Driving habits of rural folk

[Sigarms]

Wifey and I are just back from a week sight seeing and cruising the back roads of north central PA where she is from. Eaglesmere area and everywhere around. Unbelievably beautiful country. Anyway... had to take 81 N from SW Virginia up to Harrisburg PA where we peeled off and followed the Susquehanna River north. For those of you who don't know, 81 is through the mountains the whole way. I started out using my adaptive cruise, but the down side is it keeps an appropriate safe following distance from the vehicle in front; thereby allowing at least two or three morons to pull into that space. After that for an hour I just took it off cruise and ran the pedal.

I pick up 81N about 90 mintues south of you from I-77, but I've found the Edelweiss restaurant one of the better places for lunch or dinner when I use to drive about 60 minutes north of Harrisburg to visit my father (even though it's a German restaurant really like the Cod after my wife tried it one time) .

Lunch Specialties Staunton, VA - European Restaurant Staunton, VA

The owner has a pretty remarkable treehouse, as I finally met him one time with my boys stopping, and he was gracious enough to give me a personal tour. Very nice man.

Honestly, with all the traffic on 81, I could never seem to use CC to my satisfaction.

 

[Jstpssng]

Both 225 and 227 are largely imagination. Modern CC does not act that way. As for going down hills and having to hit the brake. You have to do that wihtout CC also and there is no need to 'recalibrate' the CC, just puch ="resume"

I grew up learning to drive on 3 and 4 speed crash box vehicles (36 Plymount)_ and 34 Chev tone and half truck. I won't even look at a verhicle that does not have CC.

Up hills CC will maintain speed with out loosing more that 1 mph when it shifts and on todays highways thare are not very many that require a downsift and than only from 6th to 5th or so. Downhill CC will kick out if you touch the brakes, hit resume at the bottomand you are ack at your desired speed. As for varying speed in traffic? You have the same probvlem CC or not.

There is no valid reason for not using CC except dense traffic or bad weather conditions.

Or because they don't choose to.
When my 2018 is on cruise it does a pretty good job of engine braking on the lesser hills. Of course by the standards of those to the west, lesser hills is all that we have here.

I will never have a vehicle like that either.

Never say never.

I've heard the argument about features making people worse drivers about everything from 4wd to bigger vehicles and now about cruise control. Yet the highways are safer now than they were 30 years ago... even though the speed limit is no longer set at 55. The oft heard comment which drive me nuts though is "I'm going to buy my kid a big (SUV, pickup, Sherman tank...) because I know they'll be a bad driver and I want them protected. What about the bozo that your kid hits?

 

[Sigarms]

I've heard the argument about features making people worse drivers about everything from 4wd to bigger vehicles and now about cruise control. Yet the highways are safer now than they were 30 years ago... even though the speed limit is no longer set at 55. The oft heard comment which drive me nuts though is "I'm going to buy my kid a big (SUV, pickup, Sherman tank...) because I know they'll be a bad driver and I want them protected. What about the bozo that your kid hits?

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but remember, technolgy/communication along with response time with medical care has come a long way which adds to the variables to the survival rate in auto crashes in "todays times".

 

[Industrial Toys]

The general population of drivers with little or no knowledge or interest in basic physics or how vehicles work, and no interest in THINKING for themselves, cannot possibly be good drivers, if you ask me.

 

[bcp]

The general population of drivers with little or no knowledge or interest in basic physics or how vehicles work, ....

Reminds me of people who try to drive like the "Dukes of Hazzard," especially off-road.

From:
General Lee (car) - Wikipedia

History

Although the estimated number of General Lees used varies from different sources, according to former cast member Ben Jones ("Cooter" in the show), as well as builders involved with the show, 325 General Lees were used to film the series. Others claim about 255 were used in the series. Approximately 17 still exist in various states of repair. On average, more than one General Lee was used up per show. When filming a jump, anywhere from 500 to 1,000 pounds (230 to 450 kg) of sand bags or concrete ballast was placed in the trunk to prevent the car from nosing over. Later in the series the mechanics would raise the front end of the car to keep it from scraping against the ramp causing it to lose speed, thereby providing a cushion for the driver upon landing. Stunt drivers report enjoying the flights but hating the landings. Despite the ballast, the landing attitude of the car was somewhat unpredictable, resulting in moderate to extremely violent forces, depending on how it landed. On many of the jumps the cars bent upon impact. All cars used in large jumps were immediately retired due to structural damage.


Bruce

 

[strantor]

The general population of drivers with little or no knowledge or interest in basic physics or how vehicles work, and no interest in THINKING for themselves, cannot possibly be good drivers, if you ask me.

I agree. I think our drivers education and licensing program in the USA is too inclusive. An alarming amount of drivers on our roads are not sufficiently intelligent to be entrusted with public safety while piloting a 6,000lb SUV at 70mph. It is much harder to get a drivers license in some other countries, and we might do well to draw some inspiration from them.

 

[MossRoad]

On long trips if I don't use CC my leg and butt get very tired and my sciatic nerve sometimes gets aggravated.

Found that in the uhaul in the high wind with no CC. My right foot and ankle got tired.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Funny when you consider the absurdity of it. Anyone who jumps anything, does a lot of measuring and calculations. Guess those Duke boys never went that far in school. But hey, it always worked out for them, and Daisy in the back seat! lol I don't think they ever even spoke of wearing their OEM lap belt. Or suggesting, other occupents may want to put theirs on.


The brain is a "THINKING" organ and must be excercised. Otherwise it becomes useless.

 

[MossRoad]

Reminds me of people who try to drive like the "Dukes of Hazzard," especially off-road.

From:
General Lee (car) - Wikipedia

History

Although the estimated number of General Lees used varies from different sources, according to former cast member Ben Jones ("Cooter" in the show), as well as builders involved with the show, 325 General Lees were used to film the series. Others claim about 255 were used in the series. Approximately 17 still exist in various states of repair. On average, more than one General Lee was used up per show. When filming a jump, anywhere from 500 to 1,000 pounds (230 to 450 kg) of sand bags or concrete ballast was placed in the trunk to prevent the car from nosing over. Later in the series the mechanics would raise the front end of the car to keep it from scraping against the ramp causing it to lose speed, thereby providing a cushion for the driver upon landing. Stunt drivers report enjoying the flights but hating the landings. Despite the ballast, the landing attitude of the car was somewhat unpredictable, resulting in moderate to extremely violent forces, depending on how it landed. On many of the jumps the cars bent upon impact. All cars used in large jumps were immediately retired due to structural damage.


Bruce

As I've mentioned before, in most places, roundabouts reduce accident rates. Here, they went up, and more than one witness has said "It looked just like the Dukes of Hazard".

 

[Industrial Toys]

I find them a bit scary, even out in the country. You just don't know how things are going to turn out. It's a lot of data to process in a short period of time.