Distracted Driving

[peteybabes]

i run two cameras in my car facing front and rear, i need one on the truck asap.

what cameras can handle 24v? (regarding mike929's post)

 

[tim292stro]

You can go the way I'm going and use conventional building cctv cameras, they nomally support 12-24v and both ac/dc...

 

[silverstate55]

Good reminder to pay attention to our own driving (because it's not us we need to worry about, it's the other people, right?), and well done 98G on the evasive maneuvers to avoid becoming directly involved in the collision, and letting him live to learn something from this.


Another reminder we can take away from this is a little lesson on vehicle dynamics.

Your tires have a certain amount of traction given the coefficient of friction for the rubber compound and the surface it's in contact with, along with the size of the contact patch and the weight on the patch. When you steer, brake, or accelerate, the weight of the vehicle will shift away from the direction of force applied to the vehicle (steer left, weight transfers right, brake and weight transfers forwards).

The above is important to remember if you find yourself in a situation where a tire or two leave the pavement. The coefficient of friction for dirt, grass, or gravel is about and order of magnitude less than that of pavement. If you make a rapid steering input to steer away from the shoulder of the road, your weight will transfer away from the steering input meaning that your vehicle's weight will transfer to the tire(s) with the least traction.

In performance driving, there is a concept of "the circle of traction" - which is to say that for any given tire patch, coefficient of friction, and weight on the patch you will have a certain sized circle which represents your available traction or adhesive limit. If you apply force against that circle you must stay within the boundaries of that circle to retain grip on the road - go outside the circle and you start sliding.

If you turn sharply while tires are on a low traction surface, your circle gets much smaller, so you need to impart smaller forces to your vehicle controls to remain in traction and control of the vehicle's path. This means that if you put a tire or two off the pavement at speed you need to slowly correct your line to get back on the road - this could result is you going off the road completely first. Remember that if you also panic and release your foot from the accelerator pedal, the weight will transfer forwards meaning there is less grip on your rear tires, so if you make a rapid steering input the rear tires are more likely to step out (oversteer/spin-out).

The key is to not panic if you screw up, think it through, and understand what the vehicle is doing and telling you. If you need to swerve to avoid something on pavement, give the maximum circle of traction to each step of your swerve. Brake first to transfer weight forwards, release the brakes and steer away from the hazard, straighten out and brake again to retransfer the weight forwards, then steer to grab the next lane (so you don't run off the road) straightened out again and then brake to a stop. It seems like a lot of work and steps, but realize the alternative is sliding into something/someone, or rolling over.

Even for you guys with ABS trucks, you should still learn threshold braking, the point of maximum braking force before the tires start to slip/scrub - this is even before ABS kicks in when the wheels stop spinning from being locked up. You need to know how far you can push your brakes.

I'd rather know what the vehicle CAN DO, than have my vehicle protect me from what it can't do. It's my opinion that the modern safety systems are quickly relieving the interest and concern of the driver to the hazards and responsibilities of driving...

As a full-time driving instructor, this is EXCELLENT!!

Full ABS brake engagement will take a longer distance to come to a stop than threshold braking; a popular myth is that ABS engagement will stop you on a dime, that is NOT true!

Always know where your escape route is; typically your open blind spot (unoccupied blind spot) is your escape route, so if you have to immediately brake & steer to avoid hitting someone, this will typically use your open (unoccupied) blind spot.

Outstanding post!!! Thank you!

 

[peteybabes]

As a full-time driving instructor, this is EXCELLENT!!

Full ABS brake engagement will take a longer distance to come to a stop than threshold braking; a popular myth is that ABS engagement will stop you on a dime, that is NOT true!

Always know where your escape route is; typically your open blind spot (unoccupied blind spot) is your escape route, so if you have to immediately brake & steer to avoid hitting someone, this will typically use your open (unoccupied) blind spot.

Outstanding post!!! Thank you!

Brings me back to my classes i have taken for defensive driving at Mid-Ohio School

 

[rhurey]

i run two cameras in my car facing front and rear, i need one on the truck asap.

what cameras can handle 24v? (regarding mike929's post)

Might be easier to look for something USB powered and find a 24V to USB unit. Wider selection.

