Carnage on America's Highways?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Zkribbler



There's all kinds of rules and regulations about how much rest truck drivers must take, about their breaks, etc. Unfortunately, they don't get paid for not driving, so lots of the rules get ignored.

and knowing this thats why the bigger outfits require logbooks and track drivers. If a driver gets from Detroit to SanDiego in less than a certain time, they know they were either speeding or violating rest rules or both. Thats why they usually have times before which they are not allowed to deliver. in rush situations, they should have a relief driver

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Arrian
Moby - Statistically proven Without controlling for weather and other variables, maybe.

We've already been over this. If you crash in bad weather, it is because YOU are a crap driver! It is not the weather's fault. If you lose control because you have exceeded the handling abilities of the car, you are the one at fault...

And you make it sound like the WHOLE of the US suffers from bad weather when that is patently not true either...

What next? Crap roads, crap gritters? Excuses, excuses...

Transfer the same weather to Britain and you'd see the same sorts of problems.

Been over that too, whereas only about half our country (North/Scotland/Wales) regularly gets heavy snow - when it unexpectedly hits the South like the 6 inches in Kent last week, do we get multiple 50 vehicle pile-ups!? No.

You're all just crap drivers - there really is no shame in being significantly worse at driving than us Brits...

[Arrian]

Ok, Moby. Think that if it makes you feel better about yourself.

-Arrian

[MOBIUS]

Speaking as one far superior to yourself, I have no need to 'feel better'...

Just to put this in perspective...

In Jan 2002, I drove through NJ, PA, NY as well as Ontario in snowy conditions including heavy blizzards etc. Did I, your average skilled UK driver have a problem?

Not at all. The only major incident I recall is entering Niagara Falls city limits along the main road and having to brake suddenly and use the horn because some braindead woman pulled out in front of me in broad daylight (despite my also having the headlights on as an extra precaution)...

If I had been a fellow braindead yank, I expect that would have resulted in a collision!

Anyway, I have driven in your '****' weather and far worse besides (Iceland), personally I don't know what the problem was as long as you don't drive stupidly...

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Flubber


and knowing this thats why the bigger outfits require logbooks and track drivers. If a driver gets from Detroit to SanDiego in less than a certain time, they know they were either speeding or violating rest rules or both. Thats why they usually have times before which they are not allowed to deliver. in rush situations, they should have a relief driver

I think often they still try to make it early so they can take a break. They might just not check in until the next day...

JM

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Flubber
... the bigger outfits require logbooks...

Required of all CMV drivers (except local) regardless of outfit size.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Jon Miller


I think often they still try to make it early so they can take a break. They might just not check in until the next day...

JM

Milemarker will do them in. They get caught in audits.

[Arrian]

And I've driven outside of the states (Canada, New Zealand) and I've observed plenty of driving in the UK (and Italy and Russia).

My observations are that people are ****ty drivers the world over. That's no more or less valid than your personal experiences. The stats say what they say, but do not control for variables such as weather, road conditions, and possibly other factors that are not obvious to us. Nor can they.

...

What's the deal with cell phone useage over there, btw? My state recently passed a law against driving & talking on your cell phone at the same time (fat lot of good that did - everyone ignores it).

-Arrian

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Arrian

What's the deal with cell phone useage over there, btw? My state recently passed a law against driving & talking on your cell phone at the same time (fat lot of good that did - everyone ignores it).

-Arrian

They'll pry mine from my cold dead hands (after I've cracked up at 120kph).

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Arrian
The stats say what they say.

Yep, they do...

What's the deal with cell phone useage over there, btw? My state recently passed a law against driving & talking on your cell phone at the same time (fat lot of good that did - everyone ignores it).

-Arrian

Old law = £50 on the spot fine.

Wasn't working at all.

New law (due July?) = £60 fine plus 3 points on the licence.

After twelve points you are banned from driving usually for a year. Given points are added for other traffic offences such as speeding and last for two years (usually 3 points), getting caught on your phone will no longer be such a small deal...

[Arrian]

Good. Seriously, it's blatantly obvious that it impairs people's driving.

I wish CT's law was actually enforced. I wish that they enforced some other things, too - failure to signal for instance, but then that might require that the cops themselves actually signal, and OMG how awful would that be? Too much work

-Arrian

[Arrian]

In October 2005 a Connecticut law banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving went into effect. The measure goes further than some similar laws in other states and municipalities. Drivers in Connecticut can be fined $100...

Meh. So basically equivalent to the old law in the UK. Plus, it's clearly not enforced.

edit: another problem is that hands-free is fine. But the problem is distraction, not the use of one hand to hold the phone. So using a hands-free device doesn't really help.

-Arrian

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by MOBIUS
when it unexpectedly hits the South like the 6 inches in Kent last week

That wasn't 6 inches, don't deceive yourself, it was 6cm.

[MOBIUS]

Hey I'm only repeating what I was told by a friend, with a small dick apparently...

[Dis]

Originally posted by Arrian


Meh. So basically equivalent to the old law in the UK. Plus, it's clearly not enforced.

edit: another problem is that hands-free is fine. But the problem is distraction, not the use of one hand to hold the phone. So using a hands-free device doesn't really help.

-Arrian

yeah it's a distraction. But I have to use a cell phone in the nature of my job (and I have to drive to get from place to place), so it's a necessary evil.