Black ice causes pileup - GIF

[Crusty]

I learned to drive in a beat up '40 Ford pickup out in a 5 acre pasture. All I was told was to stay in the pasture, stay under 30 and if it starts bucking the only way to stop it is to push in the clutch. After a couple of hours I started to figure out how to operate it and my driving got better. I got my license at 14 but I had been driving back roads for years before that.

[Ralphxyz]

Unbelievable that there was a stopped car well before the pile up, and people did not even slow down.

[Frank S]

I learned to drive in a beat up '40 Ford pickup out in a 5 acre pasture. All I was told was to stay in the pasture, stay under 30 and if it starts bucking the only way to stop it is to push in the clutch. After a couple of hours I started to figure out how to operate it and my driving got better. I got my license at 14 but I had been driving back roads for years before that.

I got my license at 14 as well Growing up on a farm us kids were driving and operating things from the time we were big enough to reach all the pedals and strong enough to pull all of the leavers. The county judge gave me my first driving permit. We had loaded a load of lumber and plywood to be taken to Colorado to one of my uncles farms, Grandpa had to go to the hospital dad was out on the road somewhere working on someone's truck everyone else had jobs they couldn't take time off from so I told the black smith where I worked that I would be gone a few days on farm business I hopped in grandpa's B model Mack and took off for Co. My uncle couldn't believe I had made the trip by myself but was glad I had. After unloading we loaded the trailer with things that needed brought to Texas. I made it all the way back to Decater Tx. when the County Sherriff saw me and pulled me over to ask my reason for being alone as anytime he had ever seen me in the truck either driving or riding my dad or grandpa had been in the truck. After my explanation about our situation to him he hauled me to the county judge where the sheriff and the judge decided it was best I be issued a hardship license them knowing our family farm's business took precedence over good sense. until 6 years ago I had never held a regular operators license I had always had a chauffer's or a Class A

[Frank S]

Unbelievable that there was a stopped car well before the pile up, and people did not even slow down.

There was no app on their phone to tell them to slow down

[olderdan]

My late father always held the opinion that everyone should have pass their motorcycle test before the car test and I dont mean with ABS and traction control, nothing else prepares you better for reading the road and traffic conditions and what travelling at 70 + mph actually feels like. After 50 years on two wheels I still look out for pot holes, manhole covers, white lines etc when car driving. Modern drivers seem to think they are immune from outside conditions. I agree that the present driving test is woefully inadequate and a lot of the self employed driving instructors that I encounter could do with a few lessons themselves. This from a UK prospective.

[mklotz]

Certainly, better driver education is needed, but...

Most of the modern improvements are here to stay. You'll never see cars sold without ABS and backup cameras just as you'll never see manual chokes and vacuum-powered wipers again.

If you want people to learn to drive without these features because of some anticipated apocalyptic event, then start with everyone learning to drive a stick shift since those will be the type of vehicles to survive the EMP or whatever you're expecting.

The average airhead wildly clutching and finger-farking his fone is so incompetent the idea of him smoothly shifting or double clutching is real, honest to Zeus, ROTFLMAO material.

[Frank S]

My late father always held the opinion that everyone should have pass their motorcycle test before the car test and I dont mean with ABS and traction control, nothing else prepares you better for reading the road and traffic conditions and what travelling at 70 + mph actually feels like. After 50 years on two wheels I still look out for pot holes, manhole covers, white lines etc when car driving. Modern drivers seem to think they are immune from outside conditions. I agree that the present driving test is woefully inadequate and a lot of the self employed driving instructors that I encounter could do with a few lessons themselves. This from a UK prospective.

I don't know how the UK 2 wheel test is now but I remember years ago you had either 2 or 3 size class permits I seem to remember there was 1 for the small scooter class then the large bike class and possibly an intermediate of around 250 cc . Watching a friend taking the slow roll maneuvering test on a single cylinder 500cc BSA was a trip in itself

[Frank S]

Certainly, better driver education is needed, but...

Most of the modern improvements are here to stay. You'll never see cars sold without ABS and backup cameras just as you'll never see manual chokes and vacuum-powered wipers again.

If you want people to learn to drive without these features because of some anticipated apocalyptic event, then start with everyone learning to drive a stick shift since those will be the type of vehicles to survive the EMP or whatever you're expecting.

The average airhead wildly clutching and finger-farking his fone is so incompetent the idea of him smoothly shifting or double clutching is real, honest to Zeus, ROTFLMAO material.

Un fortunately you are correct Marv. ABS has its points both good and bad for an experienced long time attentive driver it is not necessarily the best braking feature ever invented. the feature can and will help avoid trouble in some weather conditions. but can and will get an inexperienced driver in just as much trouble as they would find themselves in had their vehicle not been so equipped. There is nothing wrong with backup cameras especially when trying to hook up to a trailer you have not previously towed. beyond that the only reason for them that I can see is to monitor those idiots who have a need to drive right against your back bumper in cars so small that they don't show up in your side view mirrors. These Kryptonite Zenon radon or whatever Led headlamps that allow a driver to see 20 miles down the road warrant a load of 00buck shot to each one when you meet someone on a 2 lane road at night. No matter when they remember to dim their lights if they even do so without the vehicle doing it automatically the on coming driver has already had their night vision ruined miles before they even near the oncoming vehicle. And it should be illegal to retrofit them to an older vehicle unless they are properly adjusted by a machine.
Sadly stick shift is becoming increasingly hard to get in a newer vehicle Even in Semi trucks there are more automatics being sold than standards Almost none of the LT truck manufactures even offer them in their pickups any more

[NeiljohnUK]

The air bag may even be more deadly than the spike though

If it launches their mobile device into their face possibly.

[old kodger]

I am a firm believer that everyone should have to learn to drive in the most beat up nearly wore out vehicle that can be obtained it should just barely be road worthy with tires that will only squeak by a safety check no power brakes no power steering no Air-conditioning no heater no automatic transmission a sticky clutch. the brakes should pull slightly to the right one time and to the left the next time but not enough that they will fail a safety insp. and above all no radio. They should practice on rural streets until they are confident to drive to the nearest small town and work their way up to city driving but before they are allowed behind the wheel for the first time they need ride in a Semi on the highway and in the city for a few days while listening to a driver who has been driving heavy haul over dimensional for several years He will ask them questions along the way to insure they are observant enough to be allowed behind the wheel of a vehicle. I did this for both of my daughters. for my oldest I had her ride in the truck with me while I had a D9 cat on the trailer we drove around the Streets of Dallas for 8 hours one day You don't want to know how much I spent on the permit and the argument I went through with the permit agency. She is 48 now and has never been ticketed or been involved in an accident which was her fault My youngest is 44 with nearly the same driving record she has to drive over 140 miles to work and back every day because she loves where she lives and loves teaching at the school she has been teaching at for 19 years so she has some speeding violations

Hey, go easy Frank, sounds like you're describing my fourby.