Combat vs Driving to Work - Which is More Dangerous?

Terry Soloman

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The road is dangerous. Your enemy is watching you, waiting for your slightest mistake - for that one moment you become complacent or distracted as you move through the battlefield. Your life is in jeopardy, with very real life and death consequences. Are you in Iraq? Afghanistan? No. You are in your family car on the way to the grocery store for a carton of milk.

As a combat veteran, I think about a lot of stupid stuff when I'm driving around town, and I SEE a lot of stupid, life-threatening, stuff. A lot of drivers are simply in denial when it comes to motor vehicle accident statistics. They drive about town with a cell phone or super-sized drink in one hand, and the wheel of their car in the other. Other drivers rationalize the danger putting on their makeup in the rearview mirror or, rocking out to music from an audio system more suited to a small concert hall.

Statistically, you are more likely to be killed or injured in your family car, than soldiers who are on combat duty in Iraq, or Afghanistan. Are you shocked? You shouldn’t be. An average of 40,000 Americans die on our city streets and national highways every year. Hundreds-of-thousands more are paralyzed, crippled, brain damaged, maimed and injured.

If you are not taking your daily drive to work as seriously as a combat soldier going out on patrol in Afghanistan, then your chances of being killed or wounded are very high, and very real. Think about that the next time you “gear up” for a drive to the supermarket. - Terry :skullflag:
 

toddbbq

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I am at it every afternoon Mon - Fri. as I do battle with everyone on I-4 West to I-75 N. Lakeland FL to Wesley Chapel FL
 

lookingharder

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That's why I drive a tank, a F250 4x4 crew cab if and when I have to go somewhere. It seems the smaller the car the dumber the driver.
 

Loco-Digger

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Just wait until all cars will be autonomous. One hacker could wipe out hundreds if not thousands at a time.
 

pepperj

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Brother always said "I want 6 feet of hood between me and the next bumper".:notworthy:
 

pepperj

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Ever drive in Venice Fl at dinner time, that's like taking a real gamble on the roads, streets, parking lots. Big American made cars and old-over the time expired drivers.
Always remember going down a one way in a parking lot. This tank of a car was heading right for me, old lady waving the blue&white handicap sign in the window as her husband was coming towards me.
I stopped and bursted out laughing and backed up yielding to the nut cases.
 

Peyton Manning

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I see too many times a driver (mostly females) looking down while driving. obviously having a sudden need to check a text
 

Ogre1190

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Out where I am, I can sometimes see straight ahead for a mile or more and ditto in the rearview mirror...and not see vehicle one. I'm STILL driving both hands on the wheel and head swiveling tho. Old habits die hard I guess. I handled more than 30 fatal 10-50s during my career, including multis, and I swore I'd never end up as a statistic. 😠
 

SD51

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I'm amazed at how many people are either "out of blinker fluid" or "didn't order the blinker option". I worked with a guy years ago that got so tried of tailgaters that he bought an old station wagon and slammed on the brakes whenever he had somebody tailgating him. I don't recommend this method because as soon as they get their next car, they're backtailgating again.
 

Joe-Dirt

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I worked as EMS in Boston, he is so right, I’ve seen so hairy accidents, even on low speed City streets.
 

Kray Gelder

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That's why I drive a tank, a F250 4x4 crew cab if and when I have to go somewhere. It seems the smaller the car the dumber the driver.

A tank would be nice to have now and then, but I find myself longing for a .50 Caliber mounted on my hood ( for sporting purposes only ). For those who have a disregard for others'
safety. W.C. Fields, "Get 'em, my dear!"
 

ivan salis

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hum combat vs driving to work --in many places the way todays folks drive --its often one in the same basically -when your dodging road raged --late for work --speeding cell phone talking morons (both male and female and young and older ones as well)
 

SD51

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Michigan has decided to change some intersections into "Round-a-Bouts" or "Traffic Circles". I was considering putting up some grand stands for opening day just to watch the fun. This particular area has three interconnected traffic circles that are linked. Twice my wife had a car coming at her from the wrong direction. The city has finally shut these traffic circles down to hopefully make some modifications to reduce the number of accidents. Seems the biggest problem people have is once they get in the circles, they change lanes and hit the cars next to them.
 

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