We do that daily.
These people mad a choice, while driving. It was foggy, and they
know how far they can/can't see in that fog. They also (usually)
know how quickly they can stop their car. When driving, you make
a constant assesment... Is the benefit of getting there faster
worth the risk of not being able to stop in the fog?
If I'm driving slower, does that mean that some other fast driver
is likely to hit ME from behind. If I change lanes, to one that
is moving faster, is there a risk (however slight) that some other
driver and I won't see eash other, and have a 'fender bender' ?
When it's raining, what's the liklihood of an accident?
Do I want to go out to have fun with friends on Friday & Saturday,
or is the liklihood of meeting with a drunk driver higher?
Even, Do I like riding a motorcycle for fun, or are the statistics
saying that more bike riders get hurt than Volvo drivers...?
These risk/benefits are present all the time- It's just that for
a group of 80 people driving in the fog, the risk caught up.
Side note: when I have doubts about the road surface, and my ability
to stop, I often find a stretch of road, with nobody behind me
and tap my brakes sharply, just to see IF the conditions can
cause me to slide. I would rather do that once in a while, to
make an assessment of things, than just 'hope' that the roads
don't have ice, or enough water to hydroplane, etc.
I don't want to find these things out after I'm in some
emergency situation. Especially if it could have been avioded
by taking some precautions. Also, if you have passengers in the
car, it's really nice to warn them before stomping on the brakes.
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