INTJ's: Great drivers?

[INTJoe]

OK, this thread obviously does not concern the Asians. lol j/k :P

But are INTJ's great drivers?

I've always considered myself an outstanding driver, probably top 5% easily. In 12 years I've logged probably around 180,000 miles and been in only one accident, which was not my fault. Going through an intersection in downtown, an 80 year old man ran a red light and hit my rear bumper. And even that one I almost escaped because I saw him, but couldn't accelerate my craptastic 4-cylinder fast enough to escape him.

Anyway, INTJ's are cold, calculating, and purposeful. I wonder if that makes us all great drivers? When an INTJ wants to go from point A to point B, for a good reason, the J will get them there hell, or high-water.

Some examples of my driving skills are weaving in and out of heavy traffic at speeds in excess of 70 mph, while nearly giving my ISTJ girlfriend a heart-attack. As an "N", I feel like I can look up ahead and know which cars are about to switch lanes and what the implications are for me. I also have the ability to know when someone is turning out of a parking lot and our lane is backed up, to leave space for them in front of me so they can pull out. I don't think "S's" are capable of this process.

Since I'm a cold-hearted bastard, I do not care about cutting people off or speeding. Fingers make me laugh! :)

I think I drive similarly to Batman driving his batmobile through Gotham City at exorbitant speeds. :) I've read that ISTP's are the best at operation machinery or mechanical equipment and are most in-tuned with their physical/spatial abilities, so perhaps they are awesome at driving. I don't know enough of them to make a determination.

So...fellow INTJ's...let's hear it. Have you always thought of yourself as good at operating a vehicle, or bad? Maybe I'm an anomoly, but I'm really interested to find out.

- INTJoe

[Kfbr]

I think I'm friggin awesome at driving. Never been in an accident, and always have a plan of action when driving. I know exactly where I'm going and how I'm going to get there before I leave.

If I'm going somewhere I've never been I draw out a map on a napkin using little more than lines and intersection names with it always facing north. Drove my old ISFJ girlfriend fucking crazy. Reminds me of a time I went to drive down to her parents in southern California, we left from Salt Lake City. Two hours into the drive she asked for directions and I whip out a napkin we used at a restaurant from the night before. Haha.. she was so pissed.

I rarely get lost, and get where I'm going faster than most other people. I love to race other people (not indy 500 bullshit, but we both leave the same place at the same time and see who can get somewhere else taking different routes) and clock myself to see which is the fastest route to somewhere.

I do the same thing with picking lanes, I've got it down almost perfect when I switch lanes as to which one will be the fastest. I would surprise my mom as a child when I told her when to switch lanes and why because I took into account where off ramps, bridges, usual cop locations and time of day. We would always be in the fastest moving lane :D

[SMKN LS1]

The easy answer is "YES!" Well, at least in my case - and it sounds like yours, too.

What's best is when you can "morph" into your vehicle like it's an exo-skeleton. That really helps in high-speed activities like road racing and running from the man. Heavy metal also seems to help me concentrate, at the highest possible volume.

[Diana]

Yeah, I think I'm a pretty intuitive driver as well. I believe I'm quite observant when I drive (in comparison to other people I've ridden with), so I'd say I maneuver pretty successfully through areas of congestion. It doesn't happen super often but yeah, I'm guilty of speeding at times, also. Its usually not in ways that puts other drivers in hazardous situations, though.

My dad on the other hand, another INTJ, would rather get somewhere late than to speed. He literally sees the black and white on the sign and won't break it for much of anything. (It was so annoying when I was a teenager...)
Me: "Dad!! I need to be there now! Can't you go any faster?!?!"
Dad: "See that sign? Do you want me to break the law??"

But I gotta hand it to him; he's driven for probably close to 45 years and never had any type of accident or ticket...

[INTJoe]

You're dad sounds like an "S". Or an "N" who just happened to get a lot of tickets as a youngster. lol.

