Old cars & driving habits

["Hugh & Therese" <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx>]

Two interesting statements:

> My second 68, the black LeBaron, both sounds and looks meaner, and rarely
people
> try to keep up with me.

And:

> generally, people drive WAY too slow.


People in general do not drive slowly.  Far from it.  As someone who was
obliged to drive all across Texas, it was necessary to spot bad drivers and
give them a wide berth, for the sake of my longevity and that of my
passengers.  There is no sense in driving faster than the prevailing
conditions.  It saves absolutely no time whatsoever, no one iota, and yet it
costs you more in terms of gasoline and wear and tear on your vehicle.  An
all around loss to everyone and a great dimunition of the overall safety of
travel for all concerned.  (Don't get me started on the quality of UPS truck
driving.)

Any driver of an old car that lacks the safety features of modern cars
should be doubly careful, in my opinion.  I have made the tough decision not
to drive mine again until I can be sure it is in tip top mechaical
condition.  As it will always be a polution problem - modern cars create
less pollution on a trip hundreds of miles long than my car does just idling
in the driveway - I will also try to run it as friendly as possible, easy on
the acceleration and lots of room for the not so great brakes to work.

I drive a lot of old vehicles, including a 1958 fire truck, on public roads.
Some I will not take out without a "co-driver," someone who can maintain a
watchful eye on road and traffic conditions.  No wonder there used to be so
many more severe accidents, per miles travelled, than there are today.  I am
not against the use of older vehicles on the road - far from it - but there
is a need on the the part of those who do drive them to share the roads with
even greater responsibility than folks with modern vehicles, although people
in behemoth SUV's come a close second.  Our older, large cars are capable of
reaping substantial havoc, both to ourselves and anyone we might impact.
The obligation to take greater care doe not diminish if you are using your
older vehicle as your daily transportation.  If anything, it increases.

Hugh