Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She had fully stopped in a travel lane (and not even the right one) on 495.

Darwin award winner right here. Play stupid games . . .

We have no idea why she stopped. Maybe her car broke down. Maybe she had a medical event. Or yes, maybe she made a wrong turn and wasn't sure what to do. In any event, I have a lot of compassion for this woman whose life was cut short in such a violent manner, and for the others injured and involved in the accident.

She stopped literally feet before the Express and regular lanes ended.

The express lanes do have a shoulder on the right - she was not stopped there. She stopped in the driving lane. Much too coincidental to have been a breakdown or medical issue. She was trying to avoid getting a fine, and it cost her her life - and badly damaged the lives of others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At 60, driver's licenses should be revoked unless they pass yearly tests. This woman sounded like she should not have been driving. At all.

I was at the hospital getting an xray yesterday. There was a very old and frail woman being escorted in a wheelchair. She was at least 85, but easily could have been 90. She was unable to push her wheelchair or navigate the hospital alone. All perfectly fine. I was absolutely shocked to see the hospital attendant (hired security) put her into her own car and watch her drive herself home. She has no business driving. There are buses and services for this exact purpose, one was waiting right by the front of the buidling.

"At least 85, but easily could have been 90" is pretty funny, unintentionally I'm sure.

The reason she can't get around the hospital under her own steam may have absolutely nothing to do with her ability to drive. At that age she probably does drive slower than you, and may even do so in your lane. But that's also perfectly fine.

Hospitals don’t let you wheel yourself if you are admitted. They don’t let you walk out, either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At 60, driver's licenses should be revoked unless they pass yearly tests. This woman sounded like she should not have been driving. At all.

I was at the hospital getting an xray yesterday. There was a very old and frail woman being escorted in a wheelchair. She was at least 85, but easily could have been 90. She was unable to push her wheelchair or navigate the hospital alone. All perfectly fine. I was absolutely shocked to see the hospital attendant (hired security) put her into her own car and watch her drive herself home. She has no business driving. There are buses and services for this exact purpose, one was waiting right by the front of the buidling.

"At least 85, but easily could have been 90" is pretty funny, unintentionally I'm sure.

The reason she can't get around the hospital under her own steam may have absolutely nothing to do with her ability to drive. At that age she probably does drive slower than you, and may even do so in your lane. But that's also perfectly fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tell my teenage driver this every single time we get on the highway.

I did this too when my kid was first driving. With GPS there is zero excuse to ever do this.

Sometimes GPS is the problem. I can't tell you how many times my GPS has told me to travel in the HOV lanes down 395, when the lanes aren't allowing traffic the same direction that I'm going. And the exits are different between the regular lanes and the HOV lanes, so it's constantly trying to convince you to get into the HOV lanes even though it's IMPOSSIBLE.

So GPS does not solve all problems. Being too reliant on it is tricky too. But this area, particularly 495 in VA is complicated driving and sometimes mistakes get you killed. Driving is dangerous.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She had fully stopped in a travel lane (and not even the right one) on 495.

Darwin award winner right here. Play stupid games . . .

We have no idea why she stopped. Maybe her car broke down. Maybe she had a medical event. Or yes, maybe she made a wrong turn and wasn't sure what to do. In any event, I have a lot of compassion for this woman whose life was cut short in such a violent manner, and for the others injured and involved in the accident.

Totally agree

Anonymous wrote:She had fully stopped in a travel lane (and not even the right one) on 495.

Darwin award winner right here. Play stupid games . . .

We have no idea why she stopped. Maybe her car broke down. Maybe she had a medical event. Or yes, maybe she made a wrong turn and wasn't sure what to do. In any event, I have a lot of compassion for this woman whose life was cut short in such a violent manner, and for the others injured and involved in the accident.

Anonymous wrote:This is a message you need to convey to your young drivers in particular.

old drivers are the only ones I've seen do this

Anonymous wrote:I tell my teenage driver this every single time we get on the highway.

I did this too when my kid was first driving. With GPS there is zero excuse to ever do this.

This is a message you need to convey to your young drivers in particular.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tell my teenage driver this every single time we get on the highway.

+1 I literally made my teen practice taking random exits and then finding the signs that indicate how to get back on the highway. After she’d done it at 3 or 4 different exits, she said she’d never realized how easy it would be. Now she really understands that it’s no big deal and she knows what to do.

This is smart.

Anonymous wrote:At 60, driver's licenses should be revoked unless they pass yearly tests. This woman sounded like she should not have been driving. At all.

I was at the hospital getting an xray yesterday. There was a very old and frail woman being escorted in a wheelchair. She was at least 85, but easily could have been 90. She was unable to push her wheelchair or navigate the hospital alone. All perfectly fine. I was absolutely shocked to see the hospital attendant (hired security) put her into her own car and watch her drive herself home. She has no business driving. There are buses and services for this exact purpose, one was waiting right by the front of the buidling.

Anonymous wrote:I tell my teenage driver this every single time we get on the highway.

+1 I literally made my teen practice taking random exits and then finding the signs that indicate how to get back on the highway. After she’d done it at 3 or 4 different exits, she said she’d never realized how easy it would be. Now she really understands that it’s no big deal and she knows what to do.

Anonymous wrote:And I dont understand why it happens when most people are following GPS. It will recalculate

I think GPS is partly why this happens — people don’t actually know or think ahead of where they are going, and if they aren’t paying attention for one second all of a sudden a screen is blaring “recalculating” and they have a jump scare turn they feel they have to take.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tell my teenage driver this every single time we get on the highway.

Me too!

Apparently, it's not covered in Driver's or Behind the Wheel.

I've also modeled missing my turn or not being able to get over to the turn lane so my teen has a visual that it's NBD.

This is a good idea

She had fully stopped in a travel lane (and not even the right one) on 495.

Darwin award winner right here. Play stupid games . . .