[Henry]

If I recall correctly, 90% of people think they're excellent drivers. "Oh yeah my uber-intjness rocks the world because I uses my intuition and superior mental powers to see things before they happen". If you drive defensively - and that's the best you can do - its probably because you learned from people who weren't DWA themselves and taught you to use your mirrors, use your turn signals, merge on the freeway by speeding up to the rate of traffic and not slamming on your brakes, to not deviate hugely from the speed of other cars, etc. Its highly unlikely that beign INTJ has anything to do with being a good driver; if anything, I can see our tendency to get lost in our own worlds as a very serious risk factor.

[rocksteady]

I can see our tendency to get lost in our own worlds as a very serious risk factor.

Uh, I can vouch for that. I've driven to the wrong places before because I didn't stop to think where i was going, just on autopilot. That being said I'm also usually concentrating pretty intently on interpreting visual data. I drive safe, but don't know how good my instincts would be in a tight situation..

[Henry]

Uh, I can vouch for that. I've driven to the wrong places before because I didn't stop to think where i was going, just on autopilot. That being said I'm also usually concentrating pretty intently on interpreting visual data. I drive safe, but don't know how good my instincts would be in a tight situation..

I have never gotten into an accident, but I can't tell you how many times my mind has been wandering off in space and I almost rear end a car.

[Diana]

You're dad sounds like an "S". Or an "N" who just happened to get a lot of tickets as a youngster. lol.

Hm, good thought...

If I recall correctly, 90% of people think they're excellent drivers. "Oh yeah my uber-intjness rocks the world because I uses my intuition and superior mental powers to see things before they happen". If you drive defensively - and that's the best you can do - its probably because you learned from people who weren't DWA themselves and taught you to use your mirrors, use your turn signals, merge on the freeway by speeding up to the rate of traffic and not slamming on your brakes, to not deviate hugely from the speed of other cars, etc. Its highly unlikely that beign INTJ has anything to do with being a good driver; if anything, I can see our tendency to get lost in our own worlds as a very serious risk factor.

Gosh Henry, way to burst our bubble! Haha- but I think you are right in that there is more than one way to define a "good" driver; some might consider a skillful and manipulative driver (albeit one who may lack courteous and defensive habits -such as a race car driver) to be "good" driver, while others would consider a defensive driver who puts safety for all as a top priority to be a "good" driver as well. Perhaps like you said, the best driver would be one who places safety as top priority and skillfulness second. I'm still kinda figuring out INTJ-ness (at a more elementary level than most here, it seems) so I'm probably not the best one to interpret which type of drivers we by and large would fall into...

[Ian]

INTJoe sounds like one of the worst drivers on the road; dangerous and proud of it.

The ones who are the best drivers are controlled, calculating, plan well ahead and expect everyone else on the road to drive like morons. Do this, and there is no need to cut people up, weave through traffic at 70mph. Not 'outstanding, in my view, just lucky not to have killed yourself or anyone else.

As much as you like to think yourself 'remote' and uncaring, take a few moments to consider how you would feel if you killed or seriously injured someone; proud to have put a stranger (or even someone you care about) in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives? I know I wouldn't be.

[INTroJect]

Umm. No way for me. My 10 year 'driving life' has been a long series of car accidents and tickets. Maybe I should start a new thread "INTJ's: Great at not getting injured in car accidents?" The number of accidents range somewhere more than 5 and less than 10 and likely closer to 10, I dont feel like thinking back and adding all of them up. Plus maybe 4 or 5 tickets for speeding, driving dangerously and ignoring a stop sign.

However, thanks to our pragmatic INTJ mind, after sustaining a small cut on my right big toe from a peice of shattered glass in the last accident, I gave up on automobiles and have been walking as many as 10 miles a day to get to and from work, sometimes Ill get lazy and take the bus. The added benefit has been excellent health and saving thousands of dollars in transportation costs. For $34 (1 tank of gas?) I get a bus pass for the whole month, most of the time it takes me everywhere I want to go. Maybe end up having to pay a $12 cab fare once a month.

[INTJoe]

INTJoe sounds like one of the worst drivers on the road; dangerous and proud of it.



I should add that I've saved myself from at least 5 accidents over the years that would have been entirely caused by the other driver. I've also saved my gf from getting into a bad accident with 2 other cars that would have been entirely her fault and cost her insurance thousands. And my weaving in and out of traffic at 70 has caused not one person one accident, other than maybe them having an accident in their pants. :) I also had a terrible blow-out last year at 65mph, with her in the car, and was calm and cool enough to not over-react, and safely get off to the shoulder leaving myself enough room to change the tire. She was amazed at how cool and collected I remained during something that scared the sh*t out of us both.

