Cars in Anchorage (Fairbanks, Valdez, Seward: rental car, transplants, rental)

[warptman]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

Okay... Grammar and spelling mistakes aside; I'm guessing you have no clue what is involved in getting a CDL... I had a Class "B" CDL with air brakes and passenger endorsement for 12 years for driving school bus.
The stuff on the CDL test covers stuff related to driving a commercial vehicle... Mainly your pretrip, loading & securing cargo, the rules concern hazardous material, transporting passengers, air brakes, and driving a combination vehicle (tractor/trailer).
None of that is going to be applicable to a guy in a F-250. You can see for yourself here: http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/dlmanual/cdlmanual.pdf

Listen, a bad driver is a bad driver. It doesn't matter if they are in a big truck or a tiny car. If you can't drive, then you can't drive and you shouldn't be on the road in anything.

How about instead of just renewing your license every four years, how about making people retake the written and the driving test? I read a study a few years ago that an insurance company did. They took 1,000 adults that had been driving at least 15 years and had them take the written and driving test. Something like 60% failed.

No matter how much you dumb it down, he still won't get it.

[Dakster]

I agree Stiff... And this regulation is what is making the new F150 have a lot of parts made out of aluminum. I doubt Ford really wanted to do it, but CAFE is making them. That is also why you are seeing EcoBoost twin turbo V6's instead of V8's. Good news for us consumers is better fuel economy, good power, and more hauling/pulling capacity. Bad news, the trucks cost more to buy, insure, and fix. But at least I choose between a sports car, economy car, truck, cuv, suv, etc...

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by highlife2

That does not mean that there should not be a more rigorus standard to get a licence. I would not complain if half the cars were off the road in rush hour if the pulled licences away from half the people due to incompetence.

But see, you can stand there thinking of yourself as being a perfect driver. The problem is that now and then every one of us makes a driving mistake.

How about creating a law where a CDL is required for driving any vehicle on the road, except for bicycles? After all, these are very small compared to the smallest cars on the road

[Dakster]

I am still trying to figure out how a CDL makes you a safer driver... I seem to recall many a OTR truck driver making mistakes that have cost people lives and done 100s of thousands of $ worth of damage.

I see it as a deterrent for 'regular joes' to being able to drive certain vehicles, potentially. Seeing as it just takes time and some money to get a CDL...

[warptman]

Originally Posted by Dakster

I am still trying to figure out how a CDL makes you a safer driver... I seem to recall many a OTR truck driver making mistakes that have cost people lives and done 100s of thousands of $ worth of damage.

I see it as a deterrent for 'regular joes' to being able to drive certain vehicles, potentially. Seeing as it just takes time and some money to get a CDL...

CEE Alaska trains drivers to be professional and safe.

CDL Training

[highlife2]

I guess part of it is that I feel some barriers to entry need to be imposed to driving as the roads are hugely congested and its just a matter of time before anchorage is in grid lock during the rush 3 hours like seattle or LA. I just don't see it as favorable to have our roads start turning into the lower 48. Perhaps as gas prices hit like 7$ a gal the roads will clear up.

The massive number of people all driving is what makes living in the valley and commuting so horrible.

[Dakster]

Blog is being weird right now, it won't let me quote...

Warptman - If I understand you correctly, the hours of driving school you take in High School doesn't make you a safe driver? I went to driving school for a semester, Friday Night and all day Saturday when I was in High School... Kinda part of the ritual of growing up here. So why should only pickup truck driver's get this CDL training with additional "driver safety" training and not the rest of the drivers on the road?

I would think you would want all drivers on the road to be safe.

FWIW, when we get there, planning on the wife and I taking a winter driving course. Even though I have driven several hundred thousand miles - 99.9% of that driving was not in/on snow or ice.

[jdhpa]

Originally Posted by highlife2

I guess part of it is that I feel some barriers to entry need to be imposed to driving as the roads are hugely congested and its just a matter of time before anchorage is in grid lock during the rush 3 hours like seattle or LA. I just don't see it as favorable to have our roads start turning into the lower 48. Perhaps as gas prices hit like 7$ a gal the roads will clear up.

The massive number of people all driving is what makes living in the valley and commuting so horrible.

If people need to commute to get to work, but can't because barriers to driving are imposed, how will they work?

[Dakster]

It isn't just that simple to raise gas prices, commuting goes down and all is good. The economy will adjust to the higher fuel prices. In the beginning, it will have the affect of just reducing vehicles on the road. The economy will retract/crash and correct. Higher prices across the board will result and then higher wages. And then commuting goes back up...

I find it ironic, that someone living in a state that most of the goods rely on fuel to get to them would want high fuel prices. AND the cost of fuel impacts what is costs for someone to get to AK for a vacation. I haven't looked at how much tourism plays into AKs economy, but I can't believe it is a trivial amount. In fact, reading this, it seems pretty vital to the economic health of the state. (Tourism Research, Tourism Development, Development Section, Division of Economic Development)

Yes, I know that oil royalties can be factored in, but not everyone works for the oil companies and the PFD is hardly enough to make up that amount.

Careful what you ask for...

[rntim]

Don't drive like an idiot and you will be fine. Complaining about other drivers is like complaining about the weather--doesn't do a bit of good. Could always live in a small community--our speed limit is 45 max. and if you are speeding, someone will call the cops and they do find you because there really is no place to run and hide here!