Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (December 2004, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Wed, 8 Dec 2004 23:28:42 -0600
Reply-To:     Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: 130Mph, or even 90 -- van safety
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=response

> I feel relatively safe in my Vanagon for most driving, with the > exception of the"Head-on" situation. If that situation develops, I > know > there is no satisfactory protection. So I drive very carefully, but > I > recognize that there is always that approaching idiot that might > possibly cross over in front of me. Defensive driving, that's the > ticket.

i've never had an accident in all the years of driving vw buses.

well ... cept for that time i backed into a street light in that parking lot. :)

... and i don't really consider myself to be that good a driver. average. maybe just a tad better now, from experience and just surviving.

and i've thought about it a lot ... i seem to be a statistical anomaly amongst all the folks i know: ALL of them have had an accident during their shorter-than-mine driving careers.

so what's the deal??

well ... NONE of them drive vw buses. not even SUVs. that's Clue #1. and i think that is it. my driving has been helped greatly by sitting up high AND paying attention (defensive driving?). also i was noticing just the other night how much visibility there is in a vanagon. from the driver's seat, that's pretty much a panoramic view out the windshield and side windows ... LOTS of glass. waaaay more than any of the cars the folks at work drive. now, unless you're six foot eight ;) you can make use of all that glass by playing fighter pilot and keeping your head on a swivel ... looking all around all the time. keeping track of the cars around you. helps you stay away from trouble.

and i think that's the key ... staying away from trouble by being able to see it before the other cars do. seeing over the cars in front ... used to be a lot easier before the advent of all the supersized suvs (anybody seen that new nissan Armada!??? makes the ford Expedition look slim!). but the vanagons visibility is still pretty good. and the eurovan is, i think, slightly better. at least, it was noticeable to me when i testdrove them ... especially out the back and sides. in my opinion. ;)

the downside? getting old. i used to be able to keep track of eight cars around me on the highway ... two in front, two behind, and two on each side. nowadays, i can track maybe four. and i really hate it when some speedster comes up on me and i didn't see him til he was about four or five car lengths back. i used to be better than that. getting old sucks, folks. better prepare for it!!

anyway, that's one of the reasons i'm still driving vanagons after 25 years (first vanagon in december of 1979. blue/blue 80 model. :) ...been driving vw buses since november of 1970 when i got out of the army. plus they are really comfortable to me. i don't have to been my knees much to get in and out (and those of you who have NOT added a grab-handle on the driver's side ... lemme tell ya, it really helps!! just be careful, there's wires in there!).

that's my story and i'm sticking to it. :)

unca joel


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.