I don't do the weaving thing all the time, to be sure. But when I know I can get away with it (no cops, and it's 'safe'), I sometimes will. It's not my M.O., but I'm fully capable of operating the vehicle well at high speeds.

Henry: The key word in your post is "Almost". You've "almost" gotten into several accidents. See, that's the thing...I believe because of your make-up that you have the ability to keep yourself out of trouble. Near it, but out of it. I, too, have "almost" rear-ended folks at usually low speeds. But I never do. You simply cannot count a bunch of "near-misses" as accidents. Think of the result as binary, with no grey area.

And why would people laugh if I intimate that INTJ's might be good drivers? It even says that ISTP's are the best at operating difficult equipment, so it isn't a far-fetched notion that INTJ's may be 2nd-best, or 3rd-best, of 16.

- INTJoe

[mielikki]

I am a good driver. I carry licenses for anything on the road, from semi's to motorcycles, and am trained to operate certain heavy equipment.
I drive like an ISTJ though. I obey the law, and am able to be pragmatic in heavy traffic. You don't get there any faster by weaving in and out.

To take care of my propensity to drift off mentally while driving long distances, I always drive a vehicle with a manual transmission, and don't leave the house without my iPod and iTrip.

[FBUnicorn]

I am terrified of driving. It seems so tedious to concentrate, and I just know that my mind will rebel. It very much disturbs me how little room there is for error, and how bad the consequences could be, and that I don't have complete control of everything around me. I can't bring myself to even take lessons anymore.

[Max T]

Yes, I'm mindful of the dangers of overestimating driving ability, since risk-taking invariably increases in unison with confidence (and then 'crashes' back down again!).

A statistic suggested that 80%+ of accidents are a result of driving too close to the guy in front. So I leave a bigger than average gap.

Don't drive overly fast either. When a fast driver tailgates me at the road's speed limit, perhaps in true INTJ type I just maintain the same speed- they back off after a few seconds.

Seems ironic how it's often the speed breakers whose time is least valuable- so they have least reason to travel fast from A to B.
Of course they do it for the excitement and perhaps one day they'll get the biggest rush when they receive an adrenaline injection into their heart.

[Lucid]

It seems like INTJs are prone to driving faster than posted speeds. This seems to stem from our view that rules, laws and instructions are really more like suggestions. I've had a lot of speeding tickets in my time as a legal driver, although very few accidents that were my fault.

I can see our tendency to get lost in our own worlds as a very serious risk factor.

Agreed. Fortunately, I'm aware enough of what I'm doing that I've never had an accident as a result of this, but I often find my mind wandering when I drive, which can lead me to get off on the wrong exit or overshoot my destination. It seems that all the things I need to do to avoid colliding with another car, a pedestrian or some piece of the landscape are taken care of automatically by my lower brain while my higher thought process is otherwise engaged. Like playing Tetris.

I'd say that I'm a safe driver, although I do have something of a lead foot.

[Thistle]

Seems ironic how it's often the speed breakers whose time is least valuable- so they have least reason to travel fast from A to B.


:thumbsup:

Although it does not indicate a 'good' driver, I have been driving for 12 years without any penalty points. I have a tendency to drive slightly faster than speed limits permit where I deem it safe to do so (never in a 30 zone where I always obey the limit). I am very sensitive to the outdoors (landscape, weather etc) and use the information I ingest to enable an assessment of the environmental risks. I never drive 'passively' instead always having an awareness of the changing environment around me. Ditto when hill-walking.

[INTJgal]

OK, this thread obviously does not concern the Asians. lol j/k :P

But are INTJ's great drivers?

I've always considered myself an outstanding driver, probably top 5% easily. In 12 years I've logged probably around 180,000 miles and been in only one accident, which was not my fault. Going through an intersection in downtown, an 80 year old man ran a red light and hit my rear bumper. And even that one I almost escaped because I saw him, but couldn't accelerate my craptastic 4-cylinder fast enough to escape him.

