I agree, especially here where people parallel park using their bumpers. Only problem is, people love to steal them so find a way to lock it. Thats the only reason I don't keep mine attached all the time.

Friend on mine used to drive an F-250 and live out of a camper that rode in the back. To save gas he would put the camper body on jacks and drive out from under it. This left the hefty steel step-bumper, painted a shocking day-glow red, suspended on heavy steel tubes sticking out about four feet. People tended to give him a bit more room.

re: rear end collisions....I drive a scooter (Yamaha FJR), and have ridden some form of cycle off and on since I was 14... In the old days, I got into a bad habit of putting the bike in neutral at a stop light to save wear and tear on the clutch throw out bearing, and reduce stretch of the clutch cable... today I leave it in first, and have my eyes fixed on the rear view mirror, until I'm sure the car behind me is going to stop..

Yep somethings there really is nothing that you can do better to prevent an "accident". One accident was when I was in the far right lane driving through an intersection while some 16-yr old kid decides he can run a stop sign and cross 4 lanes of traffic without hitting anything. I never saw him until he was on me because of a semi parked on the left lane beginning to turn left. My car was totalled after being hit and then pushed into two other vehicles.

2nd was from a fellow backing up and not watching properly. He hit my driver side wheel just enough to require a wheel alignment. I had forgotten about the incident until the other day because it was on the same day my mother passed away.

3rd was when I was in the merge lane and the driver in front of me stopped because she ran out of space to merge so I also had to stop. A self-righteous Joe Blow "with baby onboard" wasn't watching the traffic and ploughed right into me.

4th was when I was driving on a service street and the gal decided to leave a parking lot without stopping at the exit and checking traffic. I hit the gas when I saw her but that only changed the location of the impact to the rear of the vehicle. I strongly suspect she panicked and hit the accelerator instead of the brake. SUV is now in the shop as insurance said I was about $5 short of the value for being totalled... <rolling my eyes>

When I was young, I had a few fender benders but never a serious accident. I took defensive driving a few years ago from the chief driving instructor that used to teach all the RCMP recruits in Canada. While I picked up a few good pointers I never did learn to drive like a cop or a movie stunt driver! Learning how to protect yourself, reading the traffic, watching the traffic lights 2 blocks ahead, keeping 2+ seconds between you and the other vehicle, proper seating position, proper use of the hands, proper use of mirrors and knowing the rules of road are all good techniques. None of those particular things would have changed anything in the incidents above but MAY have kept me from being in other accidents!

Anyway, I wish a safe driving Friday the 13th to all of you!

Roar, I watched an OPP cruiser almost get taken-out yesterday while it was responding lights and sirrens. The instinct to pull over to the right and stop trumped a guy's common sense. He didn't look first and nearly took out the cruiser, which was in the curb lane because of heavy frozen traffic in the left. Thank goodness nobody was at the bus stop as he mounted the curb to avoid the collision.

Even flashing lights and blaring sirens can't help you sometimes!

Ever see a cop take out another cop? Silliest thing I've ever seen was one with the lights spinning and sirens ringing, getting t-boned at a major intersection earlier this year. Then a supervisor had to arrive on the scene and sort things out. The female driver who ignored the other vehicle is currently flying a desk while they sort out her career!

A few times I've been stopped at alight and someone stopped behind me bumps my vehicle. No damage but annoying. Typical explanation when I get in their face is 'my foot slipped'.

At regular intervals there is some writeup of cars that will drive themselves. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand cars driving themselves is kind of scary in a "Christine" and "Terminator" kind of way. On the other hand how much worse could it be when humans can't be trusted to reliably keep their foot on a brake pedal.

Geting back to alternate transportation...

Yesterday, I saw a homemade bicycle ricksaw type of human-powered vehicle.

THIS could be the vehicle of our near future... Transportation and employment bound together.

Sue

I'm prepared with my bike SUV

My son loves that thing, Eugene! Ours is just a one seat though. That looks fun!!