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We need more laws to control how we drive.

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  • We need more laws to control how we drive.

    Keith Crain is Editor in Chief of Automotive News and has published this opinionated article in their website this morning.

    I am reposting it here to hopefully raise awareness of what the opinions are of -some- of the folks in the automobile media industry. These folks certainly help to drive legislators.

    What is your opinion? Should people be removed from driving cars? Are we simply too dangerous to ourselves to permit us to drive? Is it safer to your nieghbors to not have you drive? Will we simply be forced to all buy buss passes rather than drive...?

    Discuss - because its important and its coming, whether we like it or not. Nevada has allowed driverless Google cars on its roads...is your state next?

    Automotive News - 5/14/12

    "Distracted drivers are a hot topic these days. A combination of federal and state rules will be needed to regulate the distractions.

    The federal government gets to regulate the vehicle and the states get to regulate driver behavior, which means it will be almost impossible to have uniform standards among 50 states.

    Meanwhile, another move is afoot to remove the driver from the equation: experimental vehicles that drive without drivers. Sort of the ultimate autopilot.

    You have to applaud efforts to reduce the number of highway accidents, injuries and deaths. But we must be careful when getting involved with regulations affecting the vehicle and the driver.

    For years I have railed about the lack of consistent rules for people who drive under the influence of alcohol. States and local jurisdictions vary widely with their enforcement of drunken-driving regulations and the consequences for violators.

    If we want to save the most lives and prevent the most injuries, we should go after drunken drivers first, with a real fervor, and see if we can finally get them off the road.

    But beyond regulating drunken drivers, reducing the other real and potential driver distractions in a vehicle is a daunting task. I am not sure what it will take. Maybe the vehicle's cockpit should look something like that of an airplane. But even then, in a much better environment, it is still impossible to get rid of all the potential distractions.

    One solution would be to remove the possibility of driver error by having a machine take over the driving tasks -- and there are many in and out of government who see that as the best potential solution.

    But there are still millions of drivers in the United States who enjoy driving and want to continue being in control of the vehicle. The long-term solution may be for the driver to eliminate all distractions from the task or lose the privilege. It comes down to continual education from a person's first exposure to driving. It could save thousands of lives".

    You can reach Keith Crain at [email protected].

    Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/2012...#ixzz1uqPeRE8q
    Mike in Southwest Ohio

  • #2
    I dont really see this as opinionated, I think he is just stating some facts many of us already know. I agee with the Drunk Driver crack down and to limit the distractions in the cabin, funny how modern cars keep coming with more and more sitractions built in.maybe if they didnt, there wouldnt be a need for a dozen air bags...
    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

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    • #3
      More government.
      Ed, Mary, & 'Earl'
      HRPT LongHaulers, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.


      Inside every old person is a young person wondering, "what the hell happened?"

      The man at the top of the mountain didn't fall there. -Vince Lombardi

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      • #4
        If the car is going to drive itself it better have a big built in cooler.
        Originally posted by TC
        also boost will make the cam act smaller

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        • #5
          Originally posted by JOES66FURY View Post
          I dont really see this as opinionated, I think he is just stating some facts many of us already know. I agee with the Drunk Driver crack down and to limit the distractions in the cabin, funny how modern cars keep coming with more and more sitractions built in.maybe if they didnt, there wouldnt be a need for a dozen air bags...
          very true.

          once upon a time even a dumbass knew inline fours were no good.

          today it is silented by the sexless merry go round and preoccupying drivers and passengers elsewhere with electronic toys for 6th graders.

          I remember listening to the rig engine for hours and hours and hours...the radio sucked, no gadgets. hard suspension..you feel for vibrations before the parts go bad.

          an owner could rip apart the terrible quality of industry with his own micronic dialed in balanced brain.
          Previously boxer3main
          the death rate and fairy tales cannot kill the nature left behind.

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          • #6
            Distractions and common sense

            Crain often puts his trust in more laws. He was a huge shill favoring the draconian increases in Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards.

            "No distractions" reminds me of Granddad Speedy. He wouldn't even allow an AM radio in his George Romney-approved Rambler Classic six. Not that there was much risk of distraction at his typical road-scorching 35 m.p.h. top speed.

            ELEVEN COMMON SENSE LAWS THAT ARE LIKELY TOO MUCH FOR KEITH CRAIN

            11. Allowing vehicles that meet ECE standards for their year of manufacture to be sold in the USA (no more NHTSA/DOT protectionism).