Anyway, INTJ's are cold, calculating, and purposeful. I wonder if that makes us all great drivers? When an INTJ wants to go from point A to point B, for a good reason, the J will get them there hell, or high-water.

Some examples of my driving skills are weaving in and out of heavy traffic at speeds in excess of 70 mph, while nearly giving my ISTJ girlfriend a heart-attack. As an "N", I feel like I can look up ahead and know which cars are about to switch lanes and what the implications are for me. I also have the ability to know when someone is turning out of a parking lot and our lane is backed up, to leave space for them in front of me so they can pull out. I don't think "S's" are capable of this process.

Since I'm a cold-hearted bastard, I do not care about cutting people off or speeding. Fingers make me laugh! :)

I think I drive similarly to Batman driving his batmobile through Gotham City at exorbitant speeds. :) I've read that ISTP's are the best at operation machinery or mechanical equipment and are most in-tuned with their physical/spatial abilities, so perhaps they are awesome at driving. I don't know enough of them to make a determination.

So...fellow INTJ's...let's hear it. Have you always thought of yourself as good at operating a vehicle, or bad? Maybe I'm an anomoly, but I'm really interested to find out.

- INTJoe

My friend used to have an attitude exactly like this.

He ended up hitting a minivan: mother and 3 kids. No one died, but damn it was an ugly wreck. Attitudes like this are sickening.

Speed alone on an empty highway, fine.
Speed while weaving? You're a jackass who would rather find ways to boost his confidence at his intuitive abilities, thinking, "gee I'm really great at this!" than genuinely consider how much he values others' lives. You are not in full control on the road: other drivers interact with you. The road is not an Ni playground. The road is reality: people live or die based off of actions there.

[INTJoe]

Waaaaaah....you're being results-oriented. So one guy you know one time said he was a good driver then one time got in one bad wreck and blah blah. There are drivers out there who are either way better or way worse than you at driving. Stop hating because you don't understand that driving like this is easy for me.

[Max T]

Just can't see the logic in speeding:

Psychologially, the driver only thinks they are better because they have taken greater risk for longer- unsustainable.

Physiologically, the adrenaline rush from faster speeds means you arrive more exhausted.

Financially, the driver could lose their licence/ be fined, and speeding uses more costly petrol and increases general car wear and tear. And they increase everyone else's insurance premiums.

Climate-wise, greater fuel use per mile results in greater contribution to global warming.

Society-wise, the driver could lose their job or cause mass deaths.

Relative to other drivers, you may feel safe at speed but you don't know how others will react, either out of fear or malice. It's the risks you don't know that get you. Not to mention the accidents you cause without even knowing about them.

Relationship-wise, you're nearly giving your girlfriend a heart-atttack each time.

And the upside? save a few travel minutes and have some fun.

[INTJoe]

Just can't see the logic in speeding:

***Speeding is relative***

Psychologially, the driver only thinks they are better because they have taken greater risk for longer- unsustainable.

***I agree that the trend is unsustainable...which is why I drive safer and safer with each passing year.***

Physiologically, the adrenaline rush from faster speeds means you arrive more exhausted.

***Really?***

Financially, the driver could lose their licence/ be fined, and speeding uses more costly petrol and increases general car wear and tear. And they increase everyone else's insurance premiums.

***This is pretty negligible***

Climate-wise, greater fuel use per mile results in greater contribution to global warming.

***55mph is the "best" speed to travel on the Highway...show me a highway in a major metro area where people drive 55***

Society-wise, the driver could lose their job or cause mass deaths.

***Lose their job?***

Relative to other drivers, you may feel safe at speed but you don't know how others will react, either out of fear or malice. It's the risks you don't know that get you. Not to mention the accidents you cause without even knowing about them.

***The accidents I cause without knowing??? Uhhh, what?***

Relationship-wise, you're nearly giving your girlfriend a heart-atttack each time.

***Yeah, but her "S" nearly gave me a heart attack when she almost got into a bad wreck which I saved her from. Also, I almost never drive like this with passengers.***

And the upside? save a few travel minutes and have some fun.

