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West of the Cascades (MT chain) is rural, almost totally un populated, lumber production regions in WA. They have road signs that tell lumber trucks to pull over if there are 5 cars behind them. It may take more than 20 minutes for 5 cars to accumulate. I-5 is like I-95 on the East Coast but they drive I-5 much faster. I have seen doubles (two rigs behind one truck) but don't remember seeing triples. I have never been to OR, but assume it is similar to WA, perhaps less populated. I have driven I-5 mostly in CA, and a little in the Seattle area. Seattle has big city traffic problems. One can commute on large multi deck-ferries and go to the dining area and get an espresso depending on the commute in the Seattle area. The Pacific Northwest is some of the most scenic, unspoiled part of the country. Probably due in large part to it not being over populated, even by rural MId west standards.
Speed does not kill, crashes kill. Speed alone rarely causes an accident, but can greatly exacerbate the effects of one. If we really knew what was causing auto accidents - what specifically was at the root of most accidents - we could take steps to reduce them. But as long as we simply lump together statistics into meaningless lumps that fit someone's pre-determined agendas, we will never get at the causes.
Yesterday we saw reports of a woman in a Jeep GC who broadsided a home heating oil truck causing the tank to be ruptured releasing several thousand gallons of light oil into town sewers ansd a wetland. She was speeding and, according to witnesses, talking on a cell phone. The accident is shown as speed-related. Now does that really capture anything useful about the cauase of the accident?
The other common agenda-driven statistical lump is DUI: If anybody involved in the accident, whether or not they were in a vehicle, has a BAC >.08 the accident is listed as an alcohol-related accident. Doesn't matter if the drunk was a back seat passenger who was uninjured, it's an alcohol-related accident. I too would like to crack down on accidents caused by driving under the influence, but unless we find out how many there truly are, we will never accomplish the task.
I'd also like to cut down on accidents caused by inattentive or inept drivers, but we don't collect stats on them. Too bad - I think there are probably way more of them than DUI's!
It's mindless speeding through traffic that is dangerous, just like mindless anything else in traffic.
- yesterday, yet another moron hit two children of age 5-6 as they were getting out from a school bus
I'm no proud of being French sometimes.
We're back in gear after a week off for Thanksgiving! Join the Subaru Crew every Thursday for a chat session from 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Stop in to talk about Subaru or just to say hello! Hope to see you there THIS week!
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Not a bad measure
Also, and at a long last, police officers will cruise along the road in anonymous cars. Good, now all these suckers with improper lighting, dangerous passing maneuvers etc will be caught at last.
So, France has never had unmarked police cars, eh? Interesting. It isn't necessarily as effective as you might think. Wait until some car thief learns that he can pose as an officer in an unmarked car and pull over people driving the car he wants....
Unmarked police cars have of course existed before, but they have never been used for traffic "regulation" before. And anyway they won't have the possibility to arrest people. They can witness the infraction, take photos or even films. Then they contact another team of police officers who will apply the fine.
The other law - doubling fines if a minor is on board - sounds problematic to me. That suggests that the welfare of minor passengers is somehow more important than the value of adult passengers. The message it gives is that screwing around in traffic is less dangerous when the driver is alone.
Harry
ARGGGHHHHH... primal scream therapy works!
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tboner1965 Mar 30, 2002 7:42am
TB
Ever see the notices they plaster on the windshield to warn the driver that they have installed a boot on the car? They are international orange and have the adhesive on the front. They put them face down on the windshield right in front of the driver so that he can't see anything but that notice, and they are impossible to peel off! Maybe we could have some printed that has the writing facing outward, and says something like "I'm a Parking Space Parasite!" It would serve them right to have to go find a razor-scraper to get the sign off before they could drive.
Or, wouldn't it be great if you could simply tie on one of those vinyl helium baloons that usually say something like "It's a Boy!", only now it says "I Can't Park!" Won't they be happy when they have to take it off while others walk by smirking....
Granted, it's way more irritating in places where parking is limited or when close to a facility, but if someone is way out in the lot, leave them alone.
Me, I will usually just find a spot at the end and park as far away as possible from the car on one side.
When I had my old car, I would park right next to those vehicles.
Guess what? I bought a new car. I park it further out in the parking lot. I park it straight and between the lines, for 2 reasons. First, it is the correct way to park. Second, if I were to straddle a line, I would EXPECT that someone would park inches from me and/or break my wiper blades and/or do some other thing to my vehicle.
Can't park? You shouldn't be driving.
A little while back people were posting about stickers, etc. to leave with poorly parked vehicles. I am giving this some serious thought!
The 911 driver has decided he's not going to have your decision to wait slow him down. Now, I don't approve of this, but an F 16 pilot in a 911 is not about to wait for me in my Towncar.
If there's a line of car waiting at the light to get into the mall's parking lot, I will see someone's wife or husband leap out of the car, run across the green and STAND in an empty parking space to hold that spot for their spouse/family. That should be a violation worth ticketing.
I went back out with a valve stem insert remover and flattened two tires opposite each other. I put the valve stem inserts under the tires so the flat would cover them up.
About 2-3 weeks later I hear an argument out in the parking lot. My neighbor who lived above was out letting the air out of one of the same car's tires and got caught. I went out and sided with my neighbor. I told the guy with the cammero that next time I saw him taking two places I'd have the resident manager tow it away.
On the way back, I told my neighbor why he got caught. We had a good laugh.
So how is it that someone can drive with a hands free phone? I realize some of these devices work via microphone and radio. However, some of them are essentially headphones with an attached microphone.
$50,000 dollars of ins money later, and I have a new car, and his car was fixed.
Last night, after Christmas Eve at our aunt's, my brother and I tried to follow my mom from Elwood, Illinois to Noblesville, Indiana. We got about as far as Momence, IL when we decided to turn around and head back to Chicago. Big snow storm. Turns out it took about seven hours for my mom to get home (this would normally be a three hour trip).
Anywho, on the way home, I was amazed how badly people drive in snow. I was driving (my brother's Blazer, in 4Hi) and had lots of people tailgating (!) me on the interstate in this snowstorm, of course a few people in the ditch (one, the obligatory cocky Jeep Grand Cherokee), and one guy who turned left *right* in front of me to get into a gas station (nobody was behind me, naturally). I was in no hurry, but also wasn't driving too slow (blowing snow, no sign of plows or salt trucks).
;^)
The add starts with a woman who says, "My husband is going to cut you off when the light turns green. "
Later a guy in another car says, "I am driving with my knees. " He is eating something with both hands.
Another guy in a 3rd car says, "I am really tired. "
That add makes me think of this topic.