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Date:         Fri, 23 Sep 2005 07:07:23 -0700
Reply-To:     Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Subject:      Re: Road rage cause--Diesel powered vanagons - Driving Slow
In-Reply-To:  <002a01c5bffd$b7c72540$650fa8c0@ibmlaptopt23def>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

On 22 Sep 2005 at 22:14, Doug in Calif <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET> wrote:

> Very interesting topic. > The thing I like most about vanagons is they seem to give permission to go > slow.

I've noticed that many drivers feel this gives *them* permission to pull in front of us, regardless of the speed we are *actually* going. In other cases, drivers will continually do whatever it takes to pass me on winding 2 lane roads, even though they have been unable to keep up with my Westy on the curves for the last several miles, and only catch up by doing well over the speed limit on the straights. I am then forced to brake and lose momentum on every corner just like all the other morons, or simply pull off and make a cup of coffee... ;-) Roads such as Hwy 3 in BC come to mind here - one of the nicest roads to drive when it's not busy, but quite the opposite during peak season.

> A therory that was shared in one of my traffic school attendences (yup) was > that people do not like > to drive behind anything that blocks their forward view.. A large RV or > vanagon even if going fast enough > will not let them see around you well. I agree and notice that when in my > small sports car I am often permitted to > get in front of many other drivers compared to the vanagon.

I agree this theory has some merit, but will suggest a counterpoint: by letting a larger vehicle travel *at a safe distance* in front of you, you are making them the buffer between some dangerous situation and yourself. Being larger and with better forward visibility, they are more likely to either brake and avoid it, or survive the impact if unable to avoid it. In either case, you will have plenty of warning to avoid being involved. I have seen this principle in action several times - once, a deer jumped in front of a logging truck ahead of me, and was hit. (unfortunately, the truck braked and swerved, almost losing control). The deer actually jumped from a rock ledge above the road, and had I been there, might have come through my windshield. Another time, the Westy ahead of me was hit on a curvy pass in the rain by a car crossing the centre line. There was one car ahead of me, then the Westy. The car ahead narrowly missed being involved, and because he was tailgating the Westy, had little time to react. I saw the crash coming well ahead of the car, and had plenty of time to slow down. In this case, the car would have been much worse off had he been in the Westy's place.

Just my 2c

Shawn Wright http://zuiko.sls.bc.ca/~swright '85 Jetta D '88 Westy 1.6TD 5 speed (see progress at http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesels) '82 Diesel Westy


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