Contrary to what I believed and told you earlier, moose-car crashes are not, after all, usually fatal.
Apparently the correct statistic is that Only one-half of 1 percent of Alaska's moose-vehicle accidents result in a motorist fatality.
All the same, I'm not giving up my superslow driving! 55 saves lives!
That's another thing I love about my neighborhood. For the most part, my neighbors are patient with me when I want to go slowly, for any reason (icy road today? car making a funny noise?). They don't drive up my bum and blind me with their high beams and rage. They just patiently bump along behind me until it is safe to pass. My end of the bargain, of course, is that I pull over and let them pass at the first safe opportunity.
When I visit chez Sammypants, I find that drivers on their main road (Farmers Loop) are much, much worse. They speed, and they tailgate and curse at me if they perceive that I am driving too slowly. They have way more moose accidents, too. Slow down, Farmers Loop people! What is your dadgum hurry? This town is eight miles across! The most time you could possibly shave by speeding is about three minutes!
6 comments:
Maybe people around your neighborhood are real local folks and Sammy's area is more apts with non-locals?
I strongly question his data source. Since I know for a fact a driver died in Healy in 2011 (driving a Ford F-150) when the vehicle rolled after a moose collision and not, as he claims, in 2009 at the latest. It's quite possible that either he's looking at wrong information, or he's failing to read it correctly, or the definition of 'fatality from moose' is very narrow (i.e., direct mortality from being injured by the moose)
:) I'm not selling anything but I'm here to tell you that I LOVE your blog, your sense of humor and your smarts!!!
I've been reading it for a looong time but in my selfishnesssity (might as well make this a word - what's a few more letters to a word already crowded with sibilants...) I kept enjoying it in silence. :)
So, thanks for bringing your neck of the woods to us, it's a real treat!!!
@Mudder, nah, we have similar demographics; I think they just have a higher population density!
@TwoYaks: Yes, unreliable data is a possibility. Nevertheless, considering the number of folks I've met over the past few years that have had moose accidents, and considering that I have not known within several degrees of separation anyone who's been killed in one, my personal "rate of moose fatality" is 0/8 or so. So I still think that my earlier sweeping statement of "usually fatal" must be incorrect!
Nevertheless, my extremely conservative driving habits aren't changing any. You won't ever catch me saying, "Oh, the fatality rate is low? You mean, I might only suffer injury, or total my car, or, minimum, be greatly inconvenienced? Well, no worries then!" :)
@lily: Thanks for saying hi, and for your kind words!
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