case I watched the person in front of me dodge something in the road, so I slowed, saw the ladder, applied hazard blinkers as I safely slowed to a stop so the delivery truck behind me had warning as well.
Obviously the other two drivers decided not to slow down, even with a pedestrian at edge of road watching traffic and eyeing his accidentally dropped ladder. The next driver back did stop. Do not forget to properly secure your load in a vehicle. Open vehicle or not things move around. I once watched a mini-van crash, it barrel rolled off the road. When we stopped to help the driver leaned forward and there was a claw hammer right behind him in the seat. He was surprised as it had started in the open crate at the back of the mini-van. Safe driving, and if you see hazard lights please remember to slow down or stop.
This morning is more of a warning to drivers to always be on the look out. The bicycle rider decided to race across after our light had already turned green.
I know the arguments about how cyclists can judge how fast they need to be, etc, etc. but around this area cars race out of nowhere and all too often are driving in the bike lanes. Be safe and cross when it is your turn, shaving those seconds/minutes off won't help you if you end going to the hospital or dead. Also this morning, though the camera did not show it because the focal length is not that great, I watched a small maroonish colored 4x4 pickup illegally pass a van on that section of Ave N where the double yellows are. The van was going about 55 MPH, 5 MPH under the limit.
