4 ms·
The problem here, is that you are half-right. Its localized conditions. No country, much less worldwide, system can account for local anomolies. Where I learne
by justtopost 8y ago
The problem here, is that you are half-right. Its localized conditions. No country, much less worldwide, system can account for local anomolies.
Where I learned to drive, most humans could 'see' black ice by predicting where water will pool, the recent weather, and subtle clues that abound, but are not easily expressable. Any out-of-town'er would surely be spun out or driving 10mph, white-knuckled, aghast at the "maniacs" flying by at normal speeds. While in my college city, I had to relearn everything, as it was rainy, and the drivers hyper agressive, and 15mph faster. The same model would struggle to encompass both modalities.
Until AEB stops accidentally triggering constantly on colleagues cars, I have zero interest in trusting my life to an algo connected to a 300hp steel cage.
- poulsbohemian 8y agoI've often wondered how much of this is hubris or fear vs. physics. What I mean is - are people in say, icy and snowy climates actually better drivers, able to adjust to the conditions, or are they fooling themselves? Likewise, the person going exceptionally slow and cautiously - are they misjudging the actual risk of inclement weather, relative to an actual scientific judgement? It certainly feels like humans become improved drivers through various weather / road condition experiences, but I sometimes find myself wondering whether my gut instincts would align with a scientific approach.
- dbcurtis 8y agoI don’t think they are qualitatively “better drivers”. But they are more experienced at certain things. When I lived in Minnesota, I got lots of practice driving in snow and ice and rain. Now in NorCal, not so much :) Its a skill. You get better with practice. The person going slow probably just hasn’t had enough practice yet with the conditions. Going slow is probably a good choice for them. Am I a better driver overall for knowing how to handle ice? Probably not, but I might be the best person to do the driving under those conditions if everyone else in the car is from warmer climes. I remember standing in line at Minneapolis rental car counter one night when it was snowing an inch an hour with 4 inches on the ground already. Agent to the guys in front of me: “There are chains in the trunk if you need them.” Customer with heavy southern accent: “Chains? What the heck are chains?” I wonder to this day if those guys made it to their hotel.
- justtopost 8y agoI think auto racing has priven there are most certainly qualitively 'better drivers' adjusted for training and experince.
- jerkstate 8y agoAnd learning to drive in the ice and snow is definitely a leg up; in racing (I have heard this in rally and F1) "If you want to win, hire a Finn"
- pps43 8y agoFor some definition of 'better'. I know excellent race drivers who were in rather unfortunate and totally avoidable road accidents.
- singingboyo 8y agoIt's also local, not just general snow/ice/rain. I can figure out where ice will probably be here. If I go north into the interior where it's colder, not quite so humid, and snow collects over longer periods? Not a chance - I don't know the local weather, what patterns there are, what the road maintenance is like, etc. Same deal for where the rain will be bad, where I might need to worry about hydroplaning, etc.
- gmadsen 8y agoI've always been curious what "skills" need to be practiced to drive in the snow. It isn't overly technical. Just don't accelerate or brake too fast and dont turn while you are doing either. If you feel the car start to wobble or fishtail a little, it means you are going too fast. Thats literally all I change, and I have done fine all my life
- pwg 8y agoOne "skill" that very much needs practice is skid recovery (for those eventual times when the car, no matter how careful you are being, will want to skid). It was described in the drivers ed manuals when I got my license, but it is a skill that has to become muscle memory habit (i.e., you don't have time to think "which way do I turn the wheel and how much", you have to "just do"). Without any practice (which was way easier in the 80's with rear wheel drive vehicles) you never got the "touch" down to just turn the wheel the correct direction and amount to recover when the car does start to skid.
- justtopost 8y agoI am confident it is both. As someone who races rallycross for fun, I am sure I am an exeption, but I am oft amazed by ordinary drivers every day when skiing. One cannot discont the psychological factor of feeling 'in control' when the control decides if you or others might die.
- pps43 8y agoPeople in icy and snowy climates are not necessarily better drivers, but usually drive better in ice and snow than people who are rarely exposed to such conditions. It's a skill that can be learned through repetition. They also tend to appreciate the importance of winter tires more. This is anecdotal, but based on a rather large sample of people I know who moved to a nicer climate.
- Spooky23 8y agoThe people in snowy climates who are going slow are the better drivers. Moving isn't the problem, stopping is. Personally, i'd say there's a pecking order from awesome to awful for the median driver in snow as follows: Buffalo/Vermont natives, NYC/Boston, DC Metro/South, Florida/Texas. Likewise, if you're from the Northeast, driving in rain in the southwest is surprisingly hazardous.