More evidence that the American Automobile Association (AAA) ought to have its license revoked comes in the form of “safety tips” offered to teenaged drivers from AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Bet you can guess.
Observe speed limits –
This is a great way to be involved in an accident, since you’ll be causing a mobile pile-up all around you. You’ll be tailgated and passed with inches to spare by irate drivers whom you’ve irritated with your law-abiding but slow-motion, obstructive driving. Note carefully: It doesn’t matter that tailgating and abrupt passing maneuvers with inches to spare isn’t safe – or legal. People are going to tailgate and weave around you if you slow-poke. 
Also, if you drive the speed limit, cops will assume you have been drinking or are carting illegal wares. Because almost no one drives the speed limit. Therefore, driving the speed limit is a surefire way to get pulled for no legal reason – but because it is “suspicious.”
Be aware (no thanks to AAA) that car speedometers almost always read slightly faster than you are actually traveling – typically by about 3 or so MPH. They are set this way because the alternative – reading slightly slower than you are actually driving – would create massive liability issues for the car companies, who would be legally liable for speeding tickets issued to drivers who thought they were within the law but actually were not.
Point being, if you drive the speed limit, you are probably driving slightly below the speed limit – and this is absolutely considered suspicious by cops.The courts have even ruled along these lines.
Never drive the speed limit.
The reason almost everyone is “speeding” is because the posted limit is almost always under-posted by at least 5-10 MPH. People ignore stupid laws. If you obey this stupid law, other cars will be passing you – and bunching up behind you.
Which is . . . dangerous.
And obvious, to any thinking brain. Just like the fact that there are differences between the sexes that transcend genitalia – but just as politically incorrect to acknowledge, especially in an official pronunciamento directed at teen drivers. Rather than give them the straight dope, that the safest speed is the speed of traffic – whatever that happens to be and posted limits be damned – they must be fed dangerous nonsense for the sake of appeasing the PC powers-that-be.
It is exactly like the Reefer Madness idiocy of my youth. And the youth realize it’s idiocy, incidentally.
Or so one hopes.
Buckle up –
The holy catechism of the Safety Cult.
It is quite true that wearing a seat belt will generally – but not always – lessen injuries in the event you crash. If you crash. They also sometimes kill you, though – and that fact is never talked about by “experts” in the presence of teenagers because, gosh, they might actually decide to weigh the risks against the benefits – and make up their own minds.
Can’t have that.
Independent judgment must be smothered. Mindless rule-following must be instilled.
Seat belts confer no safety benefit whatever if you don’t wreck. It is very interesting that avoiding accidents is not among the AAA’s safety tips.
Most “accidents” are avoidable. Chiefly because they are not accidental. A tree struck by lightning at exactly the moment your car happens to be passing underneath a heavy bough – which then falls on your car’s roof, crushing it – that is an accident. A deer bounding into your car’s flanks is an accident.
Most wrecks, on the other hand, are the result of various avoidable incompetences behind the wheel and thus not accidental.
One wonders why the Safety Solons of AAA do not discuss maintaining a safe following distance between one’s car and the car ahead? Even with modern idiot-proofing technologies, a car needs “x” distance (and time) to achieve a complete stop. The closer you are – and the faster you are moving – the lower your chances of being able to stop in time. But not a mention of the old – but still valid – Three Second Rule.
Pick a stationary object such as a telephone pole or road sign and note when the car ahead reaches it, then begin counting seconds. If less than three seconds elapse before you reach the same spot, you are following too closely – ABS (and automated braking) or not. Increase the following distance and you will have time to stop if the car ahead suddenly stops.
Why doesn’t AAA mention this?
Or, lane discipline?
No injunctions about the danger – or the obnoxiousness – of squatting like a stoned toad in the left lane when it’s obvious – or would be, if you looked in the rearview – that there are cars stacking up behind you, probably tailgating.
Move right, let them by.
It is safe; it diffuses road rage. Why doesn’t AAA mention it?
Surely it is of more relevance as a saaaaaaafety issue than ” . . . be sure to have current insurance identification in your car” and ” . . . be especially cautious in construction work zones” . . . as opposed to running through them at Top Speed, drunk, with one hand on the wheel.
. . .
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I have noticed that when I am stuck in a conga line behind a slow poke, it is nearly always a young guy in a Kia. It used to always be a old person. However, old people are now boomers, many of whom grew up with the cars my generation covets, so they aren’t always pokey. But young guys are so scared of insurance rates and not enamored with the freedom of the open road, I guess, as well as being saddled with cars like those tiny Kias, that they are slow drivers.
