Why we ignore thousands of daily car crashes
The primary reason why I ignore car crashes is because I ensure that I do the following things, all of which greatly reduce my risk factor compared to the average:<p>1. I always drive attentively with both hands on the steering wheel.<p>2. I completed on-track driving instruction in a race car, multiple times, and also took training in evasive driving maneuvers.<p>3. I constantly maintain situational awareness of what&#x27;s going on around and with my vehicle.<p>4. All of my vehicles are relatively new (less than 10 years old) and impeccably maintained, and provided with the highest quality tires available replaced on a regular cadence based on service life.<p>5. I do not drive when I am overly tired, after having consumed any alcoholic substance, or in adverse weather conditions.  In any of these situations, I either do not travel or I find an alternate way to travel that doesn&#x27;t incur the risks of driving.<p>A simple example of #5 is that I was on a road-trip headed North in the US, and we had a late-Spring snowstorm happen around mid-day.  I had originally planned to get a further 150 miles down the road before stopping for the night, but I instead immediately pulled off and booked a hotel room, and left again the following morning after the roads had cleared and traffic had let up.  Could I have made it? Almost certainly.  Was my vehicle equipped for the weather? Yes, absolutely.  Was it worth the risk? Not at all.  A hotel room was $120 for the night, which was cheap insurance against possibly dying on vacation.<p>If I get onto a public bus, or into a ride share, or a taxi, I can&#x27;t guarantee any of the above.  The driver might have personal issues causing them to have stayed up late the night before, and then they had a few martinis to help them sleep, and started the morning with heavy coffee drinking, constantly checking on the status of their personal issues on their phone while they&#x27;re driving.  The bus due to it being a public service may be maintained at the margins of acceptable standards with tires and other consumable maintenance items being used to the full extent of their service life, rather than being replaced preventatively.  We&#x27;ve all seen the &quot;gators&quot; on public roads of tire treads ripped off of truck and bus tires that were retreaded rather than replaced, or shredded rubber from large tire blowouts.  The bus could be 17 years old with a spotty history and frame damage.  All of these things are out of my control.  But I can control myself, my driving, my vehicle, and ensure I always leave enough spare tire capability to evasively maneuver.<p>I&#x27;m nearing 40 years old and I&#x27;ve avoided HUNDREDS of accidents that could have happened due to other drivers.  I have never once in my entire life been in an accident where I was at fault.  In fact, I&#x27;ve been in multiple accidents, all of which involved my vehicle being entirely stopped and stationary and being rear-ended by an inattentive driver, sometimes with me not even being in the car when it happened.  As long as I am actively moving down the roadway, I consider my risk to be massively below the national average, because I am a better driver than nearly anyone else I&#x27;ve ever met and I drive better quality vehicles that are maintained better than nearly any other vehicle on the public roads.  It&#x27;s as simple as that.