***It's really not about saving minutes more as it is about me hating being stuck behind idiot foreigners. It's a matter of principal (le?). And yeah, it's pretty damn fun!!!***


One thing I do which I'll bet almost nobody on this board does is I always stop completely at every stop sign. I got so pissed after getting ticketed after rolling one at 2am with nobody around but a cop, that I decided the reward of saving 3 seconds at each stop sign is not worth the tickets. If need be, just accelerate a bit quicker to make up that 3 seconds after you pass the stop sign.

INTJoe added, 7 Minutes and 40 Seconds later...

Let me also add something, I'm probably much safer at 70mph (the limit here) than the average driver is at 55mph. But the thing is, they are always driving 55 or higher on the highway because of traffic flow, which means almost all of their driving minutes logged are done less-than-safely. Whereas 55 mph for me is like not moving. So much of my minutes logged are in a way safer mode than people around me.

Also, it is my opinion that about 10% of drivers who currently have a license should not have a license. It is absurd that the drivers license is so hackneyed that it's become a "drivers right" as opposed to a "license". Think about it...everyone shows their license as their ID. It is almost impossible NOT to get a license. THere are all kinds of unsafe drivers on the road. Many are foreigners, many are driving drunk or tired, MANNNNNNNY are talking on a friggin' God damn cell phone ALL THE TIME. Some drive with dogs in their lap with their head out the window. I've seen people applying make-up on the highway in the morning. I've seen people READING a book while driving.

Y'all may agree that you think I'm unfit for driving, which is fine, it's your opinion. But imo it is absurd that like 100% of people have a license to operate a one-ton piece of metal at 70 mph.

[Theoden]

I've always thought "never been in an accident" was a pretty poor indicator of driving ability. The question is: how many accidents have they caused?

Being the only person on a freeway driving the speed-limit isn't a bad example. Turn a corner going with the flow of traffic (20 above the limit) and nearly run into some self-righteous ass traveling at the limit - and in the left-most or center lane, no less!

[Henry]

I've always thought "never been in an accident" was a pretty poor indicator of driving ability. The question is: how many accidents have they caused?

Being the only person on a freeway driving the speed-limit isn't a bad example. Turn a corner going with the flow of traffic (20 above the limit) and nearly run into some self-righteous ass traveling at the limit - and in the left-most or center lane, no less!

Exactly

OK, this thread obviously does not concern the Asians. lol j/k :P

Didn't catch this before. DWA should be heavily fined and possibly punished.

[Sevs]

Well i can quite honestly say i am a horrible driver but thats mainly down to my absolute lack of motor skills.

[Max T]

Yes I understand INTJoe- there are some like yourself who may be genuinely skilled and very competent drivers.
And there are very average people like the majority... and some in the bottom 10% you mention who should never be allowed to drive. i.e. a normal distribution curve.

Ignoring these bottom 10% who I agree with you should not be driving (but how do we enforce that?), it is the right of everyone to drive at the speed limit.

But the top 10% of speeding drivers have no ""personally-endowed"" right to drive the fast speed or pull the various manouvers they do, since they're dictating the risk level that others should face. You acknowldge that the trend to drive faster is unsustainable- and what is the tipping point to slowing these guys down? when they have a major accident or get caught. Human over-confidence in ability every time. We don't know how a 90 m.p.h. car handles when skidding or distance to stopping.

So the 'top' drivers travel at such speeds because so far they have got away with it.
Somewhere between age 20 and 60 every single speedsters, if they live to 60, will revert back to average motorist speed. But who's smart enough to recognise their reflexes are diminishing over the years and slow down before dragging someone innocent through their own learning curve?

Habitual speeding is simply a temporary default mode that the offending driver changes out of, because either the law catches them or their 'super-heightened' reactions fail them.


To lighten up a little, look at Evil Knieval (R.I.P. died this week-end)- 3 yrs out of 69 were spent in hospital.
;-)

[elsdfr]

Compared to the people I've driven with and going by what other people have said I'd like to think I'm better than the average. The only accident was when an old lady rear ended me in traffic. Mind you I have have come very close to lossing my license for speeding in the past but I have slowed down since then.