I took driver’s ed as did most of the kids my age. I remember them teaching some of this stuff as the “correct and legal” way to drive. Luckily for me, I had a mom with a Mustang, who taught me the actual way to drive, which is go with the flow of traffic, use the left lane to pass but don’t stay in it (or you attract unwanted LEO attention, especially in a sports car) and it’s generally OK to go about 5 miles over unless AC/DC is playing on the radio – then it’s whatever.
“unless AC/DC is playing on the radio – then it’s whatever.”
LOL….or Highway to the Danger Zone, Immigrant Song, Kick Start My Heart, Little Red Corvette, or Born to Be Wild. 🙂
Red Barchetta, RG! How could you leave that one out?”
Hi Eric,
I am embarrassed to admit it, but I have never heard of this song. Of course, I have heard of Rush (e.g. Tom Sawyer) and I give credit to Neil Peart and his incredible drumming.
We all miss some, RG!
I’ve been a Rush fan forever and Red Barchetta is one of my favorites. In addition to their musicianship, Rush always offered up thoughtful lyrics and a libertarian-themed message. I dug that.
Here’s another: Bob Welch, Ebony Eyes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvuccbcCcsI
Now, this one I know. 😊
I am a Juice Newton fan and she sings background vocals on this song.
I must admit that I drove the speed limit for a few years while I commuted from New Hampshire to central Mass, about an hour and a quarter. For a while, I drove as I usually do, 80-90 on the 65 freeways. I would spent the whole trip looking in the rear-view mirror for cops and getting pissed at anyone going slower. By the time I got to work I was exhausted.
And then I realized that it’s not worth it. Instead, I left five minutes early, put on an audiobook, set the speedo to 65 and casually went to work. I would like to have set it at 75, but there are so many people who drive 65 (including every Walmart truck) that I would be constantly changing lanes to pass them.
So, yes, there was a time in my life when I went the speed limit, but just for convenience reasons. Now that I’m retired, those days are over, and it’s back to 90 for my trips around town.
This time of year it’s pretty good advice to not travel into the Sun (east in the morning, west in the afternoon) unless you really have to. Not because sun glare is a big problem, but because everyone else panics when they get blasted by the Sun. How do they not know it is there? How does slowing down to 40 resolve the issue of not being able to see through your dirty windshield?
Here some other advice AAA should let young people know:
The police are not your friend. Be polite but don’t answer questions. State “I know you are just doing your job officer, but I don’t answer questions.”
Have your insurance and registration clipped to your sun-visor for easy and quick retrieval so you are not hunting for paperwork while being interrogated by an Armed Government Worker.
If you are asked to get out of your car, unfortunately the Supreme Court ruled in Mimms V Pennsylvania that this small (large) intrusion into your rights is permissible for officer safety. Get out, do not talk other than ask “Am I free to go?” do not take any field sobriety tests and state “I do not consent to any searches”.
Lastly and most importantly is film the interaction including if you are asked to leave the vehicle. Do not stop filming under any circumstances, state “this is for both my and your safety I film”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqMjMPlXzdA&t=302s
Oh, and one other piece of advice to youngsters, watch out for Pompas self-righteousness jackass Karens out there who think it’s their right to confront you. If this kid didn’t have a dash cam and filmed the incident, I’m sure the AGW would have sided with this old Marxist POS. Even with all this evidence the bastard only got his hand slapped with a minor fine. If he did this to me, the POS would have seen 20 years of martial arts being demonstrated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajMviq2j7ic
In many states refusing a field blood alcohol test will automatically trigger your license to be revoked. Much like software ELUAs, “express consent” laws say that just the fact that you’re driving means you agree to BAC tests at any time. You can ask for a hearing with the DMV, but you’re likely to lose which (in Colorado) means 2 years of blowing in a tube to start your car (at your expense), probably having to enroll in an alcohol education course (at your expense), and SR-22 high risk insurance. If you blow clean for a few months you’ll probably be allowed to remove it provided it was a first “offense” and you weren’t involved in an accident or something.
It’s a real racket for sure and subject to abuse by the system, especially when there’s checkpoints set up on major roads.
‘Most accidents are avoidable. Chiefly because they are not accidental.’ — eric
‘NHTSA cited nearly 6 million police-reported crashes in 2021 and 2022. These numbers include property-damage-only incidents, injury crashes, and fatal crashes, which resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and millions of injuries each year.’ — Google AI overview
For sure, most of these crashes involved human error. Most were theoretically avoidable. Yet, nevertheless, six million accidents keep occurring, year in and year out.
Anecdotal logic along the lines of ‘I personally never have had an accident; therefore, owing to my superior abilities, I never will’ is fallacious. I’ve been hit three times from the side by at-fault drivers whose errors were beyond my control.
Accidents can and will happen, as surely as sunspots, hurricanes and floods. Every state and country has procedures for sorting out the consequences of auto accidents, some better than others.