I'm currently battling the 2nd round of a Pyle system that's not working right, so I can't recommend even though the first round was likely my fault.

 

[o1951]

I run a camera system on the front of my daily driver these days. I have managed to brake and/or avoid multiple bad drivers so far, but it feels good to have video that shows what happened if I can't brake fast enough or avoid the bad driver.

If you like it, please post what you are running.

 

[John S-B]

Sunroofs are like vacuum cleaners, when cars begin to roll. I don't know why but I've seen more people "exit the vehicle" via them then any other window. He's extremely lucky you were there to apply pressure and control his movements. Too often individuals, in shock, wander off and get struck by passing vehicles or are difficult for EMTs to locate and quickly render aid to.

Well that's kinda why they have seat belts.....

 

[John S-B]

Driver inattention, excessive speed, no seatbelts=bad juju.

A state trooper buddy of mine told me that he had never been to a wreck with a fatality where the seat belts were in use. With the air bags they have now and the high speed restraint systems in cars today it is stupid not to use seat belts.

I've been on wrecks where the seat were in use, and the occupant still died. Sometimes there's just too much momentum for a human body to handle. And I've seen some of the older door mounted seat belts release the occupant when the door was popped open from a severe impact.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

REPEATING: Distracted Driving Kills

Yup....
Distracted Driving Kills alright.

Here's a common sequence of events....

1. Distracted driving.

2. Sudden situational awareness WITHOUT time or inclination to think before reacting.

3. OVERCORRECTION ! ! !

4. Vehicle and occupants attempt to defy the LAWS OF INERTIA.....

5. SPONTANEOUS Vehicle ROLLOVER as rotated vehicle, still with momentum along the same line of travel, is now sideways to that direction of travel when the tires reestablish traction causing vehicle to begin flipping.

6. Protective Cabin Design FAILURE and resulting loss of protective value and EJECTION of unrestrained persons and property.

7. DEATH, Dismemberment, and Destruction......

Now for the visual of all that........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHFsmsGPDVc



And now, in a larger vehicle similar to our LARGE MV's......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA4Pw-UnycU

How about the INSIDE EXPERIENCE.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rww9oFNoNi8

Any questions???






Carry on. -----> AFTER you fasten your seatbelts and secure all loose items in the cabin.

 

[infidel got me]

Hopefully an eye opener for non wearing seatbelt drivers
Thanks
WILL

 

[m1010plowboy]

With all of our modern conveniences designed to make life easier for everyone, the phone is a killer. I understand the comms addiction while running a business with around 3000 minutes a month on a mobile since the 1990's. Distracted drivers are risking other people's lives and the crazy part is.....they are oblivious to it until a split second before impact. They don't even know we're there.....It's the dumbest disconnect from societal responsibilities we've ever observed....and it's not getting better.

It takes a special person to perform aid on an accident victim so the driver is lucky you were there. Not everyone can do that. The bleeders don't express enough how much we appreciate the clotters being nearby when we need you....so Thank You.

The studies are saying it's a wide demographic that feel entitled or capable of performing phone tasks while driving. Money seems to make folks think they are more entitled to do that so wealthy folks drive distracted more than the middle money makers. Rich might make ya dummer.

I say drivers....and you know who you are..... need to band together, commit to sharing the "focus on the drive" awareness campaign and convince anyone in our circle of influence to "focus on the drive until you arrive". If we're texting or calling someone while we know they are driving we should insist they call us back, text or twitter only when they are off the road and not driving. We can all start a campaign by insisting our loved ones grab a brain while in vehicle.

This is a young girl with a baby on-board. It's so moronic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=59&v=mCfryLyyUEQ

If she was focused....she would have looked at the bulge in the tires of the tractor trailer as she passed, estimated it's weight and returned to the right lane once the calculated stopping distance of the semi was determined. Had she been focused she would have placed the right wheel of her car just inside the solid line and maintained that lane positioning while using maximum eye-lead time to avoid hazards ahead.....while constantly monitoring the closing and departing rates of the vehicles behind her...and allowing maximum spatial separation possible.


