Kamikaze drivers on Bay Area Freeways

Hi All,

I wanted to post this to perhaps get some insight and some discussion surrounding the safety of freeways in the Bay Area. Obviously I’m not here to change minds or try and change perception of road safety - I realize that’s pointless and needs a complete mentality shift, education from a young age and responsibility by the DMV to enforce tougher driving tests.

I’ve just made a journey from Daly City to San Jose and I have been genuinely petrified of loosing my own life, that of my wife and my 10 month old daughter to the point I feel irresponsible taking them on future freeway journeys.

We were almost hit from behind several times during slip lane merging, which I feel is somewhat likely considering the large number of them that suddenly merge into high speed traffic, but more worrying from these “kamikaze” drivers I’ve noticed increasing in frequency.

Typically a single male driving an older car, they will drive at 80-100 mph aiming at the back of your car and then suddenly swerving mere meters from you into the next lane; rinse and repeat for the next unlucky motorist a few meters down the road. These are not road rage incidents, these are people purposefully engaging in suicidal driving and putting other people’s lives at risk. I can only imagine the consequences if one of these individuals had actually hit us, none of us including my 10 month old baby would be here. It’s heart breaking to even think about it.

These are not isolated incidents. So the question is, what is going on? Why does it have to be this way? Obviously the police are not enough of a deterrent nor any kind of social responsibility.

I seldom make freeway journeys anyway for these same safety reasons, but it feels horrible having to decide between having my daughter spend time with family vs endangering her life at most times when we set off in the car.

Anyone have any tips?