G
Guest2018
Hello Fellow Mazda Owners of the World.
I earned my pilots license before earning my drivers license and have been doing both one way or another since ages 8 (flying) and 10 (driving). I flew with my uncle from the right seat in his Baron, a former air force officer and combat/test pilot, until I was old enough to take the written/oral/flight exams. I had my pilots license in exactly 41 hours with 40 being required by regulations. I drove with my father from the left seat (with him in the right seat) in the confines of empty parking lots around town early Saturday mornings before 7am. So, I was flying legally before driving legally.
This subject has reached critical mass in my mind. I can remember a time back in the late 70s, very early 80s, when driving out where I lived was very pleasurable. You actually enjoyed driving back then where I lived, aside from the Nixon/OPEC fuel crisis which sent the cost of a gallon through what was then the proverbial roof. I'm not necessarily talking about lower populations which brought about fewer vehicles being on the road. I'm talking about the attitude, disposition and demeanor of drivers back then. People knew the regulations and were far more courteous in their driving habits. People understood that Left Turns must yield right of way to oncoming and perpendicular traffic.
People understood that when two or more vehicles approach a controlled intersection within one vehicle length of each other that the vehicle to the right has right of way. People, knew and understood that merely putting on a turn signal without clearing traffic over both shoulders does not automatically provide the driver with right of way to make a lane change directly on top of another vehicle already occupying that lane. People knew that where not prohibited, U-Turns in perpendicular traffic has right of way and precedence over all right turns from a controlled stop. I can walk down the list of California Vehicle Codes that seemed to be understood by most back in those days and where abidance was the norm. Not anymore.
Today, the Number #1 causation for collisions (in the State of California) between vehicles is Tailgating, aka by code: "Following Too Close." This problem, as far as I am concerned has reached epidemic proportions and so much so that even law enforcement seems to have stopped issuing citations to violators of this code. Chronic, perpetual, intentional tailgating is three things:
- A Violation of Vehicle Code
- A Threat to Safety and Human Life
- A Clear Demonstration of Lower Intelligence
My primary concern is with the second of these concerns. Tailgating takes place far too often and across the entire Lane Spectrum. Incredibly foolish people are now out there intentionally tailgating in the far right lane. People out there are tailgating when the vehicle directly in front of them is traveling at the limit. Fast Lane or Slow Lane and every other lane between, massively foolish people are completely ill behaved when they intentionally and perpetually "Follow Too Close," threatening the safety and lives of those they follow. In my mind, this is a form of Stalking at minimum and a threat to Human Safety and Life at maximum. These needs to stop. The question is, what are we as a society going to do about Tailgating, Following Too Close and essentially what has become Vehicle Stalking?
Tailgaters and Vehicle Stalkers are dangerous (to others and themselves), not very bright and ultimately foolish. Typically, they are highly arrogant, narrow minded, obtuse, wildly irrational and either outright narcissistic and/or borderline pathological. Worse case scenario would be a Tailgater or Vehicle Stalker who is a Covert Narcissist - the absolute worst kind/type of narcissist in existence by a country mile at least.
Less of a Ranting Thread, I'd like to know what you civil minded folks believe and think about Vehicle Stalkers in general and what you think we could do en masse to work with law enforcement and government legislators to bring an end to this insidiously dangerous and foolish behavior. Some ideas to bet the ball rolling:
- Cause law enforcement to dramatically increase stops for violations of CVC 21703 (California - Your State/Country will have a different code on the books)
- Place a specific number of unmarked law enforcement units on the road/highway on "Vehicle Stalking Search & Cite Missions"
- Enable lawful provisions for the use of private on-board cameras as evidence of Vehicle Stalking (turn in your dashcam footage to law enforcement for prosecution)
- Increase fines for Tailgating to $750.00 first incident, $1,500 for each additional violation up to and including impounding of vehicle after 5 incidents
- New Legislation that introduces the concept of "Vehicle Stalking" with Criminal Prosecution instead of Civil Code Violation status
Enter your "solutions" and talk about the last time you nearly got run off the road by a Tailgater with little to no IQ. More collisions (notice I don't call them accidents) are caused by Tailgating morons than any other causation in the State of California. Your mileage may vary in your State/Country. This drives up the cost of insurance premiums for all of us and it places all our lives at greater risk each and every day we take to the roads, streets and highways where we live.
This is a serious problem and it needs serious attention. Most importantly, it needs and deserves wide spread acceptance as a serious problem that needs serious attention. If we don't do something about it collectively, any one of us could be the next Surviving Family Member who gets the dreaded phone call from the Police, telling you how they regret having to inform you that your (Fill In The Blank Here) has just been killed by a Tailgater/Vehicle Stalker. Can you please come with us to identify the remains of your loved one. Or, the remains of your loved one were so badly burned in the resultant fire that took place immediately after being rear-ended, that only dental records and DNA tests are available means of identifying your loved one.
Vehicle Stalking. An intentional behavior that needs to be Criminally Prosecuted at close range. What say you.
