SF New Mexican:

Commentary: If speed limits keep careless drivers safe, can I opt out? Bragging about one’s stupidity shouldn’t bring accolades.  Having a performance car doesn’t mean you’re automatically a performance driver.

I was driving up the mountain this same day, and was passed by a Pontiac Vibe travelling at high speeds.  I thought the driver either drunk or high.  Must have been the same guy ... he was snapping pictures of his car at the few cleared turnouts.  To be clear, I used to race a bit when I was in college, so semi-pro performance techniques are quite familiar to me.  Given the conditions, I was driving within the limits, on new tires, dropping below the limits on blind curves.  I’m using to encountering ‘performance’ drivers who can’t keep their lane, along with occasional bicyclists who can’t (because of road conditions) keep to the right hand side of the road.  Mostly, however, one must drive defensively on the ski basin road all year round *because* of aggressive drivers.

I’ll give you the driving conditions and let you judge. The ski basin road is 14 miles long, mostly uphill, with tight curves.  It is a two-lane road with double yellow line for most of the distance.  The curves are so tight that you have no sightline to observe oncoming cars ... not even enough siteline to judge the existence of bicycles in your own lane with enough reaction time to dodge at legal speeds.  Tight.  Heavy snows have filled in most turnouts and shoulders, so there are few opportunities at this time of year to perform a safe pull-off.  On this same day, we passed an Hummer H3 stuck along one pulloff section near Big Tesuque, being pulled out by a Jeep Cherokee in the middle of the road.  Long stretches, even some curves, have no guardrails and slivers of shoulder with steep dropoffs.  The weather was just above freezing. Snow was falling ... light at the lower elevations, heavier at the upper elevations ... covering the road and making it slick.  Especially for anyone with worn tires.  The tight curves and lack of direct sunlight this time of year allows snow to settle on the roadway in unpredictable manner and build up icy spots.  It was between 3 and 6 in the afternoon.  Parents were driving SUVs up the mountain to pick their kids up from the ski basin, and everyone else who partook of skiing that day began in increasing numbers to come down the mountain. 

So, this individual is a paragon of responsible performance driving?  I’m sorry, I don’t agree.  This article makes it sound as if ‘performance driving’ is harmless to others.  Imagine what happens when he slides out and crosses into oncoming traffic. Say, into an SUV full of apres-ski mothers and kids. 

I hope this individual does attend a professional driving school.  They’ll teach him what he obviously doesn’t know ... pushing a car to limits on an unpredictably icy, tightly curved, well-travelled public roadway is risking the lives of others.  I’d recommend, given his poor turn performances, to try the Jackie Stewart technique ... tape a large salad bowl on the hood of the car, put a tennis ball in it.  Try to keep the ball in the bowl.  That’ll keep him entertained at lower speeds for a good long time ... and he’ll become a better driver than he is now.