Driving Practice, or Attempted Murder by Spyder?

[JamesLaz]

I am lucky to still be alive, my wife tried to kill me!

My wife loves our (MINE ALL MINE) Can Am Spyder and wants to learn to drive it and maybe get her one at some point. I have taken her to a few abandon off road areas to practice, and she has done well doing up 45 MPH. The other day we were on a long ride out on some very low traffic country roads and I asked if she wanted to give it a try on the open road. She was nervous but wanted to give it a go.

When trying in the abandon areas she was very cautious and took it easy and listed to every word I was saying in the intercom. She did very well and took direction well, I was impressed with how cautious she was.

This road we were on had a 50 max speed limit and was a older country road with little traffic. I had pulled off, turned off the music and we were on intercom only. I got on the back she got on the front, and I instructed her on how to pull on to the road, slow and easy and take it slow. She confirmed and got ready to go.

She looks and there is a car coming in our direction, I tell her to let it pass and then to go easy.

For some unknown reason my wife's brain shorted out and she saw the car and as soon as it passed, she took off! She in her mind thought she had to catch the car. I am on the back and feel like I'm about to go flying off! I look and we are doing 60! I am now yelling in the intercom slow down, slow down, and she's just gunning it. When we hit 70, I was seriously worried, she was not doing well, and I could tell she was in over her head. She finally heard me and slowed down. We got pulled off and she said her mind got stuck on the car and it was all she could think of; nothing else.

She calmed down, we tried it again, and she did great. She kept it to 50 mph and was fine, she got caught up not thinking of what to do and was just thinking of that damn car or whatever reason.

I know she feels really bad about it and she doesn't understand why she did it. I think she let her nervousness get to her.

She had no idea how much it takes to be the one driving, you can't relax like in a car, you have to be on and paying attention 100% of the time.

We will have to see how she does the next time and if she even wants to get one for herself now. I like the idea of her being able to drive if I can't for whatever reason.

Thanks,
James