Whenever I drive, I like to leave at LEAST the minimum space between me and the car in front of me, following the 1 car for every 10mph rule. Yesterday I was behind a semi truck with a trailer covered in large concrete tubing of some sort, so I left a nice gap coming to a stop. For some reason, some very fat middle aged woman slammed her Rav4 into the space between me and the semi, no signalling, cutting me off and nearly clipping the semi at the same time somehow.

This wasn't even the first time, any time I leave a space between me and the vehicle in front of me, someone will slide in bumper to bumper to try to save the smallest amount and rely on everyone else around them to avoid letting them cause an accident.

As much as I hate legal restrictions on things, I'm starting to really think there should be a better standard on who should be allowed to drive, for example at least some sort of technical course where you're tested on spatial awareness and proper braking. Just a parallel parking test isn't enough. If your car takes up more space than the space between the cars in the next lane, you shouldn't try to merge into the car next to you.

Even as somebody who loves the 'street racing' culture, they still know how to make use of proper spacing and minimizing risk for the most part. It seems like most of the accidents are done just by average Joes and Karens who just want to get to their next destination a little bit faster even if it means putting everyone else at risk. Especially with the popularity of trucks and SUV's now making up the majority of cars, it's a lot of extra weight to be responsible for, and there's a lack of responsibility for them.

If you're in a rush, just wait for an opening anyway. You don't need to get people killed so you can beat the lunch rush to your local coffee shop. Traffic flows much faster without tailgaters and swervers, so please just drive responsibly.