I earned my pilots license before earning my drivers license and have been doing both one way or another since ages 8 (flying) and 10 (driving). I flew with my uncle from the right seat in his Baron, a former air force officer and combat/test pilot, until I was old enough to take the written/oral/flight exams. I had my pilots license in exactly 41 hours with 40 being required by regulations. I drove with my father from the left seat (with him in the right seat) in the confines of empty parking lots around town early Saturday mornings before 7am. So, I was flying legally before driving legally.
This subject has reached critical mass in my mind. I can remember a time back in the late 70s, very early 80s, when driving out where I lived was very pleasurable. You actually enjoyed driving back then where I lived, aside from the Nixon/OPEC fuel crisis which sent the cost of a gallon through what was then the proverbial roof. I'm not necessarily talking about lower populations which brought about fewer vehicles being on the road. I'm talking about the attitude, disposition and demeanor of drivers back then. People knew the regulations and were far more courteous in their driving habits. People understood that Left Turns must yield right of way to oncoming and perpendicular traffic.
People understood that when two or more vehicles approach a controlled intersection within one vehicle length of each other that the vehicle to the right has right of way. People, knew and understood that merely putting on a turn signal without clearing traffic over both shoulders does not automatically provide the driver with right of way to make a lane change directly on top of another vehicle already occupying that lane. People knew that where not prohibited, U-Turns in perpendicular traffic has right of way and precedence over all right turns from a controlled stop. I can walk down the list of California Vehicle Codes that seemed to be understood by most back in those days and where abidance was the norm. Not anymore.
Today, the Number #1 causation for collisions (in the State of California) between vehicles is Tailgating, aka by code: "Following Too Close." This problem, as far as I am concerned has reached epidemic proportions and so much so that even law enforcement seems to have stopped issuing citations to violators of this code. Chronic, perpetual, intentional tailgating is three things:
- A Violation of Vehicle Code
- A Threat to Safety and Human Life
- A Clear Demonstration of Lower Intelligence
My primary concern is with the second of these concerns. Tailgating takes place far too often and across the entire Lane Spectrum. Incredibly foolish people are now out there intentionally tailgating in the far right lane. People out there are tailgating when the vehicle directly in front of them is traveling at the limit. Fast Lane or Slow Lane and every other lane between, massively foolish people are completely ill behaved when they intentionally and perpetually "Follow Too Close," threatening the safety and lives of those they follow. In my mind, this is a form of Stalking at minimum and a threat to Human Safety and Life at maximum. These needs to stop. The question is, what are we as a society going to do about Tailgating, Following Too Close and essentially what has become Vehicle Stalking?
Tailgaters and Vehicle Stalkers are dangerous (to others and themselves), not very bright and ultimately foolish. Typically, they are highly arrogant, narrow minded, obtuse, wildly irrational and either outright narcissistic and/or borderline pathological. Worse case scenario would be a Tailgater or Vehicle Stalker who is a Covert Narcissist - the absolute worst kind/type of narcissist in existence by a country mile at least.
Less of a Ranting Thread, I'd like to know what you civil minded folks believe and think about Vehicle Stalkers in general and what you think we could do en masse to work with law enforcement and government legislators to bring an end to this insidiously dangerous and foolish behavior. Some ideas to bet the ball rolling:
- Cause law enforcement to dramatically increase stops for violations of CVC 21703 (California - Your State/Country will have a different code on the books)
- Place a specific number of unmarked law enforcement units on the road/highway on "Vehicle Stalking Search & Cite Missions"
- Enable lawful provisions for the use of private on-board cameras as evidence of Vehicle Stalking (turn in your dashcam footage to law enforcement for prosecution)
- Increase fines for Tailgating to $750.00 first incident, $1,500 for each additional violation up to and including impounding of vehicle after 5 incidents
- New Legislation that introduces the concept of "Vehicle Stalking" with Criminal Prosecution instead of Civil Code Violation status
Enter your "solutions" and talk about the last time you nearly got run off the road by a Tailgater with little to no IQ. More collisions (notice I don't call them accidents) are caused by Tailgating morons than any other causation in the State of California. Your mileage may vary in your State/Country. This drives up the cost of insurance premiums for all of us and it places all our lives at greater risk each and every day we take to the roads, streets and highways where we live.
This is a serious problem and it needs serious attention. Most importantly, it needs and deserves wide spread acceptance as a serious problem that needs serious attention. If we don't do something about it collectively, any one of us could be the next Surviving Family Member who gets the dreaded phone call from the Police, telling you how they regret having to inform you that your (Fill In The Blank Here) has just been killed by a Tailgater/Vehicle Stalker. Can you please come with us to identify the remains of your loved one. Or, the remains of your loved one were so badly burned in the resultant fire that took place immediately after being rear-ended, that only dental records and DNA tests are available means of identifying your loved one.
Vehicle Stalking. An intentional behavior that needs to be Criminally Prosecuted at close range. What say you.