Long term, our inability to reduce the human errors causing six million accidents per year provides the impetus for overriding and ultimately removing human drivers from control. I deplore this trend. But citing the fact that those accidents theoretically were avoidable is an empty, and somewhat other-worldly, counterargument. It cuts no ice.
“I’ve been hit three times from the side by at-fault drivers whose errors were beyond my control.” – Jim H
I would bet that you could have anticipated these and avoided them by being more attentive and keeping your head on a swivel. Most driver’s actions around you can be anticipated enough such that you can avoid them. Experienced motorcyclists are keenly aware of this, as any crash is likely to be deadly or will cause serious bodily injury. When I ride my bike I always make sure I position myself to have a bailout option. That’s how I drive a car. I ask myself with respect to every driver around me “what if he moved into my lane, ran the red light, stopped short, etc.?” Never put yourself in a vulnerable position.
There are no accidents. Crashes are a result of negligence and most can be avoided.
100 percent on point. My daily driver is a motorcycle and my eyes are always scanning every possible situation that might send me to the ER. It’s definitely made me a better driver when I’m in my cage.
Just try driving on the highway and leave a couple car lengths between you and the car ahead of you and some asshole will cut you off to get into that spot. Last weekend some asshole passed a transport just before a traffic circle not even caring that I was coming from the opposite direction. Idiots and asshole everywhere now.
Had a teenager in a Subaru the other week that came up behind me fast. Then, he started tail gaining me until we got to a flat stretch, but could juuuuust about pass me. He got really pissed off when I passed him, after he barely got around me, and nearly clipped my front bumper. Apparently, he was not informed that passing someone means going faster than the person you are passing. Also, if I had to teach someone to drive in these parts, I would warn them that drivers treat red lights like suggestions. And, in the area I live in, assume every last idiot on the side road is going to pull right out in front of you, slippery roads be damned, and so what if there was no one behind you! Waiting five seconds for you to pass is simply too much for them. One truly has to do a lot of defensive driving in these parts to survive, if only to maintain one’s sanity in a world run by lunatics.
Dang Shadow!
You almost had me there!…….I could have sworn you were relating experiences from driving in the KRAZEE LIBERTARIAN ANARCHIC ,Dominican Republic…However you blew your cover when you mentioned “slippery”….you’re obviously referring to Jr Varsity “Yanqui Dog traffic”…
…..meh
Ah,
The DR, where the cops want you to:
1) Not bother them…
2) pass them with nary a glance…
3) if stopped for any reason …”you’re in luck… with a double saw buck”…
4) Car insurance what is?
Hey basement denizens…stop whining and bleating AND go check it out!
Sidebar DR downside..
Some heavy duty bullshit called road renewal and repaving operations are in progress..Damn who would ever want kool smooth new roads…..
Only some “motor head” types…Righty right?
No…just referred to people that somehow forgot how to drive on icy slippery roads in the span of three months. I do not know how…but somehow they do…and they cannot blame the military transplants either for such abhorrent driving practices.
Dude ,
I’m just a basement denizen…..”And letting off some steam Bennett” (Commando movie).
Thanks for the opening…..
S New England is positively exquisite in the fall. Going to pick apples in the local orchards on the morrow.
Oh well, make the best of my present circumstance.
AAA is an insurance & travel agency. Nothing more…and much less.
The “news” media love to quote them because they have some sort of imprimatur. They are nothing of the sort. Shills for GovCo and its insurance mandate. [see agency note above]
yep. their advice seems to be nothing more than a loudspeaker for the government line.
Grandson is taking his license driving test today.
Move with traffic, and on the freeway stay out of the shark packs. I told him that’s a dangerous place to be, one bad move by someone and it’s a mix & match with a bad outcome. Speed up (preferred in my book) slow down, but stay away from others. Pass someone? Then go! Don’t dwaddle. Never follow someone towing anything, ditto for campers and travel trailers with lawn chairs strapped on back. Remember Carlin, and his dumb people comment.
On the freeway on the scooter, saw a guy getting on the freeway with a small boat in his truck bed. The boat was upside down, bow forward over the cab, small rope holding it down – I passed him quickly, looked back, sure enough once up to speed the air load snapped the rope out came the boat skidding across the freeway lanes.
Here’s a better story Sparkey, driving 75 mph in a 65 (4 lane highway) look in the rear view, here comes Ben Hur. A hundui is the horse towing a Tonka trailer … with eight video lottery machines in the said trailer and they’re passing with the trailer fishtailing with on rim down to the steel and sparks flying, the other rubber flat. I kid you not . I called the agws who pulled the fuckhead over
Wow, there’s dense, then there’s really dense! How unaware can you be to not notice the change in handling with a trailer tire down to the rim / fishtailing?
“Broadsword calling Danny Boy!….Broadsword calling Danny Boy”…..
Did this transmission get through??