One thing that I find is as they lower the speed limits in the local suburbs here I'm definately more prone to day dream. Sure I have more time to break but if I'm lost in thought I'm probably more dangerous on the road. There's no way I would do that at Freeway speeds or reasonable road speeds.

Also my confidence might have a lot to do with experience and training. I've taken numerous wet/dry driving training courses and competed in Motorkhanas which no doubt helps. I think they should make this compulsory for new drivers. I also think having a license should be a priviledge not a right, as it seems to be. For example if you've had major accidents or caused damage since getting it then you shouldn't have one (vote one elsdfr!).

Despite the training though I do believe I have better foresight than the majority of people. Put a ESFP or ENFP female in the drivers seat and I get a case of white knuckles. I can also tell by what they talk about and their driving actions that they don't consider the consequences or possible actions of other drivers.

Sounds like I think I'm immortal on the roads perhaps but I know I'm not. I just know that other types are bad drivers through their own nature.

[vulcan]

i am a godlike driver

[INTJoe]

Ignoring these bottom 10% who I agree with you should not be driving (but how do we enforce that?),


Thanks for the quality post, without attacking me like some of the others who can't hack it at 90 in the rain. lol j/k.

It's easy to enforce. Just make it a LOT harder to get a license, and make it much easier to lose it. The point system. It's scary when you think of the 16 year olds on cell phones out there driving around. I mean, many of these kids have not "earned" the license to drive. THey've merely been given the "right" to drive.

The real problem is that I don't think society cares enough to make holding a license harder. Think of the hassle it would cause society. If so and so can't drive, they either can't get to work, or need someone else to take them. It's inefficient in a typical capitalist market. Put another way, it would be a pain in the ass for a lot of people. So, at the cost of safety (and traffic...extra pollution...more fuel demand...etc.) EVERYONE's got a car and EVERYONE's got a license.

It's silly when you think of it. Society would rather just hand out licenses (or I.D. cards as they are most commonly thought-of) to kiddos at 16, and illegal immigrants so we can all get to work and keep it rolling!

INTJoe added, 13 Minutes and 51 Seconds later...

I've always thought "never been in an accident" was a pretty poor indicator of driving ability.

This is true. "Never been in an accident" is just being results-oriented, and not looking at the process.

A poor driver may drive 300,000 miles without an accident but they could be running really really luckily. And a great driver might get in 5 accidents in 1 year, but could have made all the right moves and is just running on bad luck.

[quartertone]

I'm good at driving and have never been in an accident, but I hate cars and driving. I dont have a car now and I want to move to a big city after graduation just so I dont have to drive.

Its just so wasteful and inefficient.

[Lucid]

Just can't see the logic in speeding:

Psychologially, the driver only thinks they are better because they have taken greater risk for longer- unsustainable.

Physiologically, the adrenaline rush from faster speeds means you arrive more exhausted.

And the upside? save a few travel minutes and have some fun.

You know... I usually dive about 10 to 15 miles over the limit on highways and about 5 to 10 miles over the limit on other roads (I generally don't speed in residential areas though). And it's because of none of the things you listed here.
I drive at that speed because it's comfortable for me. If I drive at 55 mph it feels like I'm not moving.
I drive at the speed I do without much thought to it. It just seems to be the appropriate speed for the road in question. There is no adrenaline rush and it's not "more fun." It's just how I drive. I think the same is true for most others who chronically speed as well.
I wonder what it is in people that dictates the speed at which they are comfortable traveling.

[rwyatt365]

Just can't see the logic in speeding:

Psychologially, the driver only thinks they are better because they have taken greater risk for longer- unsustainable.

Physiologically, the adrenaline rush from faster speeds means you arrive more exhausted.

Financially, the driver could lose their licence/ be fined, and speeding uses more costly petrol and increases general car wear and tear. And they increase everyone else's insurance premiums.

Climate-wise, greater fuel use per mile results in greater contribution to global warming.

Society-wise, the driver could lose their job or cause mass deaths.

Relative to other drivers, you may feel safe at speed but you don't know how others will react, either out of fear or malice. It's the risks you don't know that get you. Not to mention the accidents you cause without even knowing about them.

Relationship-wise, you're nearly giving your girlfriend a heart-atttack each time.

