Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site jhunix.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!lll-crg!gymble!umcp-cs!aplcen!jhunix!ins_aeas From: ins_aeas@jhunix.UUCP (Earle A .Sugar) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: freedom Message-ID: <1485@jhunix.UUCP> Date: Sat, 21-Dec-85 12:02:12 EST Article-I.D.: jhunix.1485 Posted: Sat Dec 21 12:02:12 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 05:05:41 EST References: <483@imsvax.UUCP> Organization: The Johns Hopkins University Lines: 60 > West Germans do not write their traffic laws for the most > dufless nerd in the land as we do; that person is directed to > the train station (Bahnhof) and the traffic laws are written for > normal, intelligent, competant people. There are no seat-belt or > air-bag laws in Germany, no speed limits on the autobahns outside > major city limits, and minimal restrictions elsewhere. Traffic > normally moves THROUGH cities at 45 - 55 mph or so. There are > amber lights on RED at intersections so that there are no 15 > second lags after a light turns green before anybody moves. > > Surprisingly given all of this, there are very few wrecks > and mishaps by American Standards, and about 1/10 the number of > cops driving around that we are used to. As a general rule, it > is damned hard to tell the used from the new cars at German car > lots. Laws require true competance of drivers before they MAY > drive, as well as true performance from vehicles. Cars such as > the American muscle cars of the 60's (with engines made for 140 > mph and the entire rest of the car made for about 50) would be > limited to 50 mph by German laws and, hence, nobody would buy > them. German roads are unbelievable by our standards; aside > from the obvious lack of bumps and potholes, the composition is > made for maximum grip by tires in rain. Driving at 80 or 100 mph > there in rain is SAFE. > > It's almost enough to make you cry, isn't it? I mean, > especially you poor slobs in Massachussetts. You hit on the major reason for the pro-55 lobby in your posting: American drivers are BAD! They are dangerous to themselves at any speed, under any conditions, in any traffic. Somehow the DOT seems to think that driving 55 counteracts incompetance of the majority of drivers on the road. Just look at all of the people who make unsignalled left turns from the right lane, all the twits driving Dodge Darts at 45mph in the left lane of I-95, and the people who cannot grasp the simple concept that two objects cannot occupy the same point in space at the same moment in time. We need driver's licenses that mean something. Make part of the license test include an emergency stop or turn on wet pavement, and written tests that really can indicate what the driver will do in traffic (i.e. what would you do in such and such a situation, rather than the stuff about what the traffic signs mean). The legislatures of the states couldn't require that American drivers perform like German drivers. Too many powerful voting blocks would see large percentages of their members losing their driving privileges. However, regardless of the quality of domestic drivers, 55 is arbitrary and should be repealed. Speed limits should be set by engineers who can better estimate maximum safe speeds on interstates by conditions. I don't like having the government legislating every aspect of my life; I can make my own stupid mistakes without some bureaucrat making them for me. -- ______________________________________________________________________________ Earle A. Sugar Disclaimer:"I doubt anyone else here agrees with me." USENET: ...!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!aplcen!jhunix!ins_aeas CSNET:ins_aeas@jhunix.csnet ARPA:ins_aeas%jhunix.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa BITNET: INS_BEAS@JHUVMS (as a last resort) "If you don't expect anything, you'll never be dissappointed." or call 301-889-0815 after 6 P.M. EST