Had the video vehicle added a margin of spatial separation he could have avoided the second incident. We all need to pass our survival driving skills down to our kids so I'm committed to leaving the phone in the pocket and I'll call ya back when I stop for gas....

Anyone else committed to a campaign to "Focus on the Drive"? Put the phones down while behind the wheel, permanently?

It would look real good in the Steel Soldier monthly when a thousand big green historical MV collectors commit to a "Drive to Survive campaign for the 21st Century".

I personally commit to eliminating phone distractions at anytime I'm in the care and control of a vehicle.

 

[rhurey]

The video's private and can't be viewed.

 

[m1010plowboy]

That's probably a good thing....got me going....and on our Thanksgiving long weekend too.....I need a drink.

Here's a back up video.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aba_1444591593



I just checked and it appears the liveleak video got pulled and the youtube video can't be viewed even after signing up. My apologies.

Here's the concept

...goin' good.....goin' good....drift over the line.....over-correct........squeel squeel............BANG.

 

[BnaditCorps]

My dad is a fire captain, and all to many times has he told me that he has rolled up on an accident and just looked at it and knew the person was DOA. It is sad, but it is what they are trained to do. When I graduate high school it will either be the Navy or a Fire Fighter I think. Sad part is many of those who die are drunk, or on the phone. My school has had 7-10 die in the past 4 years due to car accidents that could have been prevented.
DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE
DON'T USE THE PHONE AND DRIVE

DO HAVE SOMEONE PICK YOU UP OR STAY THE NIGHT
DO WAIT TIL YOU STOP TO SEND THAT TEXT, AND IF IT IS URGENT, PLEASE PULL OVER AND DO IT.

 

[tim292stro]

...Here's a back up video...
...goin' good.....goin' good....drift over the line.....over-correct........squeel squeel............BANG.

Here's a replacment video from a US news outlet:

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/shocking-videos-show-teen-drivers-moments-crash-29917238

Or the popular UK PSA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0LCmStIw9E

 

[m1010plowboy]

Here's a quick 2 second distraction that ruined the day for a few people. He looked down for 2 seconds. No gore, just a great rear camera shot of how fast it happens. The only thing more embarrassing would be leaning your crotch against a wet bathroom counter then walking around a large conference room full of people.

It happens so fast.

Skip in 5...4...3...2....1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFL_79xb5ao

Edmonton Police handed out over 5000 Distracted Driving tickets last year. At a red light, we look like a bunch of chickens. The youth, head down pecking, then looking around quickly, to see who's looking...and the old buzzards, head flapping back and forth looking to stare down the rebels.....then complain to other buzzards how bad it is.

Stats say women are now in the lead and have proven that they have better dexterity than men.

If you knew the cash was going to flow, you were right.

""""""""""""""86,000 tickets and with 27,417 convictions in 2014/2015 alone, the province is pocketing nearly $5 million annually off the $172 per-ticket offence, according to statistics provided by Alberta's justice and transportation ministries.""""""""""""""""

http://www.metronews.ca/news/calgar...-making-millions-from-distracted-tickets.html

Here's a healthy campaign that started on the left side of the map. Drop it and Drive is spelled with saliva inside my windshield.

http://dropitanddrive.com/

Still waiting for 2015 stats but this is the Alberta specific stats page.
We've had 300,000 new drivers licensed in Alberta since 2011. An increase of 10% of all drivers for a joyous total of 3 million drivers with 650,000 of them in my City.

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/3119.htm

These guys are behind for 2015 as well........however, here is where we find the state by state stats.

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/STSI/USA WEB REPORT.HTM

We hope everyone has a good story, at the end of every road trip and driving adventure.

 

[m1010plowboy]

The trucking industry is complaining about distracted drivers and some big PSA's Public Service Announcements will be rolling out to the press in 2016.

The big complaint is "unexpected driver action in expected conditions". The big trucks are typically slowing down long before they get to any Red Light and timing the traffic movement so they don't lose momentum. There are many reports of 'autos' not moving at green lights and this causes big problems for loaded rigs. "Anticipating driver behavior is more difficult these days and we want to notify the public that we need their help".

