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If you drive this way in many parts of CA (especially LA), you will be cut off by a never-ending stream of vehicles. All of this lane-changing, happening right

If you drive this way in many parts of CA (especially LA), you will be cut off by a never-ending stream of vehicles. All of this lane-changing, happening right in front of you, will put you at more risk of collision than simply following at the distance that most cars do. EDIT: I’m curious if this is downvoted by people who have driven in LA and disagree, or people who speculate that this isn’t the case.

ssl-3 2y ago
"Everyone else is doing [insert patently dangerous thing], therefore I must also do it as well!" or "You haven't ever done [insert verb] in [insert geographical placename], therefore your concepts are invalid no matter how much [verbing] you've done elsewhere."
- gnicholas 2y ago
  If it is "patently dangerous" to drive as though it is not the case that "the car in front of you is a brick wall" and that "the distance ... between you and them ...should be greater than the stopping distance of your car to a dead stop", then pretty much every driver I have ever seen in my entire life drives in a patently dangerous way. When perception time is included, this is 5.5 - 6.5 seconds, per a quick web search.
  - nkrisc 2y ago
    Yes, it is dangerous and it’s why most rear-end collisions happen. Fortunately if you’re not going very fast it usually doesn’t result in any serious injury. Yes, most drivers do drive dangerously. Most will get away with it unscathed through luck, but not all. Increase your odds by driving safely even if everyone else isn’t.
    - gnicholas 2y ago
      The thing is, liability (and all negligence) is based on a 'reasonable person standard'. That means that if the jury is comprised of other people who drive in the same way, which you deem dangerous, then they will be adjudicated to be not legally responsible. Also, as I mentioned above, leaving much larger follow distance than other drivers is, in places like LA, not a way to strictly enhance anyone's safety. Even if you leave a normal-ish amount of follow distance, you'll get cut off from time to time. If you leave 6 seconds of follow distance, you will be cut off all the time, which is dangerous for you and for the other drivers.

ssl-3 2y ago

"Everyone else is doing [insert patently dangerous thing], therefore I must also do it as well!" or "You haven't ever done [insert verb] in [insert geographical placename], therefore your concepts are invalid no matter how much [verbing] you've done elsewhere."

gnicholas 2y ago
If it is "patently dangerous" to drive as though it is not the case that "the car in front of you is a brick wall" and that "the distance ... between you and them ...should be greater than the stopping distance of your car to a dead stop", then pretty much every driver I have ever seen in my entire life drives in a patently dangerous way. When perception time is included, this is 5.5 - 6.5 seconds, per a quick web search.
- nkrisc 2y ago
  Yes, it is dangerous and it’s why most rear-end collisions happen. Fortunately if you’re not going very fast it usually doesn’t result in any serious injury. Yes, most drivers do drive dangerously. Most will get away with it unscathed through luck, but not all. Increase your odds by driving safely even if everyone else isn’t.
  - gnicholas 2y ago
    The thing is, liability (and all negligence) is based on a 'reasonable person standard'. That means that if the jury is comprised of other people who drive in the same way, which you deem dangerous, then they will be adjudicated to be not legally responsible. Also, as I mentioned above, leaving much larger follow distance than other drivers is, in places like LA, not a way to strictly enhance anyone's safety. Even if you leave a normal-ish amount of follow distance, you'll get cut off from time to time. If you leave 6 seconds of follow distance, you will be cut off all the time, which is dangerous for you and for the other drivers.