There are certainly quite a few aggressive, impatient drivers out there. I use the pullouts and let them all pass, particularly at night. Don't enjoy anyone following behind. Tailgating or not, either way it's annoying.
However, the speeders don't compare to the truly reckless, mindless drivers. For instance, about a month ago I was caught behind a car where the driver and passenger were goofing off watching videos on a phone. Fairly certain it was the driver holding the phone with her right hand. Repeated pattern of speeding up, slowing back down, swerving across the double-yellow into the other side. That went on from Porcupine to beyond a few miles beyond Tamarack, before finally getting a chance to safely pass. Two young ladies in that car. My hiking buddy and I contemplated reporting their license plate to the authorities, probably should've. When a police/ranger SUV sped east just outside the park entrance with its lights on, we thought an incident might have occurred involving that car. Luckily didn't hear or read about any accident reports on that day. Also a couple of rather close calls this past summer at night - dangerous passers in the Oakdale/Escalon/Manteca stretch. Un-nerving when you see headlights coming directly at you. But there was enough shoulder, emergency-lane to use for escape. Each time, the car passing in the opposite direction barely found a spot to sneak into. Probably a couple of seconds to spare, if I don't react. And he's still behind a long line of cars. Might have been more dangerous for the car behind me, honestly. He would have less time to react.
For those involved in the Smith Station SR-120 accident, it's just awful & unfortunate. What can you say. Perhaps completely avoidable, but finding out who was ultmately at fault won't bring back the deceased. Hopefully the two individuals that were airlifted out, survive.
