Autocross Columns

Corona Roads

The virus has focused us on what is important. It has also amplified the true nature of just about everything and everyone. Bless the healthcare first responders and those that need to show up in-person to keep things ticking along as best as possible. For us other people, thank you for doing your part by minimizing your outside activities. Working from home, or forcing yourself to catch up on “home” work is a pretty small sacrifice to reduce further spread of the pandemic and to hasten the return to the new normal, whatever that may be. It also is a respectful way to not risk further strain on the emergency response systems and people that have more important things to think about.

Show your good judgment to make up for those that don’t on the Corona Roads!

This has led to a new phenomenon. I call it “Corona Roads”. It’s a whole different driving experience now on the roads. Driving has been significantly changed. The most obvious change is that roads have less than half the usual amount of traffic. The “open” road is truly open again!

Corona Roads have amplified and bifurcated the demonstration of driving skills, or lack thereof. On the one hand, good drivers seem to be in the majority and are using the extra space to increase their stopping distance. This is the best way to minimize the chance you will be tangled in other’s mistakes. It also allows a much better look ahead with all of the benefits that flow from it. On the other hand, drivers with poor driving skills are now more obvious and more emboldened. They see the open road as their big opportunity to have fun on the roads while the first responders’ attention seems diverted.

The internet and even the nightly news have captured a few of the more famous acts of stupidity. One car clocked at 164 mph on a highway. Another, sadly a Carrera GT in NYC, was captured flying into a car parked on the side of the city street. Weissach’s fine engineering saved this talentless driver’s life. It also showed how amazing the carbon fiber chassis was when the car started to drive away, albeit on three wheels. But in today’s camera-rich world he didn’t get far. Sad that such a great car was wrecked by a stupid, self-indulgent person and that it may taint the perception of other Porsche drivers by association.

Look ahead…and watch for the next autocross event to safely learn Better Driving…Faster!

In a more local incident in central CT, just this week I witnessed similar skill-less driving first hand. A pick-up truck doing 30+ mph more than traffic flow tried to squeeze into an impossibly small “gap” while weaving through the sparse traffic. This forced the adjoining car to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid a certain crash. The pick-up had no chance, and no plan-B. Only by the alertness of the other driver did the pick-up yahoo avoid a trip to the ER and all ended well. Validating use of my 1,000 yard view, I saw the whole thing coming and was finalizing my outs, that I thankfully didn’t need to execute.   

Do your part for road safety as a walker or cyclist, and watch for those that don’t.

Another change on the Covid Roads; walkers and bicyclists that apparently have never tried these forms of exercise before are all over the place and are blissfully unaware of road safety. Around every curve, these newbies seem to enjoy dressing in deer-fur colored clothing and positioning themselves (or their dog) in the middle of the lane. Because of the sparse traffic they, like resurgent wildlife, have decided that the middle of the road is now their rightful place. They seem to have forgotten that cars hitting their camouflaged selves would be a bad thing, especially now. As a neon wearing, single-file road walker; and as an avid neon wearing, blinking light-toting, and rear-view mirror using, bicyclist; I wish these newbies would realize the importance of their role in road safety. Getting hit by one of these skill-less yahoo drivers would likely have a worse outcome than getting Covid19. For the rest of us that pride ourselves on learning and practicing good driving skills, including judgment, please be extra aware the next time you drive.

State police have recently become aware of the poor judgment being displayed and have significantly stepped up their presence on highways. On a recent trip for essentials I saw no less than 8 cruisers on a short stretch of highway, some only 1/2 mile and 2 miles apart. Judgment, an essential driving skill, is more important now than ever.

Learning better driving is the foundation of who we are as a club. Learn “Better Driving…Faster!” at an autocross event. Refine these skills further at a DE event. Both of these activities will resume when we can safely comply with the latest Covid guidelines. We have spent many hours thinking of how to best do that. Until then, please exercise your driving skills, including good judgment, and pay extra attention for camouflaged walkers and cyclists, and those intent on demonstrating their lack of skill on the highways!

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