And the upside? save a few travel minutes and have some fun.
Logically…

Psysiologically, for those that enjoy speeding, the adrenaline rush provides a heightened sense of perception and reaction, it primes you for "the chase". Afterwards, you're rewarded with endorphins that make you feel good. The prototypical "natural high".

Financially, you're at risk for getting ticketed when speeding – but for some it's an acceptable risk. And actually, you car is more efficient when running at wide open throttle, that's the reason for the gears. If a car was equipped with a continuously variable transmission the engine would be pegged at WOT and the transmission would be used to control speed – this would be the most efficient automobile. Accidents increase insurance premiums, not speeding. There would be a bigger ROI from removing drunk drivers from the roads, than to penalize speeders.

Global warming is a problem, but automobiles are not the major contributor, just a convenient target. Factory emissions, coal-fired facilities and cow-farts also contribute to the increase in greenhouse gases. Let's regulate them heavily as well.

A bad driver that causes harm (whether a speeder, or not) is a menace. Also, consider – it's not so much the speed that is so problematic, but the difference in speed of the vehicles on the road. The governmental solution is to regulate to the lowest common denominator ("if we can't all be smart, let's force everyone to be stupid"). If I'm not mistaken (any civil engineers out there), the US highway system is designed to accommodate speeds of 90-100MPH, they're regulated down to 65-75MPH on the interstates and to 45-55MPH in-town. Why? Because they think we're too incapable to navigate those highways at more than 50% capacity.

Scaring / pissing off other drivers; yes, that happens. But if someone is so preoccupied, skittish, or inattentive that they don't see and can't react to a rapidly-closing vehicle – should they be out there in the first place? Just asking…

Scaring the SO; well, maybe he/she will become frightened and lustily hug you to their chest / breast and squeeze for dear life – hmmmm, not so bad a deal there! We won't consider other alternatives!

And the pay-off;

A natural high
Expression of your free-living sprit in the face of government oppression
Efficient use of your vehicular transport
Raising the bar of driving expertise
A lusty hug from your SO
And the satisfaction that you are "King of the Road"!Prefect logic!! :thumbsup:

[Max T]

I wonder what it is in people that dictates the speed at which they are comfortable traveling.


Risk homeostasis could be a key reason.
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"An individual has an inbuilt target level of acceptable risk which does not change. This level varies between individuals."
So some individuals will naturally drive faster than others.

But also all individuals can increase/ decrease their inbuilt risk levels- an interesting study on the first seatbelts introduced found that all drivers (no matter how previously steady), increased their speed by a similar %.


Added to risk homeostasis could be the phenomenon that we don't like to give up what we've got- we don't want to drive slower once we've learnt to drive faster.
Name of this effect anyone?

[Lucid]

Risk homeostasis could be a key reason.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

"An individual has an inbuilt target level of acceptable risk which does not change. This level varies between individuals."
So some individuals will naturally drive faster than others.

But also all individuals can increase/ decrease their inbuilt risk levels- an interesting study on the first seatbelts introduced found that all drivers (no matter how previously steady), increased their speed by a similar %.


Added to risk homeostasis could be the phenomenon that we don't like to give up what we've got- we don't want to drive slower once we've learnt to drive faster.
Name of this effect anyone?


Perhaps, but it really doesn't seem like risk to me. At all. Although I do always wear my seatbelt. Perhaps this has some effect.

[Max T]

Lucid- that's the point of risk homeostasis. You increase speed up to the point where you still feel comfortable with the perceived negligible risk.

One person's risk homeostasis could be 40 m.p.h., beyond which they get nervous... and another's is at 80 m.p.h. and feel the risk at 120 m.p.h.

So you don't actually feel any risk- as you say- but a partner in the car may do.

[rwyatt365]

Lucid- that's the point of risk homeostasis. You increase speed up to the point where you still feel comfortable with the perceived negligible risk.

One person's risk homeostasis could be 40 m.p.h., beyond which they get nervous... and another's is at 80 m.p.h. and feel the risk at 120 m.p.h.

So you don't actually feel any risk- as you say- but a partner in the car may do.
I think my risk homeostasis is about 150MPH and my SO's is 35MPH. Needless to say she is highly "uncomfortable" when in my car and likewise I in hers. I try to accommodate her when driving, but I get a headache driving that slow.

