Some years ago as a student, I was walking on the sidewalk when a car on the street caming screeching to a stop. The driver of the car jumped out and grabbed a blind student just before the blind student would have fallen into a manhole on the sidewalk where the cover had been removed.
From that time on, I have been particularly sensitive to visually impaired people. A couple of times in recent years I have stopped my car to assist a blind student who became lost and have been in the middle of the street. This usually happens at the beginning of the school year when these students have not completely familiarized themselves with the campus.
I drive over the covers, if they are even with the road surface, or even a little raised/submerged, depending on the conditions. I’ll only swerve if they present a hazard, but I pay attention to the road enough to prevent having to do such a dangerous manuever.
I’ll swerve… smoothly and early, but only when I know there is noone I can swerve into (sometimes a challenge to the right in my old as heck car) but then again, I don’t just do it for manhole covers… I do it for anything that will put undue stress on my frame… When you drive an old car that’s got rust forming in many places, you don’t take more chances than you have to…
What do you mean ‘‘anymore’’ ?
’‘noone’’ is wrong. ( as a mis-spelling of ‘‘no one’’ )
Unless you’re speaking of Peter Noone from Hermin’s Hermits fame.
The words are ‘‘no one’’ or “no-one”.
Developing the habit of swerving is more dangerous than you think…
… simply because it becomes a habit.
You are already swerving long before ( split seconds ) you claim you check those mirrors and blind spots.
careful about the assumption of developing a habit. I do a lot of things to ensure that very few of the things I do behind the wheel are “habits.” Part of that includes regularly varying my route, making a conscious effort to notice things I didn’t the day before, watching a little longer at some stop signs, the list goes on. Of course, driving a manual helps me with that, as it keeps me engaged in the process of driving… not point and shoot like an automatic.
Yes, I avoid various problems in the road when it’s safe to do so. I certainly put going over a manhole preferable to cutting off another car, but sometimes you really can have your cake and eat it too.
They had some in Boston that were bouncing out of the holes when cars went over them and causing accidents. They had to send a crew around to tack weld them in place.
Amar Bose, for a hobby, designed a feedback suspension system that will let you drive over potholes (elevated or depressed) without you ever feeling it.
I don’t know if this is helpful. It doesn’t exactly answer the question but what I have done is memorize all the “obstacles” on my route. My little Rio has no clearance and my area has TONS of nasty railroad tracks, potholes, steel plates, etc. The manholes are terrible as they are no where near flush with the road. I just remember where they are and how to miss them (some can go down the middle between the wheels, some I have to pass on the side). I check my surroundings and veer slowly to be sure I wont startle anyone and always stay in the lane.
I ran over a pothole once because it was filled with rainwater and I didn’t see it and it messed up the alignment on my old car and bent up the rim…That was close $600 worth of repair! I try to swerve around those unless there’s an oncoming vehicle or if its on two lane road and there’s a vehicle on my left hand side.