Adding some safety tips to the thread might help the reader in different traffic scenarios so if you've developed some new habits when dealing with traffic these days, post them up. A Tim Horton's trucker told me today that he just relaxes, keeps his head on a swivel and enjoys the day.

Increased Situational Awareness

Instead of looking down in the vehicle while stopped at an intersection, it is advised that you continue to monitor all vehicle movement within sight including;

Direction of Travel
Closing and departing rates
Potential accident scenarios
Potential Escape Routes

......and anything that is coming up behind you. This isn't my video but it's so worth the lesson. These are non-life threatening injuries, that's why we get to see it......and they were lucky today.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3bf_1456527527

 

[silverstate55]

What most people don't realize is the importance of looking ahead to take advantage of the power of their peripheral vision...the peripheral vision shows you everything between you & where your eyes are looking, most importantly it shows you where it's safe to go (open lanes, where a vehicle will fit, etc...).

BUT, peripheral vision only exists at your line-of-sight and below...there is no effective peripheral vision above your line-of-sight. So when you drop your vision to look at your phone or other distractions, you lose all peripheral vision. This is what I call the "Oh Crap Vision," as when you drop your vision (look down) you fail to see the brake lights come on in front of you until the last minute when it's too late to stop, and when you look up just in time to see the front of your vehicle impact the stopped vehicle in front of (and you usually utter something along the lines of "Oh crap").

Worse, dropping your vision increases your reaction time ("lag time"). NHTSA defines reaction time as an average of 1.5-seconds; meaning if you are driving a normal passenger car/light truck, at 45mph your reaction time will cause you to cover at least 100 feet (around 98 feet actually, but close enough), before you ever start braking. That means if you drop your vision and then look up just as you enter an intersection, you will travel through most or all of that intersection before you ever get on the brakes...then a lot longer distance to actually stop, which means you are part of the problem that caused you to brake in the first place. And you won't have a clue where your escape route is, so you won't even be able to brake-and-steer around the problem via your escape route.

Studies have shown that around 80% of collisions/accidents/etc... in urban areas happen in/at/around intersections. This makes intersections the most dangerous part of urban roadways....so NEVER distract yourself as you approach an intersection. Most potential hazards appear at no more than a 45-degree angle from the driver's view; that is, if your angle of vision is at least 45-degrees forward, you should be able to see the majority of hazards in front of you (think the vehicle perpendicular to your direction of travel, as it approaches a stop sign and shows no sign of slowing...that should trigger a warning from most drivers, and we start waiting for the front end to dip down as the driver applies the brakes...if this doesn't show, we expect that driver to blow through the stop sign and we are already braking to avoid having this idiot slam into us. In other words, basic defensive driving). If you are looking ahead, and scanning slightly across your windshield so that your vision covers from the left A-pillar to the rear-view mirror (or across the driver's side windshield pane in military vehicles), if you extend that vision outwards as far as you can, you are already scanning at more than 45-degrees. It doesn't take much, and yet you are already a safer driver by just that little bit of scanning and extending your vision ahead.

 

[m1010plowboy]

2 second glance

On Dec. 1st, 2015, this fine young lady, my Mother, was hit in the drivers door at low speeds. The other driver didn't see her, pulled out at a T intersection....and tapped the door. Damage was light but the insurance tried to write it off. We battled for almost 3 months, won, ... and this is the first time she saw it after we made them return it to its original glory.

Even a small incident like this put her out of a vehicle most of the winter so let's focus on the drive and stop running into each other. Tomorrow is her Birthday, March 12th. Together, her and pops will be 176. She just passed all the tests to drive for another two years so watch out for Grannie!



This Public Service Announcement PSA is "New" and Irish based I think, God Love'em mate. The 2 second glance. It's a good message, "What are you Missing".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf9Jw4xZY-s

 

[m1010plowboy]

9 seconds to rollover.

This incident starts at 53 seconds when the intelligent young chap takes his eyes off the road. 9 seconds later it's already too late to fix the drift over the edge of the pavement. 9 seconds to dead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MKsXS--yA