            10. "Super licenses" for drivers trained for autobahn speeds in speed-rated vehicles.

            9. "Super registrations" for properly-equipped, speed-rated vehicles which would allow higher or unlimited speeds on designated roads.

            8. Designated public "test" roads (think: a toll road like Germany's Nurburgring; public acceleration and handling parks).

            7. Greater penalties and enforcement for "left-lane hogs" for failure to yield and impeding the flow of traffic.

            6. Requiring new drivers to demonstrate car control and an ability to handle common emergency driving situtations (trailing throttle oversteer/trail braking, understeer, aquaplaning, skids etc.) before receiving a general license.

            5. Higher speed limits for light vehicle drivers holding an ordinary "general" license on rural highways.

            4. Graduated speed limits (e.g. passenger vehicles and light trucks allowed a greater speed than busses and heavy Class Eight tractor-trailer rigs)

            3. Requiring new drivers to demonstrate an ability to drive a standard-shift vehicle (Automatic transmission was one of the first driver distraction enabling devices)

            2. Longer probationary license periods and mandatory driving schools which actually teach emergency vehicle control.

            1. Repealing laws which don't allow consideration of whether or not accident victims were wearing seat belts in lawsuits.

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            • #7
              ^^Gold!
              Escaped on a technicality.

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              • #8
                I don't know what the answer is. I amazes me that people still drive drunk, I think too many people think "they" are special and laws don't apply to them. I was watching the local news last night and a wrong way driver on I-15 killed himself and two people in the car he hit, how does that happen? Two weeks ago a mother was arrested for texting while driving AND having her two year old on her lap! WTF? Everyday I see people doing stupid things while driving, which they've always done, but now it seems to be the norm instead of the exception. More cops? better enforcement? they'll probably pop me for doing 75 in a 65 instead of the guy weaving through traffic texting. Alot of people are really bad drivers and I'm not sure what anybody can do about it since there are people out there who have had 10 DUI convictions and are STILL DRIVING!!
                Just groovin' to my own tune.

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                • #9
                  More laws is a bad solution to just about any problem. For one thing, they cost money to enforce, can you imagine how expensive it would be to test all drivers in a way that will show whether or not they are actually competent to drive?

                  Then you run into the problem that most laws which seemed like a good idea at the time, get perverted into something not so good, because of how the legislative process works. Legislation runs on lobbyists...think about who's going to make money off the new laws, and think about how they will write these laws.
                  My fabulous web page

                  "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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                  • #10
                    I think I heard somewhere that when a person gets caught drinking and driving, on avarage they did it 600 times before!
                    Thats crazy if true.
                    Originally posted by TC
                    also boost will make the cam act smaller

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                    • #11
                      Enforce the ones on the books before throwing more in the fray...
                      NO TEXTING , phone use... Drink,drive.
                      Yeah too many goofaws in cars now... Heater controls. AC. Music. GPS. On and on..

                      Was waiting for a car to pass me so I could pass this slow car ahead of me... No pass...no pass. She hung out in my blind spot TEXTING! I had enough room to floor it and squeeze ahead of her... Woke her right up! Some people can walk and chew gum... She ain't one!

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                      • #12
                        I dont know what pissed me off more, cell phone users or passing lane crusiers. If I had a bazooka and a licence to kill there would be a whole lot of dead motorists in the city of Tucson.
                        If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

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                        • #13
                          Our country has been making laws for over 500years, don't you think we have enough..............

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                          • #14
                            You're blaming the driver for being distracted? Taking responsibility is so 1900's. Blame the corporate machine that forces people into this mindset because of relentless marketing. It's really the iPhone's fault and McDonald's fault for having drive through windows. Lets trust our government to handle this and fight big business and their greedy ways. *This message brought to you by rocket brand wheels*

                            /sarcasm off
                            Powertour off/on since 2002
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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by bishir View Post
                              You're blaming the driver for being distracted? Taking responsibility is so 1900's. Blame the corporate machine that forces people into this mindset because of relentless marketing. It's really the iPhone's fault and McDonald's fault for having drive through windows. Lets trust our government to handle this and fight big business and their greedy ways. *This message brought to you by rocket brand wheels*

                              /sarcasm off


                              OUCH! Sarcasm or not.. Too many people ACTUALLY think that way... Scary...

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