🚀 go-pugleaf

Rahul Dhesi wrote:

>In <3667f59e.247807519@news.powersurfr.com> grimrod@mindless.moc
>(Brandon Sommerville) writes:
>
>>>Thus we have established a correlation between a higher rate of lane
>>>changes and a higher accident rate.  The question now is whether there
>>>is a causation.  I contend that *something* is causing the higher
>>>accident rate...
>
>>The *something* that is causing higher accident rates is inattention.
>>Changing lanes in and of itself is not a dangerous situation, provided
>>you are aware of traffic around you.  Should you change lanes without
>>bothering to check for other vehicles you are rolling the dice.
>
>So are you claiming that drivers who change lanes more often are on the
>average less attentive than drivers who stay in the same lane?

Only if you are desperately trying to prove a flawed hypothesis.

Drivers that change lanes frequently are often doing it to avoid
another driver who isn't paying attention to his surroundings.  

That could be simply an inattentive driver moving into a space
occupied by another car.  In that case the attentive driver makes two
lane changes, one to avoid, one to return to the lane, where the
inattentive driver makes one change.  

Another case is a driver not paying attention to his rear view mirror
and failing to yield to a faster vehicle.  The attentive driver makes
two lane changes to pass, the inattentive driver makes none.

As long as you are aware of your surroundings, lane changes are not
dangerous.  When you zone out, lane changes can be suicidal.
-- 
Brandon

"Spoooooooon!"