[INTJgal]

Waaaaaah....you're being results-oriented. So one guy you know one time said he was a good driver then one time got in one bad wreck and blah blah. There are drivers out there who are either way better or way worse than you at driving. Stop hating because you don't understand that driving like this is easy for me.

The guy I know aside...

this is not a video game. you aren't "playing against" the same mentalities on the road. there are unforseen random events that cause accidents taht people have to react to.

I do "understand that driving like this is easy for you". You don't understand that, regardless of however true this is, that is no reason to drive that way. There's no reason for anyone to drive that way.

What happens when you run into some other person with the same mentality as you? When he "knows what you're going to do" and makes an impulsive move, which doesn't gel with what you're impulsive move is...

you've having fun with 2000 lbs of high speed force. and people are in the way. that's complete disrespect for anyone out there. i don't care if the best driver in the world "can" do what you do, they shouldn't. because there's going to be some idiot on the road who you didn't know would do something stupid, and bad things happen.

if it's not you, it's the next guy with the same mentality as you.

reacting to my post as if it were a "boohoo" comment is only showing either a) how poor relationships you have or b) how shallow a human you are because someone who behaves as you do with a 2000 lb vehicle clearly has no understanding of the value of human life.

[INTJoe]

INTJgal,

You are oversimplifying everything. You are hearing "I drive fast and weave" and are attributing all these bad things.

Fist of all, accidents and human error occur at all speeds. Not just 70.

And, although you are oversimplifying it, you aren't admitting that driving, at any speed, is dangerous. Always has been, always will be. You think 70 and weaving isn't safe, but 55 is? Why? Because it's within the law? Because it doesn't have some connotation of "reckless driving" behind it?

As I've stated before, I guarantee there are worse drivers at 55 who never change lanes than me at 75 weaving coming home on Friday feeling good.

On non-freeways, I'm way way safer. I don't yap on the cell phone unless necessary. I stop completely at all stop signs. I don't speed. I keep my eyes peeled for pedestrians and stray dogs. And if someone is coming up behind me quickly, I will ease forward to give them more room to stop. That is where intuition helps.

A funny anecdote I have is from when I was riding in my gf's truck. I'm INTJ, she's ISTJ. We're at a light and somebody pulls up to our left in a giant truck that we can't see around. They've also got tinted windows. Our light turns green, and I am looking to the left as my gf starts pulling into the intersection, to make sure nobody is coming through a red light. As I'm looking, I notice she hasn't looked to her left at all. "What the hell!?" I say, laughing, as we head through the intersection.

Her: "What??"
Me: "What the f*ck?" laughing.
Her: "Whaaat!?"
Me: "Did you even look to the left?"
Her: "What do you mean?"
Me: "Before entering the intersection did you look left?"
Her: "No."
Me: "WHy not??"
Her: "Our light was green. It was our turn to go."
Me: "Yeah, but we couldn't even see around that truck..."
Her: "So?"
Me: "What if someone was running a red and hit us?"
Her: "That would never happen."
Me: "Probably not, but still...the green light doesn't mean sh*t. It's just an arbitrary guideline. Look both ways before entering an intersection. You never know if someone is coming. Either in car or on foot."
Her: "Whatever."
Me: "Friggin' Sensor!"

[Tsuru]

I'm a very safe driver. I think largely due to the fact that it SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME to be driving in my potential crumply firey metallic tomb since I'm naturally prone to daydreaming, thinking really hard, and generally not paying attention to what is in front of my face. Compound that with my latent distrust of the rabble (hehe) and their ability to be safety minded and unstupid. So I generally pay really intense attention while driving. :P

It tires me out so much though. -_-

[Fissiongrid]

I'd consider myself one of the top 1% of drivers, but that's not my INTJ speaking. lol

I'm a driver in SCCA Solo II and so far this season I've won 2nd and 4th in STS class. I'm extremely safe on the street, too, but I do take the occasional "fun run" every once in a while. Every single one of my friends that has ridden in my car has had to pull the Jesus handle. I think it's some kind of record.